Question of the day
Monday, Jul 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Bruce Rauner…
The 72-hour waiting period in SB 3256 is a bipartisan measure extending the wait to all guns purchased in the state. It, too, has the potential to prevent tragedies. In suicide cases, for example, health professionals say if the impulse to commit suicide is not acted upon immediately, it often does not arise again. The short delay prior to possession could be the difference between life and death.
“No such need with respect to firearm possession is answered by the amended dealer licensing bill passed by the General Assembly (SB 337),” the governor said. “I intend to veto it again because it has no appreciable potential to reduce criminal access to guns.”
According to Loyola University studies on gun violence in Chicago, criminals rarely buy their guns directly from federally licensed and regulated gun dealers. Criminals obtain their guns further down the supply chain, usually from street sources and most often from sources out of state. No amount of duplicative state regulation of gun dealers, who are already federally licensed, will change that reality.
In addition, Rauner said that SB 337 creates another unnecessary regulatory burden for 2,700 small businesses whose livelihoods would be threatened.
* Press release…
The Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement after Gov. Bruce Rauner said he will veto SB 337, the bipartisan Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act.
STATEMENT FROM LAUREN QUINN, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER LEADER WITH THE ILLINOIS CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA
“Gun trafficking is a deadly problem in Illinois, and the governor has again accepted the status quo instead of working to address it. Given another chance to be a part of the solution, Gov. Rauner again made himself a roadblock, and our lawmakers can and should push to enact this important legislation over his veto.”
MORE INFORMATION:
The governor’s comments today follow his veto in March of the Gun Dealer Licensing Act, similar legislation widely supported by the public, according to polling at the time. Following the governor’s veto of that bill, lawmakers worked to address the governor’s concerns in the drafting of the Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act, new legislation to reduce gun trafficking. The bill passed through the General Assembly in May with wide margins and bipartisan support
The Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act would help reduce illegal gun trafficking and hold corrupt gun dealers accountable through common-sense measures, including requiring background checks for gun store employees and requiring gun dealers to keep their business premises open for inspection by law enforcement during business hours.
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel…
Governor Rauner’s unwillingness to license gun dealers is bizarre, inexcusable and downright dangerous to the public and police officers. Illinois needs stronger, smarter state gun laws to keep guns off our streets and out of the wrong hands. It is the height of hypocrisy when the same Governor who signed a bill to regulate catfish sales will not stand up and take common sense steps to regulate gun sales. Given that the Governor has not yet received the revised bill, I urge him to reconsider and sign this important and bipartisan public safety measure.
* The Question: Do you agree or disagree with Gov. Rauner’s logic on this bill? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey tool
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* Block Club Chicago…
A Russian company that’s sought to influence American events, including the 2016 presidential election, posed as a beloved, but long-shuttered Chicago newspaper on social media for years, according to NPR.
* NPR…
Another example: The Internet Research Agency created an account that looks like it is the Chicago Daily News. That newspaper shuttered in 1978.
The Internet Research Agency-linked account was created in May 2014, and for years, it just posted local headlines, accumulating some 19,000 followers by July 2016.
Another twist: These accounts apparently never spread misinformation. In fact, they posted real local news, serving as sleeper accounts building trust and readership for some future, unforeseen effort.
“They set them up for a reason. And if at any given moment, they wanted to operationalize this network of what seemed to be local American news handles, they can significantly influence the narrative on a breaking news story,” Schafer told NPR. “But now instead of just showing up online and flooding it with news sites, they have these accounts with two years of credible history.”
Twitter caught these Internet Research Agency accounts in the act and suspended them.
I remember seeing that Twitter account and wondering what the heck was going on. It looked totally benign to me, though, so I didn’t think much more of it.
* Other stuff…
* ADDED: Rep. Peter Roskam: Russia’s interference with our democratic process is appalling and undeniable. The President has a responsibility to not only confront Vladimir Putin for attacking our democracy, but to use all tools available to prevent future acts of aggression that could undermine the cornerstone of our republic – free and fair elections. Vladimir Putin is not our ally – he is a brutal dictator who has undermined our democratic institutions; invaded and continues to illegally occupy the territory of our allies Ukraine and Georgia; and continues to support the massacre of hundreds of thousands in Syria. We must maintain a united front with our partners around the world to confront Russian aggression. Today’s press conference was an affront to American democracy and the Intelligence Community and a victory for Russian propaganda. The President has a duty to hold Vladimir Putin to account.
* @IllinoisWorking: Today, Donald Trump cast doubt on Russian interference in the 2016 election. On Friday, @TheJusticeDept said Russia hacked the Illinois State Board of Elections website and stole the personal information of 500,000 Illinoisans. Who does Bruce Rauner believe?
* Illinois Dems Blast Trump On Twitter After Summit With Putin: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-16th District) was one of the only Illinois Republican congressional members to criticize Trump, but did not mention him directly in this Tweet: The American people deserve the truth, & to disregard the legitimacy of our intelligence officials is a disservice to the men & women who serve this country. It’s time to wake up & face reality. #Putin is not our friend; he’s an enemy to our freedom.
* The Moscow Midterms - How Russia could steal our next election: What happened in Illinois had him anxious. It was like the hackers wanted someone to notice they were in the system — they had practically alerted IT themselves with the amount of noise they were making, bombarding the servers. Why? And why hadn’t John’s cyberforensics guys found any back door to the attack? Were the Russians still there, lying quietly hidden until the right moment?
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Harith Augustus coverage roundup
Monday, Jul 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Coming a bit late to this, so here you go…
* Autopsy: Chicago man dies of multiple gunshots: An autopsy shows a black man killed by a Chicago police officer died of multiple gunshot wounds.
* Another black man is killed by police, and the distrust grows deeper: Many African-American men in violent neighborhoods carry guns illegally. Let’s just be honest. The law-abiding people who live in these dangerous neighborhoods know this. And the police know it, too. Some black men carry guns because their lives, and even the lives of their loved ones, depend on it. Some of them do it because it’s the norm in places besieged with crime. And some black men carry guns simply because they are up to no good. … Perhaps he did have something to hide. But perhaps he also had a bona fide fear of police. And perhaps his death confirms that his instinct to flee was justified.
* After the Harith Augustus shooting, Chicago’s policing problems are back in the spotlight: In both videos, Augustus is seen speaking with an officer shortly before three more officers arrive. None of the videos contain audio, the department said, because body cameras do not record sound for a brief period after being switched on.
* Chicago police release body cam video of South Shore police shooting: CPD released two videos, one in real time and another slowed down. The body cam video that was released does not have audio as there is a 30-second delay when the officer turns the device on.
* Chicago activist demands all footage from police shooting: William Calloway said a brief video released by police showing the view from one officer’s body camera does not answer crucial questions, starting with the reasons the officers approached 37-year-old Harith Augustus on Saturday afternoon just before he was shot. Calloway also said that a police spokesman’s explanation that the Augustus was “exhibiting characteristics of an armed person” does justify stopping someone in a city and state where it is legal to carry a concealed weapon. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Sunday that detectives have found no documentation that Augustus had a concealed carry permit, but Calloway said there is no way officers at the scene could have known that when they approached him.
* More protests expected Monday after body cam video released of South Shore police shooting: “We have a right to protest,” said Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression. “The police do not have a right to come out and brutalize us because we’re protesting. And that’s been their history, that’s what they’ve been doing.”
* Chicago police say bodycam footage shows key difference in latest shooting: “Decision to use lethal force is made in a split second. It is based on the safety of the officer and the surrounding community,” Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson said.
* Chicago police release video to ease tensions after killing Harith Augustus: The body camera video shows Augustus reaching for his wallet as the officers approach. In the struggle, a card protrudes from his wallet. It appears to be a Firearm Owners Identification Card, which allows qualified people to buy weapons and ammunition, according to the Illinois State Police.
* Misdemeanor charges filed against protester after Harith Augustus shooting: CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said four officers were injured during the protests. People taunted officers with chants of “murderers” and “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?” One officer was hit with the bottle of urine, and people also threw rocks. Police eventually tried to push protesters back, hitting at least a dozen people with batons.
