Silverstein recalled holding hearings on Rotheimer’s bill and holding meetings with the attorney general’s office in a failed attempt to find middle ground.
“I worked the bill as hard as I could, but she would not compromise,” he said.
Silverstein was asked whether he ever propositioned Rotheimer, threatened to put a hold on her bill or said, did or wrote anything that could be construed as sexual harassment or intimidation.
“No. Not that I know of. It’s not in my nature. It’s not in my blood. I was trying to help her. I was just trying to help her get this bill through,” he said.
Rotheimer also said she turned to state Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, for help getting a response to her complaint, but “nothing happened.”
Bush said she was contacted by Rotheimer, who told her that she had been treated in an “inappropriate way” by Silverstein and raised concerns that her complaint was not being taken seriously by Cullerton’s office. Bush said she immediately called Cullerton, who said he was aware of the complaint and already had forwarded the matter and documents provided by Rotheimer to the legislative inspector general.
Bush said after that she did not respond to subsequent calls from Rotheimer because she believed it was inappropriate given it had been referred to the appropriate authorities.
“Any time anybody alleges misconduct, the first thing I am going to do is go to the appropriate authorities. It is not my job to decide,” Bush said.
* Rotheimer shared three documents with reporters. The first (click here) is a letter from the Office of Executive Inspector General telling her the OEIG has no jurisdiction over legislators.
She also shared this complaint she filed…
The first order of business that needs to be established in Springfield is to enact a zero tolerance policy for elected officials who abuse their position of power and require their immediate resignation. I did not deserve to be violated by state Senator Ira I. Silverstein. He sponsored my bill with the intent to degrade me and invade my privacy by messaging me and calling me at midnight–on numerous occasions, by arranging private and personal meetings with me at the park and ice cream parlors, by asking me to be “friendly” and answering personal questions about myself, etc., by telling me he had feelings for me and that I was fun, pretty and very, very attractive, by wanting me to send him pictures of me and telling me that he can’t stop thinking of me, by being mean and hurtful to me on numerous occasions when I tried to talk about the bill, etc. There are nearly 4000 Facebook messages between us since he began “pursuing” me while deceiving me about his motive to support my cause. I told him I would know whether his intent was genuine or not based on the outcome of SB2151. He knew I was committed to this bill and this cause because of all the people who continue to call me and ask for help. All the parents whose children have been raped or murdered and reached out to me and shared their grievances with the system never even scratched the surface of his conscience because his fantasy about me clouted his mind. Liars are master manipulators who betray the trust of those who seek their help with the intent to empower themselves and satisfy their own twisted agenda. Yesterday I filed a complaint with state Senate President John Cullerton on an ethics violation against Senator Silverstein. During the presidential campaign there was a lot of public outcry about Trump’s behavior–I hope the stand that certain elected officials took against Trump’s behavior also stand in support of my complaint. When we mothers whose children have been victims of violent crime and we seek legislative change to prevent other crime victims from becoming further victimized by the system we should not become victimized by any elected official who wants to “play” with us because we “make them smile.”
She also sent a pdf document of their Facebook chats, but said “Please keep the information about any crime victim confidential that are in the fb messages” in her e-mail. So, I’m not linking to the whole thing.
* There is a lot of banter like this…
Ira Silverstein: I will walk behind you and pretend I’m homeless. That way you’ll look good when you give me salami
Denise Rotheimer: great idea and u can then kiss my ring
IS: Oh yes and I will wash your feet
DR: no i have bad feet not many people know that i need a petticure
IS: Do you want me to kiss your toe ring too
DR: how did u know i have a toe ring no one else knows
IS: do u have any tattoos
DR: You’re just that kinda guy. No. Nada on the tattoos
IS: i have one of that lady you love in the attorney generals office
DR: You got a donkey. Where. Your bicep
IS: butt
DR: An ass on your ass. Good one
IS: you finally got one of my jokes not bad for a fake blond
DR: That is too funny
* And this…
DR: I’m in for some kosher food. If you don’t shop for speedos how are you going to buy a new one
IS: i bet you never had kosher food
DR: You lost that bet because I ate at your fundraiser remember. ..
IS: you got me!!!!!!!!! wait a minute that does not count because it is not is a resturant
DR: your the bacon and I’m the egg
IS: bacon is not kosher i am the egg
DR: Wait I meant you’re not your - Mr. correct my grammar whenever you get a chance. Yeah you look more like the egg
IS: u r mean
enjoy your popcorn
DR: I knew you would say that. I thought the egg was cute but you think in the negative. Think positive then you wont think of me as mean. Also I ate chocolate ice cream. No popcorn tonight.
IS: ok get fat u need it
DR: I’ll work on it:) by the 2nd I will gain 4 pounds and you will lose 4 pounds. You game?
IS: u r on
how much do you weigh today?
DR: I lost a pound today. I’m skipping the gym. I tried to get up to 115 but I’m stuck at 112. How much do you weigh today?
IS: never ask a man how much he weighs It is like asking a women her age!!!!!!
DR: Come on! How much
IS: no way bring a scale with you to springfield
DR: Are you at least losing like you’re supposed to…since you won’t tell me your weight?
If you tell me I won’t tell, so don’t be shy!!! I told you!!!!!!!!!!
IS: I am shy
and sensitive
DR: Fine. I’ll bring the scale and you bring the corn beef since you’re sensitive I won’t make you tell!
IS: deal what kind of bread do you like
DR: Italian. Not rye- yucky. Can you add a banana split to my order
That might - I repeat might - explain the voicemail message from Silverstein about working on her sixpack. But, then again, maybe not.
* And they also talked food and politics during a debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump…
DR: I know you’re a gambling man so if Trump knocks it out of the park during today’s debate you have to buy ice cream after lunch. If Clinton knocks it out of the park I buy the ice cream. Either way I get ice cream wanna bet…..
IS: Deal
I love ice cream. This will cost u
DR: The ice cream I want is $15
IS: Ok
DR: Hillary just threw the first stone. Sign of weakness. I’m going to win!
