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Kennedy: Pritzker would be “product of the Madigan machine” if elected

Friday, Jun 30, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chris Kennedy was interviewed today by WLS AM’s Bill Cameron…

KENNEDY: I won’t be someone who’s tied to the status quo, indebted to them for my election and reliant upon them for all good things in the future. […]

The establishment in both parties has failed to do the basic things like pass a budget. The fact that they can’t get that done is an indictment of their capacity across the board.

CAMERON: Why couldn’t JB [Pritzker] get that done?

KENNEDY: I think the manner in which he might get that done would be in a way that is completely reliant on the status quo and the current leadership. I think he’ll arrive there, if he were to be elected, as the product of the Madigan machine and as such he’ll be indebted to them.

Yikes.

* Kennedy also said this…

The reason we don’t pay for our schools at the state level is it would mean we’d shrink the reliance on property taxes. But the leadership in our party and many of the people in both parties make their money in the property tax appeals business. So, if the property tax is a smaller part of our economy, then they’re going to make less money. So they’re not free of the conflict of interest to vote on what really matters to the future of our state. They can’t embrace a new system because they’re making money off the old one. Someone needs to stand up to that.

Man, that’s quite an indictment. Later, though, he said he thought Madigan would be willing to “sacrifice” by giving up his property tax assessment business. I’m not so sure I agree.

* Kennedy also went after the governor later in the interview, saying Gov. Rauner has created a “culture of fear” in his party and in the state. He also said this about Rauner…

I think his hope, really, is to cripple it - cripple government’s functionality by leaving it with such incredible debt that it’s capable of doing little else than to service that debt.

* Full interview…

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*** UPDATED x4 - Won’t comment on ad - Extends ad buy - Group cancels press conference - Oops!!! *** Dark money group readies new TV ad just in case

Friday, Jun 30, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE 1 *** I was moving so fast I posted the wrong ad. Sorry! I accidentally posted the first ad, which is already on the air. Here’s the Do Your Job, Inc. spot which is online right now, but will be put on TV if today ends without an agreement…

*** UPDATE 2 *** Do Your Job, Inc. had scheduled a press conference for today at 1:30, but they just canceled it.

When I asked why, I was told “good faith.”

The ad’s still up, however.

*** UPDATE 3 *** Latest ad buy report from Comcast…

*** UPDATE 4 *** I asked the group’s spokesman what the group plans to do tomorrow and was told “We’ll see.” The spokesman said the buy extension was done to “coincide with the special session.”

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*** UPDATED x2 *** Bill Brady chosen as new Senate GOP leader

Friday, Jun 30, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 10:06 am: Several sources say the Senate Republicans have chosen Sen. Bill Brady as their next leader. Stay tuned.

I’m told Brady received 13 votes. 12 were needed to win.

They also held an acclamation vote for Brady.

* From the Senate Republicans…

The new Senate Republican Leader will be announced at 10:30am at the top of the grand staircase on the 3rd floor of the State Capitol.

* From the announcement…

Brady: "We know that we need a bipartisan transition." "We have gone far too long" w/o a meaningful solution pic.twitter.com/PtM2L2gG9Z

— Amanda Vinicky (@AmandaVinicky) June 30, 2017

*** UPDATE *** Press release…

State Sen. Bill Brady was elected by a unanimous vote of his Republican colleagues to serve as new Illinois Senate Republican Leader for the remainder of the 100th General Assembly on Friday.

“It is an honor to be chosen to lead the Senate Republican Caucus,” Sen. Brady said. “I thank them for their faith in me. I also appreciate my constituents in the 44th District for giving me the privilege to represent them in the State Capitol and the opportunity to serve as Leader,” Brady said.

The Bloomington Republican was nominated by Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) and Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles.)

“The issues facing Illinois are daunting, but our caucus remains committed to working together to face those challenges,” Brady said.

Brady has served in the State Senate since 2002. He previously served as state representative from 1993 until 2001. He currently serves as Assistant Republican Leader.

The official vote will come by a vote of the full Senate as soon as possible.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Video…

*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…

Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement on Sen. Bill Brady’s election as the new Senate Republican Leader:

“It’s an honor to congratulate Sen. Bill Brady as the new Senate Republican Leader. He is a champion for Illinois families – understanding the changes our state needs to create jobs, lower property taxes, strengthen schools, and reform our political system. I look forward to working with all of the outstanding leaders in the Senate Republican Caucus as we work to fix Illinois by creating a more responsive and responsible state government.”

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Mendoza: “Derailment is imminent”

Friday, Jun 30, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Politico…

Comptroller Susana Mendoza explains what’s at stake if there is no budget passed by midnight Friday (as well as where we are and how we got here) in a new video that for Illinois, is going viral. As of last evening it had 1.4 million views and more than 32,000 shares on Facebook.

“Derailment is imminent,” Mendoza warns. “This is not a false alarm.” Unless there is a budget, she says: “Illinoisans must brace for maximum impact.” In the video, Mendoza urges the public to call state legislators and the governor and tell them to pass a budget.

I don’t really trust Facebook’s view count numbers, but, for what it’s worth, the video is now up to 1.8 million views.

* Here’s the YouTube version…

* Meanwhile…

After a caucus meeting on Wednesday, a number of other House Democrats have started floating the notion in private conversations they could live with passing a budget deal before the first checks of the next fiscal year are scheduled to come out on July 15th.

Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a former House Democrat herself, strongly advised against this reckless strategy.

“People need to act like adults,” Mendoza said. “Anyone who thinks that June 30 at midnight is not a real deadline is just insane. Because guess who does think that’s a real deadline? All of the credit rating agencies who are watching. They don’t believe July 15 is a credit deadline.”

* And…

Lindsay Perez, a suburban Chicago mother, and her 9-year-old daughter Elena, who survives on a Medicaid-funded ventilator, described for reporters on Thursday the horrific situation of losing some of her medical supplies because of the budget crisis.

The girl, who was born without a lung, urged politicians to pass a budget.

“If you could try hard enough, you could do it,” she said.

Click here for the video.

23 Comments

*** UPDATED x2 - GOP pulls down ad *** GOP tries to tag Madigan with “junk” label

Friday, Jun 30, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is an online ad. From the ILGOP…

Mike Madigan may be about to take Illinois to a new low.

16 years without a balanced budget and 26 credit downgrades on his watch have destroyed our state.

But Mike Madigan doesn’t care. As long as his power is maintained and his special interests are flush with taxpayer cash, Madigan is content to turn Illinois into junk.

Today, the ILGOP is releasing ads calling out Madigan’s meltdown.

* The ad…

*** UPDATE 1 *** Pritzker campaign…

“We’re approaching a third fiscal year without a budget and our bond rating is about to go to junk, but Illinoisans can find Bruce Rauner sitting at his desk waiting for someone else to do his job,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Governor Junk has driven this state to the edge of a fiscal cliff and he is about to slam his foot on the gas.”

*** UPDATE 2 *** Text from a top Republican…

Hey - Think it is worth noting that the party has pulled down the digital ad they released last night following the floor action this morning

The House adopted a budgetary floor amendment today. Click here for more.

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