* Neighborhood recalls ‘quiet’ South Shore barber who died in police shooting: Augustus had no recent arrest history, according to a Chicago police spokesman. He was charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery and a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession in three separate incidents over a decade ago, according to Cook County court records. He wasn’t convicted in any of the cases.
* Chicago FOP: Politicians now know that the only way to succeed in obtaining their coveted positions is to cater to the media’s anti-police narratives. The Chicago media, therefore, contributes heavily to the body count every month in Chicago and to an appallingly low clearance rates in homicides.
* Lori Lightfoot…
“The loss of Mr. Harith Augustus’ life is a tragedy, and my condolences and prayers go out to his family, particularly his young child and other loved ones as they mourn his death.
“It is critically important that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) move forward swiftly, independently, and thoroughly in its investigation. The public has the absolute right to understand all of the circumstances that led to the use of deadly force against Mr. Augustus.
“Superintendent Johnson made a wise decision in releasing a body camera video expeditiously. Consistent with policies recommended by the Police Accountability Task Force and adopted by the city in February of 2016, all relevant videotapes, audio, and initial police reports must be released as soon as possible, balancing the importance of the integrity of the COPA investigation.
“In addition, COPA must address the subsequent circumstances in which members of the police engaged with observers and protesters who gathered in the wake of the shooting. With the caveat that video can only provide a snapshot in time from a particular vantage point, there are several images of police interactions with members of the public that are very troubling. The images I saw from a variety of sources raise serious questions about supervision, use of force and equipment, as well as tactics deployed.
“The public has a right to understand the circumstances that led to injuries of the public and police at the Jeffrey Plaza and adjacent parking lots. It is imperative that both the CPD and COPA address these issues as swiftly as possible in the coming days.”
* Garry McCarthy…
These kinds of shooting incidents are a tragedy. As a city, we all lose when they occur. I offer my condolence to the victim’s family. At first blush, this shooting appears to be justified, based on what we see in that video and I’m pleased with its quick release. We are hoping that a thorough investigation gives us the truth as to what happened. But let us also be clear, that the shooting victim refused to comply with the officers. He appears to reach for a gun. At that point, he leaves the officers with little to no choice but to shoot in defense of their own lives. But incidents like this underscore the need for a new mayor who can bring us together, promote understanding and open dialogue.
* Troy LaRaviere…
In regard to the police shooting of Harith Augustus, there are three questions that must be answered:
The first question is, “Was the shooting–by itself–justified. Mr. Augustus’ actions after the stop–running and grabbing his gun from his holster–speak clearly to whether or not the shooting–by itself–was justified.
However, the shooting didn’t happen “by itself.” It happened after a decision by police to stop and surround Mr. Augustus, which begs the second question: “In a city where carrying a firearm is legal, what justifies stopping people who appear to be armed? “Appearing to be armed,” literally means “Appearing to be exercising one’s constitutional rights.” Augustus posted in 2014, “My kids aren’t just my children; they are my everything.” Although he did not have the necessary permits, Mr. Augustus’ life as a father, his 9-to-5 job as a barber, and decade-long clean police record paint a picture of a man who likely carried a weapon for the reason most Americans carry weapons: to protect himself. Our system of policing has been found to unjustly target African American communities for everything from issuing parking tickets, to setting up DUI checkpoints, to the unconstitutional use of force. It is of great concern to know this same disparate system is being used to stop African American men who–like many white Chicagoans–arm themselves for protection.
Mr. Augustus did not approach the police, the police approached him, and it was his reaction to their use of force that led to his death. That leads to the last question: Where is the audio from the body camera footage? What did police say to Mr. Augustus that may or may not have led to his ill-advised fight-or-flight reaction to being stopped and surrounded by police officers? Like millions of Americans, I’ve seen footage of officers threatening law-abiding citizens at gunpoint such as the incident before Alton Sterling’s murder in which an officer escalated a situation and then yelled at Sterling, “… I’ll shoot your [expletive deleted], [expletive deleted]! I’m going to shoot you in your [expletive deleted] head!” With escalating police officer behaviors like this in the public consciousness, any reasonable person would understand why the absence of the audio in the body camera footage is of grave concern to those of us who want to ensure this kind of escalation was not a factor in this tragic death. I call on City Hall to instruct the Police Department to release the audio immediately.
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* The end of an era…
The influential longtime leader of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is announcing Monday that he will retire from the post, but he isn’t giving up his more than four decades of involvement in politics and government.
Gregory Baise will be succeeded Jan. 1 by Mark Denzler, the current vice president and chief operating officer.
“I’ve been a witness to great changes, economic challenges and global shifts that have been met by the men and women who belong to the IMA. Their ability to adapt and overcome in very challenging times must be commended,” Baise, 66, said in a statement.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been an active participant in public policies that affect job creation and the economy. I look forward to the next chapter where I can remain active in that arena,” he said.
* More…
Baise will continue to run Xpress Professional Services, a for-profit subsidiary of IMA that performs direct mail, TV ad production and other chores for political candidates, and which operates the well-known We Ask America polling operation.
Baise, 66, will be succeeded by IMA Vice President and COO Mark Denzler, who will run the organization day to day, take over its lobbying operation and lead the group’s political action committee, which in some cycles contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to state candidates. […]
Along with a few other figures such as Ron Gidwitz (now the U.S. ambassador to Belgium) and former Illinois Retail Merchants Association chief Dave Vite, Baise was a holdover from the days when fiscally conservative but socially moderate Republicans in the Thompson mold ran the Illinois GOP.
Greg has been a friend of mine for many, many years. I use We Ask America’s polls, so I’m a bit conflicted with my opinions, but I have nothing but respect for the man. We’ve had our arguments, but the guy is a true gentleman. Denzler has some big shoes to fill, but he’s been gradually taking over Baise’s responsibilities for several years. He’ll do fine.
* On to the next one. From a press release…
State Representative Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) has been appointed to the post of Deputy House Minority Leader today, earning him a #2 spot in the House Republican Caucus. This recognition follows a Spring Session that saw Demmer lead the charge on enacting both a new Hospital Assessment Program on behalf of his caucus as well as successfully negotiating a bipartisan, historic State Budget agreement which resulted in “No New Taxes” and provides stability to state finances.
Demmer is serving in his third two-year term in the Illinois House, where he has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and thoughtful legislators in the House Republican caucus. Rep. Demmer’s appointment was announced by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin on Monday, “It is an honor to have Tom Demmer serve as our next Deputy Minority Leader in the House Republican caucus,” Leader Durkin said. “In his time as a legislator, Tom has become a leading voice for our caucus and a fighter for our Republican principles in Illinois. He was instrumental in passing our state’s first balanced budget in decades earlier this year and I look forward to working with him in getting more important reforms passed for Illinois.”
Demmer is the Director of Innovation & Strategy at KSB Hospital in Dixon. Prior to his election to the General Assembly, he served on the Lee County Board. Demmer graduated from the University of Dayton, after having served as a White House intern in the Office of the Vice President of the United States in 2006. Demmer is a 2016 Henry W. Toll Fellow with the Council of State Governments. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Preservation Foundation. He is a co-founder of the Future Caucus of millennial legislators in Illinois and has balanced a work-load of serving on 14 committees in the Illinois House this Spring Session.
“I thank Leader Durkin for his confidence and support,” Demmer said. “I am proud of the work our caucus has done to fight for a better future for Illinois, and I look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders to bring new opportunities for Illinois families.”
Demmer has become Durkin’s most trusted lieutenant, so this was not unexpected. Keep an eye on this guy. He may look young enough to be a page, but he’s smart, has mad skills and obviously has enormous stamina. I mean, 14 committees? Who else could do that?
* Next…
Former St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte has been selected to fill the 33rd District State Senate seat soon to be vacated by Republican Karen McConnaughay, a party official said Saturday.
Kane County Republican Party Chairman Ken Shepro said DeWitte was selected from among seven candidates.
Retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) had wanted that slot. Andersson voted to override the governor’s tax and budget vetoes last year, so there was a lot of behind the scenes push-back against him. I’m told DeWitte is a moderate like McConnaughay.