IS: U r dreaming
DR: No I’m watching donald is holding up and being nice! […]
IS: Ok there goes your ice cream
DR: Haha. Bet is still on you can’t back out. Remember your word is your bond
IS: Ok
she is coming on stronge
DR: Wait
IS: i am going to bed i win i heard enough
DR: You’re going to miss the best debate ever. Good night
IS: only kidding
DR: It’s hard to hear about Chicago. He’s right though the blacks are majority victims. Law enforcement and whites keep getting blamed for the actions of the thugs which she propagated and needs to stop.
IS: It is a draw
DR: No pun intended. Glad you’re not taking all this seriously. No one is
* The only reference to him pulling support from her bill appears to be a joke, but, remember, he could’ve said that in person, on the phone or whatever…
DR: I respect my elders. After your birthday o can no longer make fun of you
IS: I would not talk at least i do not have grey hair and wrinkes like you
DR: Booya That’s a good one. NOT
IS: insult me one more time and i will remove myself as the sponor of your bill
DR: Ah the threats. You can’t intimidate me silly besides you love the bill as much as me
IS: wait until thursday when u check the status of the bill
* Their last conversation that she shared was from November 28, 2016…
IS: Did u get there
DR: Half way there. At gas station. Figured out Facebook
IS: Sorry for blowing up on you
I am just as frustrated as u
DR: Put it on the schedule and let me deal with Fullerton. I just spoke with Rep Greg Harris and Elaine netkoritz at dinner
I will deal with Fullerton
She sent her letter to the OEIG on January 19th. So far, we do not know what happened between those two dates, so I would caution everyone to take a breath and keep an open mind. This ain’t over yet.
Speaker Madigan Passes Harassment Protections through Committee, Announces Creation of Task Force to Recommend Further Changes
CHICAGO – House Speaker Michael J. Madigan outlined a plan to combat sexual harassment in state government Tuesday, passing legislation through a House committee that will require all lawmakers, staff and lobbyists to complete annual harassment training, and announcing the creation of a task force that will study further changes needed to address the problem of workplace harassment in both the public and private sectors.
“Sexual harassment is unacceptable in any workplace. This is particularly true in our Capitol, a building that belongs to every woman and man in Illinois,” Madigan said. “Legislative changes are a critical step, but far from a final step. Ultimately, eliminating sexual harassment will require cultures to change. That’s why in addition to continuing to work with lawmakers and advocates to create the strongest legislation possible, I am forming a task force which will lead a continuing conversation on this topic, and recommend further changes to combat workplace harassment both in our government and in the private sector.”
Madigan’s Senate Bill 402 expands existing sexual harassment protections in the Capitol and legislative offices by requiring all lawmakers, staff and lobbyists to complete annual sexual harassment training, including specific examples of what constitutes harassment. All lobbyists will be further required to prepare and submit sexual harassment policies, like legislators do currently. Madigan’s bill also empowers state inspectors general and ethics commissions to investigate allegations, and assess fines of up to $5,000 for incidents of harassment. The measure received bipartisan support in the House Personnel & Pensions Committee. Senate President John Cullerton, and Republican leaders Jim Durkin and Bill Brady have come out in favor of Madigan’s bill.
Madigan also announced that he will establish a Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment, to be chaired by House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie. Listening to input from all stakeholders, the task force will be charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the legal and social consequences of sexual discrimination and harassment in both the public and private sectors, and make actionable recommendations to the General Assembly on changes that will improve reporting of allegations, protect those who report harassment, and prevent sexual discrimination and harassment.
The lack of a legislative inspector general ought to be addressed post haste.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Tony Yuscius at BlueRoomStream.com briefly interviewed Speaker Madigan after today’s hearing. Tony asked Madigan if he feels the issue of sexual harassment has been treated seriously over the years or if it has been glossed over…
I think that historically there have been deficiencies. I know in my office, the Office of the Speaker, we’ve been very aggressive on matters such as this. If we can do better, that’s what we’re going to do. And that’s the commitment we made today and that’s the commitment that we’re making in this legislation. If we can do better, that’s what we’re going to do.
“There were instances where complaints were filed with the ethics officer, people including legislators were called in and told ‘You better knock it off because we won’t tolerate it in the Office of the Speaker,” Madigan said.
But will the new legislation change a “knock it off” culture?
“You’re going to have it in statute, mandatory training. You’ll have it in the statute that the matter is subject to fine,” Madigan said.
And his advice to legislators who perhaps thought they could get away with harassment: “Better knock it off because you’re going to get in big trouble. And you can ask a member of the Senate that question,” the speaker said.
Representative Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) supports Representative Jeanne Ives in her primary challenge to displace Rauner as the Republican candidate for Governor of Illinois.
Rauner has failed as a leader, both as Governor and head of the Illinois Republican Party.
His list of failures as Governor include owning the massive 32% tax hike, which from my perspective, he didn’t raise a finger to stop and contained not a single reform; over $30 Million that will be spent on Medicaid abortions; a backlog of bills that grew to and continues to be over $16B; lack of a budget for two years that forced us to spend billions more than we had; and making Illinois a sanctuary state, just like Chicago is a sanctuary city. His revolving office door of staffers hired and fired could be used for wind power for as often as it turns.
As the leader of the Republican Party, he’s divided it–we can’t even find candidates. Rauner’s GOP couldn’t field candidates for Treasurer or Comptroller–Republicans used to hold those offices. If he is successful in winning the primary, Illinois Republicans will be decimated come November 2018.
* Meanwhile, I told subscribers yesterday that Ives was still passing petitions to run for reelection. She told Illinois Public Radio that others are passing the petitions, but she’s running for governor…
Mackey: Are you still also circulating petitions for your House seat?
Ives: I am not personally circulating petitions. I don’t know if they’re still out there among the committeemen, and they may still be getting signatures for that race as well. I do have the minimum, but I’m not circulating those now. We’re focused on this governor race and getting on the ballot.
Mackey: OK, well that — I guess that is my main question: Are you, with certainty, not running for the House again?
Ives: Yeah, as far as I know, I am not running for the House again.
So, the question for all Republicans now is: Who are you backing for governor in the GOP primary?
