Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration is violating state labor law by refusing to allow thousands of state workers to move as scheduled through the state pay plan over the past two years, a state appellate court has ruled.
The state pay plan and collective bargaining agreements provide for state employees to progress via step increases after being hired. But Gov. Rauner’s Department of Central Management Services (CMS) has blocked employees represented by AFSCME—the largest union of state workers—from progressing through the pay plan’s steps since July 1, 2015, when the union’s most recent contract was scheduled to expire.
The appellate court’s decision reverses the Rauner-appointed Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB)’s dismissal of the union’s charge that the administration had committed an unfair labor practice by blocking step progression through the pay plan.
“We’re pleased that the court has halted Governor Rauner’s illegal action preventing thousands of public service workers from receiving their lawful step increases. This is money that working people were promised when they were hired, money they have earned and are counting on to help support their families and pay their bills,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said.
“Illegally denying steps to the newest-hired and lowest-paid state employees fits Bruce Rauner’s pattern of anti-worker behavior,” Lynch added. “Rauner should refrain from appealing this decision and move swiftly to place employees at the appropriate step on the pay scale.”
In its initial charge and its appeal, AFSCME pointed out that state law prevents either party to a collective bargaining agreement from making unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment while a new agreement is being negotiated, and requires employers to maintain the status quo.
“[T]here is no dispute that the step increases are a term or condition of employment, and there is no real question that [the Rauner administration] made a unilateral decision to withhold the step increases during negotiations,” the court found. “… [T]he ILRB’s finding that CMS did not commit an unfair labor practice was clearly erroneous”.
The court’s unanimous decision was issued today by a panel of three judges in the fifth appellate district.
The ruling is not yet posted online and I’ve asked the governor’s office for comment.
The Labor Board ruled in our favor on the issue of step increases. Today the 5th District Appellate Court ruled against the State on that step issue and remanded the matter back to the Labor Board for further proceedings. The State is reviewing the decision and will decide shortly what next steps it plans to take.
* Gov. Rauner spoke to Chicago reporters shortly before he left for Israel on October 27th. The subject of sexual harassment was brought up by numerous reporters, but let’s focus on this question…
Mary Ann Ahern: There’s even allegations within your own staff. Obviously, they’ve not surfaced to the point where we can talk publicly. But some have literally said to us that you have not been as outspoken as perhaps you could’ve been about someone in your staff that you absolutely know who I am talking about. And is no longer there. And absolutely there are allegations and what happened to the internal investigation now that that person is no longer a part of this…?
Gov. Bruce Rauner: Mary Ann, if there were allegations, they would be dealt with. I am very strong on this. Zero tolerance. Zero tolerance. And there are not allegations. Um, and, uh, I have addressed this proactively long before any letter, long before these national headlines. Making sure that sexual harassment, sexual misconduct is addressed. We have zero tolerance and we have training to prevent it and to deal with it if and when it occurs.
OK, that question from last month was about a former staffer. But then today…
.@GovRauner's staff are now being interviewed in an active OEIG probe, source says. Spokesperson has not responded to request for comment.
Tina Sfondeles: Are you aware of some of your staffers being interviewed in an OEIG investigation into someone in your administration?
Gov. Rauner: Well, I’ll say this. Um, the inspector, the Executive Inspector General operates completely independently, in confidence, they have their own rigorous process. I and members of our administration are not involved in it whatsoever. Um, and I, there, there have been lots of rumors circulating. I’ve heard some, I’ve heard some from the members of the media. I don’t comment on rumors, I don’t think it’s appropriate to comment. But, we have a rigorous process. And I have been a strong advocate, as I say, from the earliest days in my administration. Did an executive order, make sure we had a code of personal conduct, make sure we have training for every employee against personal, um, um, unethical behavior and sexual harassment, sexual misconduct. We are making sure that’s a process that’s enforced.
Amanda Vinicky: Governor…
Spokesperson: Last question.
Amanda Vinicky: Are you or anybody, you are aware of, not rumors, are you aware of [inaudible] you been interviewed by the Office of Executive Inspector General for any cases related to wrongdoing within your office, particularly that relating to sexual harassment by high-ranking employees?
Gov. Rauner: I have not been interviewed by anyone in the Office of the Executive Inspector General, I have had no contact or questions from them about this. And they operate completely independent of me and members of our administration.
No speculation and no rumors in comments, please. Don’t get yourself banned for life.
* Meanwhile, in other developments…
Senate President John J. Cullerton issued the following statement regarding next steps to address ethics and sexual harassment complaints now that the Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission has an inspector general.
“I want to make it clear that there should be zero tolerance for sexual harassment and intimidation in any workplace, and the Illinois General Assembly is no exception.”
“With an inspector general in place, it is incumbent upon the General Assembly to give her the tools to do the job. The first thing needed is an extension of the statute of limitations to ensure the pending complaints can be investigated. The next step is to make sure there are clear standards in place regarding the professional conduct of members of the General Assembly and a direct and secure avenue for victims to come forward with confidence to report complaints.”
“I anticipate swift action to resolve these issues this week.”
On April 14th, J.B. Pritzker pledged to release his tax returns ’soon.’ Now, six months later, we’re hearing the same old promises from Pritzker, who continues to stall and hope this goes away.
Other Democrats have already challenged Pritzker on his obfuscation, and Illinois voters are demanding to see what Pritzker is hiding.
We already know that he has gamed the system through fellow Madigan crony Joe Berrios so he could receive a $230,000 tax break on his Gold Coast Chicago mansion.
What else might Pritzker be hiding? If you ask Pritzker, we’ll find out ‘soon.’
The Cook County Democratic endorsement of [Sen. Kwame Raoul for attorney general] follows an earlier one by Democrats in southeastern Illinois Madison County. But U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who made a brief visit to the slatemaking session, said Quinn has the benefit of being familiar to voters who maybe don’t know other candidates in the crowded primary race.
“Pat Quinn’s appetite for public service is insatiable. I’ve seen it throughout his life and his political life. He loves public life, and he loves service,” said Durbin, whose winning effort for the U.S. Senate in 1996 included a primary challenge from Quinn.
“He’s run against everybody,” Durbin said, laughing.
* Legislative Ethics Commission compliance audit published by the Illinois Auditor General on May 3, 2017…
The Legislative Ethics Commission (Commission) did not comply with certain procedural requirements established by State laws and regulations as described below:
• The Commission did not file a Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act certification with the Office of the Auditor General for Fiscal Year 2016 as required.
• The Commission did not timely submit two of two (100%) State property inventory certifications to the Department of Central Management Services. The certification for Fiscal Year 2015 was submitted 52 days late, and the certification for Fiscal Year 2014 was not submitted at all.
• The Commission failed to perform and document 24 of 24 (100%) monthly reconciliations of its expenditures with the Office of the Comptroller’s Monthly Appropriation Status Report. (Finding 1, pages 7-8). This finding has been repeated since 2010.
We recommended the Commission timely submit its FCIAA certification to the Office of the Auditor General, timely submit the required property reports, and document performance of expenditure reconciliations monthly. (Finding 1, pages 7-8). This finding has been repeated since 2010.
We recommended the Commission timely submit its FCIAA certification to the Office of the Auditor General, timely submit the required property reports, and document performance of expenditure reconciliations monthly.
The Commission accepted our recommendation.
* Legislative Ethics Commission compliance audit published October 15, 2015…
• (14-1) The Commission did not timely prepare and file all required reports.
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS PROCEDURAL DEFICIENCIES
During our testing of the Legislative Ethics Commission (Commission), we noted procedural deficiencies. Some of the conditions we noted follow:
• The Commission submitted 2 of 2 (100%) Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act certifications for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 with the Office of the Auditor General 28 and 8 days late, respectively.
• The Commission submitted 1 of 2 (50%) inventory certifications with the Department of Central Management Services 99 days late.
• The Commission submitted 1 of 4 (25%) Travel Headquarters reports to the Legislative Audit Commission 73 days late. (Finding 1, pages 7-8). This finding has been repeated since 2010.
We recommended the Commission ensure all required reports are prepared and filed timely as required. The Commission agreed with our recommendation.
* Legislative Ethics Commission compliance audit published January 30. 2013…
• The Legislative Ethics Commission did not timely prepare and file all required reports.
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS PROCEDURAL DEFICIENCIES
During our testing of the Legislative Ethics Commission (Commission), we noted procedural deficiencies. Some of the conditions we noted follow:
• The Commission submitted 2 of 2 (100%) Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act (FCIAA) certifications for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 with the Office of the Auditor General 473 and 107 days late, respectively.
• The Commission submitted 1 of 2 (50%) inventory certifications with the Department of Central Management Services (DCMS) 48 days late.
• The Commission submitted 2 of 2 (100%) Annual Real Property Utilization reports for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 to DCMS 388 and 22 days late, respectively. (Finding 1, pages 7-9)
We recommended the Commission ensure all required reports are prepared and filed timely as required. The Commission agreed with our recommendation.
Full reports and more info can be found here. Audits of the Legislative Inspector General’s office are here.
Dynegy says that, at least in Southern Illinois, it faces a unique set of problems.
The company argues that its struggling fleet of coal plants in the region contends with more than the usual market challenges presented by cheap natural gas and other mounting competition. Instead, it claims operations are disadvantaged by a double whammy of bad rate designs from the region’s grid operator and by new state subsidies for nuclear plants that have further undercut coal’s local competitiveness.
