Pritzker criticized Bailey for not taking media questions.
“This is the second debate in a row that I’ve shown up to answer your questions and the second time that Darren Bailey has not shown up,” Pritzker told media after the debate. “Like with so many other things, Darren Bailey is all hat and no cattle.” […]
“I can’t fathom what the next four years are going to be like under J.B. Pritzker,” Bailey said. “Every state agency is an absolute failure.”
Bailey said education has been decimated, crime is increasing and businesses and people are moving out.
“All cattle and no show, that’s J.B. Pritzker,” Bailey said.
A Googlewhack is a contest to find a Google Search query that returns a single result. A Googlewhack must consist of two words found in a dictionary and is only considered legitimate if both of the search terms appear in the result. The term googlewhack, coined by Gary Stock, first appeared on the web at Blinking on 8 January 2002.
OK, so it isn’t technically a Googlewhack, but nobody has ever used that phrase before that I can see.
Q: Let’s talk about equity and recreational-use cannabis. The state’s program went online in 2020. The first predominantly Black-owned craft grow house recently opened in the state. But, Governor, since 2020, more than 340 licenses have been given out and only one has been given to a minority owner. Governor when will you make good on your promise to diversify the lucrative cannabis industry?
Pritzker: Well that’s not true. Let me be clear, 185 licenses have been awarded under the social equity licensing program.
Q: But those are conditional.
Pritzker: They are conditional. Conditional upon opening a store. So right now, people are in fact opening stores. It’s terrific. Has it taken too long? Yes, it has. And the fact is that people went to court and sued because they didn’t think that they deserved to be knocked out of the program, some of those folks. People were in the program, wanted the program to change, they sued. Look, I think those things have been worked out through the court system. Now you’re seeing people taking out loans, building out their dispensaries. We’ve seen cultivation licenses awarded those licenses to be clear. 40 percent have gone to people of color, and the whole point of it is to make sure that there is equity across our state for people who have been left out and left behind who’ve been the victims of the war on drugs.
Q: So I guess, governor, where can people go though, if they wanted to support a Black-owned recreational marijuana business? Where would they go to find that?
Pritzker: Those folks are seeking investment right now. In fact, they’re taking loans from the state, which is great. That’s exactly what this program is about. I want to point out another aspect of equity, which is that we’ve expunged 800,000 arrest records. Low-level cannabis arrest records, and pardoned people with low-level convictions. That was all part of this cannabis legalization program. I’m proud of that. We also have the R-3 program which Lieutenant Governor runs and which distributes money in some places that have been left out and left behind.
Q: We need to bring Senator Bailey into the discussion. You voted against recreational cannabis in Illinois. It’s a big topic nationally with President Biden announcing he would pardon thousands convicted of possession earlier this month. If elected as governor, will you reverse decriminalization of cannabis?
Bailey: Nope. I don’t see that happening. That’s not on my priority list. You know, I find it interesting that Governor Pritzker for four years equity equity, equity, and he finally had his opportunity with the recreational marijuana dispensaries, and he failed. Again. I’m out in the Black community. You probably saw me on Facebook a few weeks ago, since you saw everything else, when I was walking with the Black community up and down the streets of Chicago. And they were screaming foul because they can’t get the licenses. So I’d love to see some proof of these actual people, these 146 people who have supposedly are in the process of getting their licenses, because it’s not happening because many of those people are coming to me screening that foul and wondering what the problem is. I simply tell them, you’ve got a governor who can’t tell the truth.
Pritzker: Look, just like with abortion rights, where he opposes abortion, but then complains about how we’re going about providing the rights for people in Illinois. He opposes cannabis legalization. Now he wants to complain about how that legalization operates. Look, you’ve got to be at the table to get things done. You’ve got to work together with people. And indeed we have implemented equity across…
Bailey: Treat the Black people with respect, Governor.
Q: [Sighs.] We’re gonna move on…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* The Question: Has Pritzker done enough to ensure equity in the recreational cannabis industry? Explain. Also, stick to the question that’s been asked. These can go off the rails fast.
Side question: Do you believe that Sen. Bailey wouldn’t try to roll back the recreational cannabis industry?
*** UPDATE *** Wondering when we would see something like this…
Chicago City Council Latino Caucus rejects Darren Bailey’s hateful rhetoric against immigrants from the southern border. Read full statement here: pic.twitter.com/A1TxeOSih2
(2/3): with our Southern border.’ Baileys’ unprompted connection between migrants and gang violence go far beyond a dog whistle; it is unabashed racism that has no place in Illinois. While Bailey continues to scapegoat Latinos for problems he has no plans to solve.
If the Illinois Primary election was any indication, voters are going to get pummeled with political robocalls and robotexts between now and Election Day next month.
This was true in 2020 when Americans received approximately 8.25 million robocalls on Election Day, and over the past two months Illinois ranks 24th in robocalls on a per capita basis.
Political robocalls, according to this source…
For the month of August, Illinois received around 123,406 robocalls.
For the month of September, Illinois received around 311,919 robocalls.
For the first two weeks of October, Illinois received around 281,917 robocalls.
From 8/1 to 10/16, Illinois received 717,242 robocalls.
* State early vote totals…
The @illinoissbe has updated early vote totals (10/19/22): Total VBM requested: 764,930 Total VBM returned: 200,084 Total VBM outstanding: 564,846 Return Rate: 26% Total Early Vote: 49,153 Total Grace Period: 560 Total Already Voted: 249,797https://t.co/44ga6AxRbY
the most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
The Early Vote total stands at 2,694 ballots cast.
Additionally, 17,866 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 185,745.
The grand total is 20,560 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.
* ILGOP…
“Pritzker’s policies have turned Chicago into a dystopian version - Pritzkerville - which may soon spread into the suburbs and downstate. Only by electing a new Governor can we begin to rebuild from the damage he caused and once again make our communities safe for residents and businesses. That is the message that Darren Bailey delivered last night,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
* Press release…
After begging for Donald Trump’s prized endorsement for months, GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey tried to buck Trump’s support at last night’s debate — but voters know the truth.
Bailey scored Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” at a rally in June, where Bailey said unequivocally: “I’ve made a promise to President Trump that in 2024, Illinois will roll the red carpet out for him because Illinois will be ready for President Trump.”
At yesterday’s debate, he tried desperately to rewrite history, saying: “Nobody’s announced their run for president.”
“Gov. Pritzker tries to inject his radical gender ideology into our classrooms,” Bailey said.
But Pritzker pointed to the Full Armor Christian Academy school Bailey founded that uses curriculum connected to conservative South Carolina’s Bob Jones University. The university’s press has offered history books that taught that not all slaves were mistreated, that the women’s movement in society carried societal costs and that when the Bible and science are in conflict, the Bible is correct.
Q: Let’s talk about reproductive rights, gentlemen, shall we? Senator Bailey, just tonight you said nothing is going to change about Illinois abortion laws if you’re elected. But last week, the Executive Director of Illinois Right to Life promised you will work to undo extremism. If elected, would you pursue pro life policies through executive orders? You’ve got 60 seconds.
Bailey: Well, let’s talk about extremism. Governor Pritzker is perfectly fine with our children needing abortions without their parents knowing anything about it. I think that’s extreme. Governor Pritzker is perfectly fine injecting his gender curriculum, the first of its kind in the nation into our schools, woke ideology. I think that’s extreme. Governor Pritzker, his family foundation is the primary sponsor for experimental gender surgeries (Pritzker: That’s not true) in childrens’ hospitals (Pritzker: That’s not true) all across this nation right here in Chicago. (Pritzker: False.) I think that’s extreme. Governor Pritzker tries to inject his radical gender ideology into our classrooms, and most school districts have rejected that.
