Representative Jeanne Ives, the conservative reform Republican for Governor, has released a new campaign ad that will run statewide. The :30 second television spot, Lead the Charge, focuses on two of Governor Rauner’s many betrayals:
(1) Signing the sanctuary state legislation that 67 of 73 Republican legislators voted against, including Ives.
(2) Abdicating the leadership responsibility attendant to his office – “I’m not in charge” – and sitting by while 15 House Republicans not named Jeanne Ives bolted and supported the 32% permanent income tax increase, the largest structural tax increase in Illinois history.
Bruce Rauner surrendered. Jeanne Ives will fight back. Bruce Rauner isn’t in charge. Jeanne Ives will lead the charge.
Today, in front of the Crain’s Chicago Business editorial board, Democratic candidate for governor JB Pritzker talked a big game about addressing corruption and conflicts of interest among elected officials but he failed to name names. That deficient approach won’t fix our problems in Illinois. Governor Rauner released the following statement in response:
“For too long, corrupt politicians like Mike Madigan and Joe Berrios have profited off a rigged property tax system while hardworking families have been left holding the bill. JB Pritzker claims that he opposes conflicts of interest for elected officials, but his loyalty to Mike Madigan is so strong that he refuses to call him out by name. You can’t fix a corrupt system without naming those who lead it.”
CRAINS: I’m struck that you are the only candidate who has, if I’m wrong tell me I’m wrong, who has not said that the problem is that the system itself is corrupt, that people in key legislative positions are conflicted because they’re protecting a system they make their living on, that in the Cook County level, that absolutely is broken, it doesn’t work. Taxes are not equitably distributed. You have no thoughts on any of that?
PRITZKER: I do, I think there is corruption in the system. I think what my opponents have done is try to localize it around one person or another person. I think there are big challenges. I think that we oughta make sure, for example, the question of what conflicts of interests that legislators have are called out, that they’re not allowed to vote on the issues. That are, you know, if you’re in one business in particular you shouldn’t be voting on issues that effect your business and what your income level is. I think that happens at every level of government, or at least it should happen at every level of government. And, when you’ve got a citizen legislature the way that we do here in the state of Illinois, where you allow people to have a job and to have a part-time legislature, which is what we have, you know those are challenges that you have to meet. And so making sure that the laws are commensurate with people calling out those conflicts of interest.
CRAINS: Should it be legal for a legislator to work as a property tax lawyer?
PRITZKER: I think it should not be legal for someone who is working in one industry to vote on things that effect that industry.
CRAINS: But you don’t have a problem with that person being able to work in that capacity?
PRITZKER: I think that you got to, again, make sure that their job as a legislator is separated from their private job so that it’s not effecting the public’s business, and that’s why I say once again that you need to make sure that we know the person’s conflict, what that job is, whatever it may be, and if they don’t get to vote on it…
Emphasis added because, the argument for making something illegal that probably can’t be made illegal aside, Pritzker completely fails to understand what a “citizen legislature” is.
Farmers shouldn’t vote on any agriculture-related bills? Teachers shouldn’t vote on any education and education funding bills? Cops shouldn’t vote on crime bills?
That’s just goofy.
The conflict of interest rules should prevent legislators from voting on bills that specifically benefit themselves or their companies or their employers, etc. If a bill is specifically designed to increase funding for one school’s teachers, then a legislator who teaches at that school should not vote on the bill.
* Also, I’d like to see Crain’s or somebody else publish a piece from a respected state legal scholar outlining how legislators can constitutionally be barred from practicing property tax law before we start making candidates pledge to outlaw it. This has the same feel of the ultimately doomed pension reform frenzy to it.
Today, the JB for Governor campaign released a new television ad, “My Choice,” to air in markets across the state. The ad features U.S. Senator Dick Durbin direct to camera highlighting why JB is his choice to bring Illinois together and move our state forward.
“Senator Durbin is fighting for our families every day in Washington and it’s time he had a partner in the governor’s office,” said JB Pritzker. “I know that we can unite Illinois and bring people together to put Springfield back on the side of working families. I’m so proud to have him standing with me in this campaign as we work to tackle the challenges that communities across our state face and build a better future for Illinois.”
Those of us from Downstate know we have special challenges, things that people in the other parts of the state may not realize. JB Pritzker knows that, and he’s focused on that, and he’s also shown that he’s listening. He’s not just visiting, he’s listening. JB has tried to unite our state and unite our Democratic party. When I listen to JB talk about what he wants to do as governor, I know he’s in touch with working families and their priorities and their values. You gotta make a choice, and my choice is JB Pritzker.
