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Afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Jun 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Former Rep. Dan Brady says he’s exploring a bid against freshman Democratic US Rep. Eric Sorensen…

I have been honored to serve the people as State Representative, first in the 88th legislative district, then the 105th legislative district. As I continue to explore running for re-election in the newly drawn 88th district, I have also been exploring a run for Congress in the 17th Illinois Congressional district.

Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting and discussing with voters, donors, and my family the options I have to serve the public once again.

I have been successful in my public career because I believe service to others, and not harsh partisan rhetoric, is what our State and Country need. As coroner, I helped to convict murderers, as State Representative I championed college M.A.P. Grants for working families, and as Deputy House Republican Leader I supported and was endorsed by labor and business. Being my own man has provided me the knowledge, experience and dedication needed to be an effective representative, whether in Springfield or Washington, DC.

I look forward to making my decision soon regarding where I can offer my service to do the greatest good.

The 17th is the swingiest of all Democratic districts here, but Biden won it by 7.6 points and Pritzker won it by 9 in 2018. Brady ran for secretary of state last year and lost to Alexi Giannoulias.

* You may recall that Toia has never registered as a Statehouse lobbyist…


More from Jason Meisner’s tweets on Toia’s sworn testimony today

Toia says is ticking off the advocacy he’s done for the restaurant and food industry.

“We brought Happy Hour back here to the state of Illinois…we got Cocktails-To-Go,” he says. […]

Toia says he’s known Weiss since 2011 and consulted for his business, Collage LLC. “We were out there promoting electronic devices, and sweepstakes machines were electronic devices,” he says. “Sweepstakes are in a gray area but they do get a sticker from the state of Illinois.”

Toia says he was part of Weiss’ team of consultants and lobbyists working to move sweepstakes out of the gray area and get them regulated by the state. “I understand independent restaurants and I wanted to help them so they could pay their income taxes,” he says.

Toia appears to be waffling when asked when he stopped consulting with Weiss. He says it was 2019.

“I, I, I can’t remember the exact date, but I want to say mid-2019,” he says.

Franzblau asks him if he’s aware he’s under oath.

“I am under oath, I understand,” Toia says.

Toia asked about his testimony before the grand jury on Sept. 17, 2020, when he said he was not aware of any sweepstakes related lobbying going on at the city level after the fall of 2018.

That’s different than what he just said on the stand.

Toia’s group has said that Toia isn’t required to register as a Statehouse lobbyist, but they’ve never explained why.

* More proof that every accusation made by these people is a confession

Real estate agent Libby Andrews contended that Chicago brokerage @properties ruined her business reputation by firing her after she posted pictures of herself at the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington on social media.

The Illinois Appellate Court ruled today that Andrews’ own social media posts — not @properties’ actions — were the cause of any damage to her reputation.

From the opinion

The company @properties next wrote, “Effective immediately, @properties is terminating this agent,
who acknowledged on social media, that she took part in ‘storming the Capitol.’” … Moreover, it was Andrews who first reported around 3:15 p.m. on her Facebook page that, “After storming the capital a good glass of champagne is needed!”, along with a photo depicting a glass of champagne on a patio

Her social media post is here.

* MidAmerica St. Louis Airport held a grand opening celebration of its expanded terminal today…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined state and local officials to announce the grand opening of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport’s expanded terminal – a $31 million multi-year project bolstered by $7 million in grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in addition to $24 million in federal dollars. The terminal expansion program supports passenger growth while giving airlines the opportunity to provide additional service.

* The governor seems all-in on increasing traffic, particularly truck traffic…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the departments of transportation in Illinois and Missouri to celebrate the start of construction on the new Interstate 270 Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River, part of a combined $531.6 million investment to improve one of the country’s critical freight corridors. The project, made possible by Gov. Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, will improve safety and mobility while creating good-paying jobs in an area experiencing strong industrial and commercial growth. […]

The I-270 loop connects many of the region’s warehouses and distribution parks, ports, airports, and rail yards on both sides of the Mississippi River. Nearly 70% of the region’s industrial tenants occupying large warehouse space in excess of 500,000 square feet are within ten minutes of the interstate. Built in 1966, the existing bridge over the river is two lanes in each direction with narrow, one-foot shoulders that pose safety concerns for vehicle breakdowns and first responders. The bridge accommodates 51,000 vehicles a day, about 20% of which are trucks, and the structure requires frequent maintenance and repairs due to its age.