That accusation is based on a conspiracy theory about how the governor is supposedly in cahoots with his trans cousin Jennifer, who contributed to Bruce Rauner, Richard Irvin’s 2022 campaign and against the governor’s graduated income tax. The conspiracy theory was pushed by Dan Proft’s papers.
* Press release…
Chairman Scott Gryder released his new ad “Leader” which highlights his priorities in Congress, and his commitment to people, not politics:
“During her tenure as our representative, Lauren Underwood has put big government special interests and her own agenda first – at the expense of every individual in this district. She has made our lives more expensive and less safe. We deserve better.
That’s why I’m running for Congress.
I’ll go to Washington to end reckless spending and lower taxes, giving us back our financial freedom. I’ll also restore safety to our neighborhoods by standing with law enforcement and ensuring that they receive the funding and resources they need to effectively do their job.”
We’re protesting DuPage County Chairman candidate Greg Hart who has done a 180 degree turn on his pro-life stance and now says he’ll never stand in the way of a woman’s “right to choose” with the help and funding of the illinois GOP. Eric Scheidler, our executive director, has some thoughts:
* Cook County Voters to Weigh Forest Preserves Tax Increase in Upcoming Election: It’s rare when newspaper editorial boards and fiscal watchdog groups recommend that residents vote to increase their property taxes. But that’s exactly the case as Cook County voters face a binding question on their election ballot: Do you want to pay a little more to help fund the Cook County Forest Preserves? Outside groups have waged a public campaign to convince voters to say yes, because they believe the investment will pay growing dividends.
* Six takeaways from the second Illinois gubernatorial debate: Bailey had a message. He undercut that message by repeatedly refusing to get specific, but even a casual viewer would get the gist: At a time when the economy is bumpy, taxes are high and the streets of Chicago and other cities are dangerous, Illinois needs a change. Good and simple. Pritzker’s message was that things have improved on his watch, particularly with state finances, and that voters ought to stick with him. But “stick with me” is not much of a second-term agenda. In the closing weeks of the campaign, the governor might do well to spell out what a vote for him means, other than not electing Bailey.
* Illinois’ 6th Congressional District candidates offer stance on education: Pekau said Democrats are pushing their views in Illinois classrooms throughout the state. “We need to stop the agenda they are trying to push, it is unacceptable,” Pekau said. “We need to teach the skills that need to be [taught]. If you want to talk U.S. History, you talk about the good and the bad. We don’t do it through a racial based lens, we do it through an American lens.” […] Casten suggests “providing universal early childhood education” and to “ensure that all students have access to a top-quality elementary, high school, and trade school or higher education.”
* Opinion: In public education debate, don’t overlook community colleges: The ongoing gubernatorial campaign got a mild injection of interest earlier this month when one candidate said it might be time to reduce state spending on K-12 public education. The other countered by pledging further investment and making sure private schools aren’t enriched at taxpayer expense. You know which is which, but the point here isn’t settling the debate between two candidates, but discussing the larger issue of postsecondary education and workforce development.
* Latest fundraising has Vallas eager for campaign fight: A $500,000 donation from prominent GOP donor and golf course magnate Michael Keiser has left an opening for some opponents, including the Chicago Teachers Union, to attack Vallas, a former CPS CEO, as a closet Republican
About 31% of people who took part in the phone and text message survey conducted by Public Policy Polling said they think the Bears should move from Soldier Field to Arlington Heights, compared to 29% who said they think the team should stay put. About 39% said they weren’t sure.
Perhaps not surprisingly, suburban fans are more excited about the potential move, the Sun-Times/WBEZ Poll suggests, as 51% of respondents from suburban Cook County and the collar counties said the team should break ground in the suburbs. Only 19% of Chicago respondents said the team should leave the city, 44% opposed the move, and 37% were unsure. […]
But in a follow-up question, regardless of where they lived, 45% of all respondents said they would oppose any government funding being used for the stadium or any of the sewers, roads and other infrastructure costs needed to make the massive mixed-use development a reality. […]
Twenty-eight percent of respondents were open to public financing for the infrastructure alone, while 12% said they’d even be OK with giving the team money for the stadium itself — something the team has vowed not to ask for.
The remaining 15% of respondents to the Sun-Times/WBEZ Poll said they’re not sure how they feel about the prospect of public money going into an Arlington Heights stadium or the rest of the 326-acre plot that the team wants to round out with other amenities.
Q: Well, gentlemen, as you both know, and no doubt most of our audience knows, the Chicago Bears are currently exploring a move to Arlington Heights. What’s your position on using state tax dollars to develop the land there and build a new stadium? Senator Bailey, we’ll start with you.
Bailey: Well, first of all, we have to back up and we have to take a look at why this situation has arisen. And it’s because the state government, local government have failed. More taxes are not the answer. We have got to sit down at the table and come up with better solutions and there’s our our taxes. When I started running for governor, when I started running for state rep in 2017, Illinois taxes were $32 billion. And today under Governor Pritzker’s leadership they’re $46.5 billion [Editor’s note: It’s actually $41 billion, plus another $2 billion in transfers, lottery, gaming, cannabis, etc.]. Now I want you to think about that, if more money is the solution to everything, why are we talking about this? Why do we have the problems that we have in Illinois? We have got to start being responsible with our money. We’ve got to start saving tax dollars money, we’ve got to start bringing business into the state of Illinois and right now with all of our regulations and when our high taxes and our unsafe streets and our failed schools. Nobody’s wanting to come instead they’re all leaving.
Q: Governor Pritzker. Same question for you. What is your position on using state tax dollars to develop land in Arlington Heights for the Bears?
Pritzker: That I should meander around to other questions while I’m answering? No, that’s what Darren Bailey does. Look, I’m a Bears fan. I support the Chicago Bears. But I do not think that the state should be funding the private development of a stadium anywhere in the state.
* Nowhere in this BGA story is it mentioned that state law was recently changed to require almost immediate disclosure when a Statehouse lobbyist hires a non-lobbying consultant. It’s a good reform and I thought it was a strong first step to cleaning up some problems. Former Rep. Ed Acevedo, we just learned with the latest round of indictments, was hired as a consultant to an AT&T lobbyist in order to funnel him some pin money. It was never disclosed before because disclosure wasn’t mandated. It’s mandated now.
That doesn’t mean that what Budzinski or any other lobbyist consultant did was wrong. It’s legal. I was just pointing out that a significant recent state reform was completely ignored in this exposé…
Shortly after she left her state job as a senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, longtime political operative Nikki Budzinski collected more than $500,000 in consulting and other fees in 10 months, including more than $80,000 from a Springfield lobbyist Budzinski helped while working for the governor. […]
The lobbyist who paid Budzinski $82,810 after Budzinski left the Pritzker administration is longtime Springfield operative Julie Curry.
A BGA review of state and federal public records shows a cozy relationship between Budzinski and Curry, who frequently reached out when her clients needed assistance, whether it was to set up a meeting with the governor for a client or access for an event at the governor’s mansion.
One expert said Budzinski’s actions after she left the Pritzker administration highlight weaknesses in Illinois’ ethics laws.
State workers are generally barred from accepting compensation as a lobbyist for one year after leaving government work. Since Budzinski was not a registered lobbyist, but rather worked as a consultant to the lobbyist paying her, Illinois’ executive order did not apply to her, records and interviews show.