*** UPDATE *** The DGA trolls Rauner…
Over the weekend, Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton announced she would begin passing petitions to challenge Governor Bruce Rauner in the Republican primary, just days after Rauner officially announced his reelection bid. In her first few interviews, Rep. Ives went right after one of Rauner’s biggest weaknesses – his aversion to telling the truth. Rep. Ives jumped right in:
“He’s failed the integrity test. No one in the legislature believes a word he says.”(Link)
“Meanwhile, Gov. Rauner’s going to spend a lot of his money to convince people that he’s somebody who he isn’t.” (Link)
(On HB40) “That’s not being honest with folks, especially when you told people you were going to veto it.” (Link)
“Top political leaders have lied to the people about who they are and what they are going to do - and they continue to make promises we cannot keep.” (Link)
One of the main drivers of a primary challenge came when Rauner was caught trying to play both sides of the abortion debate. Republicans are angry that Rauner lied to them this spring when he promised to veto HB40. (Even the Cardinal got involved!)
Rauner’s pertinence for spreading falsehoods has already been a factor outside of the primary. For weeks Rauner ran a television ad that took credit for the state’s new education bill, despite the fact he vetoed it and ran his own ads against it. And who could forget the fact that Rauner lied about his grandfather’s place of birth. Or whether he interviewed his then-new bodyman who was quickly fired for inappropriate tweets.
Perhaps Rauner’s biggest lie is that he deserves reelection.
“Bruce Rauner will spin as many tales as possible about his record but the truth is that he failed the people of Illinois,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “During the general and primary, Rauner will have to answer for the continued loss of people and jobs, increased debt, and failure over two-years to pass a budget. Rauner promised a turnaround, but Illinois is only getting worse under this failed leadership.”
* Denise Rotheimer told the House committee considering sexual harassment legislation today that she filed a harassment complaint against Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) a year ago. Rotheimer had already passed “Jasmine’s Law” which increased penalties for violent sexual offenders and was working to pass yet another bill at the time.
Rotheimer said she lost 20 pounds, her hair fell out and had to admit herself to a hospital because of Silverstein’s behavior.
“He had so much power over me,” Rothmeimer said.
She claimed he told her things such as “I like having meetings with you because you’re pretty to look at,” called her “intoxicating,” etc.
“He would Facebook me at midnight, call me at midnight,” she said.
In April of last year, she claimed, Silverstein killed her bill because “He thought I had a boyfriend.” She claimed he revived the bill when he found out she didn’t have a boyfriend.
Rotheimer said she filed a complaint with the inspector general’s office, but was told to talk to Senate President John Cullerton’s office. From the Senate President’s office…
The Office of the Illinois Senate President was made aware of these accusations in late November 2016.
Senior staff met with Senator Silverstein to let him know such allegations are taken seriously and that this would be reported to the Legislative Inspector General’s Office, which it was.
…Adding… As rightly noted in comments, there is currently no Legislative Inspector General and hasn’t been for years. Under questioning today, Speaker Madigan pledged to get that slot filled soon. We’ll see.
Rotheimer said she approached her state Senator, Melinda Bush, to ask her for help, but nothing happened.
“I want him to answer for it and to know that it is wrong,” Rotheimer said of Silverstein. “It is unconscionable.”
* Rothheimer is running as a Republican in the 62nd House District, which is currently held by Democratic Rep. Sam Yingling. She wrote this on Facebook yesterday…
I have been warned that by testifying tomorrow it could cause a political lash back on my campaign for office, but I replied, “politics neither serve as a motivation or deterrent for the choices I make when I know it’s the right thing to do.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Response…
Ira Silverstein tells me of sexual harassment complaint at hearing: "I said I'm going to apologize if I made her uncomfortable." #twill 1/
* Let’s go back to Brian Mackey’s interview of Rep. Jeanne Ives…
Mackey: I wonder, though — that message, I’ve heard something similar from Gov. Rauner — about we need to be focusing on business and improve the business climate in Illinois. And I think some people might hear about your candidacy and say: We already have a Republican governor. How would you be different?
Ives: Well, you know Gov. Rauner has actually bought into some of the same policies that have hurt Illinois in the past. His energy bailout bill in December basically gave carve-outs and favored status to a company that is — had a $2.25 billion net profit. Who’s saying that’s going to help the average Illinoisan when you’re just going to raise the price for ratepayers to a favored company? That’s the type of stuff that needs to stop.
* This topic came up during an interview with her new running mate, former Rep. Rich Morthland…
Morthland lives in Cordova, which also is the home of the Exelon nuclear plant.
One of Ives’ complaints about Rauner is that he signed a bill that overhauled the state’s energy policy and provided subsidies to two Exelon nuclear facilities — in the Quad-Cities and Clinton, Illinois.
The company, as well as Quad-City business leaders, pushed for the legislation, saying hundreds of jobs were at stake. But Ives called it a bailout financed by higher utility rates.
Morthland says he’s supported Exelon while on the county board. And while he said that he and Ives “haven’t completed our conversation about it,” he notes her opposition to the legislation and that she’s at the top of the ticket.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Oppo…
In 2011, The General Assembly Overrode Governor Pat Quinn’s Veto Of Legislation – SB 1652 – To Grant ComEd Automatic Annual Electricity Rate Increases In Exchange For Upgrading Its Power Grid. “Lawmakers today overturned Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a bill that will allow the state’s two biggest utility companies to raise customers’ rates in exchange for investments in the state’s power grid. Under the plan, Ameren and Commonwealth Edison will be able to increase customers’ rates by 2.5 percent annually in exchange for $3.2 billion in spending on the grid over 10 years. The companies will add smart grid technologies that allow them to monitor transmission and respond quicker to outages. The measure would also require ComEd to create 2,000 new jobs through the plan and Ameren to create 450 jobs.” (Jamey Dunn, “Legislators Override Quinn’s Veto On Smart-Grid Bill,” Illinois Issues, 10/26/11)
Opponents, Including Conservative State Senator Kyle McCarter, Said The Automatic Rate Hikes Were A Giveaway To Utility Companies And Would Drive Business Out Of Illinois. “Opponents say the bill is just a way for the utilities to skirt the authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), which rules on proposed rate hikes. ‘I’m not sure smart grid’s really the issue here. It think the real issue is that this is a new way to recalculate rate hikes because Ameren and ComEd didn’t get the approval that they wanted from the ICC. Let’s be honest, that’s what this is about. If you put the name smart grid on it, it doesn’t make it any better,’ said Sen. Kyle McCarter, a Lebanon Republican. McCarter said that increased energy rates would drive business out of the Illinois. ‘One of the last good things we’ve got going in this state for businesses is affordable power. We’ve increased taxes on people, we’ve got high regulation. and we still have high workers’ compensation rates.’” (Jamey Dunn, “Legislators Override Quinn’s Veto On Smart-Grid Bill,” Illinois Issues, 10/26/11)
Morthland Voted To Override Quinn’s Veto And Pass S.B. 1652. (S.B. 1652, House Roll Call Vote, Passed 74-42, 10/26/11, Morthland Voted Yea)
About two-thirds of Illinois public high schools posted below-average to rock-bottom scores on the SAT college entrance exam, given for free for the first time to 11th-graders last spring at school, revealing that thousands of students are still struggling even as the state pushes kids to achieve at higher levels.