The company warns that the bleak outlook for its plants could mean uncertainty in terms of cost and reliability for Southern Illinois electrical customers.
“The system is becoming dangerously short on capacity and added retirements will put much more pressure on that,” said Dean Ellis, Dynegy’s executive vice president of regulatory affairs.
Already, the company reports that approximately 20 percent of its downstate Illinois’ power generation has shut down in the last two years, with another 30 percent set to close in the next three years “due to an inability to cover operating costs,” according to a recently released statement. The company declines to speculate on the future plans awaiting specific plants in the area.
Dynegy, which bought five Southern Illinois coal plants from Ameren in 2013, has long criticized the market structure implemented by the regional grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO. Southern Illinois is one of the only places in MISO’s expansive territory where electricity is deregulated, and not provided by regulated monopolies assured of certain fiscal returns.
The proposal could reportedly raise electric bills by $115 a year for the average Ameren Illinois household to support outdated, expensive coal plants that were built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Dynegy is Illinois’ biggest owner of coal plants, having bought five from Ameren in 2013. The company operates eight plants and more than 5,000 megawatts of coal generation in Southern Illinois.
What would Dynegy’s bill do?
The legislation effects the pricing of “capacity”—a key component of electric rates. Capacity prices, which are wrapped into the electric supply rate, are payments we electric customers make to big power generators for the promise to meet power demand during peak periods of usage.
Dynegy’s legislation would aim to create a capacity-pricing system for Central and Southern Illinois that is run by a state agency, the Illinois Power Agency, and would produce higher prices closer to what customers in Northern Illinois pay. Northern Illinois’ capacity-pricing system is more lucrative for power generators. It is run by a power-grid operator that covers 12 other states, including several in the eastern United States, where power prices tend to be higher.
Is Dynegy threatening to close power plants if it doesn’t get its legislation?
Dean Ellis, Dynegy’s executive vice president of regulatory and government affairs, told Crain’s Chicago Business the lower capacity prices under the current system “will inevitably lead to (plant) retirements.” He stopped short of saying Dynegy will close specific plants.
SB 2250/HB4141 says it a bit stronger, claiming 3,000 MW of electric generation is “at risk” of early retirement, energy writer Jeff Tomich reports.
Crain’s points out that plant closures pose little financial risk to Dynegy, because it essentially paid nothing to acquire the plants from Ameren in 2013. (Ameren gave the facilities to Dynegy, and even threw in $200 million to entice the company to take them off its hands.)
Is Central and Southern Illinois in danger of a power shortage?
Not immediately. Illinois has an electricity surplus. CUB Executive Director David Kolata said if there is any reliability issue for downstate Illinois, it likely won’t develop for another four or five years. Regardless, the answer is not to prop up expensive, aging coal-fired power plants. The reason CUB supported the Future Energy Jobs Act last year is to create a plan for Illinois’ energy future that emphasizes efficiency and renewable energy—not outdated and inefficient sources of power.
Why are coal plants hurting?
While some blame environmental regulations for the ailing coal industry, the major reason coal plants (and other generators, like nuclear) have seen their revenues drop is because of a glut of natural gas (thanks to new “fracking” drilling procedures). Improved energy efficiency and renewable energy also are factors.
With power prices falling, capacity payments have become a key source of revenue for plant operators like Dynegy. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Steve Daniels does a nice job explaining how generators of coal and nuclear energy have responded to the fall of wholesale power prices because of the glut of natural gas.
The first company to obtain a permit for fracking in Illinois announced Friday it won’t use it, citing market conditions and the state’s “burdensome and costly” regulations.
Wichita, Kansas-based Woolsey Companies Inc. was given permission in September by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to drill near the southeast Illinois community of Enfield.
“The process we have gone through to receive a permit was burdensome, time consuming and costly due to the current rules and regulations of the state of Illinois, and it appears that this process would continue for future permit applications,” Woolsey vice president Mark Sooter said in a statement. […]
The Illinois Legislature in 2013 passed a law regulating fracking. At the time, the law was considered one of the most stringent in the nation. But oil prices soon dropped, and companies that secured leases to frack put their plans on hold.
An Illinois Senate subcommittee on energy is scheduled to hold a hearing on state fracking rules later this month in Chicago, said Fujan.
“They called a hearing to discuss fracking and whether new research should have been taken into consideration,” she said. “We’re going to pursue further restrictions on fracking and an outright ban, if possible.”
Department of Natural Resources spokesman Ed Cross said a new permit would be required if Woolsey decided to revive the Illinois wells.
“They’d have to start the whole process over,” said Cross.
Two other energy development companies registered for hydraulic fracturing in Illinois, though neither applied for a permit and one later withdrew the registration.
Darlene Senger and Jim Dodge are circulating joint nominating petitions, Senger for Comptroller and Dodge for Treasurer. Jason Helland is circulating nominating petitions for Secretary of State
Senger is a former state Representative who worked for the Illinois Policy Institute before becoming Rauner’s chief legislative liaison during the Great Summer Purge of 2017.
Dodge ran for comptroller in 2010 and came in third place behind Judy Baar Topinka and William Kelly. Yes, you read that right.
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news network…
Illinois lawmakers this week could get a chance to freeze some of Illinois’ high property taxes, but a freeze won’t bring down the already high burden in some areas.
Illinois has the second highest property tax burden in the country behind New Jersey. There have been proposals over the years for a permanent freeze, a four-year freeze, a freeze with required referenda to increase or decrease property taxes and more, but none have been successful.
A House committee last week approved an amendment to Senate Bill 851 that would bring about a two-year property tax freeze for Cook and a handful of collar counties and allow for the rest of the state to freeze property taxes through voter referendum. […]
Americans for Prosperity Illinois State Director Andrew Nelms said a freeze doesn’t lessen the already high burden.
“You’re going the wrong way,” Nelms said, “to go from a permanent, to a four-year, to a two-year, never mind the fact that they continue to water it down with these exemptions.”
Mussman’s amendment would still allow local governments to increase property taxes for debt service and pension payments. It would also exempt several dozen school districts that are on a financial watch list, including Chicago Public Schools, from having their property taxes frozen.
The bill could be approved in the House and concurred in the Senate when lawmakers return for veto session this week.
Voting against a two-year property tax freeze, even with these exemptions, would probably be difficult to explain to the folks back home.
Additionally, the measure would provide relief to taxpayers by increasing senior-specific exemptions, as well as exemptions for every other homeowner..
Farmers in Illinois are asking Gov. Bruce Rauner for a little help as they try to quickly wrap up this fall’s harvest.
Because of a rainy spring and late rain this fall, there are still farmers in some parts of Illinois with acres and acres of corn and beans in their fields, and they are running out of time to harvest it.
The Illinois Farm Bureau asked Rauner for a Harvest Season Emergency declaration about two weeks ago.
Kevin Rund with the Farm Bureau said a declaration will allow farmers to add 10 percent more grain to the trucks taking their crops to storage. […]
But farmers have not yet heard back from the governor’s office. Rauner himself is in Israel this week on a weeklong trade mission.
I asked the governor’s office for comment last week, but never heard back.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has declared a “harvest emergency” across Illinois.
The designation means trucks carrying grain can exceed weight limits by 10 percent. Jeff Kirwan, with the Illinois Farm Bureau, says weather challenges have made for a unique harvest season.
* But farmers will still have to deal with red tape…
“We didn’t start harvesting corn until Oct. 15,” said Brent Riewerts of Hillsdale, Rock Island County Farm Bureau vice president. “Everybody has the same window to get the crop out, and this declaration allows you to throw on an extra 50 or 60 bushels. It’s going to speed up our travel time by 5 to 10 percent by having that. We can put on a few more bushels and not break the law.”
Farmers will need to seek a permit from each authority with jurisdiction over the routes they plan to use, according to Kevin Rund, Illinois Farm Bureau transportation specialist.
Under a harvest season emergency, a farmer with a permit may haul up to a maximum of 10 percent more than the standard weight restriction of the gross, axle and registered weight restrictions, Rund explained. He added the 10 percent limit is the maximum a road authority may offer, and any authority may also issue a permit for an overweight of less than 10 percent above the standard limit.
For state routes, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) serves as the authority. Harvest season permits are not available for interstate highways. IDOT officials indicated the agency would use an automated permit, according to Rund.
Farmers need to check with local road authorities whether they plan to issue harvest season emergency permits and whether those will be a blanket permit or individual permits, Rund said. With individual permits, local authorities may put restrictions, such as which roads are designated for the permits or times of day the permit is valid, or special conditions, such as not valid during a rainstorm, he added.
On county roads, farmers will need to check with county engineers in each respective county they will travel. In addition, farmers need to talk to township road commissioners for township roads and street departments for municipal streets.
Illinois attorney general candidate Sharon Fairley, a former federal prosecutor, is pumping $100,000 into her candidacy today, her campaign tells us. That places Fairley, who left her post overseeing a Chicago police oversight group to run for attorney general, in a competitive position financially. It’s a competition for Dem dollars among the many candidates running in the Democratic primary. Last week, Rod Blagojevich attorney Aaron Goldstein contributed $50,000 to his campaign fund. Sen. Kwame Raoul reported having about $400,000 in his account.
The bottom line, though, is that Fairley’s contribution to herself will help her scale up her campaign. Let’s see what the first-time candidate does with the cash.