A $496.2 million joint IDOT-MoDOT project will replace the bridge with two structures that have wider shoulders that can accommodate the eventual expansion of I-270 to three lanes in each direction. A companion $35.4 million Missouri Department of Transportation project will reconstruct the Riverview Drive interchange just west of the bridge.

* Hope ain’t a plan, and the plan clearly hasn’t worked so far

As the weeds grow taller on the Belvidere Assembly Plant campus, Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris is hopeful that the Belvidere Assembly Plant won’t remain idle.

Not much after that except a lot of hopium.

* Teamsters are now out from under a federal consent decree. Scott Holland

A federal judge has ended more than four decades of oversight of pension funds associated with The Teamsters by terminating a consent decree installed as a response to evidence that union leaders conspired with organized crime to access the money.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin issued an opinion in the matter June 9 over opposition from the U.S. Department of Labor, which argued the potential for organized crime leaders to influence pension fund investments — nearly $40 billion in assets — is not completely abated. […]

Even without the decrees, Durkin said, the DOL can still enforce ERISA’s fiduciary responsibility requirements through its broad investigatory and subpoena powers. The Internal Revenue Service can investigate plans it believes don’t meet minimum funding requirements and AROPA placed additional obligations on funds that got SFA allocations, such as requirements for annual compliance filings and being subject to PBGC audits.

The order is here.

* Legislative scorecards released…

Citizen Action/Illinois, the state’s largest progressive political coalition, proudly announces the release of its 2023 Legislative Scorecard. The comprehensive scorecard serves as a valuable resource for Illinoisans, shedding light on elected officials’ voting records on crucial issues in the areas of healthcare affordability, worker protections, consumer protections, gun safety, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights and the environment. […]

The following leigslators received scores less than 10%, earning an Abysmal rating from our organization: Representatives Adam Niemerg, Joe Sosnowski, Chris Miller, Blaine Wilhour, Randy Frese and Senator Jason Plummer.

Click here for the list.

…Adding… Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, along with state and local officials at Maplewood School in Cahokia Heights to announce Illinois’ partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The recently signed FY24 budget allocates $1.6 million to the program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children by inspiring a love of reading. The initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income. […]

The Dollywood Foundation, which supports the Imagination Library Program, is a nonprofit organization founded by Dolly Parton in 1988. The Imagination Library Program was launched in 1995, with books originally being distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee where Dolly grew up. However, it became such a success that in 2000, it was replicated nationally and by 2003, one million books had been mailed to children all over the country.

Numerous studies have found that the first five years of life are critical for young children, with around 90% of brain developing occurring during that time. Through the Imagination Library Program, children have seen a 29% increase in kindergarten readiness.

* Isabel’s roundup…

       

16 Comments
  1. - Been There - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 2:51 pm:

    ===Brady ran for secretary of state last year====
    Bill or Dan is running for Congress


  2. - TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 2:55 pm:

    “Accenture Plc announced plans to double its AI staff to 80,000″

    AI will not take your job. People who know how to use AI to do your job, will take your job.


  3. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 2:58 pm:

    The Belvidere Chrysler factory is a massive 5.3 million square feet on 280 acres that had a 600 million dollar renovation just over a decade ago.

    By comparison the Merchandise Mart is just over 4 million square feet.

    Why is so little being done to make Illinois competitive to businesses?


  4. - Donnie Elgin - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 3:22 pm:

    “GM, Samsung pick northern Indiana for EV battery plant”

    Add GM Samsung as yet another EV/auto plant selecting a RTW state.


  5. - Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 3:35 pm:

    ==Add GM Samsung as yet another EV/auto plant selecting a RTW state. ==

    Because the money hoarders hate paying a fair wage and providing safe working conditions.