“The law should also include work for a lobbying firm,” Southern Illinois University law professor and former lieutenant governor Sheila Simon told the BGA.
I’d probably agree with Simon. If you’re gonna ban employees from lobbying, then you should probably extend that to consulting for lobbyists. But most of the activities ascribed to Curry in the article aren’t particularly juicy. They’re just normal things that lobbyists routinely do. And people obviously jumped at the chance to hire Budzinski after she left the administration. She’s been pretty good at almost whatever she’s put her mind to.
Other contracts Budzinski got were from Sixteen Thirty Fund (consultant, $64K), New Venture Fund (consultant, $48K), Climate Jobs National Resource Center (Midwest strategist, $150K), Dewey Square Group (consultant, $40K), Emily’s List (election strategist, $59K), Kilbride for Supreme Court (consultant, $41K), Union Insurance Group (board member, $24K).
It’s perhaps most interesting to me that Budzinski is now campaigning against dark money in politics after having worked for dark money group Sixteen Thirty Fund.
* By the way, I reminded subscribers about this new disclosure law on Monday in reference to former Rep. Acevedo and complained about the lack of a decent search function for consultants. The folks at the secretary of state’s office have since taught me a little site hack.
If you go to the lobbying info search page, then click the “Consultants Retained By Lobbying Entities” box, then select the year and then ignore the “required” language and just click the “Submit” button without inputting a name, voila, you get the entire list of every consultant hired by lobbying entities.
I’ve converted that page into a pdf for your viewing pleasure. Click here. I didn’t see a whole lot with a cursory scroll, except that Maze Jackson appears to have consulted this year for SafeSpeed, the red light cam company at the heart of some federal probes.
* If your Tuesday night didn’t include watching the debate, here is a thorough roundup from Tina Sfondeles…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker blasted his Republican challenger as an “extremist” and a “threat to democracy” who “shouldn’t be let anywhere near the governor’s office,” — as state Sen. Darren Bailey countered the Democratic incumbent was the extreme one, and his “arrogant leadership is killing people.” […]
But Bailey accused Pritzker of pushing “woke ideology” in schools across Illinois.
“His gender issues are so extreme,” Bailey said. “Gov. Pritzker is perfectly fine injecting his gender curriculum, the first of its kind in the nation, into our schools. Woke ideology. I think that’s extreme.” […]
Pritzker accused Bailey of having no plan to address crime, beyond criticizing Chicago. The governor took credit for increasing the number of police officers, eliminating the rape kit backlog and funding violence intervention, mental health and substance abuse treatment programs in the state to help combat crime.
With early voting underway and Election Day just three weeks away, Pritzker defended his record and deemed Bailey’s policies to be too “dangerous” for Illinois. And Bailey, with a smile, baited the governor repeatedly, frequently interrupting his answers.
The interjections, mostly by Bailey, were met with stern warnings from WGN-TV moderator Micah Materre. There was also an exasperated, “Shh” as Bailey tried to talk after a buzzer went off.
It was the last scheduled televised debate between the candidates and possibly the last time they shared venues, giving Bailey perhaps his last chance to cut into Pritzker’s lead in the polls. Recent polling conducted by The Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ found the Democrat with 49% of voters supporting him compared to 34% for Bailey.
That same poll, when broken down to Chicago voters, found Pritzker’s lead grow to a substantial 66 points with 78% supporting him and 12% backing Bailey.
The Republican has been campaigning heavily in Chicago, even renting an apartment in the Hancock Center to “immerse himself in the culture” as he put it and also to win some votes in the state’s largest city. Challenging that connection, however, potentially are past comments and legislative action from Bailey regarding Chicago.
After some other heated questions, the moderators asked Pritzker and Bailey each to identify one thing they admire about their opponent. Each man did find an answer.
“Governor Pritzker, I’m going to be honest with you – you look awesome,” Bailey said. “I like your suits. You look good in them.”
Bailey said he hoped Pritzker would take him suit shopping when the race was over.
To Bailey, Pritzker said, “I admire the fact that you married your high school sweetheart; that you’ve been together for 30 years. That shows deep commitment. That’s something that I feel strongly about as well.”
Meanwhile, the senator was asked several times about his stance on abortion protections in Illinois. During a debate on Oct. 6, Bailey said he couldn’t change the state’s abortion laws if he wanted to. Bailey was endorsed by all of the state’s anti-abortion groups earlier this year. The Illinois Federation for Right to Life, Illinois Citizens For Life, and Illinois Family Action said Bailey has shown a strong commitment to life and is unafraid to speak about his opinions on abortion.
Bailey has recently pulled back on his strong stance against abortion. Political insiders feel that he may be trying to gain support from moderate Republicans in the Chicago suburbs, although it may distance him from public opinion downstate. Bailey deflected Tuesday night and critiqued Pritzker for repealing the state’s parental notification of abortion law.
“Let’s talk about extremism,” Bailey said. “Gov. Pritzker is perfectly fine with our children getting abortions without their parents knowing anything about it. I think that’s extreme.”
Yet, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action said decades of research and experience showed that forced parental involvement laws hurt young people and served no valid purpose. PPIA Vice President of Public Policy Brigid Leahy said PNA was antiquated, harmful, and did not help young people in dangerous situations.
Pritzker noted that Bailey opposes abortion in all cases except saving the life of a mother. The Democrat said Illinois must continue to be a safe haven for women and others who can become pregnant.
The candidates discussed several topics, including crime, Chicago, and the performance of the Department of Child and Family Services and its director Marc Smith. The department has had significant issues despite budget increases in the past three years.
Bailey said the department needs to be addressed at all levels to succeed.
“We are going to start finding and taking applications for all of these agencies,” Bailey said. “I will tell you this, DCFS must be rebuilt from the ground up because it is failing our children all across the state.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker stood behind Smith, who has been held in contempt of court nine times for failing to find suitable placements for children in DCFS care.
“Governors firing the head of the agency does not solve anything,” Pritzker said. “You actually have to go in and fix the problems. Governors for twenty years did not do that. We are doing that.”
State Sen. Bailey has said he could cut state spending by 10 to 15 billion dollars, about one-third, saying everything should be on the table, including state aid to local schools.
“Our children here in Chicago receive $29,000 per student. Yet Chicago schools — they’re failing our children,” Bailey said. “More money is not the problem. Accountability and transparency is the answer.”
Gov. Pritzker was quick to respond.
“I’ve increased education funding by $1.3 billion. And that really is improving our schools. U.S. News & World Report has named us number one among the top 10 most populous states in the nation for pre-k to 12 education,” Pritzker said.
The candidates also traded barbs over immigration policy, as thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers have arrived in Chicago on buses from Texas in recent weeks.
“We need to get rid of this sanctuary state status, so law enforcement can do their job and start reining this gang activity in,” Bailey said. “We need to deal with our southern border and we need to get that under control and stop the inflow of illegal activity.”
The city of Chicago’s “sanctuary city” policy has made it a target of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has ordered migrants to be bused here, as well as New York and Washington, D.C.
Pritzker has declared a state of emergency, activating 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to provide state resources to asylum seekers.
During the debate, Bailey was asked if he would support Trump if he ran for president in 2024. He dodged the question, saying Trump hasn’t announced he will run.
“Nobody’s announced their run for presidency yet, so I’ll tell you that when they announce,” Bailey said. […]
In response, Bailey said if re-elected governor, Pritzker will use his position to make a presidential bid in 2024.
During the first debate, Pritzker said he intends to serve his full term if re-elected and would support President Biden’s campaign in 2024.