Quinn benefits from high name recognition and a record of involvement in consumer and environmental protection, said Bradley.
However, he said, “His drawback is the most recent thing people will remember is his time as governor.”
Jackson said Quinn has to be considered a front-runner at this point, although “he’s got baggage” and the most recent poll he saw put Quinn’s support at only 28 percent.
“It all depends on the campaign he runs,” said Jackson. “He’s never been a great fundraiser.”
Quinn raised a bunch of money in 2014. And a former governor polling at 28 percent is not good at all, and was probably a significant reason why the Cook County Democrats weren’t all that concerned about slating Sen. Raoul over Quinn.
Quinn claims the statewide phone poll of 1,047 likely Democratic voters conducted this month by Public Policy Polling shows him leading six contenders vying to become the state’s top legal eagle, netting him an overall lead with 28 percent of the vote. […]
According to Quinn, the poll included several announced or potential candidates for Illinois attorney general. State Sen. Kwame Raoul came in second with 12 percent, State Rep. Scott Drury with 4 percent, former Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability chief administrator Sharon Fairley with 2 percent, Water Reclamation Board President Mariyana Spyropoulos with 2 percent, Chicago Park District Board President Jesse Ruiz with 5 percent and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering with 3 percent. […]
He also claims he led among all racial groups, with Raoul coming in with 23 percent to Quinn’s 25 percent among African-Americans. For Hispanic voters polled, Ruiz came in with 31 percent to Quinn’s 32 percent.
“Amongst white voters, I led with 30 percent” said Quinn.
Not great.
* Related…
* Hinz: My take on the army of Illinois attorney general candidates
The claims followed the abrupt resignation of one of Latvala’s allies, incoming Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Clemens of Atlantis on Oct. 26 — after he admitted to an affair with a lobbyist — and the revelation that a state senator had discovered a surveillance camera placed by a private investigator in a condominium where several legislators stay during the annual session. […]
The sense that people can get away with this kind of behavior in Tallahassee is widespread. One of the tools of the trade is the use of attractive young men and women who are hired by lobbyists to show up in the Capitol and nearby bars in the closing weeks of legislative sessions, flirt with lawmakers, and maybe even offer sexual favors.
They’re called “closers,” a reference to the end of the session when lobbyists need amendments tucked into bills and budgets — and will go to great lengths to get the legislative votes to pass them.
Yikes on both counts. Just imagine a surveillance camera at Lincoln Towers. And I’ve never heard of “closers” before. That state is bizarre.
Six women who work in Florida’s Capitol say the state Senate’s powerful budget chairman, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Latvala, has inappropriately touched them without their consent or uttered demeaning remarks about their bodies. […]
Known in the state Capitol for associating with a bevy of young female lobbyists in his office and at bars and restaurants, Latvala, who is married, was under surveillance last spring by an undercover private investigator who snapped a photo of him kissing a lobbyist on the lips in public. In that case, Latvala and the lobbyist said the kissing was innocent and consensual.
Kentucky Speaker of the House Jeff Hoover resigned from his position Sunday amid sexual harassment allegations, saying he had made “mistakes.”
Hoover, who The Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville reported had secretly settled a sexual harassment allegation by a woman on his legislative staff, did not resign as a state representative, however, and has denied all allegations.
“I did make mistakes, in that I engaged in inappropriate text messages,” the Republican lawmaker said at a press conference announcing his decision. “I engaged in banter that was consensual, yet make no mistake, it was wrong on my part to do that. And for that I am truly sorry.” […]
Hoover’s resignation comes a day after Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, also a Republican, called for “the immediate resignation of every individual who has settled a sexual harassment case, who is party to trying to hide this type of behavior.”
House Speaker Jeff Hoover’s confidential sexual harassment settlement also involves three other House Republicans, as well as Hoover’s chief of staff, sources tell Courier Journal.
Reps. Jim DeCesare of Rockfield, Brian Linder of Dry Ridge and Michael Meredith of Brownsville and Ginger Wills, the chief of staff, also were parties to the settlement, according to sources with knowledge of the deal who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal.
Legislative interns and other young women in the Kansas Capitol have faced sexual advances and lewd comments from lawmakers of both political parties, but their harassment remained largely hidden until recent revelations.
Three women have accused a former Washington state lawmaker of sexual harassment and assault during his time in the Legislature, becoming the latest statehouse with women reporting misconduct by men.
Top Rhode Island Democrat Joseph DeLorenzo quit the party Thursday after making dismissive comments about a Democrat state representative’s sexual harassment claims against a fellow lawmaker.
Describing himself as ‘‘infuriated and deeply disturbed’’ about allegations of sexual harassment at the Statehouse, the Democratic leader of the Massachusetts House on Friday ordered an immediate review of his chamber’s policies on harassment and retaliation, while promising to investigate any reported incidents.
Speaker Robert DeLeo took to the House floor shortly after a column appeared in The Boston Globe that detailed a series of alleged incidents over the past two decades or so, including one in which a female lobbyist said a legislator strongly implied to her that he would vote for a bill in exchange for sex.
A longtime Oregon state senator has been warned bluntly by the Senate president not to touch any women following complaints of inappropriate contact.
“Let me (be) very clear,” reads a letter from Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney to Sen. Jeff Kruse, a Republican. “Women in the Capitol do not want you to touch them.”
The leaders of the Oregon House of Representatives said Friday that they’ve fielded complaints of harassment against a male lawmaker in the House as well as male staff members and lobbyists.
House Speaker Tina Kotek said two people made informal complaints to her about the conduct of Rep. David Gomberg.
One of the most disturbing incidents to emerge involves Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, a Los Angeles Democrat who lost his seat to Democrat Patty Lopez in 2014, but regained it in 2016 with broad support of his party’s leaders.
He received that support even though he had been secretly admonished for stalking a legislative staffer and grabbing her beneath her clothes at an event in 2009. After the case was revealed, Bocanegra issued an apology, but now faces demands from women in his district to resign, The Sacramento Bee reported last week.
The story about the harassment letter broke just two days after Kevin de León, the president pro tem of the state Senate, announced that he would challenge U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, next year.
For de León, the timing could not have been worse. For four years running, his close friend, Sen. Ricardo Lara, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has buried, without a vote, legislation that would give legislative employees the same rights that civil service workers enjoy to complain about working conditions without retaliation – bills introduced by Republican Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez.
I’m sure I’ve missed some states here. But you get the idea.
“None of us in the building can risk being iced out,” a female friend of mine said the other day.
My friend has done quite a bit of lobbying at the Illinois Statehouse, a place where folks in her profession often use any means necessary to take clients from each other or go to extreme lengths to pass or kill bills. Legislators also participate in these games, oftentimes at the behest of their lobbyist friends.
A few years back, a handful of lobbyists cold-called a dying colleague’s clients to try to snag his contracts, even though the sick man’s wife was his lobbying partner.
I’ve seen lobbyists attempt to plant news stories to discredit rivals. There have been targeted whisper campaigns. Outright lies are told. Some of these lobbying contracts can be worth tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And some people will do just about anything to make more money or to retaliate against someone for losing clients.
This isn’t everyone, mind you. Most lobbyists I know, believe it or not, are actually pretty upstanding folks. Years ago, when the General Assembly was working on a bill to ban gifts from lobbyists to legislators, some of the strongest support for the proposal came from lobbyists who were sick of being shaken down by pols. You really got a good idea of what sort of people were around you by watching that debate play out.
But in an environment like that, just imagine how difficult it would be for a female lobbyist who’s been sexually harassed by a legislator or a fellow lobbyist to publicly come forward with her story.
The culture of retaliation and retribution is so strong that speaking your mind or trying to buck the system on almost anything can result in a career disaster. Pretty much nobody’s bills absolutely have to pass, nor do they have to pass in a way a legislator or a lobbyist wants them to pass. Bills can suddenly start dying, or be amended in a hostile manner. And then clients start complaining, and then people get fired. So speaking out about sexual harassment could be the kiss of death.
* Republican leader wants sexual harassment hotline in wake of Capitol scandal: The toll-free number would be run by the Illinois Department of Human Rights and would help connect people to counseling services and advice on filing complaints with the proper authorities. It will be open to state employees, as well as residents who work in the private sector.
* Lawmaker: Women “need to get their voices heard”: Veteran state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz said an offshoot of lawmakers’ discussion this week on how to deal with sexual harassment may be an increasing awareness of women’s issues and the voice women bring to government and politics… “We can write as many laws as we want in Springfield, as you know we do, but if we don’t change the culture and we don’t stop pointing fingers at each other and using these things as a partisan issue and stay focused on empowering women — I mean that’s what I’m hoping we accomplish here,” she said.
* Mark Brown: Piece of advice, nobody cares what you dreamed about last night
Until recently, state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) had been passing separate nominating petitions for both her re-election to the Illinois House and a possible primary bid for governor against incumbent Republican Bruce Rauner.
The ultra-conservative firebrand now says she has stopped passing re-election petitions. But if a recent poll is any indication, Rep. Ives might want to keep her House re-election bid alive because the state’s Republican Party may not be nearly as divided as some GOP politicians have been claiming it is.
A Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll found that 61 percent of 1,064 likely Republican voters had a favorable impression of Gov. Rauner. Just 24 percent had an unfavorable opinion, despite the fact that he has been taking enormous heat from his right flank ever since he signed a publicly funded abortion on demand bill into law in late September.