    I’m glad our state hasn’t sold out to the money hoarders; unfortunately, we compete for jobs with other states that have. In the long run, some will come back to Illinois for our better educated workforce and laws that respect individuals’ and workers’ rights.


  6. - Old IL Dude - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 3:36 pm:

    “Johnson allies to push for phasing out tipped wages”

    Won’t tip in Chicago if this passes. SEIU can kiss my patoot.


  7. - Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 3:40 pm:

    I gotta bone to pick with the IDOT I-55 expansion plans. All they talk about is making things easier for the vehicles blipping past Springfield, nothing much about the continual noise the expansion foists on nearby residents, 24/7/365. They need to get much more serious about the noise abatement issues that come with additional lanes and a hard concrete centerline wall reflecting the noise into our residential neighborhoods. I want berms and bushes on the roadside, and the dividers designed to diffuse road noise. Where that doesn’t work, there needs to be a fund to reimburse nearby homeowners needing to add more soundproofing.


  8. - Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 3:54 pm:

    Didn’t Dan Brady pass on Tim Johnson’s seat as he didn’t want to give up his outside income? Has he / will he sell those businesses?


  9. - Gene Williger - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 4:15 pm:

    When did Capitol Fax convert from “gun control” to “gun safety”? Did someone threaten you if you didn’t? Or did they pay you to go along with their locution?


  10. - Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 4:18 pm:

    ===88th legislative district===

    He gets to use 88 in statements that include a run for the United States House of Representatives exactly two more times before I take it to mean the dog whistle that referring to 88 in writing and imagery usually infers.

    === I have also been exploring a run for Congress in the 17th Illinois Congressional district.===

    I’m not a campaign finance law expert in anyway whatsoever, but my gut instinct here is that one would need to register for an FEC committee and report expenses based off of the nature of this statement, and then somehow clearly distinguish between expenses, contributions, et al, that were raised on the state legislative campaign side.

    Running for both — which there is little or no legal difference between exploring a run and running creates a very complicated campaign finance situation that Dan Brady might want to avoid.


  11. - Pundent - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 4:20 pm:

    =Why is so little being done to make Illinois competitive to businesses?=

    Illinois’ GDP in 2022 was $1,033.31B which ranks 5th in the U.S. Indiana comes in at 19th with $455.75B.

    Sounds like we’re doing ok.


  12. - someonehastosayit - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 4:41 pm:

    ===I have also been exploring a run for Congress in the 17th Illinois Congressional district===

    I forget, do the Republicans like or dislike “career” politicians?


  13. - JoanP - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 5:28 pm:

    = I forget, do the Republicans like or dislike “career” politicians? =

    Depends. If they’re the “career” politicians, it’s fine. If it’s a Democrat, not so fine.


  14. - RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 5:43 pm:

    == The higher speeds take effect June 26 and will reduce the duration of the trip from the current five hours and 13 minutes. ==

    Too many stops to take much advantage of the increased speed.


  15. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 5:49 pm:

    ===When did Capitol Fax convert from===

    LOL

    Are you so daft you don’t realize this is a blog and that’s an excerpt of something written by someone else?

    If you are that daft, please leave here post haste. (That means immediately, btw) (and btw means by the way, just in case you really are that stupid).


  16. - Frida's boss - Tuesday, Jun 13, 23 @ 11:35 pm:

    How times have changed- 10 years ago, what would’ve been the chances that DuPage County would be represented almost solely by Dems in the Illinois House? And that of those Representatives they would almost all have 100% Progressive records?
    This isn’t Lee and Pate’s old DuPage County.
    Want to see the real impact of Donald Trump on the Republican Party look at DuPage County.
    After the ‘16 election Dems were down to 1 County Board member, now it’s at 11.
    After the ‘16 election, not one Countywide officeholder, now the only Countywide offices they don’t hold are Sheriff and State’s Attorney.

    Granted all these new Dems still haven’t changed the fact that DuPage County has the worst ratio of how much money they send downstate compared to what it receives back from the State of Illinois. Nor have any of them tried to help with property tax burdens that plague DuPage. But I’m sure it’s one the list


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


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