* Some tweets…
Post debate: Billionaire liked what he saw, donates another $2M to @DarrenBaileyIL
Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker argued against his Republican opponent Darren Bailey on school curriculum, gender-affirming therapy, violence and abortion during a televised debate pic.twitter.com/f464oAmyf4
Q: Senator Bailey, over the course of your career, you have at times called for the City of Chicago to be separated from the rest of Illinois. You also in this studio in the Sspring referred to Chicago as a crime-ridden corrupt hellhole. You also have called it the OK Corral and an unruly child. If you’re elected, what is your specific plan for Chicago within the powers of the governor’s office?
A: To let the people know that help is on the way and things can be better. And I want to remind you four and a half months ago as I stood right here and made that comment within six hours later a homeless man was put on fire in Chicago. So I’ve been thinking about that since you keep bringing it the situation up and I’ve got a new name for Chicago. I’m gonna call it Pritzkerville, because every one of Governor Pritzker’s extreme policies are destroying the city. Out of control crime, devastated education, the fact that corporations are packing up and leaving every day. No, I think Pritzkerville fits quite well because Governor Pritzker, it’s time for him to own it. Chicago is the nightmare called Pritzkerville and it’s still two weeks from Halloween.
* His evasive non-answer was eaten up by reporters. Here’s one example…
Well after this debate I’m going to drive my chumbolone self back to my apartment in Pritzkerville where my friends can practice their reproductive rights and love who they love. Might even stop for some tax-free groceries. #ILGovDebate
* Pritzker was asked about Bailey’s comment in the spin room…
We live in a great global city. I am happy to rename Chicago Pritzkerville as he has, but the fact is we have challenges. There’s no doubt I’ve talked about those challenges and how I would address those. He hasn’t. He just calls Chicago names, wants to throw it out of the state. Again, no solutions from Darren Bailey.
* It turns out that this isn’t an original Baileyism. From an October 13 op-ed by ILGOP Chair Don Tracy…
Illinois is more than its elected officials. Each of us adds something to our community, town, state, and nation. As the clumsy angel Clarence told George Bailey in the Capra classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” This could be said of Chicago, too.
Policies pursued jointly by Pritzker, Lightfoot, and Foxx, such as not prosecuting crime, not backing police, and imposing imprudent and illegal lockdowns by fiat scare people and businesses away. The “hole” created by people leaving is filled by criminals who further ruin Chicago.
Now, mobs of teens led astray steal from stores on Michigan Avenue, day in and day out; thugs chase cops and beat them in the West Loop; and drag racing and drifting competitions are becoming common at night in heavily populated areas of our city. […]
Call it Pritzkerville – eerily like Potterville from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with pot stores and a massive casino planned to fill the holes ripped in Chicago due to the loss of great businesses and decent people pursuing their dreams. […]
Pritzkerville is the dystopian version of Chicago: a dystopia of high taxes, rampant crime, and Democrat corruption. Pritzkerville is Chicago losing its “soul.” It doesn’t have to be this way. Urban life has challenges, but these challenges have long been met – and still are in thriving cities like Miami.
I’ve picked up on some of the lingo and one of the words that I’ve found that was used many years ago is the word chumbolone. It means lacking common sense. It pertains to the people who are being duped by their elected officials. But in this case, I believe that elected officials are the fools here because JB Pritzker and Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx, well, they’re the chumbolones of Chicago. They’re responsible for the crime, the corruption and the chaos that exists today and it’s got to change.
I don’t get it. But, hey, nice shout-out to a noted Indiana resident by a guy being backed to the hilt by a noted Florida resident.
Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) and Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) join crime survivors’ advocates at a press conference on Tuesday to fiercely oppose the misguided, late-stage trailer bill (Senate Bill 4228) that was orchestrated by conservative states attorneys.
The advocates highlighted three core elements of the prosecutors’ trailer bill that would not only undermine reforms, but move Illinois even further backwards, especially where it concerns survivors.
* SB 4228 removes the requirement that State’s attorneys are responsible for notifying victims about detention hearings (Page 69, lines 20-21).
* SB 4228 creates a system where low-level, nonviolent cases will clog up our pretrial detention system, rather than focusing on serious cases (Page 5, lines 7-9; page 60, lines 7-16).
* Creating a “presumption of detention” is unconstitutional, and particularly harmful to criminalized survivors of violence (Page 11, lines 14-15; page 19, lines 7-9; page 62, lines 12-22; page 63, lines 7-16).
“The supporters of the prosecutors’ trailer bill are knowingly undermining the lived experience of survivors and advocates who fought for and won the provision of the Pretrial Fairness Act that requires States Attorneys to notify victims of crimes about detention hearings,” said Vickie Smith, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Survivors do not want to be left in the dark, with potentially life-threatening consequences.”
“The shared goal of the Pretrial Fairness Act reforms is to better use the criminal legal system to make us all safer,” said Radhika Sharma-Gordon, Manager, Outreach and Education at Apna Ghar, Inc. “This means freeing up unnecessary resources spent on detaining low-level, low-risk people who’ve been accused of a crime. The prosecutors’ trailer bill seeks to maintain the failed status quo by creating a “catch-all” provision that allows for prosecutors to move for detention on any charge, which is not only a waste of resources, but it diverts attention from the cases that truly need careful and considered review in court.”
Under the Pretrial Fairness Act, prosecutors and law enforcement actually get the time and resources they need to work on cases that impact community safety, instead of spending their days dragging people into bond court for misdemeanors and petty offenses. Under a more focused system they can actually spend their time focusing on the 80 to 90 percent of sex crime reports in Chicago that don’t lead to any arrests. Law enforcement statewide could also spend more time on the 34,000 people in Illinois who have had their right to own a gun revoked by courts – many of whom with domestic violence backgrounds – who have not turned in their weapons or had them confiscated by law enforcement.
“Not only does the prosecutors’ trailer bill undermine the shared goals of the Pretrial Fairness Act, it also undermines the Constitution,” said Kaethe Morris Hoffer, executive director of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. “We all agree that a presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of our criminal legal system and any legitimate democratic government. That’s why it’s unthinkable that our elected State’s Attorneys have drafted a bill that creates a presumption of detention. Not only is it unconstitutional but it contradicts the democratic institutions our criminal legal system is ostensibly supposed to protect.”
* Capitol News Illinois did a story on the letter. Here’s an excerpt…
Another unmentioned change contained in [Sen. Scott Bennett’s] bill is a provision to ensure that the end of cash bail does not apply to individuals who were held in lieu of bail prior to Jan. 1, 2023. It addresses one of the main concerns of opponents, that those held before Jan. 1 may be entitled to release depending on how a judge interprets the existing language.
That provision has been called the “Purge Law” by some over the top detractors. Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has said he’d be forced to empty his jail in an “end of days” scenario. The Lake County state’s attorney, on the other hand, has said he’s actually putting in the work to make sure everything is in order come the first of the year.
* Gov. Pritzker brought up that very change last night during the debate…
Q: Governor you’ve accused Republicans of putting out disinformation about the legislation but the law does have critics from your own party, including State’s Attorneys who are suing you What steps are you taking to clarify what the law actually does?
Pritzker: Look, the folks who are critical of the SAFE-T Act and who are spreading disinformation want to let violent criminals out of jail on January 1. That’s not what the SAFE-T Act says. But if they’re going to try to do that, we ought to amend the SAFE-T Act to make sure they can’t do it. Let’s amend it, but not end it. […]
Q: …Today, the sponsors of the SAFE-T Act said they would not support the proposed changes by Democratic Senator Scott Bennett. You’ve previously called his proposal a ‘pretty good bill.’ Do you still feel that way?