The intensely outspoken anger directed at Rauner over the abortion bill, which he promised to veto last spring, is pretty much without precedent. “In the face of overwhelming evidence of Rauner’s inability to competently administer the Illinois government, inability to stand up to Mike Madigan effectively, and inability to keep his word and his commitments, I can no longer support him,” said Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) after Rauner signed the bill. “And whether or not they are able to agree publicly, I know hundreds of elected Republicans, along with hundreds of thousands of Republican voters, who feel the same way I do.”
Maybe not.
We didn’t test President Donald Trump in this poll, but nationally he’s been getting somewhere between 80 and 85 percent support from members of his own party. So while Rauner has some very real problems when compared with Trump, is the opposition stiff enough to actually take him out in the primary?
The poll, conducted for my newsletter subscribers Oct. 25-29, found Gov. Rauner is leading Rep. Ives 64-19, with 16 percent undecided. The poll had a margin of error of +/-3 percent.
Rep. Ives told the Daily Herald not long ago that she had commitments for “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in contributions. But she’s gonna need a whole lot more than that because almost nobody knows who she is.
According to the poll, 83 percent of Republican voters have never heard of Ives.
Rep. Ives can tap into a strong statewide network of seasoned pro-life activists to collect enough signatures to get her onto the ballot against Rauner. And while that network also can generate lots of word of mouth for her candidacy (including via social media), it has historically never generated the kind of money that Ives will need to compete with the deep-pockets Rauner.
If no millionaire surfaces to fund her campaign, she’ll need to tap into national small-dollar sources. So, it was somewhat surprising that Rep. Ives did not try to use her kickoff to closely tie herself to President Donald Trump. She never uttered his name during a long Illinois Channel television interview and didn’t appear to mention her party’s national leader when she launched her petition drive. That’s probably the easiest way to attract national attention and support, particularly since Gov. Rauner is so reticent to comment on anything the president says or does.
According to the poll, 85 percent of Downstaters and suburban Cook voters have never heard of Ives, and neither has 78 percent of collar county suburbanites.
Gov. Rauner’s Downstate lead over Rep. Ives is 65-17. It’s 67-16 in suburban Cook County and 65-22 in the collars.
Among men, Rauner leads 69-21 with 10 percent undecided. Among women, it’s 60-17, with 23 percent undecided. Forty-seven percent of the respondents were mobile phone users.
Her only “bright spot” is Chicago, where Rauner’s lead is 41-34. Even so, 76 percent of Chicagoans say they’ve never heard of her, meaning they chose her without knowing who she is. Chicago is the only region where Rauner’s favorability is upside down. Just 40 percent have a favorable opinion versus 49 percent who have an unfavorable view.
“It won’t be easy to convince potential deep-pocket contributors that she has a fighting chance,” said pollster Gregg Durham of Rep. Ives. “In this first, albeit early poll, it’s hard to see a path for her success should she decide to take the plunge into these very treacherous waters.”
Citizens for Rauner today released a new tv ad highlighting the corrupt Madigan Machine that has run Illinois for too long.
Governor Rauner has worked tirelessly to make state government work for all Illinoisans. He closed the revolving door between government and lobbyists, helping to clean up Springfield. He’s brought thousands of jobs to Illinois, and vetoed Mike Madigan’s 32 percent tax hike on Illinois families.
Bruce’s efforts have reduced unemployment, pushed back on big spenders in the state house, and shown the Madigan Machine that the people of Illinois are not going to put up with corrupt, insider government any longer.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, but Bruce is fighting every day to destroy the Madigan Machine and bring real change to our state — because Illinois is home, and home is worth fighting for.
Governor Bruce Rauner continued his Hollywood-inspired ad campaign this morning, this time releasing an ad that has to be labeled as science fiction. In pure fantasy, the ad claims that Rauner has “brought in thousands of new jobs” and that “unemployment is down.” In fact, Bruce Rauner has one of the worst job creation records in the nation and his two-year budget crisis only made it worse.
Since September 2016, Illinois has only created 3,700 jobs. That’s a job growth rate of 0.06% and good for third worst in the nation, behind only Kansas and Wyoming. Comparatively, the nation grew jobs at a rate of 1.23% over that time period. And Illinois’ unemployment rate is still one of the highest in the nation.
Rauner’s been running a reelection campaign in an alternate universe with some of his claims; this latest ad on jobs only follows that pattern.
Oh, and there’s a robot.
“Rauner’s claims to have grown jobs in Illinois is pure science fiction,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “In reality, Rauner hurt Illinois by forcing the state through a two-year budget impasse that drove up debt and drove out people. Illinois’ economy is lagging under Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership. Illinois voters won’t be fooled by ads set in alternate universes – they’ll remember that Rauner’s failed to grow jobs like he promised.”
The members of the Legislative Ethics Commission have unanimously approved the appointment of Julie B. Porter to serve as the Special Legislative Inspector General.
Ms. Porter has committed her career to seeking justice and becoming a voice for those who might not otherwise be heard. As a founding partner at Salvatore Prescott & Porter, PLLC, as well as during her time as a former Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, Ms. Porter has brought her deep experience with complex commercial litigation and prosecuting public corruption, financial crimes, and child exploitation to a private practice that focuses on sophisticated criminal defense and investigative work, commercial litigation, and civil rights and employment litigation for individuals.
Ms. Porter’s appointment takes effect immediately and will expire on June 30, 2018.
The Office of the Legislative Inspector General is responsible for investigating complaints of violations of any law, rule or regulation or abuse of authority or other forms of misconduct by members of the General Assembly and state employees under the jurisdiction of the legislature.
* Press release…
The newest member of the Legislative Ethics Commission, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement in response to Julie B. Porter’s appointment to Inspector General of the commission:
“Julie Porter has a proven record of fighting public corruption as the Assistant United States Attorney,” Castro said. “She has extensive experience seeking justice for the people of Illinois. I look forward to seeing her get to work as our new Inspector General. I’m confident she will work swiftly and thoroughly to investigate and resolve all outstanding complaints.”
Porter is well known for her work trying complex cases as the corruption case that led to the conviction of Illinois powerbroker Bill Cellini and top Mayor Richard Daley’s top aide Robert Sorich, among others. Porter worked at the U.S. Attorney’s office for 12 years and was appointed chief of the office’s criminal division before leaving to join a private practice in Chicago.
The Rauner campaign said Holcomb’s claim is based on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report from January 2017 on union employment and membership.
The report shows that from 2015 to 2016 — the first two years Rauner was in office — workers represented by unions in Indiana grew from 319,000 to 335,000, an increase of 5 percent. During that same time, workers represented by unions in Illinois fell by 4 percent, from 892,000 to 856,000. […]
Illinois’ 2015-16 union numbers are no statistical fluke. Even before the Great Recession, Illinois had been losing union jobs at a faster clip than its neighbor to the east.
From 2006-07, the number of workers represented by unions in Illinois fell from 979,000 to 884,000, a decrease of nearly 10 percent. Indiana’s union job losses in that period were less than 1 percent — from 334,000 to 333,000.
Michael Hicks, an economics professor at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., who tracks Midwest job trends, says the pattern bucks conventional wisdom.
“In 2006-07, in the wake of the very difficult manufacturing employment period, Illinois and Indiana shed both public and private union jobs,” Hicks said in an email. “But Indiana was holding on better, when it should not have because we are a more manufacturing intensive state (and private sector unions are more tied to manufacturing).”
New approval numbers are out comparing the most and least popular governors around the country. The Morning Consults Governor Approval Rankings show Governor Bruce Rauner near the bottom of the list.
Rauner ranks fifth worst as most voters say they disapprove of his performance over the last two years in office. The survey asked more than 250,000 registered voters nationwide.
With his re-election underway inching closer to 2018, he will want to change some minds. The survey shows Rauner suffered a 16-point net loss, with 30% of voters approving of his performance and 55% giving him the thumb’s down.
People were surveyed from July to September, so even after the state passed a budget, many are still not pleased with how Rauner continues to govern.
July through September? That makes for some pretty old results.
More info is here. It’s difficult to figure out exactly what this firm’s methodology is, so I’d advise a bit of caution.
* The firm did provide me these results…
I was told there are no crosstabs available…
The n size for Illinois is 11,177 with a margin of error of +/- 1%
Attorney General Lisa Madigan today led a multistate group of attorneys general in filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing the proposed merger between the Tribune Media Company (Tribune) and Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. (Sinclair). Madigan and the other attorneys general argue the potential merger fails to further the public interest by allowing for increased consolidation that will decrease consumer choices and a diversity of voices in the media marketplace.
The Tribune/Sinclair merger would create the largest television broadcast company in the country. The merged company would own or operate over 200 stations nationwide with the ability to reach 72 percent of U.S. television households, far above the statutory 39 percent limit.
“To ensure people have access to a diverse landscape of perspectives, services and stations, the FCC should reject the proposed Tribune-Sinclair media merger,” Madigan said. “People throughout Illinois depend on their local broadcast stations for diverse viewpoints and this merger threatens that long-held practice.”
In addition, Madigan and the other attorneys general point out that the proposed merger inappropriately relies on an outdated method known as the UHF Discount Rule for calculating national audience reach that does not reflect the reality of today’s technology, understating the audience reach of a UHF station by 50 percent.
The attorneys general argue that, at a minimum, the FCC should delay consideration of the merger until the D.C. Circuit Court completes its rule of the UHF Discount, which is underway.