Average scores ranged from the low 740s to the high 1300s, reflecting wide disparities in performance at more than 700 high schools statewide, according to data released Tuesday as part of the state’s annual picture of public schools, called the Illinois Report Card.
Black and Hispanic teens fared worse on the exam compared with white and Asian peers, the data show. Some students attend classes in high-poverty neighborhoods, while others are educated in wealthy suburban enclaves and blue-collar and downstate rural areas.
Payton College Preparatory High School, a selective enrollment Chicago Public School, posted the highest SAT average in the state — a 1375. But in pockets of CPS, about two dozen schools posted the worst averages statewide, all under an 800 for math and for reading and writing combined.
The Illinois State Board of Education’s report card is a conglomeration of data ranging from state exam scores for high school and grade school students, to school finance, teacher attendance and evaluations, and enrollment and socioeconomic trends, among other measures made available to families and taxpayers.
* I saw a bit of criticism of AG Madigan on social media and elsewhere for this, but the Tribune notes an important point…
It’s Halloween, that day of the year when kids dress up as their favorite Marvel superhero, “Walking Dead” zombie or Disney princess and ring neighborhood doorbells begging for candy and threatening pranks if they don’t get any.
Against that backdrop of fun and tomfoolery comes Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan with a warning: check the state’s sex offender registry before you head out to trick or treat.
“The number of known sex offenders throughout Illinois is extremely alarming, and they do not live in any one neighborhood or community; they live in every part of our state,” Madigan said in a statement.
Lest you think that was a bit of alarmist hyperbole from the outgoing attorney general, her office included some stats: there are more than 30,200 registered sex offenders on the Illinois State Police’s list, and more than 24,700 of those committed a crime against a child.
* Illinois Public Radio’s Brian Mackey interviews Rep. Jeanne Ives…
Mackey: Do you think it’s possible to balance the budget with the old tax rate — could we forego the current income tax rate? Is that something Illinois could do?
Ives: That’s a great, fantastic question. You know it takes decades — years — for people to really understand the Illinois budget, because it’s so convoluted. But I think that we didn’t try hard enough to make the cuts that need to be made first. That’s what I’m worried about. And I think we didn’t try hard enough to use for the reforms that we have to have.
And I’ll tell you what: I’ve said it before, but the reason you would raise taxes in the state of Illinois is because it’s immoral to hold the amount of debt that we have, and owe people that kind of money. That would be the only reason to do it. But you have to make those reforms, so we don’t get into this bad spending cycle again. And you know, I just don’t think that the conversation was lengthy enough and persistent enough to sell to the people that you cannot raise taxes without these reforms.
Editor’s note: We asked the Rauner campaign if it wanted to respond to Ives’ charge that the governor lied to supporters and taxpayers on public funding for abortions, the Trust Act, and school funding reform.
Spokesman Justin Giorgio emailed the following statement: “Gov. Rauner is focused on fighting for Illinois’ future and defeating Mike Madigan’s machine so Illinois can have property tax relief and term limits, and we can roll back the Madigan income tax hike.”
* I’m out of the office for the rest of the afternoon. Please keep your discussion as Illinois-centric as possible (and, yes, while there is a tenuous local connection to today’s national developments, steer clear of it) and be nice to each other. Thanks.
State Rep. Bill Mitchell, Forsyth, said he’s hearing House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton may seek a nine-figure sum during the just underway veto session to help get the [Obama Presidential Library on Chicago’s South Side] project off the ground.
“Never in our country’s history have we used state funds for a presidential library, but Madigan and Cullerton are trying to urge the governor to provide that $100 million that should go to roads,” Mitchell said.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has been partially funded by the State of Illinois since it opened in 2006. […]
“I would urge people to call Governor Rauner’s office at 782-6830 and urge the governor to resist Madigan’s and Cullerton’s pressure to use our road money for the Obama library,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell has co-sponsored legislation seeking to prevent the state from spending $100 million on the library project. His co-sponsors are State Reps. David Reis, C.D. Davidsmeyer, Terri Bryant and Charles Meier.
I asked Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown for comment. Brown said he would remind Rep. Mitchell “we are talking about a state infrastructure program and that Chicago is in Illinois. Perhaps that has slipped his mind.” Senate President Cullerton’s spokesman has not yet responded.
Nearly 60 percent of guns recovered in Chicago come from out-of-state dealers, with more than 20 percent traced back to Indiana, according to a newly-released report on the city’s violence.
The Chicago Police Department, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the University of Chicago Crime Lab unveiled Sunday the findings of their 2017 Gun Trace Report, a study that analyzed crimes between 2013 and 2016 to better understand where guns in Chicago come from, and to develop impactful solutions to address the root causes of the city’s violence. […]
Just 10 federally licensed firearms dealers (seven in Illinois and three in northwest Indiana) sold nearly a quarter of the guns recovered in Chicago, the research also showed. The top two locations – Chuck’s Gun Shop in Riverdale and Midwest Sporting Goods in Lyons – have been the source of a disproportionate number of weapons for the better part of a decade, according to the report, providing a combined 11.2 percent of all crime guns recovered in Chicago.