But DeWitte’s appointment means there will be one fewer woman in the Senate Republican caucus next year.
* And, finally, from a press release…
The Republican 47th House District Selection Committee is pleased to announce today the appointment of College of DuPage (COD) Board of Trustees Chairman Deanne Mazzochi to the Office of State Representative for the 47th House District of Illinois.
“I am grateful for this appointment to serve the people of the 47th District,” said Mazzochi. “Our communities are accustomed to the excellent services that Representative Bellock provided, and we are committed to maintaining them. Residents already have reached out to me on issues ranging from O’Hare and Tollway expansion, redistricting, property taxes, budget, and social services. I’m excited to get started and direct my energy and experience learning and listening to find creative ways to help this district, and to advocate for good policy during the November legislative veto session.”
The vacancy was created when retiring Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale) was recently appointed director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Mazzochi ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
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*** LIVE *** Campaign finance reports
Monday, Jul 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today is the filing deadline for quarterly campaign finance reports. The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has put together a congressional campaign report. They found that the Democrats are keeping pace with Republicans, but have less cash on hand. Click here to see it. [Fixed link.]
Follow the state and local report filings with ScribbleLive, including related press releases….
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* From last Friday’s Tribune story entitled “Rauner embraces Trump White House in Rosemont, calls Pence among the ‘greatest leaders in American history’”…
Gov. Bruce Rauner firmly embraced President Donald Trump’s administration Friday, using an introduction of Vice President Mike Pence at a Rosemont campaign event to hail a White House for creating a domestic economy that is “roaring again.” […]
In his introduction, Rauner called Pence one of the “greatest leaders in American history” and said the vice president, a former governor of neighboring Indiana, and GOP governors there had turned the state into a “role model” for what Illinois needs to do.
“Mike Pence did it for the Hoosiers, and now Mike Pence along with President Trump are doing it for every American right now,” Rauner said of Indiana’s pro-business policies.
“The American economy is roaring today. Rising family incomes, higher wages, lower jobs, higher equality of life. Why? Because Vice President Pence, President Trump, working with Republican leaders, have cut the tax burden of the people of America. That’s why,” Rauner said. “Cut the tax burden, reduce the regulatory burden, fight for fair trade, and we have American jobs and higher family incomes.”
* The governor was asked about this today (click here for audio). I was starting to work on a transcript, but Jake beat me to it, so he saved me some work…
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* If we learned anything from the Travis Reinking Waffle House shooting earlier this year, it’s that local police forces aren’t doing enough to take guns away from the mentally ill, even with clear evidence that gun owners are suffering from mental illnexx.
So, signing this bill today was a concrete step toward preventing further Travis Reinking-type shootings…
Creates the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that a petitioner may request an emergency firearms restraining order by filing an affidavit or verified pleading alleging that the respondent poses an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to himself, herself, or another by having in his or her custody or control, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm.
Gov. Rauner, however, told supporters today that he will veto the revamped gun shop regulatory bill when it’s sent to his desk. He vetoed an earlier version. Rauner said he didn’t think it would help stop gun violence.
* The governor also said he signed this bill today…
I’ll have a coverage roundup later today.
…Adding… Raw audio of the bill-signing event is here.
* Related…
* Press Release: Willis-sponsored bill creating Firearms Restraining Order is signed into law: If the court finds that the person poses a significant danger, the person can be restrained from purchasing or possessing guns for up to one year. The court is authorized to issue a warrant for any firearms in the person’s possession, and the person must immediately surrender any firearms or other deadly weapons to law enforcement.
* Press Release: Gabrielle Giffords Applauds Illinois Governor for Signing Legislation to Remove Guns From People In Crisis: The Firearms Restraining Order (FRO), also known as the Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO), is a civil court order issued by a judge upon consideration of evidence provided by a family member or law enforcement officer that temporarily prohibits a person in crisis from possessing or purchasing firearms or ammunition. A common thread in many shootings is that family members of the shooters had noticed their loved ones engaging in dangerous behaviors and were concerned about their risk of harming themselves or others – even before any violence occurred.
* ADDED: Gov. Rauner signs two gun control bills: The bill was one of several debated in the General Assembly this year in the wake of mass shootings at schools and last year in Las Vegas. Rauner said lawmakers still haven’t finished addressing the issue. He said a ban on bump stocks – which allow weapons to be fired much faster – should be passed. He also said lawmakers should approve money for schools to hire resource officers and mental health professionals to deal with potential gun violence in schools.
* ADDED: Guns can be removed from those deemed dangerous under law signed by Rauner: The person whose guns are taken may petition to give them to a friend with a firearm owner’s ID card. That person must swear not to give the firearms back without authorization.
* ADDED: Illinois governor signs law allowing police, family members to ask judge to seize guns: “There has to be a judge, there has to be proof of the issue,” the governor said. “It can’t just be some accusation. There has to be real proof of danger.”
* ADDED: Rauner signs “red flag”, 72-hour waiting period gun control bills: It was opposed by the National Rifle Association, in part because of concerns about curtailing the due-process rights of gun owners. Republican Rep. Peter Breen commended the bi-partisan effort behind the legislation, negotiating through the concerns of law enforcement and gun owners.
* ADDED: Press Release: Gov. Rauner signs emergency “red flag” gun law, enacts 72-hour waiting period for all gun purchases - Vows to veto gun dealer licensing bill again; urges action on broad public safety plan
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John McGovern: “An honorable man in politics”
Monday, Jul 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* All of us who knew John were in shock on Friday when we got the sad news about his unexpected passing. Tribune…
In dealing with the travails of serving as a spokesman and strategist for myriad Illinois Republican candidates, John McGovern stayed true to his beliefs in policy and civility even as public moods about ideology and partisanship shifted.
McGovern, whose work with candidates for state, congressional and U.S. Senate offices spanned decades, died Friday, apparently of heart failure, his family said. He was 48.
Over the years, McGovern’s work included time as the state Republican Party’s spokesman and executive director. He worked on former U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald’s initial 1998 bid for the office and Judy Baar Topinka’s 2006 governor run. He advised former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. And McGovern coordinated congressional campaigns for Mark Kirk and Bob Dold on the North Shore, as well as Kirk’s 2010 Senate victory.
Through it all, McGovern represented a largely departed form of political civility, supporting moderate beliefs in an already rough-and-tumble business that has evolved as more candidates play to the extremes of each party’s base, further polarizing the electorate.
* Sun-Times…
Longtime friend and colleague Brad Hahn called him the “gold standard on the Republican side” in terms of his ability to craft messages, speeches and strategy that not only appealed to Republicans but also broader audiences.
But he wasn’t just good at his job. Hahn said McGovern “was always an amazing friend” and a “great person.”
“He had an amazing wit, sharpness and humor that is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever worked with, and beyond that he was a great friend, colleague and mentor,” Hahn said. “In politics and government there’s a lot of fakeness, but John was genuine and always there as a friend.” […]
Admiration also came from across the aisle. Democratic strategist Kitty Kurth, now president of political consulting firm Kurth Lampe, said McGovern was “always professional.”
“We would disagree on candidates and issues, but he was never disagreeable,” Kurth said. “He was an honorable man in politics, which, in this day and age, is hard to come by.” […]
His family has asked that donations in memoriam be made to Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, The Art Institute of Chicago, or Elawa Farm in Lake Forest.
* Scott Fornek…
“John McGovern, ‘gold standard’ of GOP political strategy in Illinois, dies at 48.”
I didn’t write that headline, but I could have. Illinois lost a good man and a brilliant political mind. And Illinois politics just got a bit less fun.
Godspeed, John.
* llinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider…
John McGovern was an incredibly talented strategist whose instinct and skill led to many successful Republican campaigns. He was widely respected by those active in Illinois politics, regardless of their political affiliation. His straight talk and balanced approach to campaigns and politics will be greatly missed. Please keep John’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
* Services…
A service of thanksgiving for the life of John E. McGovern, III will be held on Wednesday, July 18 4:30 p.m. The Church of the Holy Spirit 400 East Westminster Road Lake Forest, IL 60045
He was such a fun, sweet man. You could strongly disagree with the guy without ever coming away feeling any less respect for him. He was brilliant and did his job well, but without ever taking himself seriously. There just aren’t many like him in this business.