Joining Madigan in filing today’s comments are the attorneys general of Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
* Do you get the feeling that nobody seems to be operating off the same page and that the Senate and House Democrats are trying to deflect blame onto each other?…
[Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan)] took issue with comments made by Madigan during a hearing on his bill, in which the veteran speaker said the vacancy at the inspector general’s office was “regrettable” but had not prevented the ethics commission from functioning. Madigan spokesman Brown declined comment, saying “the speaker’s statement stands for itself.”
At Tuesday’s hearing, Madigan said the commission’s executive director, Randy Erford, who is part-time and largely handles administrative tasks, took complaints “directly” to Link. On Thursday, Link called Madigan’s comments “a bald-faced lie” and said he has no knowledge of what is in the complaints.
“Never once was any of them taken to me directly. Did Mr. Erford say to me there were complaints? Yes. (But) I have never seen one complaint.
Whew.
* Meanwhile, from the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
Years of accused legislative ethics violations that went unseen by a state watchdog could go unpunished because the window to do so has expired.
News that more than two dozen legislative ethics complaints sat unaddressed since 2014 has the Illinois General Assembly scrambling to appoint a new Legislative Inspector General as well as pass new laws that combat ethics breaches such as sexual harassment.
But former Legislative Inspector General Thomas Homer says the dozens of ethics complaints in the Illinois legislature won’t be addressed by whomever is next appointed to his old office. State law limits the inspector general to a 12-month window after an alleged misconduct took place in which they can open an investigation into the matter.
This is an area where the two sides are working together. All they have to do is pass a bill to get rid of that one-year window. These are civil matters so there are no ex post facto or statute of limitation considerations. Both chambers are on board.
The political activist who has accused an Illinois Senate Democratic leader of sexually harassing her said Thursday that she wants to know why Sen. Ira Silverstein faced no repercussions until after she went public this week.
Denise Rotheimer said Silverstein, who relinquished his leadership post and its $21,000 stipend Wednesday night, should resign the Senate seat representing Chicago that he’s held since 1999.
Rotheimer, a victims-rights advocate from Ingleside, testified on Tuesday before a House Committee considering sexual-harassment training for lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists. She described how the 57-year-old Silverstein sent her inappropriate social-media messages, paid her unwanted compliments and called her late at night last year while they were working on legislation.
We’ll circle back to that story in a bit. But first, remember this Silverstein comment to Rotheimer on November 21, 2016 at 10:49pm CST?…
i will check to see if u r a true blond
* Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) sparked quite a conversation on Kyle Hillman’s Facebook page by saying this…
That’s not sexual harassment, that’s bad flirting.
Rita Mayfield: If she actively engaged in the conversation how is that harrassment? Ir appeared she was flirting back. I didnt get a sense of unwanted advances from the dialogue
Kyle Hillman: …the Senator was sponsoring her bill and the ability to advance or kill it. That exchange above coupled with power to kill her bill is textbook sexual harassment.
Rita Mayfield: Your stating that the bill was used as power to force her to flirt with him? I dont buy it. She could have easily found another sponsor. This is not her first bill.
Kyle Hillman: wow.
[female private citizen]: victim blaming…a huge reason most women don’t come forward
Rita Mayfield: No not victim blaming just looking at it objectively. We dont have all the facts. Leys wait for the full investigation before we start with the tar and feathering
Sneed has learned former Gov. Pat Quinn, who is tossing his hat into the ring for Illinois attorney general, will urge Dem slatemakers meeting Friday to refrain from endorsing any candidate in the March primary and let voters decide.
Cook County Democrats on Friday endorsed state Sen. Kwame Raoul of Chicago for attorney general in a rebuke to former Gov. Pat Quinn, who is also seeking the post.
* Press releases in the order they were received. ILGOP…
“It’s no surprise that the most crooked organization in Illinois politics with close ties to Mike Madigan is backing Kwame Raoul for Attorney General. As one of Madigan’s top partners in the Illinois Senate, Raoul has blocked reform and pushed Madigan’s rigged legislative maps and tax hikes. The people of Illinois deserve a reform-minded Attorney General, but Kwame Raoul is just another career politician from Chicago who does Madigan’s bidding.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
* Jesse Ruiz…
“Today’s decision by the Cook County Democratic Party to slate a fellow political insider is disappointing – but sadly, not surprising.
“Throughout my career, I have been a staunch advocate for transparency and openness in government. I will continue to do so as Attorney General.
“This is going to be a competitive race, and I have every confidence in our supporters and our campaign. I look forward to winning the Democratic nomination on March 20th and being elected as Attorney General next November.”
* Sen. Kwame Raoul…
As a lifelong Illinois Democrat, I’m pleased to receive the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Organization. 13 years ago, a group of Democratic committeemen came together to appoint me to fill the vacancy of then-IL Senator Barack Obama. Since that time, I’ve worked hard every day to make those committeemen and my constituents proud.
My political journey here in Cook County has included everything from sweeping floors at events to hosting volunteer clinics to becoming a delegate for President Obama. Over that time, I’ve developed a legislative record which uniquely qualifies me to take on the role of Attorney General.
As a prosecutor and a legislator, I’ve spent my career advocating on behalf of victims, speaking up for the voiceless and producing real change in our justice system. I’ve seen the law used to the advantage of large corporations and to the detriment of the middle class and those of lesser means. I’ve worked to shift that balance and make our state’s laws are the great equalizer they ought to be.
Now I hope to continue that work as Attorney General. Illinoisans are under siege from attacks from President Trump and Governor Rauner and I’ve got a record that demonstrates my capacity to stop them. I look forward to putting that record before the voters across the state in the months ahead.
* Tina…
Democratic committeeman Mike Kreloff called Quinn “Mr. Quinn” on his way out. Quinn corrected him: “It’s Gov. Quinn.”
* Not feeling well this morning. Nothing serious and I may try to get something going later, but I’m not sure. Keep it Illinois-centric and be nice, please.
Amid threats from management, the recently-merged editorial staffs of Gothamist and DNAinfo have chosen to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East.
The two news sites became one recently when Gothamist was acquired by billionaire conservative donor Joe Ricketts. […]
In an email leaked this week, Dan Swartz, DNAinfo’s chief operating officer, made a thinly veiled threat to his staff: “Would a union be the final straw that caused the business to be closed? I don’t know.”
Reporters and editors at the commonly owned New York news sites DNAinfo and Gothamist are now represented by a union.
The newsroom workers initially agreed to join the union, the Writers Guild of America East, in April, shortly after DNAinfo bought Gothamist. But DNAinfo’s owner, Joe Ricketts, refused to recognize the union, so the National Labor Relations Board conducted a formal vote on Thursday. The result — 25 out of 27 workers voted to join the Writers Guild — means that management is required to bargain with the union.
A week ago, reporters and editors in the combined newsroom of DNAinfo and Gothamist, two of New York City’s leading digital purveyors of local news, celebrated victory in their vote to join a union.
On Thursday, they lost their jobs, as Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade who owned the sites, shut them down. […]
A spokesperson for DNAinfo said in a statement, “The decision by the editorial team to unionize is simply another competitive obstacle making it harder for the business to be financially successful.”
The decision puts 115 journalists out of work, both at the New York operations that unionized, and at those in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington that did not. They are getting three months of paid “administrative leave” at their full salaries, plus four weeks of severance, DNAinfo said.
In order to properly address this issue, it is critical that an independent special counsel who has no actual or perceived conflicts of interest be appointed to fully investigate existing allegations and the issue as a whole. At a minimum, the special counsel should be empowered to: 1) empanel a grand jury, if deemed appropriate; and 2) determine whether civil rights violations have occurred and take the necessary legal action to address the violations and prevent them from occurring in the future.
*** UPDATE *** Attorney General Madigan has responded (click here). She says she has recommended that the new Inspector General be an attorney with extensive experience as a prosecutor or with experience investigating allegations of sexual harassment. Also…
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
…Adding… I received a press release from another attorney general candidate yesterday, Jesse Ruiz, so I’ll post it here…
“I am disturbed by today’s reports that there have been 27 separate complaints filed with the Legislative Ethics Commission against members of the General Assembly – and that these complaints have been kept hidden and not investigated because of the failure to appoint a legislative inspector general for years.
“When misdeeds are ignored, our trust in government is destroyed. This is all too common in Illinois and it needs to stop now.
“We have the right to know when our public officials betray the public trust. I call upon the leaders of the General Assembly to take immediate action by naming an interim Legislative Inspector General who will swiftly and vigorously investigate these complaints.
“The people of Illinois deserve to know what’s going on underneath the Capitol dome. Sunshine is the best disinfectant – and it is clear from these latest allegations that Springfield needs an emergency dose.”
Democratic Attorney General candidate Sharon Fairley on Thursday called for sweeping change to address sexual harassment and sexism in the Illinois General Assembly. Fairley, who would be the first African American woman Attorney General in Illinois history, demanded swift action by legislative leaders, and called for an independent investigation to identify which legislators or other actors may have been complicit in burying allegations of assault and harassment.
“As a woman in public service, the alleged conduct that has come to light in recent weeks comes as no surprise to me,” said Fairley. “What does disturb me, however, is that it certainly appears that the Illinois Legislature and leadership have not fulfilled their legal obligation to maintain a fully functional and independent Legislator Inspector General’s office. This has clearly allowed improper behavior to go unchecked.”
