* Subscribers were given more info earlier today. Press release…
Today, the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) has released details of its unprecedented effort to prevent extremist conservatives from implementing regressive platforms on school and library boards throughout the state. As national groups continue to funnel dark money into Illinois to prop up fringe candidates, DPI is fighting back to defend its values of diversity, equity and inclusion that make our education system stronger for our children.
“Illinoisans deserve to know the truth about candidates’ ideologies before they head to the ballot box, and DPI will make sure voters have the resources they need to make their decision,” DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez said. “As conservative groups attempt to mask their radical agenda behind supposedly nonpartisan candidates, DPI is committed to supporting credible candidates who will oppose efforts to ban books, revise history, and limit reasonable sex education. We can’t afford to sit back while kids and families are at risk.”
Following an extensive analysis of over 500 districts, DPI has identified 84 recommended and 74 opposed candidates in school and library board races across the state. Opposed candidates include those affiliated with extreme national conservative groups as well as those aiming to implement anti-equality, anti-truth agendas in their districts. Some of their radical political platforms include banning books, teaching revisionist history, ignoring common sense public health measures, and blocking comprehensive sex education.
This unprecedented plan will include mail and digital advertising sent to a base of Democratic voters in target districts, reaching hundreds of thousands of individuals and households in Illinois. The paid communications program will highlight extremists on the ballot, support credible community advocates that DPI recommends, and direct voters to DefendOurSchoolsIL.com, where they can find additional information about races in their districts. In addition, the Party is supporting direct voter contact efforts through consultation and candidate training led by DPI’s Regional Political Organizers. DPI will invest nearly $300,000 statewide to support recommended candidates and expose fringe candidates.
“We’re providing organizing support alongside direct mail and digital communications to make sure we reach voters where they are, especially in these typically low-information races. Many extreme national groups know that they can hide their regressive agendas behind so-called nonpartisan candidates due to a lack of access to clear and accurate information about the names appearing on ballots,” DPI Executive Director Ben Hardin said. “We’re proud to implement this innovative program to make sure voters everywhere can support candidates who align with their own values despite efforts from right wing groups to disguise their real platform and take over our school boards.”
This initiative is launching as DPI implements a new party building directive under the leadership of Chair Hernandez to provide year round support to Democrats through grassroots organizing and continuous voter engagement.
* Meanwhile, from the Tribune…
The Illinois House on Wednesday approved a measure that would allow the Illinois secretary of state’s office to deny grant funding to public and school libraries if they ban books or fail to devise policies against removing titles from their stacks.
The 69-39 party-line vote in the Democratic-led House reflected the partisan divide on the book-banning issue both in the state and nationally. The bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Illinois has not seen as many cases of book bans or attempted bans as states that lean more Republican, according to some research. But according to the secretary of state’s office, citing figures from the Chicago-based American Library Association, there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022, up from 41 the year before.
Democrats say book bans often discriminate against the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups, while Republicans have argued that some titles need to be out of the reach of children if they contain pornography or obscene imagery.
* Center Square…
During debate between state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, and Stava-Murray, the question of parental rights was raised.
“Could you ask if that they not be taken to the library,” Stava-Murray said.
“I don’t think they should be completely kept from the library because there may be one or two books, I think they should be able to go to the library like every other kid,” Davidsmeyer said.
“And you’re not confident that your parenting has instilled in your children their own ability to choose their own books?” Stava-Murray said as Republicans booed.
“I know for a fact that my parenting will allow my children to pick the right book,” Davidsmeyer said.
Huh. For some reason, they left out Rep. Stava-Murray’s retort…
“I know for a fact that my parenting will allow my children to pick the right book,” he said.
“So then let the other children read the books too,” Stava-Murray replied.
Zing.
- unafraid - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 11:51 am:
Would not doubt that the Ill GOP will do something similar and spending a similar amount. This is going to get interesting as this seems to be an emerging battle ground issue.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 11:53 am:
===will do something similar and spending a similar amount===
I’m thinking not, unless they find a sugar daddy in a big hurry.
- Norseman - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 11:57 am:
Stava-Murray says and does a lot of goofy things, but she did an excellent job here. Bravo.
Parents need to raise their kids and instill the values important to them by word and deeds. The MAGA GOP doesn’t trust their parenting and want to force their values (so-called IMHOP) on others.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 11:59 am:
===says and does a lot of goofy things===
You need to take another look. She has grown more since 2019 than anyone.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 11:59 am:
Nothing like educating voters on who are the book banning types, those dangerous to education.
I’m sure all candidates like when their thoughts and beliefs are available for voters, amirite?
- Norseman - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:00 pm:
The MAGA GOP dark money is already flowing in MO school races. I’d be surprised if there weren’t sugar daddy money behind some of the groups running slates in IL.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:04 pm:
My strong feeling in The Hamlet is that the Awake Illinois folks running are counting on “their folks” being energized and hoping for super low turnout … which is what this mail program is trying to prevent… lower turnout… while educating voters of the dangers.
- ste_with a v_en - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:05 pm:
“Would not doubt that the Ill GOP will do something similar and spending a similar amount”
I bet that is what Proft was going to do, until he got cut off from Uihlein for the terrible 2022 showing.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:08 pm:
===I bet that is what Proft was going to do===
He said he was going to do it. Never happened.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:12 pm:
====Would not doubt that the Ill GOP will do something similar and spending a similar amount.
Probably not the ILGOP, but outside groups whether Proft (or Proft saying he’s doing it and not as Rich points out) or some Koch aligned organization is likely to do it. Awake is already tied to some of the Koch groups so some effort is already there. I’d much rather have a state party doing it than a dark money group.