The rest of the top 10 sources included, in order: Westforth Sports in Gary, Indiana, Cabela’s in Hammond, Indiana, Shore Galleries in Lincolnwood, GAT Guns in East Dundee, Suburban Sporting Goods in Melrose Park, Pelcher’s Shooter Supply in Lansing, Blythe’s Sport Shop in Griffith, Indiana, and Sporting Arms & Supply in Posen.
The city’s second “Gun Trace Report,” set for release on Sunday, looks at guns recovered by CPD from 2013 through 2016 — where they came from, who bought them — and offers ways to put a dent in Chicago’s entrenched gun violence.
Out of approximately 27,500 weapons recovered during that period, the report focuses on 15,000 guns — all of which were initially bought legally at more than 5,000 federally licensed gun dealers in Illinois and other states, according to the report. […]
City leaders have long bemoaned the relatively lax gun laws in Indiana as a driver of gun violence in Chicago. Indiana does not require background checks when gun sales occur at gun shows or between private parties.
According to the new report, 21 percent of guns recovered in Chicago from 2013 through 2016 were initially purchased in Indiana. […]
To stem the tide of shootings, the report recommended Illinois General Assembly pass the Gun Dealer Licensing Act to help curb straw purchasing, impose anti-theft measures and help police in their gun trafficking investigations.
The senate bill was filed Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, in February and has attracted 18 co-sponsors. It passed the Senate in April. It has 30 sponsors in the Illinois House and has a final action deadline of Nov. 10.
Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called on state lawmakers to approve legislation to more aggressively regulate gun dealers in Illinois, pointing to a newly released trove of data that shows many guns recovered by police in connection with crimes can be traced back to licensed gun stores in the Chicago area.
The call for legislative action came as Johnson and other advocates for stricter gun rules convened Sunday at police headquarters to highlight findings of a new report tracing so-called “crime guns” — firearms found at a shooting scene, in the possession of gang members or otherwise being used illegally — to their original point of sale.
The Tribune reported on the study, a collaboration among the mayor’s office, Chicago police and University of Chicago Crime Lab, in advance of its official release.
The report found that “roughly two out of every five of Chicago’s crime guns come into the city from Illinois source dealers, making Illinois the single largest source state for Chicago’s illegal guns.”
The report also found that nearly one-fourth of guns recovered at crime scenes over a recent four-year period came from just 10 Chicago-area businesses.
Both three-year and one-year “time to crime” analyses were conducted for crime guns traced back to the top ten source dealers. A firearm’s “time to crime” refers to the amount of time that lapsed between the initial retail sale and the subsequent recovery of that firearm by law enforcement. A shorter time to crime serves as an indicator than illegal trafficking or transfer activity took place before the firearm came into the hands of law enforcement. In addition to the time to crime, law enforcement also look to other factors that indicate a firearm has been illegally trafficked, such as whether the firearm was originally purchased by someone other than the illegal possessor, originally purchased in another state, originally purchased among multiple firearms by the same purchaser, reported lost or stolen, or has an altered or defaced serial number. The more of these factors present, the greater the likelihood that the crime gun involved a straw purchase or other illegal sale before it was seized by police. […]
Notably, Suburban Sporting Goods had both the highest three-year and one-year time to crime of any top ten FFL, with almost half of its Chicago crime guns having been recovered within one year of initial sale.
Midwest Sporting Goods continued to surpass Chuck’s Gun Shop in short time to crime recoveries. Following the previous release of Chicago Police firearm trace data, in late October of 2015 the Village of Lyons passed an ordinance to regulate gun dealers within its jurisdiction, which includes Midwest Sporting Goods. From 2015 to 2016, Midwest Sporting Goods’ shortest time to crime gun recoveries – those of less than one year from point of sale to recovery in a crime – dropped by almost 10 percentage points. While more time and analysis are needed to evaluate the impact of the new ordinance in Lyons, the early results are promising.
Illinois has received nearly 4,500 responses to its public survey asking about highway rest areas in less than two weeks.
The Illinois Department of Transportation launched the public survey to get feedback because the agency is considering how to rehab or possibly close some of those rest areas, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“Many of our rest areas have reached a point where it’s time to evaluate their future,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said. […]
Illinois Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kelsea Gurski said many of the state’s 30 public rest areas and 11 welcome centers are 30 to 40 years old. […]
“As they reach the end of their useful life, we want to know how best to meet the needs of the traveling public — what features are valued by the public,” Gurski said.
An educated guess, given the preferences of our current governor, is that it also could involve privatizing them in some way to open them up to commercial businesses to reduce the cost to the state.
Try as I might, I couldn’t get IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell to actually verbalize any of those possibilities.
Instead, he stressed that no decisions have been made.
“At this point, nothing’s being ruled out,” Tridgell said.
Fair enough.
Then maybe there’s still time to register my opinion that Illinois could use more rest areas, not fewer, especially one on the edge of the metropolitan area along I-55 before motorists get caught in Chicago traffic.
Lots of rest areas are maintained by groups that employ developmentally disabled adults.
* The Question: Should Illinois’ rest areas be privatized? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Gov. Bruce Rauner is off to Israel, accompanied by University of Illinois President Timothy Killeen and other academics on a trip designed to boost trade and particularly high-end research investment with the Jewish state.
According to Rauner’s office, the trip will begin this Sunday, Oct. 29 and last until Nov. 3. Officials from the Rauner administration and university are to promote the new Illinois Innovation Network on the Near South Side meet with leaders of the Israeli Innovation Authority and other entrepreneurial organizations, and formalize partnership with Ben Gurion University and other research schools.
A chat with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also is on the agenda. If conversation lags, perhaps the governor and prime minister can talk about Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has fought with Rauner on any number of matters and who clashed with Netanyahu back in the days when the mayor was a policy aide to then-President Bill Clinton.
More seriously, “We believe in connecting the dots between the state of Israel and the state of Illinois,” said Aviv Ezra, the Israeli counsel general for the Midwest, who is based in Chicago. “The best way to do that is to create a win-win environment.”
At a minimum, Ezra said he expects some memoranda of understanding to be signed on the trip, with at least some discussion of Israeli investment here.