…Adding… Missed this one…
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* Media advisory…
Champions of a measure to prohibit Illinois’ use of Kris Kobach’s flawed Crosscheck program are calling on Governor Rauner to sign Senate Bill 2273. Crosscheck is a flawed system that encourages voter suppression and fails to protect voter data.
The presser comes days after Illinois State Board of Elections officials requested confirmation of their suspicions that Illinois is the state named in special counsel Robert Mueller’s latest indictment regarding hacks by Russian intelligence officers which exposed the personal data of 500,000 Illinois voters.
The last day the Governor can act on the bill is Tuesday, July 17th.
WHO:
· Legislative sponsors including Rep. Ann Williams, Sen. Kwame Raoul and Sen. Bill Cunningham
· Legislative advocates including the ACLU and Indivisible Chicago
* I asked for an advance copy of the release…
At a press conference this morning, state senator and Democratic candidate for attorney general Kwame Raoul urged Governor Bruce Rauner to sign legislation removing Illinois from the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program. Tomorrow is the governor’s deadline to take action. Raoul gave the following statement:
“Amid growing concern over the integrity of our election process, Crosscheck is simply too great a risk for Illinois. With President Trump unwilling to safeguard voter privacy and members of his inner circle under investigation, we are duty-bound to protect our own voters and their data. The right to vote freely and privately is the bedrock of our democracy, and I call on Governor Rauner to sign this bill and get us out of Crosscheck.
Especially in light of new indictments indicating Illinois voters’ privacy was compromised by foreign adversaries, as attorney general, I pledge to aggressively investigate all threats to our state’s election system. The confidence our voters have in the fairness of our elections is one of the most valuable resources democracy has – and clearly one of the most vulnerable. I will not stand idly by while our elections fall under attack again.”
The Illinois State Board of Elections has stated that it is “very likely” the victim of a hack described in Friday’s indictments of 12 Russian officers suspected of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. The indictments allege that the Russians stole names, addresses and drivers’ license numbers of affected voters. More than 500,000 Illinois voters’ data may have been exposed.
Tomorrow is the governor’s last day to take action on Senate Bill 2273, which Raoul sponsored along with State Representative Ann Williams. If it becomes law, the measure will end Illinois’ participation in the multistate Crosscheck voter registration database, which suspended its operations last month while under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security due to its vulnerability to breaches. The system has also been shown to enable vote suppression by returning false positives for duplicate registrations. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit against Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who oversees Crosscheck, over the release of nearly 1,000 Kansan voters’ personal information, transmitted over unencrypted email. Kobach is a former co-chair of President Trump’s panel on voter fraud. Last fall, the State Board of Elections voted along party lines to stay in the Crosscheck system, despite security concerns.
Under SB 2273, Illinois would remain part of the Electronic Registration Information System (ERIC) database, which is used by 20 states and offers an efficient means of maintaining voter rolls with better procedural safeguards against disenfranchisement and without Crosscheck’s vulnerabilities.
The press conference with Rep. Williams, state Sen. Bill Cunningham (Chair of Senate Telecommunications and Information Technology Committee), Renato Marroti, ACLU Illinois and Indivisible Illinois [will be] streamed on Facebook Live, and a recording can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/ACLUofIllinois/.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Rauner was asked about this bill at an unrelated press conference today. His response..
That has really nothing to do with cyber attacks or safety or security, that’s a separate issue and I don’t see any reason that we should go out of that as a state.
* Related…
* Durbin not confident Illinois election systems are secure
* Durbin: More work needed to make sure Russian hack of voter database ‘never happens again’
* Illinois election officials: ‘Very likely’ state was target of Russian hackers
* News of Russian hackers targeting Illinois adds urgency to signing of SB 2273
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Right up front, let’s just stipulate that the recent appointment of state Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) as the Democratic Party of Illinois’ interim executive director will not usher in an immediate sea-change.
First, this is a temporary, part-time gig. Rep. Mitchell told me he has no interest in staying on after the election and will continue with his part-time law schooling through the fall campaign.
Second, House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is also the state party’s chairman, has already installed Mary Morrissey as the state party’s chief operating officer. Among other things, Morrissey ran Madigan’s Chicago political operation before moving over to Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s campaign and government staffs. She is smart, capable, knows just about everybody in the business and is a nuts-and-bolts person who, Mitchell said, will handle the day-to-day functioning of the party. She’ll likely keep an eye on Mitchell for Madigan.
Third, Madigan promoted Emily Wurth, the party’s former operations manager, to chief financial officer. Wurth is a highly capable former House Issues (campaign) staffer who moved up to DPI five years ago. She’ll be one more set of eyes on Mitchell.
Fourth, Madigan has installed his most trusted attorney, Mike Kasper, as treasurer of the state party.
And, finally, as the duly elected state party chairman, Madigan can likely veto anything Mitchell wants to do.
All that having been said, this Mitchell appointment is an important move by the all-female committee tasked with naming Tim Mapes’ replacement. Mapes had to resign as Madigan’s chief of staff and state party executive director after being accused of sexual harassment.
Think of this move as a foot in the door for the next generation.
For the first time, the state party will have a young African-American standing right out front. A calcified, overly white, constantly under fire and very unpopular state party leadership has simply become a drag on every Democrat. Mitchell is a normally pleasant fellow, but he’s an amateur boxer who isn’t afraid to verbally punch you hard in the nose. So, an attack on Democrats by the Republicans can be met with a quick and stinging response from its new and fresh public face. Even though Mitchell wasn’t Madigan’s choice, the House Speaker is smart enough to know this can be an advantage he’s never had before.
An early supporter of J.B. Pritzker, Mitchell has unofficially advised the campaign for months. He reportedly helped the candidate deal with the uproar after the Chicago Tribune published a story about those now-infamous FBI surveillance tapes on which Pritzker said some highly unkind things about various African-American politicians to Rod Blagojevich, in an effort to convince the governor to appoint Jesse White to the U.S. Senate. The Pritzker folks have always been impressed by Mitchell and that’s a big reason why they actively engineered his appointment. Madigan simply could not stand in the way of his party’s nominee, who, as of this writing, has poured $5.7 million into Democratic coffers since late May with more to come. Mitchell is basically Pritzker’s guy at DPI.
Rep. Mitchell is also a close political ally and personal friend of Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), who has fought several public and private battles with Speaker Madigan over the past several months on #MeToo issues. And according to numerous sources, Mitchell has privately advised Alaina Hampton, who is suing Madigan’s political operation after making her own sexual harassment allegations. Both women heartily endorsed Mitchell’s ascension. That might give Madigan some heartburn, but the party most definitely needs a bridge to the other side after the recent debacles. Mitchell has a lot of allies in the state’s #MeToo movement, and all seemed quite pleased last week.
Mitchell hasn’t spoken publicly against Madigan. That could be seen as a sign of weakness or even obsequiousness by outsiders, but others know better. Attack Madigan and his members and allies will always rush to his defense. Blagojevich found that out the hard way, so did Pat Quinn and, of course, so did Bruce Rauner. Mitchell, on the other hand, is one of the smoothest guys I know and he’s a person of his word, which are big reasons why he’s been able to work with so many different Statehouse types, including Madigan.
The Mitchell appointment isn’t the beginning of the end for Madigan by any means. The big guy holds too many cards. It might, however, be the end of the beginning.
After endless months of wrenching turmoil, the Pritzker campaign is finally exerting its will on the party chairman. Expect that to continue if Pritzker is elected this November.
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Dunn out at SIU
Friday, Jul 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Randy Dunn is out as president of Southern Illinois University, bookending a wild stretch of controversy and animosity at the two-campus system, the university announced late Friday.
Dunn has agreed to a voluntary separation with the university that will pay him a six-month severance of $215,000. Dunn was hired as SIU president in 2014. SIU’s board will meet on Monday in Edwardsville to finalize his departure, which is effective July 30.