Fairley urged legislative leaders to move quickly to appoint a new Legislative Inspector General–a position that legislators have inexplicably left vacant for years. She also called on the legislature to increase staffing of that office, and to make changes to the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act that govern the Legislative Ethics Commission and Legislative Inspector General’s office to strengthen the office’s mission and independence.
Fairley called for an independent investigation into the Legislative Ethics Committee to determine why they have failed to comply with state law and appoint an acting Legislative Inspector General.
“Those who are brave enough to report harassment concerns to legislative leaders were told their complaints were referred to an office that does not currently exist, for all intents and purposes,” said Fairley. “Victims who filed complaints were led into an impenetrable bureaucratic maze. We must determine who knew what, and when, so that those actors can be held to account, and so that we can begin to eradicate the systemic sexism that led to this moment.”
Fairley noted that according to state law, the employment of staff in the LIG’s office is “subject to the approval of at least 3 of the 4 legislative leaders.”
“How can you expect a Legislative Inspector General to investigate ‘fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance, and malfeasance’ if its staff has to be approved by party leaders? We must amend the law to create real independence for the Legislative Inspector General.” Fairley pointed to her own experience as the First Deputy and General Counsel to the City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General, which had a staff of over 60.
“The legislative leaders and members of the commission failed to take this issue seriously until they got called out about it publicly,” Fairley said. She also noted that the Legislative Ethics Committee, which is required to appoint the acting Legislative Inspector General, lacks diversity–it includes only two women–both of whom are white–and six men.
…Adding… Another one…
In light of recent reports of rampant sexual harassment reported by people of every age and socioeconomic strata from the private sector to the halls of power in Springfield, Mayor Nancy Rotering released the following statement:
“Sexual harassment is more than a violation; it is a crime. Serial offenders should be prosecuted and classified as predators. As the top law enforcement official in the State of Illinois, I will be a fierce advocate calling for necessary changes to protect survivors and end a cycle of abuse.”
The State of Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits sexual harassment, but the law sets stipulations which exclude some places of employment and void coverage for some claimants.
“As Attorney General, I will take a stand against intimidation and injustice as it is past time to punish those who subject people to fear and intimidation or sit idle as it happens. I will prioritize and fight for tougher laws with more severe penalties in an effort to end sexual harassment as well as retaliation against those reporting harassment. These actions will include a push for Springfield to amend the Human Rights Act to apply to all employers, regardless of size. On behalf of the people of our State, I will sue to enforce the laws to stop repeated discrimination and harassment, and seek the maximum penalties possible.”
Today, JB Pritkzer and Juliana Stratton outlined their plan for criminal justice reform at a speech and panel discussion at the DuSable Museum of African-American History. They were joined by Roseland Ceasefire Project Executive Director Bob Jackson, Director of NEIU’s Master of Social Work Program Dr. Troy Harden, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, and Enlace Chicago Executive Director Katya Nuques. Read the full plan here.
The proposal lays out what JB will do as governor to end mass incarceration, give communities the support they need to thrive, address gun violence and build a true system of justice through four key policies:
1. Legalize marijuana and modernize sentencing practices, especially for low level drug offenses.
2. Reduce recidivism by removing economic barriers to employment, affordable housing, human services, and family reunification.
3. Reform our juvenile justice system and end the criminalization of children.
4. Treat gun violence like a public health epidemic and make police more accountable to the communities they serve.
“With vision and compassion, we can make real progress and put Illinois on course to become a model for criminal justice reform,” said JB Pritzker. “I intend to reverse the damage Bruce Rauner has done to community organizations and social service agencies that work to strengthen the communities they serve. I’ll fight every day to bring economic opportunity to every corner of our state.
“But most importantly, I think we need a governor who listens. There are organizations and advocates in this room who have devoted their lives to these problems. There are communities, especially communities of color, impacted every day by the deficiencies in our criminal justice system. There are families whose lives have been forever altered by gun violence. There are no solutions without their input. There is no path forward until those affected voices in our communities are brought to the table. Only then can we move forward together.”
“So many of our communities are not heard. Many have been ignored and suffered decades of disinvestment,” said State Representative Juliana Stratton. “We don’t need more band aids – we need real solutions. I’m proud to be on this ticket with someone ready to provide real solutions. I’m proud to be running with someone who recognizes the strengths in our communities and wants to be a partner in the path forward.”
Connect people in prison early with evidence-based rehabilitative services including job training, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Encourage and facilitate positive relationships between people in prison, their families, and their communities to reduce the likelihood of recidivism after release.
Gov. Rauner’s campaign website contains a section called an “action center” that contains pre-written petitions which also can be used to provide the campaign with a list of potential volunteers.
But the two predominant issues seeking a call to action appear dated. The site’s “top priority” is a petition against imposing a sweetened beverage tax in Kane County similar to one that is being repealed in Cook County.
The petition drive says “tax-and-spend politicians have already imposed an illegal tax on soda purchases in Cook County, taking residents’ hard-earned money so the politicians can tax their way out of the mess they’ve created.”
Regardless of the statement, the tax was found to be legal. But it was also highly unpopular, and the Cook County Board to voted to end it.
A similar petition exists for DuPage County even though there’s no evidence that anyone there is floating a beverage tax.
That may come as a surprise to the people who run Kane and DuPage counties, but I suppose it can’t hurt.
…Adding… The governor was also advertising this crusade on Facebook in September. So, he’s a purveyor of fake news now?…
A Facebook post by a Gov. Bruce Rauner political organization is asking citizens to sign a petition to stop the Cook County soda tax from “spilling over to Kane County.”
The only problem is, Kane County isn’t considering a soda tax, County Board member Kurt Kojzarek said today (Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017).
“Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked to see this petition from the governor pop up on my Facebook news feed,” he said. “The claim is completely false. Kane County has zero interest in adding to the tax burden. We support our local retailers, and prefer not to place burdens or obstacles on them or the consumers.”
As children across Illinois prepare to return to school in the fall, lawmakers are putting politics before students by holding up the school funding reform bill.
Instead of holding up school funding, legislators should pass a simple and fair amendment that the current bill needs: put funding towards students in the classrooms, not towards paying off Chicago’s pension debt.
Let’s put the politics aside and do the right thing to ensure equitable education funding regardless of zip-code. Support education to set our students up for success.
A little outdated, perhaps? Also, CPS wound up getting pretty much everything it wanted on pensions.
* Meanwhile, from the governor’s campaign…
ICYMI: Gov. Rauner touts Security Cooperation on Official Trip to Israel
While on an official visit, Governor Rauner met with top Israeli officials to discuss mutual security interests
Governor Rauner is on his first official visit to Israel this week, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials. The governor is leading a delegation of administrators from the University of Illinois, promoting interconnectedness between U of I and Israel’s top engineering universities, with an ultimate goal of making the Illinois Innovation Network a global endeavor.
A day after a terrorist attack hit New York, visiting Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner hinted at intelligence cooperation between his state’s law enforcement officials and Israel during an interview on Wednesday with The Jerusalem Post. The Republican governor, who arrived on Monday and will be leaving Friday, said that he had a “detailed discussion” with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan during his visit.
“We will be exchanging information, will have mutual visits from some of our security people, and leaders from Israel who will come to Illinois,” he said. “We have a very strong, effective anti-terrorist center and task force commission within the Illinois state police based in Springfield. We are constantly monitoring and sharing information both with the federal government, leaders of other states, and we look forward to have a close working relationship with leaders in Israel.”
…Rauner met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, and said that 80-90% of that conversation dealt with economic issues, though security issues were also discussed, especially cybersecurity.
“We talked about the software and the mathematics and the engineering behind cybersecurity,” Rauner said. “The prime minister is very focused and knowledgeable about that.”
…“I have always been very clear about my strong support for Israel, the Jewish community in Illinois and around America,” he said. “And frankly I believe very strongly in a very powerful, positive relationship between the people of Israel and the people of Illinois, to our mutual benefit.”
…Rauner speaks proudly of the fact that as governor he “sponsored and signed the first anti- BDS legislation that was signed by any state in America.”
…Rauner said Illinois took the measures one stop further, not only barring investing the state’s pension funds in any company that participates in BDS, but also “not contracting or allowing the state government to do any business whatsoever with a company that participates in BDS activities and discrimination – and other states are now following suit.”
“I’ve been talking about issues — all voting machines have been penetrated by the Russians in Illinois and no one really seems to be talking about it.”
Russian hacking into the Illinois voter registration system in the summer of 2016 shouldn’t shake voters’ confidence in the integrity of the electoral process, a panel of election experts said during a Monday forum in Highland Park.
Lake County Clerk Carla Wyckoff said there is a common misconception that voting is done on the Internet and it’s very easy to hack into the voting results.
“That is simply not true,” Wyckoff said during the forum, sponsored by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. […]
“I think the frustration of these people is they can’t hack into our actual tabulation, so then they go after the next biggest thing, which is the statewide voter registration,” Wyckoff said. “Even that was not successful, so their next strategy is just to erode the public’s confidence.” […]
“Ultimately, the easiest way for some nefarious outsider, I feel, to cause harm to the process isn’t going to be breaking into some technical aspect of the elections, though there are some vulnerabilities that we want to take care of,” [Colin Williams, policy data director for ICPR] said.
“It is making people feel that they don’t want to go out to vote, because they don’t think it will end up counting,” he added.