Met w/ @IsraeliPM Netanyahu today. Affirmed cultural & commercial ties of our states. Convinced Illinois can be next “Startup Nation.” pic.twitter.com/fj8OaZrPpV
Today, Congressman Mike Quigley endorsed JB Pritzker for governor at an event in Chicago. This marks JB’s third congressional endorsement after Congressman Luis Gutierrez and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos endorsed the campaign.
“Mike Quigley is one of our state and nation’s most respected congressman,” said JB Pritzker. “At every turn, he stands up for civil rights, immigrant rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ rights as President Trump tries to take them away. But while Mike Quigley is in Washington taking on Donald Trump and making his voice heard, we have a governor in Illinois who remains silent as Trump attacks our people. With Mike by my side, I’m confident that we can take down Donald Trump’s partner in Illinois, and get our state back on track.”
“JB Pritzker has the values we need in the governor’s office, the experience to turn this state around, and the track record to prove to me that he will do it,” said Congressman Mike Quigley. “When one branch of our government fails, others need to step up and protect us, promote our economic interests, and preserve the gains we have made as a society. But Bruce Rauner has been an absolute failure when it comes to this momentous responsibility. Democrats in Illinois have a special responsibility to the people of Illinois to put forward a candidate who will not only defeat Rauner, but restore Illinois. That person is JB Pritzker.”
* The Daily Herald editorial board offers reelection campaign advice to Gov. Rauner…
In offering it, we recognize that the governor is not apt to take our advice. His first term suggests that he generally doesn’t listen to advice from anyone.
And that, Mr. Rauner, seems to be one of your fundamental problems — figuring out how to work with people and keeping in mind that a big part of that is listening to their problems and ideas, building consensus and trying to build win-win solutions rather than dictating winner-take-all confrontations where someone has to lose.
This is especially important when you face an opposition party that has overwhelming control of the Illinois legislature and the someone who is most apt to lose is you!
Somehow, you didn’t recognize that obvious truth during your first term, leaving even those of us who endorsed you, sympathize with you and pull for you perplexed by your apparent naiveté.
Where has this man-in-the-tower approach gotten you, Governor? A state in stagnation. A tax increase you didn’t want. A mass exodus of frustrated legislators. […]
It’s not enough, Governor, for you to tell us again that Springfield needs to be reformed. We’re with you on that and most of the state is, too.
But unless you can show us how you’re going to effect that change, it’s just empty talk. Illinois needs action, not recycled rhetoric. What will you do, Mr. Rauner, to produce it?
The ad assumes Jack and Jill Voter know all there is to know about Mike Madigan, who has never been on a statewide ballot and doesn’t travel around the state making speeches. The ad also assumes that if voters know of Madigan, most don’t like him and blame him for every one of Illinois’ fiscal irregularities since the state nearly went bankrupt in the 1840s because it spent too much money building the Illinois & Michigan Canal.
It’s quite a reach to expect people to know all that.
Here’s one more reason the ad could backfire: It invites the neighbors to intrude into our family argument and lord their alleged superiority over us.
People hate that. This is our fight, so let us fight it. Butt out, Scott, Eric and Eric.
The ad also fails because it smacks in the mouth Illinois business owners who are loyal to the state, saying in effect, “Boy, are you a dummy for staying in that state.”
The legislature is taking a week off before returning to finish the veto session.
Rauner plans to put that time to good use by leading a delegation to Israel to “explore opportunities for expanded business and research ties” that are linked to technological innovation. A number of top officials from the University of Illinois are also part of the delegation.
Obviously, everyone hopes the trip will be a success. But just to be safe, maybe Rauner can bring along copies of his new campaign ad to show all of the wondrous opportunities right next to Illinois, in case this state isn’t good enough.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rejected by Illinoisans in 2014, former Governor Pat Quinn is back, and he is running for Illinois Attorney General.
Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) Executive Director Scott Will issued the following statement:
“Haha! Seriously, I thought I was reading the Onion when I saw Pat Quinn announce for attorney general. Under Quinn’s leadership Illinois government spending and budget deficits exploded, leaving taxpayers on the hook. Remember, after Blagojevich went to jail, Quinn allowed the corruption in Springfield and state government to continue, leaving appointees in place - some even received promotions.
“Quinn should be a uniting force for the current Democratic field. It’ll be a good test to see if Drury, Fairley, Goldstein, Raoul, Rotering, Ruiz, and Mariotti, not only denounce the corrupt Madigan machine, but also acknowledge the mess Quinn left behind.”
“He’s a fighter who never gives up,” [David Vaught, Quinn’s former budget director] said. “He hasn’t won every election, but he’s had the guts to run and I’m sure there is a little buyer’s remorse out there.” […]
At the same time, a Quinn candidacy could help rejuvenate Republicans who have seen their ranks divided following Rauner’s signature on legislation expanding taxpayer-subsidized abortions.
Rauner controls the Illinois Republican Party, which is solidly behind Erika Harold, the Urbana attorney whose winnings in the 2003 Miss America pageant paid for her tuition at Harvard Law School. Harold would face Quinn in the fall if both were to emerge from the March primary election.
Beyond the attorney general’s race, a Quinn candidacy would allow Rauner and the GOP to attempt to tarnish Democrats in general by reusing much of the material from 2014. That includes a flier linking Quinn, his imprisoned predecessor former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan as “corrupt career politicians destroying Illinois.”
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. […]
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.
“The state needs an attorney general who can get laws passed and do what we did with CUB (Citizens Utility Board) . . . ” referring to the consumer advocacy group, which Quinn created.
“It’s time to make the will of the people the law of the land.” he added.
* The synopsis of SB2251, sponsored by Sens. Ira Silverstein and Andy Manar…
Amends the Election Code. Provides that the disclosure requirements for political communications shall also apply to any political committee, organized under the Code, making a political communication utilizing any social media platform.
Political ads on social media platforms would be regulated to disclose their sources and funders if a new measure sponsored by Senator Ira I. Silverstein (D-Chicago) becomes law.
Senate Bill 2251 was filed this week and would extend the same requirements for disclosure regarding print, TV and radio advertising to social media political ads.