Pritzker: Well as I’ve said, there are a lot of provisions in that bill. I think that we ought to be looking through all those provisions to decide which ones. I just suggested one that we ought to implement. But, look, Senator Bennett is a former prosecutor. He’s very thoughtful about these things. But as you know, I support the SAFE-T Act. Again, we ought to amend it appropriately. And make sure that we’re ending cash bail, while keeping murderers rapists and domestic abusers in jail.
Bennett said while much of the current conversation regarding “non-detainable” offenses stems from “misstatements on the right,” he filed the bill to erase any potential doubt.
“But if there was any ambiguity that some judge might misinterpret that, I think it’s fixed in (Senate Bill) 4228 and I think it makes it very clear that we want people out in the community if they are not a danger to the community. We want people getting back on the path to rehabilitation,” he said. “But I think we also need to recognize that there are people that threaten our society, and if there is an objective finding of that, I think everyone feels better if they are detained until they can have their day in court.”
* Quick coverage roundup from Isabel…
* Debates continue among political parties over Illinois’ new SAFE-T Act: One state lawmaker filed a bill that amends language in the current law, while others in his party fired back, saying such changes would do more harm than good. “Right now, the system is broken and I am proud of my partners in the survivor advocacy community for coming to the table and staying at the table and getting changes that will make us all safer,” said Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), who adds that some of the changes fought for in the Safe-T Act are being threatened.
* City of Moline votes down resolution addressing SAFE-T Act: But, only half of the council members supported the resolution. Mike Wendt gave his reasoning and stated, “It is important to give the city of moline one voice that we are supportive of our officers and our law-abiding residents.” The resolution addresses what they deemed major issues in the SAFE-T act, such as the removal of cash bail and unclear guidelines for law enforcement.
* Kendall County Board approves resolution requesting changes to SAFE-T Act: The resolution received unanimous support from the board. During the meeting, State’s Attorney Eric Weis told the board that preparing for unknowns with the SAFE-T Act has been difficult. Kendall County, along with many others, has filed to suit to halt the act’s implementation.
* I forgot to post a debate thread yesterday. Sorry about that. While Isabel and I gather stories about last night’s gubernatorial debate, here’s your chance to give it your own spin.
* Where 28th state Senate candidates stand on abortion: Murphy, who has represented the district since 2015, said the government “has no business” making decisions about reproduction or other health care issues for women. “We have the right to make our own decisions on our health care,” she said. “Everyone else makes their own decisions on their health care. Why wouldn’t women, throughout the country and particularly in Illinois, have the right to do it?”
* In their own words: Meet the candidates running for Illinois’s 36th Senate District:
For the first time since 2014, State Senator Neil Anderson (R) will not be on the ballot for Illinois’s 36th district. After the state’s once-per-decade redistricting process, Anderson was drawn out of the 36th. He now resides in and is running to represent the new 47th district.
* What’s the Difference Between Illinois’ Treasurer and Comptroller?: While the offices of attorney general and secretary of state seem simple enough, Illinois is one of only a handful of states that has both a treasurer and a comptroller, with both offices controlling elements of the state’s finances.
* Daily Herald Endorsement: Costa Howard for House Dist. 42: Many Democrats danced around questions related to former House Speaker Michael Madigan, the once all-powerful head of the party in Illinois. Costa Howard worked for his ouster. In fact, she was one of the 19 House Democrats who opposed his leadership and one of the first to call for him to go. […] It is a shame that in endorsing Costa Howard we cannot therefore endorse Hood. She is a responsible Republican running to add political balance to a state now dominated by one party and normally we would herald that.
On October 18, 2022, Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated two separate Scott’s Law Violations that occurred less than an hour apart involving injury to a trooper and two deaths. The first violation involved a traffic crash in District 12 - Effingham where an ISP Trooper received minor injuries. The second violation involved two construction workers who were fatally injured while setting out construction barrels in District 14 – near Burlington, IA.
On October 18, 2022, at approximately 7:25 a.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic crash involving an ISP District 12 Trooper, on the ramp from U.S. Route 45 to Interstate 57 southbound in Effingham. The Trooper was on the right shoulder with emergency lights activated, parked behind a truck-tractor semi-trailer (TTST), while investigating a traffic crash. The Trooper was gathering information from the driver of the TTST involved in an earlier hit-and-run. The Trooper was on the driver’s side external floorboard of the TTST’s cab partially in the vehicle, when a passing TTST struck the Trooper and the cab. The Trooper was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been treated and released. The uninjured driver of the passing TTST, 42-year-old Eric D. Trevino of Temple Bell, TX, was issued a citation for a violation of Scott’s Law – Improper Passing of a Stationary Emergency Vehicle.
Also, on October 18, 2022, at approximately 8:03 a.m., two construction workers from a Burlington, IA company were struck and killed after being hit by a passenger car. The workers were walking behind their stationary pickup truck and trailer, which had its yellow construction lights activated, setting construction barrels for a work zone on the Great River Bridge of U.S Route 34 westbound as it crosses the Mississippi River. A 2016 Mazda CX5 traveling westbound struck a barrel and continued on, striking the two construction workers causing fatal injuries.
The workers are identified as Pearson J. Franklin, 20-year-old of New London, IA and Andrew Whitcomb, 35-year-old of Burnside, IL. The driver of the Mazda, Emily Johnson, 21-year-old of Gladstone, IL, was written citations for Scott’s Law – Improper Passing of a Stationary Emergency Vehicle, Improper Use of Electronic Communication Device, and Failure To Reduce Speed To Avoid a Crash. Johnson received minor injuries as a result of the crash.
There have been 19 ISP squad cars struck in relation to the Move Over Law and eight Troopers have sustained injuries from Move Over Law-related crashes. ISP is reminding the public of the requirements of the Move Over Law, otherwise known as the “Scott’s Law.” When approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated, drivers are required to slow down AND move over. A person who violates Scott’s Law, commits a business offense and faces a fine of no less than $250 or more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years. Additional information can be found at the following link: https://isp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=21430274bef64fc5a19d8dcc191ff3f8
Bailey generally outperformed low expectations in the first debate of the two on Oct. 6 at Illinois State University in Normal, a chippy affair in which each labeled the other as a liar, the two repeatedly interrupted each other and both accused the other of hypocrisy.
* Latest Personal PAC mailer uses not-so-subtle coat hanger imagery…
* Jason Meisner and Ray Long take a look at the US Attorney’s election timing in the latest Madigan-related charges…
In May, Attorney General Merrick Garland sent a memo to Department of Justice employees that was nearly identical to one sent out by his predecessors in previous election cycles, in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
The two-page memo, which was made public over the summer, said “partisan politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or prosecutors regarding any investigations or criminal charges.” […]
The memo directed DOJ employees to reach out to the department’s Public Integrity Section if there were any questions about the appearances of any investigation or announcements “near the time of a primary or general election.”
Legal experts who spoke to the Tribune noted that the memo says nothing specific about how long before an election the policy takes effect, or what exactly would constitute a violation.
“There is no hard and fast rule here at all,” said Renato Mariotti, a legal affairs expert and former federal prosecutor in Chicago. “It’s merely guidance regarding the need to be concerned about any potential appearance of the Justice Department being involved in the political process.”
Amid questions at a town hall meeting from residents about inflation, potential nuclear attacks in Ukraine and gun violence, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, received a visit from his Republican opponent — Joe Severino of Lake Forest — in the Nov. 8 election.