Dunn will be on leave effective Tuesday, before his official termination on July 30. The separation agreement also agrees to hire Dunn as a visiting professor in Edwardsville at an $100,000 annual salary, starting January 1.
Dr. J. Kevin Dorsey, the former dean and provost of the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, is poised to step in as acting president for a one-year term while the board launches a search for a new leader. Dorsey will receive a base salary of $430,000.
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* Press release…
Kwame Raoul, Democratic candidate for Attorney General, issued the following response to news of a federal indictment charging Russian officials for conspiring to interfere with the 2016 election in Illinois:
“With foreign adversaries interfering in Illinois elections, there must be full disclosure and consequences. I fought to get us out of Crosscheck to protect voter privacy. We can’t trust Trump and Rauner to safeguard our elections; as Attorney General, I will investigate any attempts to infiltrate our electoral systems or steal voter data. Our data must be secure, and we must be safe from attack.”
Earlier today, when asked by Crain’s Chicago Business about whether she would sue the Trump administration if elected Attorney General, Republican Erika Harold said she would not enter into lawsuits like those regarding family separation at the border, access to affordable healthcare, or a woman’s right to choose, dismissing efforts to protect our rights as “purely political.”
* From that Greg Hinz Crain’s piece…
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today took a step that has become almost routine in the past year and a half. She sued President Donald Trump’s administration, this time over its decision to withhold $6.5 million in law enforcement funds amid a dispute over how the state deals with illegal immigration.
The action was only the latest in a string of 28 lawsuits Madigan has filed over deportation of DACA recipients, provisions of Obamacare and a lot more. And with the Chicago Democrat retiring this fall after 16 years in office, the question of whether or not to continue such policies has become the sleeper issue in the contest to succeed her between the Democratic nominee, state Sen. Kwame Raoul, and the Republican candidate, attorney and Harvard Law School graduate Erika Harold.
The question shows signs of sparking a sharp debate between Raoul and Harold. […]
“I believe the attorney general’s office should not be using their scarce resources to enter into lawsuits for purely political purposes,” she said in a statement. “As attorney general, I would only sue the federal government if Illinois law has been implicated or the federal government has acted in violation of the Constitution.” she said, adding that she does happen to agree with Madigan on the $6.5 million. […]
Madigan, in her own statement, says she has no second thoughts. She says she’s “sued the federal government over executive orders, rule rollbacks and policy reversals because they pose a threat to our civil liberties, our environment and public safety efforts throughout Illinois.” And she’s also sued over new rules eliminating so-called “net neutrality” charges by telecom and internet providers.
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Question of the day
Friday, Jul 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* An old buddy of mine was in Speaker Michael Madigan’s Chicago office not long ago and snapped this photograph…
You may not be able to tell from the pic, but Gov. Rauner’s image is super-imposed on a “bop bag.” You’ve seen those. You punch them and they rock way back and then right themselves.
* The Question: Caption?
Please be careful not to get carried away with the violent imagery. This is supposed to be a fun little Friday thing. Keep it light and funny and harmless. I don’t want any visits from the state cops. Thanks.
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Eight days of intense and comical weirdness
Friday, Jul 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve been meaning to do this all week and kept forgetting. Thanks to Radical Candor IL for reminding me…
* Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to Monday, July 10, 2017…
* Illinois Policy Institute President picked as Rauner’s new chief of staff (updated x9)
* Rep. Steve Andersson ousted from House GOP Floor Leader slot
Andersson, of course, was one of the House Republicans who voted for the tax hike/budget bills and in favor of overriding the governor’s vetoes. He was also “whipping” HGOP votes in favor of both sets of roll calls.
* Tuesday, July 11, 2017…
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Staff shakeup continues
* Michael Lucci, the Vice President of Policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, has been hired as Gov. Rauner’s new policy director, according to a staff e-mail sent today by Rauner’s new chief of staff Kristina Rasmussen. […]
Laurel Patrick is the governor’s new communications director. Patrick was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s spokesperson before eventually moving to the economic-right Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. Patrick replaces Brad Hahn, who was let go today. […]
* Rauner’s chief of staff told her new charges today that “mutual respect paired with radical candor will make this an even greater place to work.”
* Hahn out, more to come (updated: CK out)
Rauner spokesperson Catherine Kelly was just fired. What’s so unreal about this is that CK was a loyal Raunerite. She busted her tail for the governor. CK was expected to be leaving perhaps as early as next month anyway because her husband has a job in another state. But this action today was unexpected.
* Illinois Policy Institute’s Lucci, Scott Walker’s Patrick hired by Rauner
* I told subscribers about these developments earlier today. This evening, Mary Ann Ahern published the full memo sent out today by Gov. Rauner’s new chief of staff Kristina Rasmussen
* Wednesday, July 12, 2017…
* Democrats respond to Rauner’s new hires
* I cannot ever remember a time when this much focus has been placed on a governor’s staff changes. But it’s most certainly news and therefore political fodder.
* Clark out (update: Or not)
@MaryAnnAhernNBC
CORRECTION: “Jim Clarke has not, willnot and was never going to be fired.” From @GovRauner spksm [Clark was moved to IHDA the following month]
* “Outside the simulator”
WGN: There’s a sense among some Rauner loyalists that the governor, discouraged by defeat in the Illinois legislature, is now being influenced to go to the right rather than the middle. “It was one thing when nobody cared what they have to say it will be interesting to see how they perform outside the simulator,” an insider said.
* Tillman claims his group has “unblemished” record of “decency, civility, and candor”
* Click here for a reminder about their decency and civility.
* Thursday, July 13, 2017…
* More firing/hiring fallout for Rauner
* AP: Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman said appointing former organization President Kristina Rasmussen his chief of staff is an “unmistakable signal” that Rauner intends to fulfill a promise to make Illinois “prosperous and free.”
* Sneed: “It’s been tough. The morale is bad. People are afraid. It has been a coup d’etat type of environment. The conservative Illinois Policy Institute has taken charge.”
* “The damage has been done. We can’t turn back the clock”
* Pritzker campaign: “As Rauner staffs up with a radical right-wing team determined to cause more devastation, our most vulnerable communities are still reeling from the damage of round one,”
* Leader Brady wants to use coming school funding crisis as “leverage” on “reforms”
* Rauner staff hirings prompt new “Trumpcare” questions
* Pritzker campaign mocks Rauner over new hires
* Video: “We need brilliant people who are doing it for the right reasons to drive a result.”
* Where’s Rauner during unprecedented Lake County flooding?
* You would think the governor’s new crack PR team would be all over this. As the old saying (from Gov. Rauner himself) goes: “Crisis creates opportunity.”
* Friday, July 14, 2017…
* Legislators want Rauner to declare emergency and call out National Guard
* @MaryAnnAhernNBC: As he picks new staff, not until NBC5 & @capitolfax started asking, now @GovRauner WILL tour flooding in Gurnee this am #ILGov18
* @MaryAnnAhernNBC: I’m not the only one who is noticing, @GovRauner wearing makeup on flood tour (filming ads too?) #ILGov18
* An “unblemished” record of “decency, civility, and candor”
* @illinoispolicy: .@capitolfax tell Steve Brown aka wordslinger that if he cared about the democratic process he’d get his boss to change his House rules
* Question of the day
* From a memo sent out Tuesday by Gov. Rauner’s new chief of staff: Please share with me your best ideas for transforming Illinois through better public policy and improved operations by Friday at 3:00 p.m.
* Rauner denies being distracted, says he’s “incredibly proud” of his staff
* From the governor’s media availability: “We are always trying to recruit and retain the best people in America to serve the people of Illinois. That’s all that matters.”
* The Rauner purge restarts
• Corrections and criminal justice adviser Jennifer Grady-Paswater;
• Jason Heffley, who handled environment and energy and helped cut the recent Exelon nuclear funding deal;
• Brian Oszakiewski who came from the staff of U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Chicago, and who handled transportation;
• Daniel Suess, who made policy recs for smaller state agencies. […]
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rauner spokesperson Eleni Demertzis has just resigned. Unlike some of the others, Eleni walked out on her own terms.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Allie Bovis, who oversees agency communications and was the traveling press secretary today for the governor’s trip to Lake County, has submitted her resignation effective next Friday. She’s also leaving on her own terms.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Jared Dubnow, who is the governor’s Director of Operations, is reportedly leaving and will be going to DCEO. He made the trains run on time, but before that he was the governor’s top advance man and was Rauner’s “body man” during the campaign.