- unafraid - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:12 pm:
=will do something similar and spending a similar amount===
I’m thinking not, unless they find a sugar daddy in a big hurry. =
You may very well be correct. Not certain about their funding resources. They might be able to get donations on a single cause like this. Either way it will demonstrate how important an issue this is for the ILGOP
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:16 pm:
===They might be able to get donations===
These things take time to get ready. You just can’t raise the money, design a target program, create mail and online ads and get it all out the door in a day. And it’s 12 days until election day.
- Blue to the Bone - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:22 pm:
DPI needs to do more research. There are definitely a few questionable candidates running for school board out in 60134.
My search using their website came up blank.
- vern - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:22 pm:
=== You just can’t raise the money, design a target program, create mail and online ads and get it all out the door in a day. ===
And you can see some of these problems in the Dem program, which was thrown together at the last minute to turn a tossed-off Pritzker comment into reality. The most important thing in municipal races is building name ID, both positive and negative. These mailings put a bunch of unnecessary barriers between the messaging and the name of the candidates, because they didn’t have time to design targeted pieces by district.
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:38 pm:
The McLean County Republicans has already sent out their list of endorsed candidates for the nonpartisan municipal and school board elections in BloNo and their No vote in the Unit 5 Referendum.
Today’s mail included a flyer from the Responsible Cities PAC. Their goal is “to elect community leaders who possess a sense of shared responsibility for the bettering the community we all know and love.” The candidates they endorse include only one unopposed candidate for the Bloomington City Council that is on the GOP list. The remaining candidates for city council, Normal Town Council, Bloomington and Unit 5 school boards, and Heartland Community College Board are not the same and they support the Unit 5 School Referendum.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:52 pm:
“sent to a base of Democratic voters in target districts, reaching hundreds of thousands of individuals and households in Illinois”
Absolutely the right thing to do, to challenge bigotry at every level. Jump into the right wing manufactured culture war and fight back. That’s the kind of party many rely on.
- John Lopez - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 12:56 pm:
=== details of its unprecedented effort to prevent extremist conservatives from implementing regressive platforms ===
Guess extremist liberal progressive platforms are OK?
The DPI missed opportunity in Huntley D158. While they flagged the 4 candidates being bankrolled by Catalina Lauf, at $15K thus far thru a WI-based PAC run by her treasurer as extremists, the Dems only flagged 2 out of remaining 8 candidates in D158 as recommended and neither are incumbents.
That’s how bad D158 school board is. Of four incumbents on ballot of 12 candidates, only two were endorsed for reelection by Daily Herald.
Conservatives will win some of the higher profile school board races.
May mainstream candidates win April 4.
- Downstate - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 1:00 pm:
Democrats are playing catch up on this downstate. Region by region, district by district, conservatives have have been doing the grassroots school board work for about two years. But glad DPI is getting into the game — better late than never.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 1:31 pm:
===But glad DPI is getting into the game — better late than never.===
As someone who has partnered with fellow parents on several school board campaigns, I am deeply concerned about the impact this will have on future races. Once outside money flows in, parents will have a much more difficult opportunity to have a true say in who makes the decisions about the education of our children.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 1:35 pm:
=== parents will have a much more difficult opportunity to have a true say===
These are public school and library boards. Parents don’t get a final say.
- Norseman - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 1:40 pm:
=== She has grown more since 2019 than anyone. ===
Apparently. That’s good, IL needs mature leadership.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 1:54 pm:
===These are public school and library boards. Parents don’t get a final say.===
I think you missed my point about it being a say “in who makes the decisions”. A group of motivated parents working together is quite capable of winning local elections. Throw in state party money and that becomes much more difficult.
- H-W - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 3:00 pm:
There is not pornography in our schools. None. Thus who suggest so are lying. Period.
If the people insisting that pornography exists in our public schools actually cared, they would go to the libraries, pull the books, and demand they be removed. But they have not. They only bluster and make false claims because they are wrong, and they know it.
There is no pornography in our public schools.
If pornography exists, these warriors can easily prove their argument by pulling those books, proving their case, and demanding explicitly that these explicit books be pulled.
Indeed, if pornography actually exists in school libraries, then that is by definition illegal. Just call the police. Make your case.
If pornography exists in our schools, then surely those books would be known by children, and some children would be telling their parents about those books. But they have not. Children have not reported pornography in their school libraries.
No child to date has been harmed by real pornography found on real shelves in real school libraries.
Instead of running for school boards, just contact the local police immediately and demand that the school system remove those books or face criminal charges. If pornography actually exists in schools, stop talking and do something. If children are being harmed by books of any sort, prove it. Show the harm. Show the books. Stop pontificating.
There is not pornography in our schools. None.
- We've never had one before - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 3:23 pm:
I sure am glad these are non-partisan races
- We've never had one before - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 3:26 pm:
>>>>deny grant funding to public and school libraries if they ban books or fail to devise policies against removing titles from their stacks.
What if this was looked at differently?
What does it take to get titles added to public and school libraries?
What if the left did not like those titles?
- Left to Her Own Devices - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 4:32 pm:
==What does it take to get titles added to public and school libraries? Patrons often make recommendations in public libraries. Librarians use these recommendations when purchasing because this ensures circulation.
==What if the left did not like those titles? We still add them. No one required me to like or read every title. I would, however, try to know something about every work so I could be helpful or make recommendations when asked.
- Tim - Thursday, Mar 23, 23 @ 8:04 pm:
Got the DPI mailer for this campaign today. Certainly caught my attention amongst all the others.