Severino wanted to debate Schneider on the spot about the issues, but the congressman said he cannot engage in political discourse when he is participating in an event in his official capacity as the representative of the 10th Congressional District of Illinois. […]
“Joe, you’re welcome to stay,” Schneider said. “You’re welcome to have a seat. You’re welcome to stay. If you’re disruptive, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
— Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Democrats for the Illinois House closed the quarter reporting $14.1 million raised and $17 million cash on hand.
— Judge Elizabeth Rochford is being endorsed by the Illinois Education Association in her campaign for the Supreme Court’s Second District.
— Republican Erica Harriss has been endorsed by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois National Federation of Independent Business’ political action committee in her bid for the 56th District state Senate seat.
— Democrat Maria Peterson has been endorsed by the Illinois Senate Latino Caucus, Citizen Action/Illinois and the Latino Victory Fund in her bid for the 26th District state Senate seat.
Harriss is running against appointed Sen. Kris Tharp. Peterson is running against Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie.
* Chicago early vote totals…
The most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Monday, October 17, 2022.
The Early Vote total stands at 2,308 ballots cast.
Additionally, 14,147 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 182,898.
The grand total is 16,455 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.
* Roundup from Isabel…
* Final gubernatorial debate to air on WSIL : Governor JB Pritzker and Sen. Darren Bailey will face off one last time October 18 at 7 p.m. The entire debate will air on WSIL, following News 3 at 6:30. […] Gov. Pritzker and Sen. Bailey faced off on October 6 in their first debate. They both used the hour-long debate to find different ways to to call each other “liar.”
* Media biz chatter over pro-Bailey TV spots spills over onto Twitter: A back-and-forth brewed between former WLS sportscaster Mark Giangreco and former ABC 7 political reporter Charles Thomas when Giangreco tweeted, “sellout shill Charles Thomas’ campaign ads for Darren Bailey “trump” the ridiculous NewsNation promos.” The comment prompted Thomas to fire back at Giangreco, mentioning his brother, Pete Giangreco, who is a political consultant: “Other consultants, like your Dem hack brother (Pete), get paid a LOT more. You could probably use a few extra bucks. How long has it been?”
* Pritzker, Bailey skirt pension specifics ahead of election e: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey have largely avoided specifics regarding plans to address the state’s growing pension burden ahead of the Nov. 8 election. […] Both Pritzker and Bailey, a state senator from Xenia, provided few details about how they plan to tackle the problem during the first gubernatorial debate this month.
* Civic Federation supports passage of forest preserve district of Cook Country property tax referendum: The Civic Federation supports passage of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s (FPDCC) property tax extension limitation law (PTELL) referendum. The referendum asks the voters of Cook County whether the District’s property tax limiting rate should by increased by 0.025% in property tax levy year 2022, which would generate approximately $40 million in additional property tax revenue for the District annually, or about $20 more annually for the owner of a $300,000 home.
* Budzinski out raising, out spending Deering in Illinois 13th Congressional District race: Filed with the Federal Election Commission, the reports as of Sept. 30 show Budzinski, a former chief of staff in the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget, has raised $3.1 million mostly in individual contributions. In a statement from her campaign office, Budzinski said she was “blown away” with the backing as Democrats look to flip the district held by Republicans for the entire millennium before it was redrawn.
* Heather Brown: 2022 candidate for Illinois Senate District 25: “As a homeschooling mother of 2 since 2020, I am very unhappy with the educational funding. Our schools have not been updated other than front offices for the faculty and we still do not have air conditioning for elementary schools. Our grades have a 10% ESL and Math grade from 2021-2022 school years. I believe holding funding from schools that do not teach the current bill SB818 is a deep concern,” Brown said.
Tune in and watch. Out-of-touch J.B. had been locked in his basement for about 10 days prepping with his highly paid advisors after he couldn’t name a single song, or change he would make to the SAFE-T Act during the last debate. #twillhttps://t.co/BYcqe9Jeyt
Dem JB Pritzker campaign makes quite a statement given the sordid history of Illinois governors: “There's no doubt about it: Darren Bailey is the most dangerous person ever nominated for Governor of Illinois.” Do you folks on twitter agree?
A federal judge has blocked the enforcement of a pair of campaign finance laws restricting contributions to judicial candidates in Illinois. The ruling opens the door for additional campaign donations ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.
The ban on campaign donations from residents of other states, enacted in November 2021, as well as the $500,000 limit on how much a single donor can give to an independent expenditure committee supporting or opposing a candidate for judge, enacted in May, were both challenged in August by former Illinois resident Matt Chancey, conservative political committee Restoration PAC and its affiliate Fair Courts America.
Chancey, a former Lake County assistant state’s attorney who moved to Texas after living in Illinois for more than six decades, wanted to donate to the campaigns of Mark Curran, candidate for the Illinois Supreme Court, Reginald Mathews for a Lake County judgeship, Jeff Delong for the Effingham County bench and Mary Christine Heins as a judge in Jackson County, according to his complaint. […]
U.S. District Judge John Tharp ruled in the group’s favor Friday, rejecting the state’s motion to dismiss the case and granting a preliminary injunction to the plaintiff. According to the federal judge, there is no reason to believe that political speech during judicial elections is any less valuable than during other elections.
The lawsuit says Restoration PAC — founded by businessman Doug Traux, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2014 — wants to accept a contribution of more than $500,000 and to contribute more than $500,000 to Fair Courts America, both of which are prohibited by the new law. […]
The judge’s ruling applies only to the provisions on out-of-state contributions and donations to independent expenditure committees, not other portions of the laws.
Remaining in place is a $500,000 limit on contributions from individual donors in races where one candidate is self-funding or where there have been independent expenditures of more than $100,000 on behalf of one candidate.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s campaign fund already has made maximum contributions to the two Democratic candidates in races that will determine whether the party maintains its edge on the Supreme Court.
Terry Cosgrove, president and CEO of Personal PAC, an influential abortion rights fundraising arm, said in 50 years of canvassing, he’s hearing more interest in this election than ever before.
He’s mainly focused on the Illinois Supreme Court races, where Republicans hope to gain control for the first time in more than 50 years. That could threaten abortion rights, Cosgrove said. […]
Money has poured into Personal PAC’s coffers this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could ban abortions. The organization has raised more than $1 million since July 1, state campaign finance records show. […]
“I’m not confident at all about the Supreme Court races,” he said. “Not a lot of people know about them. Not a lot of people even know they get a vote.”
As the race for the Illinois Supreme Court heats up with weeks to go, there are questions raised about contributions incumbent Justice Michael Burke previously received and the subsequent nominations he made.
Campaign contribution records reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates show Burke’s campaign, the “Citizens to Elect Justice Michael J Burke” committee, received $5,996 from the husband of a DuPage Circuit Court judge that Burke had nominated and later appointed for the position.
Burke also received an additional $5,550 from a company the Judge’s husband works for.
The contributions were made months prior to Judge Kavita Athanikar’s appointment to the DuPage Circuit Court bench.
Doctors rallied Monday in support of abortion rights. […]
Mark Curran and Michael Burke have support from Illinois Right to Life and other groups opposed to abortion rights and contraception.
These groups want no exceptions for abortions for women — even if they are victims of rape or incest.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to currently live and work in Illinois, a state that is supportive of access to full spectrum reproductive health care, including abortion and contraception,” one doctor said. “This care is rightfully viewed as essential health care in our state. I’m here to speak to you today because I’m incredibly concerned about my ability to continue to provide this care in Illinois, given what’s at stake in this upcoming election in November.”