* Another one goes: Mike Z leaves Rauner campaign
* The governor recently asked him to stay on, so this is, by far, the biggest Rauner defection of the week. Boom
* Monday, July 17, 2017…
* The bane of their existence
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column: Rauner has always been a big fan of the Illinois Policy Institute’s way of thinking and ways of doing business. He insisted, for instance, that Rasmussen be included in some policy meetings. Rasmussen reportedly voiced support at those meetings for things like shutting down some state universities and prisons, regardless of the consequences, including the possibility of a prison escape during a hastily arranged facility shutdown. That’s just the sort of “bold” thinking that Rauner likes.
* Mahoney is latest top Rauner administration official to resign
* Mike Mahoney, the governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Legislative Affairs, resigned this morning.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Sources close to the governor’s office confirm that the governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Engagement Phil Rodriguez has also resigned. Rodriguez worked for Comptrollers Topinka and Munger and ran both of their campaigns. He’s moving over to the Tollway.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The govenor’s body man, Kyle Haevers, has been told his services were no longer needed and was asked to find an agency to move to. His replacement is Ben Tracy, who has already begun traveling with the governor. Kyle was a loyal Raunerite and has been part of Rauner World since 2014 and helped on the Rep. McAuliffe race last fall.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Digital Director Bridget Davidson and Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Munson also resigned today. Davidson came on board last October from a TV station in Milwaukee. I’m told that under Davidson’s direction “Facebook followers grew organically (no paid or sponsored posts) by 300 percent” in seven months.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Kathy Lydon, who runs the state’s Washington, DC office, has left. I’m told her deputy left as well. Lydon previously worked for Judy Biggert and goes all the way back to the Chuck Percy days.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Bob Stefanski, Director of House and Senate Operations, has departed. The House and Senate Republican leaders both wanted the governor to keep him around.
*** UPDATE 6 *** @IllinoisWorking: TWENTY ONE staffers have left or been fired from @GovRauner’s office since last week#ShakeUpSpringfield
*** UPDATE 7 *** Anyone paying half attention to the RadicalCandorIL Twitter account today could’ve guessed this was coming: @MaryAnnAhernNBC The new “body man” doesn’t last one day! @GovRauner fires him #chaos
*** UPDATE 8 *** Politico: Illinois GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner’s new “body man” — the government staffer who spends long days with governor — has a history of writing racially-charged, homophobic and sexually explicit tweets. “I’d f— her teeth straight,” said one. “To the Indian people in the library: SHUT THE F— UP!,” said another.
* More on the Mike Z resignation
* If you’re scratching your head wondering if you’ve ever seen anything like this past week in Illinois politics, stop. You haven’t.
*** LIVE COVERAGE *** “Radical Candor”
* It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what group of people are likely behind the new RadicalCandorIL Twitter account. I followed it closely all weekend and since the resignations are continuing, I thought you might want a ScribbleLive feed
* Rauner demands SB 1 be sent to him so he can AV it (updated x4)
* New Rauner comms staff officially announced
* Press release: Diana Rickert starts today as Deputy Chief of Staff of Communications. Many of you have worked with Diana during her six years at the Illinois Policy Institute
* Rauner to school superintendents: “Don’t give in to a tyrant”
* Besler hired as Rauner’s “chief strategic advisor”
* This is the new Mike Z…
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* From the Betsy Dirksen Londrigan campaign…
Today, nonpartisan forecasters at Cook Political Report upgraded Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s chances of winning in IL-13, shifting their rating of the race from Likely Republican to just Lean Republican. Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman specifically cited Londrigan’s strong candidacy and her focus on the issue of health care as reasons why the race is becoming more competitive.
“This confirms what we are already seeing on the ground here in central Illinois: Betsy is exciting voters and making this a race through her hard work and her focus on issues that matter to Illinois families every day, like protecting their access to affordable health care,” said Kate Martucci, Londrigan’s campaign manager.
Here’s what Dave Wasserman had to say about the IL-13 rating change:
In 2011, Illinois Democrats tried to draw the 13th to elect one of their own by connecting the disparate college towns of Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal and Edwardsville with union-heavy cities like Decatur and the state capital of Springfield. But since 2012, GOP Rep. Rodney Davis has defied that creative cartography, winning reelection by comfortable margins.
Davis has succeeded in part because he’s an affable, energetic member who eschews heated rhetoric, works diligently on the Agriculture Committee and chairs the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership. He’s also benefited from Downstate Illinois’s drift away from national Democrats: in 2008, the 13th CD gave Barak Obama 55 percent. In 2016, President Trump carried it by six points and Davis won it by 19.
But, this is the kind of seat that could be problematic for Republicans in a wave, and Democrats have a credible candidate in Springfield fundraising consultant Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. Londrigan can’t definitively trace her ancestry to late Illinois GOP Sen. Everett Dirksen, but in March she defeated four primary opponents with 46 percent of the vote and has raised over $1 million to date.
For a first-time candidate, Londrigan has spent an above-average amount of time around politics: she helped her husband ran (unsuccessfully) for state senate over a decade ago and she’s raised money professionally for Sen. Dick Durbin and the Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. She’ll talk about her grandparents’ farm and opposition to tariffs to try to build appeal in the 13th CD’s soy-heavy rural counties.
It won’t be easy for Democrats to portray Davis as a Trump lackey; he rescinded his support of Trump in October 2016 after Access Hollywood. But Londrigan says Davis’s 2017 vote to repeal the ACA is what motivated her to run against the “Trump/Davis agenda.” She’ll use the personal story of her son’s life threatening tick bite in 2009 to illustrate her commitment to affordable health coverage.
To win, Democrats will need to convince voters that behind Davis’s likable demeanor lurks a voting record out of step with the district. And the more GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner looks doomed to defeat, the more plausible Londrigan’s path could become. Davis remains the favorite, but the race moves from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.
Londrigan’s campaign is gonna have to convince every possible African-American and college student to vote this November. And students, especially, don’t usually vote much during off-year cycles.
* In other Downstate congressional campaign news…
Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to stop in O’Fallon next week for a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Mike Bost.
The event is scheduled for 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the O’Fallon Regency Conference Center, said Dustin Rhodes, the campaign manager for Bost, a Murphysboro Republican. The event is closed to the press.
…Adding… Oops. I forgot about this. Bost got pwned…
* Related…
* Election 2018: Story-lines emerging: Now the second-most-expensive congressional race in the state outside of Chicago, the fight between U.S. Rep. RODNEY DAVIS, R-Taylorville, and Democratic challenger BETSY LONDRIGAN has ballooned into a $2.6 million affair. Londrigan has spent about $557,000 of the $779,000 she has raised; Davis has spent $886,571 of $1.8 million.
* Rodney Davis: Keep politics out of Supreme Court confirmation process
* Getting NGA to abandon St. Louis site would require a ‘game-changer,’ expert says
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Did AFSCME gain members here after Janus?
Friday, Jul 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Two weeks ago, the Rauner administration, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Janus case, set up a web site to inform unionized workers about how much they are paying in union dues and how they could drop out of union representation.
To date, the administration has not said how many workers who previously were full union members have decided to opt out of union representation as a result of the Janus ruling.
At the same time, the union that represents the bulk of state employees said that “hundreds” of people have joined the union as dues-paying members since the Janus decision. It said only a “handful” have quit. The union said it could not provide specific numbers.
You’d think the Rauner administration would be crowing if lots of folks dumped the union. By the same token, if AFSCME did gain “hundreds” of members, you’d think they’d have some figures to share. Maybe nobody has the numbers collected just yet…
Since the site was set up, however, the state has not said how many full dues-paying members have opted to drop their union membership. Instead, CMS said, it has been busy ensuring that fair share fees are no longer withheld from worker paychecks.