“Social media is immediate and far-reaching,” Silverstein said. “Just because it is new media doesn’t mean it shouldn’t fall under the same requirements for existing media in terms of disclosing who funded, prepared and distributed the material. Voters deserve to know what organizations are behind all political ads.”
Attention to online political ads has grown in recent months after Facebook admitted that accounts connected to Russia purchased politically contentious ads ahead of the 2016 presidential election. An estimated $100,000 purchase targeted audiences in swing states with no disclosure about the sources of those ads.
“A recent Facebook ad falsely attacked an Illinois Senate colleague with no clear means of pursuing the source,” Silverstein said. “The laws must apply to online ads as they do everywhere else to keep our elections fair.”
Senate Bill 2251 awaits assignment to a Senate committee before moving to the full chamber for consideration.
A dispute that broke out on Facebook in recent weeks involving the Christian County GOP and state Sen. ANDY MANAR, D-Bunker Hill, has helped lead to some new proposed state legislation.
State Sen. IRA SILVERSTEIN, D-Chicago, said Senate Bill 2251, introduced last week with Manar as a co-sponsor, would require the same kind of disclosure for advertisements on social media sites as are now required for television, radio or newspaper ads if a political committee pays and names a candidate. […]
The proposed new state law would add “any social media platform” to categories such as pamphlets, radio, TV or print ads that require disclosure. That law already includes “Internet … communication,” but Silverstein and Manar want to make sure social media is covered.
“We always welcome any kind of clarification from the legislature,” said TOM NEWMAN, director of campaign disclosure at the State Board of Elections. “It might be covered under the existing statute, but if they want to make sure it’s covered, we’re all for that.”
* One issue I’ve been noticing online is that fundraising appeals aren’t including this state mandated language…
10 ILCS 5/9-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-9)
Sec. 9-9. Any political committee shall include on all literature and advertisements soliciting funds the following notice:
“A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website (insert the current website address) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.”
The principal sponsor of a bill to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour said the votes weren’t there to attempt an override of Gov Bruce Rauner’s veto of the bill.
Instead, Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, said she’ll continue to negotiate to find a compromise that will have the support of enough lawmakers to overcome a gubernatorial veto.
The first week of the veto session passed without an attempt to override Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 81 that would have gradually increased the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by January, 2022. Illinois’ minimum wage currently is $8.25 an hour, a rate that’s been in effect since 2010. The federal minimum wage is set at $7.25 an hour. About 2.3 million Illinois workers make the minimum wage.
“I don’t believe we have the votes to override the governor,” Lightford said of her decision not to call the bill for a vote. “It’s difficult garnering a super majority. I’m hoping we can reintroduce a bill that can garner the votes that we need.”
The bill passed the General Assembly in late May, just before the legislature’s scheduled adjournment. However, it got only 61 votes in the House and the minimum 30 in the Senate to pass. Both totals were far short of what is needed to override a veto.
The Democratic leadership plays more games with its base on this topic than on anything else except maybe a graduated income tax.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen House Speaker Michael Madigan move faster to get in front of a legislative issue than he did last week when he vowed action to address the climate of sexual harassment at the Illinois Statehouse.
The decision came the morning after an “open letter” was published on Facebook by women who work in and around the Statehouse and who claimed: “Misogyny is alive and well in this industry.” The letter has roiled Springfield in a manner that I’ve never seen before.
In case you somehow missed it, the House Speaker claimed that because harassment “thrives in silence,” the House would move forward with legislation requiring legislators, staff and lobbyists to participate in annual sexual-harassment training. Lobbyists would also be required to develop and submit their own sexual harassment policies to the state. Madigan said more changes could be coming after a “thorough review.” I’m told that review will be conducted by a group of legislators, staff and lobbyists.
It’s easy to be cynical here and say that Madigan moved so quickly in order to make sure more stories don’t emerge — perhaps with actual names attached to them next time.
But, really, even if that is the case, so what? After just a couple of days of public agitation by current and former elected officials, lobbyists, staff and consultants, we now have a proposal that all four legislative leaders have signed off on and which will zoom to the governor’s desk as quickly as they can get it there.
It’s also easy to predict that Madigan’s proposal won’t really solve anything. But the excuse often heard is “I didn’t know my behavior was wrong or inappropriate.” At the very least, the annual training will take away that excuse, whether it’s legitimate or not. Once the rules are defined and digested, then more concrete steps can be taken. This problem won’t be solved with a bill alone. But it’s clear that something had to be done.
Depending how they’re drafted, the rules may also ease the minds of some in the community that their past consensual behavior is going to come back to haunt them. There is, without a doubt, a “hook-up culture” in Springfield. Humans being humans, I’m not sure that it can or even should be stopped. But the problem isn’t sex. The problem, as made clear in the open letter, is the creepy stuff.
Is this just a political ploy by Madigan to jump in front of a parade? In some respects, yes. It’s not like he consulted with the other leaders before deciding on his course of action or allowed women to take the public lead on the issue. But, as flawed as it may be, that’s just Madigan’s usual mode of operation. When he gets an idea in his head, he goes with it. And he has a unique ability to make things happen.
I’ve heard several complaints, including from more than a few women, about the methods of the folks behind the letter about sexual harassment that circulated last week. For instance, a whole lot of people, including reporters, are now wondering who that unnamed “chamber leader” is who allegedly propositioned a female staffer by claiming to have an open marriage. There’s worry that this will just devolve into yet another hyper-partisan, gotcha exercise of finger-pointing and anonymous recriminations.
But the letter is having an impact with or without the new rules. Some women told me last week that they’d shaken more hands with men than ever before (instead of the usual hugs). This uproar is causing pretty much all of us to think about what we’ve done, what we could’ve done better and what we should be doing in the future. That’s not a horrible thing. It’ll take some time to work itself out, but at least it’s being addressed.
There’s simply no telling at this point where all this will lead. But almost every woman has a horror story about Statehouse life. They’ve dealt with it over the years in various ways — staying silent, setting their own boundaries, privately consulting with other women about whom to avoid, asking others to discreetly intervene. It can be utterly exhausting.