As states around the country adopt stricter restrictions on abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more than half of Illinois voters say abortion should remain legal here, according to a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll.
About 52% of likely voters polled said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, with 36% saying it should be illegal, and 12% unsure.
As with other stories on this PPP poll, the piece was light on actual numbers. For instance, this really doesn’t say much at all….
Respondents who live in the collar counties or downstate were more likely than Chicagoans to say abortion should be mostly or completely illegal. Opponents of legalized abortion in the poll also have less education than those who support abortion.
* I got a little pushback from the Bailey campaign yesterday for highlighting his belief that the state should cut education funding. So, let’s go back to the interview because I get the distinct impression that he’s going to try to spin away from his Crain’s editorial board comments during tonight’s debate…
Q: Are there any no-go zones, things that you absolutely would not want to see in reductions in [state] spending?
Bailey: Everybody’s on the table. Let’s talk about education. Here in Chicago $29,000 per student, the highest in the nation [Editor’s note: It’s more like $15K]. $29,000 being spent per student. I think the rest of the state is close to 20 on average [Editor’s note: It’s more like $16K] we expend when our schools are failing. Our colleges are some of the most expensive in the nation, and our children are being forced out of state going to other colleges because of tuition. That shouldn’t be happening. It’s transparency. It’s accountability. It’s taking a look at things that they were putting too much money in and making the situation transparent.
I’m not sure how cutting spending is going to lower property taxes or tuition or increase learning. And since he also wants fewer mandates, I doubt he’d demand that school boards rein in administrative salaries.
Q: I think we all know that property taxes are so high here because local school districts pick up a large share of the property tax, the cost of educating your kids. The big question I have for you is what is the state’s role in education? What should it be? Because it sounds like you’re talking about unfunded mandates. So what is the state’s function? Should the state be paying more money for education or less money?
Bailey: The state should be paying less money. The state should be pulling back, letting the local school boards determine how they want to educate their children, offering school choice. So one thing Governor Pritzker you know, when you talk about these facts. There’s other states, they may be spending 48%. They’re not spending 20, 29,000 on their students. When we see problems here, when Governor Pritzker has a problem they just throw more money at the issue without any accountability whatsoever. I mean, the overwhelming majority of schoolchildren in Chicago Public Schools, do you realize this, they cannot read or do math at grade level. The majority of high school students over all of Illinois cannot read or do math at grade level. That’s a problem. [From the administration: “Illinois has some of the most rigorous learning standards in the nation: ranking fourth most rigorous for 4th grade reading and fifth most rigorous for 8th grade reading. In Illinois, a student needs to earn a level of 4 or 5 to be considered proficient. In comparison, the rigor of Florida’s standards ranks 39th and 42nd, respectively, and a student only needs to earn a level 3 on the state assessment to be considered proficient”] Why aren’t we tackling those issues? But now we think it’s good to let’s let’s add new curriculum, SB818, sex education curriculum, let’s add new curriculum so we have to hire new teachers, train people, and that binding curriculum [It’s not binding], that’s Gov. Pritzker’s, that’s his dream for Illinois. And that’s destroying us. We have got to pull back. We need to be getting vocational and trade classes back in our school. We need to be teaching our children how to live and how a function, how to run a business. That’s the future of Illinois. And we’re not doing that, we’re not doing anything except throwing more money at the schools, demanding more out of the schools and so we have a high weighted administration.
Vocational education costs money, too. Cut the funds and… magic?
Q: The argument that the state pulls back or doesn’t play a larger role, we’re going to have these broad disparities in spending between school districts. And so a child’s opportunity is going to depend basically, on where they are. And so how do you respond to that argument? Is that a valid argument? Because if you have one school district spending $10,000 per student and another one in New Trier expending, whatever, 30, you’re gonna have different outcomes over the long run.
Bailey: People have choices. And if that’s taking place and their property taxes are high, then they get to determine ‘Am I gonna stay here and live here and pay these property taxes? Or am I gonna move somewhere else where my property taxes aren’t as high?’
They’re all gonna have higher property taxes with lower state funding, even if state mandates are cut.
* Some of the following passages were a little garbled…
Bailey: What is good for New Trier is not good for Clay County, Illinois. Most, many of our children are, some of our children are going to go to the military. They’re going to go right into the workforce. There’s welders, pipe fitters, linemen. So that’s what public education needs to be.
Q: You’re implying that because they’re going to become a [trades person] they don’t need the same kind of level of education that somebody up here [may require].
Bailey: Well, that’s Southern Illinois. That’s the line of work that if you want to stay in Southern Illinois, that’s the line of work that’s most prevalent. Used to be coal mining, it used to be working in the oil fields. It used to be working on the farm. But because of the regulations, oil’s being regulated, even though we’re going to haul coal from Wyoming to power plants over the eastern seaboard. And we’re just kind of blinded to all these things that should be so awesome for Illinois.
Q: So that kid doesn’t need the same kind of education?
Bailey: You’re implying with that with money. Money is not the solution to a good education. Period.
Also, it should probably not go unnoticed that just a few years after the state came up with a bipartisan plan to equitably fund schools, people like Bailey and the far-right groups are now demanding reduced K-12 spending.
* This all brings to mind a Madeline Doubek column from the 1990s…
Suburban legislators understand downstate communities don’t have the property wealth the suburbs have, but some, like Republican state Sen. Marty Butler of Park Ridge, question whether downstate residents are putting a proportional share of money into their schools.
“People wanted good schools and bought into the idea that it’s costly,” Butler says of the suburbs. “Downstate, they either were willing or content to let the schools kind of coast along.” […]
Much has been made about the fact that a North Shore district spends $15,744 annually per student, while downstate St. Rose Elementary District spends only $2,932.
But the numbers that may have more meaning in the suburbs are ones that show some suburban school districts get little more than $230 in state funds per student, while others outside the suburbs get as much as $2,000.
And now that some of the poorer districts are finally getting significantly more money, Bailey wants to constrict the pipeline.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering: On July 4th, my community saw the face of evil. The magnitude of the devastation will last for years.
But with the work of public safety personnel, the support of Governor Pritzker, and so many others, the people of Highland Park are finding strength in the aftermath of trauma.
But even as the shooter was still at large, Darren Bailey said it was time to “move on.” And he raised funds for his campaign raffling off assault weapons like the one used here.
The Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ asked 19 questions of the three gubernatorial candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot in an effort to easily show voters the differences between the candidates.
Only incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker completed the questionnaire.
Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey and Libertarian Scott Schluter did not answer the questions.
Pritzker answered most, but not all of the questions. Here are the three questions he skipped…
Would you favor permanently abolishing the state sales tax on gas?
Would you favor permanently abolishing the state sales tax on food and beverages?
Would you favor mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for Illinois students in the near future?
Hmm. Maybe somebody can ask that at tonight’s debate.
…Adding… He didn’t provide “Yes” or “No” answers to those questions, but he did provide some written responses…
I am open to having conversations with the General Assembly about eliminating the state sales tax on gas, but we must ensure that critical projects and priorities are not threatened due to its elimination.
Sales tax revenue on groceries is collected by the state but is distributed to local governments. None of the revenue goes to the state. My tax relief plan in effect today eliminates the grocery tax by replacing the local revenue with state revenue. Working with local government, the state should consider the possibility of eliminating it altogether.
I’ve worked hard to protect the lives and health of all Illinoisans, including students. In fact, I kept our schools open while protecting the school communities during the worst moments of the pandemic. If re-elected, I will continue to assess the best options for keeping our students safe from the spread of COVID-19.