* Meanwhile, the Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Thomas John Paprocki, explains his support for the Janus decision, even though he has a lot of AFSCME members in his pews…
When the case reached the Supreme Court, the General Counsel for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Anthony Picarello, filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief, known by its name in Latin as an amicus curiae brief, in support of the union. When the case was decided against the union, Bishop Frank Dewane, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision, citing “the long-held view of so many bishops” in support of unions.
I respectfully disagree. Let me explain why.
The “long-held view of so many bishops” in support of unions is generally understood to go back to the time of Pope Leo XIII, who issued an encyclical letter in 1891 on the rights and duties of capital and labor, entitled Rerum novarum. While this encyclical voiced strong support for the rights of workers, particularly their right to form unions, this support was never unconditional. Rather, Pope Leo wrote (in paragraph 57) that unions “must pay special and chief attention to the duties of religion and morality, and that social betterment should have this chiefly in view; otherwise they would lose wholly their special character, and end by becoming little better than those societies which take no account whatever of religion. What advantage can it be to a working man to obtain by means of a society material well-being, if he endangers his soul for lack of spiritual food? ‘What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?’ (Matthew 16:26).”
In this regard, then, unions should not expect the unquestioning support of the church when their objectives are contrary “to the duties of religion and morality.” Today, a number of unions actively promote abortion rights. Three of the nation’s biggest unions — including AFSCME — contributed $435,000 to the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, in 2014.
As a matter of policy, the delegates to the AFSCME International Convention, meeting in Chicago in 2014, complained that “health care laws have restricted the places where abortions can be performed” and voted to “oppose legislation that restricts a woman’s basic right to health care and reproductive rights,” by which they mean, of course, abortion. Forcing public employees to subsidize unions that promote such immoral policies and activities is just not right.
* Related…
* “Fraud”: Anti-worker Illinois Policy Institute caught again using phony photo
* Board to state: Figure out how to pay step increases
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* You may have already heard about today’s federal indictments, but there’s at least one and maybe more Illinois angle, including the Russian hacking of the State Board of Elections. From Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein’s statement today…
Today, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment presented by the Special Counsel’s Office. The indictment charges twelve Russian military officers for conspiring to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
Eleven of the defendants are charged with conspiring to hack into computers, steal documents, and release documents in an effort to interfere with the election.
One of those defendants, and a twelfth Russian officer, are charged with conspiring to infiltrate computers of organizations responsible for administering elections, including state boards of election, secretaries of state, and companies that supply software and other technology used to administer elections.
According to the allegations in the indictment, the defendants worked for two units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff, known as the GRU. The units engaged in active cyber operations to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. One GRU unit worked to steal information, while another unit worked to disseminate stolen information. […]
In a second, related conspiracy, Russian GRU officers hacked the website of a state election board and stole information about 500,000 voters. They also hacked into computers of a company that supplied software used to verify voter registration information; targeted state and local offices responsible for administering the elections; and sent spearphishing emails to people involved in administering elections, with malware attached.
* From the indictment…
The object of the conspiracy was to hack into protected computers of persons and entities charged with the administration of the 2016 U.S. elections in order to access those computers and steal voter data and other information stored on those computers. Manner and Means of the Conspiracy
In or around June 2016, KOVALEV and his co-conspirators researched domains used by US. state boards of elections, secretaries of state, and other election-related entities for website vulnerabilities. KOVALEV and his co-conspirators also searched for state political party email addresses, including filtered queries for email addresses listed on state Republican Party websites.
* And…
a. For example, on or about April 22, 2016, the Conspirators compressed gigabytes of data from DNC computers, including opposition research. The Conspirators later moved the compressed DNC data using X-Tunnel to a GRU-leased computer located in Illinois.
b. On or about April 28, 2016, the Conspirators connected to and tested the same computer located in Illinois. Later that day, the Conspirators used X-Tunnel to connect to that computer to steal additional documents from the network.
…Adding… From Matt Dietrich at the Illinois State Board of Elections…
I’m going through the indictment now. We have had no contact with the DOJ on this and did not know it was coming.
*** UPDATE 1 *** We’re about to find out if the ISBE knows any details…
*** UPDATE 2 *** “We think it’s very likely,” Matt Dietrich just told reporters, that the Illinois State Board of Election is the “SBOE 1″ described in the federal indictment. From the indictment…
In or around July 2016, KOVALEV and his co-conspirators hacked the website of a state board of elections and stole information related to approximately 500,000 voters, including names, addresses, partial social security numbers, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers.
In or around August 2016, KOVALEV and his co-conspirators hacked into the computers of a U.S. vendor that supplied software used to verify voter registration information for the 2016 U.S. elections. KOVALEV and his co-conspirators used some of the same infrastructure to hack into Vendor 1 that they had used to hack into SBOE 1.
In or around August 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an alert about the hacking of SBOE 1 and identified some of the infrastructure that was used to conduct the hacking. In response, KOVALEV deleted his search history. KOVALEV and his co-conspirators also deleted records from accounts used in their operations targeting state boards of elections and similar election-related entities.
*** UPDATE 3 *** The Board of Elections press release is here.
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* Press release…
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), and Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today pressed Governor Bruce Rauner on what steps his Administration is currently taking—or plans to take—to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in Illinois, as well as to reduce the stark racial disparities.
The United States is one of only 13 developed countries in the world where the rate of maternal mortality—the death of a woman related to pregnancy or childbirth either during pregnancy or up to a year after the end of the pregnancy—is worse today than it was 25 years ago. Each year, an estimated 700 to 900 women nationwide now die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, with black women significantly more likely than white women to die from pregnancy related causes. In 2016, Illinois had more than 150,000 births, with 72 pregnancy-associated maternal deaths and 985 infant deaths. In Illinois, black women have 3.5 times higher mortality rates than white women and black infants have nearly 3 times higher mortality rates than white infants—far worse than the national average.
“The United States is one of the very few developed countries where deaths related to pregnancy or childbirth are increasing—and there is a greater racial gap in infant mortality rates today than there was during slavery in America. This is simultaneously unacceptable and heart-breaking,” the members wrote. “More must be done to help women and infants across Illinois—especially black mothers and babies—and we look forward to hearing what your Administration plans to do to assist in these efforts.”
Today’s letter, from members of the Illinois delegation, requests information regarding what steps the Rauner Administration is taking to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in Illinois and reduce the stark racial disparities. The letter asks for information regarding what services are currently, or should be, covered by Illinois’ Medicaid and private insurance plans with respect to maternity and newborn care, and seeks to get commitment from the Governor that, despite President Trump’s efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act’s important consumer protections, he will ensure that all health plans in Illinois are required to cover health care services vital to new families. Finally, the letter asks for more information on how Illinois is, or plans to, better tackle implicit bias in medical care for minority women and babies. [Emphasis added.]
Whoa.
The letter is here.
* WAND TV…
The governor’s office did not respond Thursday to a request for comment WAND-TV emailed to them early that afternoon.
I’ll follow up.
* Related…
* How Hospitals Are Failing Black Mothers - A ProPublica analysis shows that women who deliver at hospitals that disproportionately serve black mothers are at a higher risk of harm
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A “revolving door of failure” at DCFS
Friday, Jul 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* October of 2014…
Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner today said he blames Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn for the deaths of child-abuse victims whose families previously had contact with the state’s child-welfare agency.
“Yes,” Rauner said when asked by reporters if the deaths of 95 children with past contact with the Department of Children and Family Services from 2011-2013 were attributable to Quinn.
“Pat Quinn is, in the end, responsible for the failings at the Department of Children and Family Services. If it was a one-year problem or a temporary problem you could say, ‘OK, maybe, there was, it’s not really his responsibility.’ But he’s been governor for six years. He’s had a revolving door of failure at Department of Children and Family Services for years and years,” Rauner said.
* Today…
A Cook County judge angrily scolded the state’s child welfare agency Thursday over the slow pace of its investigation into the fire death of a 3-year-old boy in foster care, losing his temper when officials refused to provide any details.