I’ve asked Mariotti’s campaign for comment because he really needs to stop saying this stuff. He is playing right into their hands.
*** UPDATE *** From the candidate…
What we know is that the Department of Homeland Security reported that Russia tried to penetrate the voting systems of 21 states, and Illinois was one of them. I previously misspoke and said that all voting machines have been penetrated by the Russians when what I meant to say is that all voting records have been penetrated by the Russians. We don’t know enough about what the Russians did here in Illinois, so I’m glad this panel and the election authorities were able to provide more clarity on this issue and share their concerns about the state of the security measures in place going forward. As Attorney General, I will conduct an investigation to determine what other election systems hackers may have accessed to protect the integrity of our election system. The people of Illinois deserve a complete and transparent accounting of the manner and extent that our electoral system was compromised so that we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“All voting records have been penetrated by the Russians”? Nope…
Wyckoff said that of millions of state voter registration records, about 75,000 were “likely viewed by the hackers”
JB Pritzker to Give Major Policy Address, Hold Panel on Criminal Justice Reform and Gun Violence
WHAT
JB Pritzker to give a major policy address and release his criminal justice reform plan followed by a panel discussion with State Representative Juliana Stratton, Roseland Ceasefire Project Executive Director Bob Jackson, Director of NEIU’s Master of Social Work Program Dr. Troy Harden, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, and Enlace Chicago Executive Director Katya Nuques.
WHEN
Thursday, November 2 at 1:00 PM
* ILGOP…
Blagojevich Asks to Get Out of Federal Prison Early as Pritzker Talks Criminal Justice
Does Pritzker support his imprisoned friend’s petition before the U.S. Supreme Court?
“J.B. Pritzker’s favorite governor is back in the news. As Pritzker is scheduled to talk criminal justice this afternoon, lawyers representing his imprisoned friend Rod Blagojevich plan to file a petition to the US Supreme Court, asking them to review his conviction on corruption charges. Blagojevich’s petition begs the question - does J.B. Pritzker, Blagojevich’s fifth-largest campaign contributor, support Blagojevich’s request to get out of prison early?” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Today, lawyers representing imprisoned former governor Rod Blagojevich plan to file a petition for a writ of certiorari before the United States Supreme Court, asking them to review his conviction on corruption charges.
Currently, Blagojevich is five and a half years into his fourteen-year sentence in a Colorado federal prison for orchestrating a “political corruption crime spree” ranging from attempts to sell a U.S. Senate seat appointment to shaking down state vendors for campaign contributions.
Blagojevich’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court is his latest attempt to get out of prison early.
Blagojevich’s most recent request begs the question - does J.B. Pritzker, Blagojevich’s fifth-largest campaign contributor and now Democratic candidate for governor, support Blagojevich’s request to get out of prison early?
In a bombshell investigative report from the Chicago Tribune, it was revealed that Pritzker was recorded on FBI wiretaps conversing with Blagojevich about being appointed State Treasurer, among other offices. Pritzker and Blagojevich also discussed campaign contributions on the same call.
Upon the release of the wiretaps, news outlets called it a “campaign crisis” for Pritzker. Pritzker was later scrutinized for a $100,000 campaign contribution to Blagojevich that one reporter said “sounds like pay-to-play to me.”
Given Pritzker’s well-documented close ties to imprisoned former governor Rod Blagojevich, surely he has an opinion on Blagojevich’s latest attempt to get out of prison early.
So, as Pritzker plans to discuss criminal justice this afternoon, does he support his imprisoned friend Rod Blagojevich’s petition before the U.S. Supreme Court?
The absence of a Legislative Inspector General has sparked some partisan accusations of their own. Representative Chad Hays (R-Catlin) says he and his GOP colleague Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) have recommended several names to the current and past chair of the committee, but none have been appointed.
“It is outrageous that the position remains open despite our sincere and repeated efforts to move this process forward,” Hays said, pointing an accusatory finger at Speaker Madigan, who does not sit on the Legislative Ethics Commission.
“My read on the matter is that the Speaker has thwarted efforts to finalize this dynamic,” Hays said. “No rationale for foot dragging on this matter is acceptable. The length of time that the position has remained unoccupied is absurd.”
A spokesman for Speaker Madigan responded, saying, “Mr. Hays’ claim has no basis in fact.”
The speaker’s office was aware of only one name briefly under consideration, a former state representative, but says the candidate’s poor reputation made them a poor fit for the job. Cullerton’s office says three candidates were offered a job within the last year, but each turned it down.
Somebody either isn’t telling the truth or doesn’t know the whole story.
[Sen. Karen McConnaughay] says that she was active in helping to submit the name of one candidate […]
[Sen. Terry Link] says he has been actively trying to fill the legislative inspector general role in the year that he’s been at the helm of the commission.
But he says it’s been difficult: According to Link, the position is technically part-time, but “it can consume a lot of hours” as it’s up to the inspector general to actually do, or at least lead, the investigative legwork.
Link says an inspector general is paid an hourly rate for that work, so there’s no guaranteed salary. Few attorneys are apt to want to leave a full-time position for that.
Not to mention that although according to state law it “shall be a fully independent office,” an inspector general has to be willing to potentially burn bridges with powerful elected officials.
But legislative leaders have failed to hire a permanent legislative inspector general since Tom Homer left at the end of June 2014. The following week, the Chicago Tribune published details of a secret report put together by Homer in the wake of a 2013 Metra scandal that offered new insight into how Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan navigated the intersection of public business and ward-style patronage through his Southwest Side office and Illinois Capitol suite.
The report contained an account of Metra’s chairwoman entering Madigan’s Capitol office to talk about state issues and leaving with a yellow Post-it note bearing the names of two workers the speaker wanted to see promoted. In another meeting, a Metra lobbyist who was a longtime Madigan aide was spotted leaving the speaker’s office with two resumes. Another time, Madigan simply called the cellphone of one of his “better” precinct captains to tell him about a state job, according to the report.
A copy of the unreleased report also gave a rare glimpse into Madigan’s thoughts on getting people government jobs and raises. In an interview with Homer, Madigan is quoted as speaking highly of both the work-related credentials and the political experience of one 13th Ward operative the speaker backed for a raise.
“You can understand that there are many people that are involved with me and campaigns and community service,” Madigan said, according to the report. “Among these many people, some are better than others. (He) happens to be one of those who is better than others.”
At the time, Madigan’s spokesman issued a statement saying the speaker asked for the investigation and cooperated fully with it and noted that the legislative inspector general had “found no violation of any law.”
The current uproar reflects badly on Cullerton, whose reliance on protocol is no excuse: He referred Rotheimer’s complaint to an office that he knows full well is rudderless and ineffectual. “It is our understanding that there is an open investigation” — spoken Tuesday by a Cullerton spokesman — is a pretty hollow assurance.
This reflects badly, too, on Madigan, who sprang into action only after a groundswell of protest about a culture of creepiness in the Capitol. Madigan desperately wants to avoid looking like he hasn’t taken sexual harassment seriously. Too late.
Governor Bruce Rauner today expressed his desire for Illinois to serve as a host state for disaster victims from Puerto Rico who were displaced by Hurricane Maria. Rauner contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Region V office in Chicago to let them know the state of Illinois would like to be considered for FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which FEMA and announced on Monday.
“Illinois continues to stand ready to help our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico as they recover from the unbelievable destruction caused by Hurricane Maria,” said Rauner. “At the very least, it will be many months before some survivors will once again have a home on the island. We want to do everything possible to help them through this very difficult time.”
Under the TSA program, FEMA is seeking host states in the Continental U.S. to coordinate support for Puerto Ricans displaced by the hurricane. FEMA will reimburse host states for 100 percent of eligible sheltering costs.
Rauner has directed the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to work with FEMA Region V staff on a host state agreement. Puerto Rican Governor Rosello will determine what states serve as host states.
On Oct. 1, Governor Rauner contacted Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosello to express Illinois’ willingness and ability to send state personnel and assets to assist him and the citizens of Puerto Rico as they work to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.
Former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti has filed the state paperwork required to start raising money for a potential Democratic primary challenge to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Fioretti, a onetime mayoral candidate, said he has yet to decide whether to run. Setting up the “Bob for Cook County” campaign fund is “part of the process of making the decision,” he said.
Now, he’s waiting to see how many signatures he can get on petitions he would need to get on the ballot and what kind of financial commitments he can line up to take on the two-term incumbent, he added.
As recently as a few months ago, Preckwinkle was expected to skate into a third term without opposition, but she’s viewed in some quarters as vulnerable because of the public outcry over the county’s controversial soda pop tax.
Fioretti told Mary Ann Ahern on October 23rd that he was already circulating petitions and would decide whether to run in 10 days. That was 10 days ago.
Minnesota has a much different and much healthier economy than we do. As the ad points out, the state’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent before Gov. Dayton took office. At the same time, Illinois’ rate was 9.3 percent.
Illinois’ economy continues to lag the nation as well as surrounding states even as the current economic recovery, while comparatively long in historical terms, remains the weakest in the post WWII period. From 2010, following the start of the recovery in mid-2009 through 2016, inflation adjusted GDP in the United States averaged 2%. The pace of growth was below that of 2.4% on average in the years from 2001 to 2007, which included 3.8% growth in 2004 and 3.3% in 2005. This in turn was well below the average growth rate of 3.87% from 1992 to 2000, with growth in a rage of 4.1% to 4.7% each year from 1997 to 2000.
