* Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
Rep. Kelly Cassidy responded to the announcement of a new working group on sexual harassment in Springfield today with the following statement:
“Prior to agreeing to serve on the working group, I asked a series of questions in order to ensure that the group would offer more than lip service or a PR stunt. My questions were not answered. Instead, my name was leaked as part of this process without my agreement.
“I’m disappointed, as I believe a working group on this topic could be necessary and important. But we have a responsibility to victims and survivors to ensure any such body is credible and effective, and I currently do not have confidence it will be.
“As such, I will not be participating at this time.”
* This was published by a Welch insider earlier today…
He eventually changed that highlighted line.
What a mess.
…Added by Isabel… Statements from other working group members…
Rep. Daniel Didech: I agreed to participate in this process because I am committed to working constructively with all my colleagues to address the issues brought to light in recent months. Leader Avelar is a great choice to spearhead this effort and I trust her to lead a serious process that will result in meaningful reforms.
Rep. Suzanne Ness: I said yes to being on the working group because I want to see significant changes made to our systems. The current breakdown has exposed plenty of gaps and has created opportunities for us to make things better. My commitment is to creating a harassment free environment for all who serve, work, lobby, and advocate here in IL.
…Adding… Rep. Norma Hernandez: I care about making sure something real comes out of this working group and I am confident we can get there. I don’t have time to put my energy into anything that is some form of PR stunt which is why I’m committed to staying and making sure we create meaningful change.
- Shytown - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:02 pm:
Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all to leak it to Maze Jackson? Whose brilliant idea was that?
- btowntruth from forgottonia - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:10 pm:
The own goals continue..
- Dotnonymous x - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:11 pm:
One more drip will sink the ship?
- VK - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:14 pm:
Some people are the political malpractice version of a canary in a coal mine. Maze is the king of those chirping birds.
- NotRIch - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:32 pm:
Maze & company will continue the downward trend for ECW..
- low level - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:36 pm:
No one thought to ask the members of the committee if they had actually agreed to be part of it before making the announcement? Wow.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:39 pm:
This is the same Maze Jackson who last week had the audacity to claim that the scrutiny by Democrats of Welch’s actions was a political lynching. Now he’s championing a working group on the same topic?
How much more embarrassment is the Democratic caucus willing to endure for the sole benefit of Chris Welch?
- Granite countertop - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:46 pm:
Window dressing. Nothing more.
Name a single working group that has produced any actionable work product in Springfield in the last 30 years.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:48 pm:
Maybe Welch can bring in Mike McClain to throw gas on this dumpster fire. He truly learned nothing from the reasons he became Speaker.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:49 pm:
Granite countertop, the Dobbs working group, just to name one, has produced a bunch of bills that became law.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:49 pm:
If this keeps up, Maze could earn a whole $2 from his Facebook posts. /s
- soccermom - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:54 pm:
VK — as the granddaughter of a coal miner, I want to point out that the canary in the coal mine actually stopped chirping when the mine started filling with carbon monoxide. Thank you for coming to my TED talk
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 6:55 pm:
ILGOP- “We are an irrelevant dysfunctional disaster”
Welch- “Hold my beer”.
Is Welch and his crew intentionally incompetent or did they lose a bet to the house freedom caucus?
Good on Cassidy. I hope she ends up as speaker.
- Irreverent - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 7:16 pm:
The palpable narcissism in the Welch camp is starting to remind me of someone else.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 7:27 pm:
A Maze ingly stupid. the joke writes itself.
- Will county baby boy - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 7:27 pm:
Why was the working group not put together in 2023 when the 1st allegations surfaced should be question numero uno.
- Ethics Police - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 7:29 pm:
During the 1st meeting can they go through the training slides by slide so the training that EVERYONE took is fresh in all of their minds. They can then discuss which slides were obviously not clear and lead us to this point.
- VK - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 7:30 pm:
@soccermom - As the son of a coal miner, I realized the metaphor was flawed two seconds after I hit “Say It!”. I don’t wanna talk about it.
- BlueOrangeDem - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 7:32 pm:
I really hope something comes out of this, but I won’t hold my breath. Besides the Dobbs group, the Speaker’s answer to everything is to put together a working group with little to show for it.
The only true gap here is a supposed leader who chose to fund a known sexual harasser’s campaign who went on to harass more women, rather than lose a vote for Speaker. Can the working group come up with an answer on how to address that? I can think of one.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 9:03 pm:
I saw this movie already and know how it ends. Can we watch something else please?
- low level - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 10:39 pm:
==If this keeps up, Maze could earn a whole $2 from his Facebook posts. /s==
LOL. Or $2.49. Its WIIFMJ - Whats In It For Maze Jackson. Two bucks and some change apparently.
I’m glad he realized Kam, Greg and Dan are all men. Why does this guy get paid big bucks?
- BE - Thursday, Aug 6, 26 @ 8:27 am:
@low level - for some people, having less than 75% men in a group is a ‘lack of men’.
- soccermom - Thursday, Aug 6, 26 @ 10:27 am:
VK — understood
- Walker - Thursday, Aug 6, 26 @ 1:33 pm:
Kam gets all the easy jobs /s
- Chi-town - Thursday, Aug 6, 26 @ 3:34 pm:
Granite
Chicago School Board working group brought forward the first fully elected Chicago school board come this November