“You tell me how he died, OK?” Juvenile Court Judge Patrick Murphy said during an often combative hearing. “I failed a kid because I appointed you as a guardian.’’ […]
In another tense exchange, Murphy demanded to know why the agency hadn’t acted on an earlier complaint about inadequate supervision in the home. The complaint was made to DCFS earlier this year and investigators determined it was unfounded, but an agency attorney could not give any other details.
Man, what a mess.
And as far as Quinn’s “revolving door of failure” goes, let’s look at the history under Rauner. In January of 2015, Rauner appointed Cynthia Tate as interim DCFS director. A month later, he appointed George Sheldon. Director Sheldon abruptly resigned last year during an ethics probe, which turned up some not so savory stuff. After Sheldon resigned, Rauner appointed another interim director, Lisa Spacapan. A month later, he appointed Beverly Walker as acting director. A year into her tenure, Walker had still not been confirmed over concerns that she wasn’t moving fast enough to reform DCFS, so Rauner withdrew her nomination then nominated her again.
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Live radio ain’t easy
Friday, Jul 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sometimes, people screw up when they’re being interviewed live. I’ve done it. It’s not as easy as it looks. However, conflating the ongoing trade war with the NATO contribution disagreement is pretty odd…
Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti was interviewed on Bloomington radio Thursday and was asked about fears of a growing agricultural trade war under tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and counter-tariffs from other nations.
But her answer left some people scratching their heads.
“Well, yeah, yeah. I do believe that at the end of the day, if people are paying less to be part of an organized agreement between nations, they should pay their fair share,” Sanguinetti said on WJBC-AM 1230. […]
Sanguinetti’s response about paying a “fair share” and an “organized agreement between nations” echoes Trump’s recent appearance before NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military-based defense alliance with little to do with trade. […]
When asked if she was “OK” with the president’s trade policy, Sanguinetti said: “Well, I do believe that he needs to look out for us as far as trade is concerned and everybody paying their fair share.”
More coffee maybe?
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* Greg Hinz…
Maybe there are some special reasons in this case. But for a guy who has kept his distance from Donald Trump, Gov. Bruce Rauner sure seems to be cozying up lately—at least a little bit—to a president the polls say isn’t very popular in Illinois.
* Daily Herald…
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam is skipping Vice President Mike Pence’s appearance Friday in Rosemont — planning to be in Washington to take votes instead — but Gov. Bruce Rauner will be at the event to introduce Pence, officials confirmed Thursday.
Pence is expected to headline a fundraiser for Roskam and other Republicans in the area
Um. OK. Roskam isn’t showing for a fundraiser for… Roskam?
* Sun-Times…
Usually a Republican governor introducing a Republican Vice President wouldn’t be worthy of highlighting in the first paragraph. In this case it is, because Rauner has gone to some effort – until lately – to distance himself from President Donald Trump.
What’s changed? Rauner needs to repair relations with the Republican base in Illinois as he battles J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic nominee for governor.
But repairing relations with that base comes with consequences.
* DGA…
It’s only halfway through July, but for Governor Bruce Rauner, this summer has all been about President Donald Trump. The Chicago Sun-Times now reports that Rauner will introduce Vice President Mike Pence at a Chicago-area rally promoting Trump’s economic policies and performing “damage control” for the administration’s trade policy.
For Rauner, it’s just another day in his summer of Trump. Over the past few weeks, Rauner praised Trump’s Supreme Court nominee this week and flew to Washington for a “photo op” with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announcing an already-announced infrastructure grant. At the same time, a Super PAC affiliated with Trump’s Illinois backers began running ads propping up the vulnerable incumbent. And all the while, Rauner has kept on praising Trump’s handling of the economy.
“It’s the summer of Trump for Bruce Rauner,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “All summer, Rauner has been moving from silently supporting Donald Trump’s agenda to outright embracing his administration. For Illinoisans concerned with how Trump’s policies are hurting their families, Rauner’s just finding a new way to fail them all over again.”
* Tribune…
The governor’s decision to introduce Pence in Rosemont drew criticism from Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker, who previously has labeled the Republican governor a “silent partner” to Trump.
“Rauner has spent the last few months cozying up to Donald Trump, praising his policies, and getting support from his top Illinois fundraiser’s SuperPAC, but now he’s taking their partnership to the next level by campaigning with his VP,” the Pritzker campaign said in a statement. The campaign was referring to Pritzker attack ads being run by a PAC formerly headed by Ron Gidwitz, Trump’s Illinois campaign finance chair and now U.S. ambassador to Belgium.
“While Rauner ranges from Trump’s silent partner to his proud, vocal supporter, campaigning with Trump’s VP brings their alliance to new heights,” Pritzker spokesman Jason Rubin said.
* And here’s something brand new in the world of DPI: A protest led by its new interim executive director…
Today, Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Christian Mitchell will lead a protest against Mike Pence, Bruce Rauner, Peter Roskam, and their attacks on Illinois communities.
WHO: Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Christian Mitchell, Illinois Democratic Women, Citizen Action Illinois, Indivisible Chicago, Indivisible Illinois, Women’s March Illinois, Gather Activism, UFCW Local 881, ATU Local 308, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, Personal PAC, and SEIU Healthcare.
*** UPDATE *** Sam McCann’s campaign was passing out this flier at the protest today…
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* Just as a refresher, here’s the transcript of JB Pritzker’s new TV ad…
Across the country, Democratic and Republican Governors spoke out against their state supporting Trump and keeping children away from their parents. Rauner wasn’t giving it a thought and now we learn why. Rauner has been profiting on Donald Trump’s policy. Rauner is the owner of this company which is paid millions to keep children from their parents. Bruce Rauner, that’s a disgrace.
The ad also quoted Rauner as saying that he hadn’t given any thought to the family separations.
* AP…
THE FACTS: There is no evidence that Rauner has made money off keeping immigrant children separated, and Rauner did speak out against the Trump policy. […]
Correct Care Solutions does not hold contracts with any facilities that house separated children, said Judy Lilley, a spokeswoman for Correct Care Solutions.
Um, yikes.
* Back to the AP…
The company treats adult detainees at some Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers and provides a physician for the Karnes County Residential Center in Texas, which houses immigrant families together. The company also provides health care to a correctional center in Milan, New Mexico, where AP reported that a 31-year-old father separated from his child was being housed. […]
As for the assertion that Rauner hadn’t given any thought to Trump’s family separations, the governor called the policy “bad,” ‘’wrong,” and “heartbreaking,” in an interview with the Chicago Tribune in June, just before the practice was abolished.
Rauner did say he had not given “any thought whatsoever” to rescinding his offer to send National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border, as some governors did after the family separation policy generated controversy. No Illinois National Guard troops have been deployed to assist at the border, Major Dutch Grove of the Guard told the AP.
And Politico has still not changed its “Illinois governor profits off ICE detention center contracts” headline.
* Meanwhile, Pritzker defended the ad yesterday…
Pritzker said the ad is factual.
“Taking so long to speak out about the National Guard and on other issues about Donald Trump,” Pritzker said. “This is a guy who is standing up for immoral policies, or at least not speaking out quickly enough against them.” […]
“The fact of the matter is that he is an investor, owns a piece of a company, that is profiting off of the separation of families,” Pritzker said. “That’s all true. So I don’t know why we’d need to pull it. It’s a factual ad.”
* And I got dragged into it…
(T)he Capitol Fax state politics blog referred to [the ad] as “brutally deceptive” and said hopefully “the Pritzker campaign doesn’t whine when they are lied about.”
“No,” said Pritzker of whether Capitol Fax’s description of the ad bothered him. “It’s a truthful ad. Bruce Rauner is a failed governor who’s unwilling to stand up to Donald Trump. … He’s standing up for immoral policies, or at least not speaking out quickly enough against them.” […]
“(Rauner) has not run a single positive ad. Not one. It’s not shocking because, what has he got to brag about? Three-and-a-half years in office and what has he got to brag about? Nothing,” said Pritzker. “We need real leadership in this state that believes in lifting up working families.”
* Related…
* True or not, expect more mudslinging in race for governor: For the Illinois governor’s race, Mooney said the two major party candidates have “more money than they know what to do with,” so expect to get berated with negative ads, no matter the cost.
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