The latest Illinois forecast by IHS Markit was done in early October and is located at the top of the next page. The table shows Real Gross State Product remaining in the 1.0% area each year from 2015 through 2017, before rising at an average growth rate of 1.7% in the years 2018 – 2020.
One of the more notable aspects of Illinois’ economy in recent years has been the recurrent outflow of people from the state. Illinois’ population continues to decline and at best is forecast to hold steady by 2019 and 2020. Total employment in Illinois thus indicates little in the form of growth, rising 1% or less during the forecast years. As a result of such weakness, Illinois’ unemployment rate is anticipated to continue higher than in most states as its ace of improvement is projected to lag that of the nation as a whole as well as that of the Midwest.
In September the national unemployment rate was 4.2% with the 12 states comprising the Midwest at the same 4.2% rate. However, unemployment rates differed greatly among the 12 Midwest states. The highest rates in the Midwest in September were Ohio, which had an unemployment rate of 5.3%, followed by Illinois, which had the second highest rate at 5.0%, and Michigan at 4.3%.
Dear Mr. Berko: What do you think of buying $50,000 worth of the recently issued 3.75 percent Illinois general obligation bonds due in 2028? And please tell me about Instructure. If you approve, then I’ll buy 1,000 shares. — RS, Akron, Ohio
Dear RS: If you understand and can afford the risks, then buy the general obligation bonds. These GO bonds are backed by the full credit and taxing power of the state of Illinois rather than revenues from a specific project, such as a bridge, a sewer system or a toll road. These tax-free bonds were issued with the dark hope that Illinois can repay its obligation via taxation and other revenues. Knowledgeable investors believe that’s unlikely.
The state issued $6 billion worth of GO bonds to shrink its unpaid $17 billion backlog of accumulated merchant and vendor debt. These bonds are rated BBB- by Standard & Poor’s and Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service. Those ratings are investment-grade (though just barely; they’re a hair’s breadth above junk). However, a longtime acquaintance of mine at Moody’s isn’t so ebullient. Privately, he believes those bonds should be rated Ba1, which is non-investment-grade and speculative. He says the underlying foundation for Illinois’ financial system has been destroyed by the Legislature. Among the state’s most daunting financial problems is its pension plan, which is underfunded by $251 billion. It won’t be a picnic when 815,000 employees learn that their benefits may be reduced. I believe there’s an 80 percent chance these bonds will pay interest till maturity and then redeem at par value. And I think there’s a 20 percent chance these bonds will pay interest till maturity and then have their debt restructured so that you can get back 70 cents on the dollar. It’s a fair dinkum gamble!
McConnaughay, a member of the Legislative Ethics Commission, said she was told last week on a commission conference call that there were no “open” cases. On Wednesday she said she learned there are “up to 27 separate complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly” — while outlining that she didn’t know whether that meant legislators or their staffers, and it’s unclear what kind of ethical violations were alleged in those complaints.
Not only is sexual harassment not even listed as a violation of the state ethics act, but the job of legislative inspector general has been vacant since 2015.
“I’ve been on the commission since late 2014,” said state Sen. Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles. “I literally have never seen a single case come forward.”
Sexual harassment is not currently included as a specific violation of the state’s ethics act, so the Legislative Ethics Commission has no power to hold a hearing on a sexual harassment complaint or punish someone who’s been accused of sexual harassment, according to Heather Wier Vaught, Madigan’s top lawyer and a former ethics officer for the House Democratic Caucus.
The inspector general (that’s the job that’s vacant), however, does have the ability to investigate a sexual harassment complaint. Once an investigation is complete, though, the Ethics Commission can’t do much with it other than release it to the public. And accusers are typically uncomfortable with going public with their accusations out of fear of retribution.
The legislation proposed by Madigan would add a prohibition against sexual harassment to the state’s ethics act, making it possible for the ethics commission to punish those who’ve been found in violation, Wier Vaught said.
Illinois currently has an office known as the Legislative Inspector General (IG). This office is responsible for investigating claims of discrimination in the state legislature. However, the seat has been vacant since 2014. According to recent reports, this vacancy means complaints are now sent directly to the Legislative Ethics Commission in the General Assembly, which is responsible for appointing a Legislative Inspector General.
An apparent problem with the Legislative Ethics Commission is that it lacks a working, transparent process to evaluate claims. Individual commissioners are state legislators selected by General Assembly leaders. Those commissioners have appointed an executive director for the Commission, Randy Erford. However, the Illinois Comptroller lists Erford, the former director of College Illinois!, as a contractor for the state (Erford is paid $37,746 annually for part-time work).
Erford is presently the only staff member for the Commission. According to a compliance report for July 2014 - June 2016, there were “procedural deficiencies” and an “inadequate segregation of duties” regarding the Commission’s financial practices. Erford’s responses to the findings ascribed the issues to “oversight or confusion over filing deadlines,” as well as the observation that he is the only staff member of the office.
However, Erford also said adding an additional staff member was not a prudent option because of the lack of work in his office. Despite this, the General Assembly has appropriated $312,500 to the Legislative Ethics Commission, which also funds the (currently vacant) Legislative Inspector General’s office. Erford’s office only spent $40,000 in 2016, allowing $272,000 in funding for the Ethics Commission to be returned to the state.
The role of Illinois Legislative Inspector General, an agency responsible for uncovering wrongdoing at the highest levels of Illinois government, has been vacant since December 2014. Yesterday it was reported that legislative staff in Springfield is holding up to 27 separate sexual harassment complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly. A complaint must be filed with the Legislative Inspector General to be considered a “case.” Through that loophole, the political establishment in Springfield has been able to claim that there are no pending cases of sexual harassment. State Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) issued the following statement calling on Governor Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) to fill the position immediately:
“Illinois has a reputation for political corruption. Government transparency and accountability should be top priorities for any leader who is serious about reform,” said Ives. “The charges of sexual harassment recently brought to light by Denise Rotheimer went unheard for a year. She was forced to suffer Senator Silverstein’s unwanted advances for a year. It was only out of political necessity that she was given a hearing at all. Twenty-seven other complaints of sexual harassment are being held by staff members and do not count as cases. Through its inaction, the ILGA has reaffirmed to women across the state that speaking up about the harassment of someone who is politically powerful will get you a one-way ticket to nowhere. They have reminded women and girls that they will just have to deal with it, because that’s the way it is. It is an inexcusable injustice.”
“Sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination have a detrimental impact on institutions. This is a very serious charge. While the problem is rampant in Springfield, it has not been taken seriously by this state’s political leadership over the past two years. I understand the importance of protecting the women working in state government. And I take it seriously regardless of who is implicated. In order to properly prosecute offenders, legislative leaders must appoint a Legislative Inspector General.”
“The fact that we have gone three years without a Legislative IG in place is a failure of both parties. starting with those in the majority party in both chambers. We should know if other members were being protected as Cullerton protected the complaint against Sen. Silverstein from a proper and timely investigation.”
“We should have an expeditious appointment of a Legislative IG to exercise oversight and provide a channel for any persons who believed they were wronged to lodge a complaint. This is more important than the virtue-signaling legislation being advanced at present by people who were unserious about predatory behavior for too long to now pretend they are serious.”
“Illinoisans have seen too many instances in which those in power look the other way to protect those who keep them in power. I am running for Governor to restore accountability and respectability to state government.”
…Adding… This should go without saying, but the governor has nothing whatsoever to do with appointing a legislative inspector general. So, calling on Rauner to appoint an IG with Speaker Madigan is pretty darned goofy.
* Meanwhile, remember how Rep. Steve Reick (R-Harvard) vowed yesterday not to take the sexual harassment training? Well…
We asked House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s office about Reick’s response. A spokeswoman released a “clarifying statement” from Reick: “There’s a problem with the culture in Springfield. How has harassment been allowed to thrive for so long without any real attempts to address it? My fear is, and what I failed to clearly articulate, is that training won’t be enough to truly shock the system. I feel very strongly that those who have committed these acts through the years should be called out by name and forced to deal with their actions. Until then, I remain concerned that efforts to end harassment will fall short. I will support the proposed legislation, participate in any training it prescribes and will do my part to end the culture of harassment that’s existed for far too long in and around the Capitol.”
This morning, Illinois State Senator and Democratic candidate for Governor Daniel Biss released a new digital ad, “BSBS.” Modeled after a pharmaceutical commercial, the video speaks to voters frustrated with billionaires buying elections by highlighting the epidemic of “Big Spending Billionaire Syndrome,” and presents middle-class progressive Daniel Biss as the cure.
With unprecedented spending, brand name candidates in this race have proven they would rather hold an auction than an election. But trust can’t be bought—and in what is expected to be the most expensive statewide race in United States history, the Biss campaign gives voters an opportunity to choose a middle-class progressive who will fight for working families rather than another billionaire who will only work for the wealthy and well-connected.
“Are you suffering from BSBS? Big Spending Billionaire Syndrome? It’s an epidemic of rich guys trying to buy elections, bombarding you with their money, to take over our government. Symptoms include nausea, disbelief, and the uncontrollable urge to destroy your TV when the same people who profit from our rigged system now promise they’ll change it,” the ad begins.
“But now, there’s a cure: Democrat Daniel Biss for governor. 100% progressive, fast-acting, all grassroots, a middle-class father, former teacher, and state senator, who will make Illinois work for the people again.”
Biss for Illinois shared the ad on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