Do you support Illinois’ tax credit scholarship program that provides financial support for students to attend private and parochial schools?
As you may remember, he promised to end that tax credit program during the 2018 campaign. Here’s Pritzker’s explanation…
My main focus with respect to K-12 education is ensuring that there is sufficient funding for all children to receive a quality education, regardless of their zip code. That’s why I’ve dedicated an additional $1.3 billion toward public education during my term. With assurance from the advocates for Invest in Kids that they will support increased public school funding, my budgets have ultimately included the relatively small Invest in Kids Scholarship Program.
Many Illinoisans spend their entire careers contributing money to a pension fund with a promise that they’ll get that money back. I firmly believe that’s a promise that can’t be broken.
* This was his explanation for why he opposed bringing back the state’s parental notification of abortion law…
The repeal of parental notification was essential to protect society’s most vulnerable children: minors who are victims of rape and incest, victims who are poor, and victims of physical abuse at home. Those are the women and girls who were punished by this law which could lead to pregnant teens being kicked out, cut off or forced to have a child against their will. It put undue burdens on young people who didn’t have the necessary resources, whose parent may be in prison, or who are homeless.
“It’s really bad news for Darren Bailey. At this point in the campaign, he should be shrinking the lead, not seeing it grow. Pritzker’s putting some distance between himself and Bailey, significant distance and it would be very difficult, if this poll is accurate for Bailey to make up that ground in the next few weeks,” said ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington.
The Bailey campaign scoffed at those latest numbers and said their own internal polling shows the race is much closer.
“This is not a legitimate poll. It’s an internet survey and anyone who cares about honest journalism would do a better job of disseminating information to the people. Our polling shows this race is close because JB Pritzker has failed Illinoisans. Darren Bailey is focused on making Illinois safer and more affordable for everyone and we’re confident voters will choose a better direction for Illinois on Election Day,” said Bailey’s campaign spokesperson, Joe DeBose.
Mark Harris, a strategist for Bailey, dismissed the findings of the poll, saying that internal polls show the state senator just two points behind Pritzker.
“It coincides with the national environment getting better for Republicans,” he told NBC 5 Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern. “We’re very confident that this is a close race and our data is showing it getting closer, and I don’t think JB Pritzker would be spending $100 million-plus if he thought this were a 20-point race.”
The Pritzker campaign fired back after the poll’s release, calling the razor-thin margin in Bailey’s internal polling “junk.”
“Darren Bailey’s desperation is showing,” a campaign spokesperson told NBC 5. “Just like the junk internal poll he tried to pass off last month, these numbers are wildly-off-base and inconsistent with all other public polling. Voters know Darren Bailey is too extreme for Illinois, and those who haven’t already voted early for Governor Pritzker will undoubtedly reject Bailey in November.”
The Bailey poll is here. No regional breakdowns and no question asking respondents about past election behavior, which I think is a decent way to check for accuracy. The IBA poll asked about geography, but not past votes.
Also, Pritzker never lets off the gas. He didn’t ease up during the 2018 primary, even though he was safely ahead. He never slowed down during the 2018 general against a weak and unpopular Republican incumbent in a big Democratic year. And even after Richard Irvin dropped to third place during the 2022 GOP primary, Pritzker kept right on spending cash.
* Anyway, the Downstate numbers in two of the news media polls are odd. The WGN poll had Bailey ahead by just two points, 45-43 in Downstate. The WBEZ/Sun-Times poll had Downstate at a 40-40 tie. I’d be very curious to see what the IBA’s crosstabs show for that region. But, again, they’re being less than transparent.
*** UPDATE *** Dan Proft press release…
Don’t dismiss this bogus poll. Remember it.
This is how the corrupt and incompetent state-run Chicago press corps works. Use some leftist org like IL Broadcasters Assn to cook up a poll they can then report as ‘news’ to drive the outcome they desire on behalf of their fellow travelers in office. This is unadulterated fake news. RVs not likely voters. +17 on the generic ballot for Dems. There is no scenario in which that is remotely close and everyone who knows anything about polling and turnout modeling in IL knows what I’m saying is correct.
The generic ballot is + Dem in the single digits and trending toward the low single digits–at its height this cycle is was +9 Dems. Correspondingly, Bailey and the other statewides have been following that trend to where they are in striking distance depending on who turns out.
Bailey is the underdog. Of course he is. Every GOP statewide candidate in Illinois is. This trash poll dutifully reported by fake news outlets like WGN–yes, fake news outlets–is an effort to squelch out hope. Talk about voter suppression. They want to quell even the remotest signs of a popular revolt whether it’s over the Purge Law, confiscatory taxes, or the race and gender hustle in schools. Abandon any notion you have any control over your life and any ability to change it. Cede your sovereignty to the Dem Socialists as we have. Don’t think. Follow. That’s their message. They thrive on your fatalism. In fact, the only way people like Pritzker stay in office is if sensible people throw in the towel.
Remember this poll and the useful idiots these Pritzker apparatchiks in the fake news business consider you to be. This is so much bigger than even the governor’s race. Make a decision as to whether or not you want the leadership of virtually every civic, cultural, and educational institution in Illinois to continue lying to you with impunity. On November 8, tell the purveyors of acceptable lies you find them decidedly unacceptable. Use this egregious attempt to gaslight you to stoke the revolt that fells the current political power structure and sends an unmistakable message to the next one: We are in charge. We have some simple demands. We want a better life in Illinois. You’d better meet those demands or you’re next.
Ah, yes, fomenting anger to threaten the news media and “every civic, cultural, and educational institution in Illinois.” Lovely.
* Final gubernatorial debate: What do Pritzker, Bailey need to say to gain support?: For Bailey to complete a path to victory, Redfield said the downstate farmer will need to attract more middle-of-the-road and undecided voters. […] For Pritzker to avoid joining Walker, Redfield recommends the governor stay the course — selling his accomplishments in a tenure amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Redfield said the governor’s touting of his record, including such policies as the Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan, seem to resonate with the voters within his base and perhaps moderates as well.
* Illinois treasurer’s race: What candidates have to say about taxes, college savings and merging the office: One of [Demmer‘s] main lines of attack on Frerichs is over remarks the treasurer made in 2020, when he said voter approval of a graduated income tax on the ballot that November could open the door to conversations about whether the wealthiest retirees should have some of their retirement income taxed. The comment was seized upon by Republicans, even as Frerichs went on to repeatedly insist he opposed any state tax on retirement income.
* State senate race becomes fierce battleground: A central Illinois state senate race has become a fierce battleground as republicans hope to flip the 48th District. The race between Democratic candidate Doris Turner and Republican candidate Sandy Hamilton is now one of the ugliest races this election cycle. “It’s a high stakes, you’ve got a lot of money that people can spend. In addition to doing the positive ads- this is who I am this, this is what I’m trying to do- you’re trying to define your opponent,” Kent Redfield, a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Illinois Springfield, told WAND News.
* Illinois Democrats deploy campaign cash to defend downstate turf against Republican challengers: Republican candidates angling to oust downstate Democrats face a number of strategic disadvantages down the stretch, but still hope national political winds from a Biden backlash can sweep them to power in the statehouse. “The way our economy is right now, people are ready for a change,” Republican Jennifer Korte said at a Republican campaign event in Edwardsville.
* Illinois voters to weigh in on Workers’ Rights Amendment to codify collective bargaining rights: It’s a key issue for unions, which are pouring millions of dollars into the campaign to win support for the amendment, including TV ads. But business groups - including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and others - are fighting against it, saying it would be bad for business and encouraging companies to locate elsewhere.