I think what the women behind this letter are demanding now is that the boundaries should no longer be set by each individual. They should be clear, universal and fair.
That’s not too much to ask.
* Related…
* Rauner ‘deeply troubled’ by accounts of sexual harassment in Springfield: “We’ve seen that 75 percent of complaints in the workplace for sexual harassment receive retaliation, so there needs to be some protections in place so there are no retaliations for women who do choose to come forward,” said Michelle Fadeley, president of Illinois NOW.
* Male Democratic Gubernatorial Lineup Addresses Women’s Issues At Forum: State Sen Daniel Biss, who has been in the legislature since 2011, said he can’t believe some of the conduct he personally has seen at the capitol — seeing women ignored, silenced and harassed. And Biss looked inward. “I think we all need to tell the truth and say that we’ve not done enough,” he declared. “I have not done enough.”
* Greg Hinz: Why is sexual harassment rampant in Springfield?
* Numerous folks I’ve talked to today have seen Rep. Jeanne Ives’ nominating petitions for governor. Her running mate is former Rep. Rich Morthland (R-Cordova), who lost to Democrat Mike Smiddy in 2012.
After weeks of speculation, State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) has decided to take a concrete step towards challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Ives stopped short of announcing her candidacy but said she will circulate petitions in pursuit of the required signatures to appear on the March 20 primary ballot while she continues contemplating the decision to run. […]
Rock Island-based former state representative and community college Prof. Rich Morthland will be Ives’ running mate.
“Rich and I know, however, that if you change out the politicians and tell people the truth, then the reform can begin,” Ives said. “And Illinois can recover. Our promise to you is to be honest about the problems we face and the path we must take to make Illinois a place where businesses and families can thrive. We will confront and expose public corruption at every level of government until it stops.” […]
Chicago GOP Chairman Chris Cleveland will serve as the chairman of the Ives for Illinois campaign.
I need my army of supporters around the state to bring common sense back to Illinois.
…Adding More… Illinois Review has the press release. Excerpt…
There is little trust between most Illinoisans and their government at many levels - and for good reasons. Top political leaders have lied to the people about who they are and what they are going to do - and they continue to make promises we cannot keep. Public corruption is an everyday event across the state. Many Illinoisans have simply decided to leave for better opportunities elsewhere.
Rich and I know, however, that if you change out the politicians, replacing them with public servants, and tell people the truth, then reform can begin. Illinois can and must recover. Our promise to you is to be honest about the problems we face and the path we must take to make Illinois a place where businesses and families can thrive again. We will confront and expose public corruption at every level of government until it stops.
I am most thankful that my team includes Chris Cleveland. He will serve as the Chairman of the Ives for Illinois campaign. Chris was among the first to encourage me to enter this race and has been a key advisor to me on a daily basis. His position as the current Chicago GOP chairman shows the broad base of support this campaign already has.
We need your help to get on the ballot. Our petition is attached along with the instructions. Please read through the instructions prior to circulating. In advance, I give my sincere thanks to all for your support and work that is ahead of us.
…Adding Still More… Hmm…
…Adding Some More… Gov. Rauner’s former deputy chief of staff for communications…
* As you’ll recall, the ILGOP kicked out a Chicago GOP staffer from its office this week because the city party chairman is helping Rep. Jeanne Ives gear up to run against Gov. Rauner. City chairman Chris Cleveland wrote to the IL GOP’s State Central Committee this week and Illinois Review published it. Here’s an excerpt…
Four years ago, we ran candidates across the city for the purpose of generating enthusiasm and volunteers for phone calls and door knocks. In close coordination with the Rauner campaign, we flooded their offices with volunteers and executed 363,000 voter contacts, 263,000 of which were door knocks. We were able to raise Rauner’s vote in Chicago to 20.63%, just a hair above the magic 20% threshold. And he won.
If Rauner is on the ballot this fall, this won’t happen. Not because we wouldn’t want to; we’re loyal Republicans and Rauner over Pritzker would be an easy choice. It won’t happen because the state party has consistently undermined our efforts to recruit here, and because there is zero enthusiasm for this governor. Even prior to HB 40, we couldn’t get people to sign his petition.
It’s past time for the state central committee to step in and right the ship. First, I ask that you prevail upon Bruce Rauner to stop the petty retribution. This is the Republican Party, not the mob, and it’s time for them to grow up.
Second, I ask that you consider separating the state party apparatus from the Rauner campaign. They are acting as one and the same, but our party is bigger than Bruce, and we have broader concerns than his personal well-being. Notably, we need to take back the House, and we have two very viable candidates for state rep in Chicago, both of whom *might actually win*. A party must support such activities.
Another week, and another Democrat lines up to run for Illinois Attorney General. The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) Executive Director Scott Will released the following statement on Renato Mariotti’s announcement to seek the Democratic nomination.
“Renato says he wants to rail against the special interests. Noble, but his words ring hollow when he fails to even mention Mike Madigan, who has run Springfield with a relentless focus on his constituents: the connected and the corrupt. You cannot change the Office of the Attorney General without acknowledging the root cause of the problem. In reality, Renato just enjoys the spotlight. The Prairie State does not need another attorney general who would rather protect his well-connected friends over hardworking Illinoisans.”
(L)ast night Mariotti locked in an MSNBC appearance where he made his announcement on national TV. He then took to Twitter to lay out his reasons for running. Those tweets drew more than 20,000 “likes”.
People started visiting his campaign website and it crashed. Twice. (He reports 20,000 visited the first time and 40,000 the second crash).
What gives? Since President Donald Trump’s election, Mariotti has cultivated himself as a legal commentator, a frequent TV presence explaining various legal events related to the president, from travel bans to the Russia probe to transgender in the military. […]
“The argument that I’m making is the best way to check Donald Trump is using state attorneys general,” Mariotti told POLITICO. “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.”
All Illinois voting machines have been penetrated by the Russians? Um, no…
And in Illinois, Russian hackers inserted a malicious program into the Illinois State Board of Elections’ database. According to Ken Menzel, the board’s general counsel, the program tried unsuccessfully “to alter things other than voter data” — he declined to be more specific — and managed to illegally download registration files for 90,000 voters before being detected.
A new published report suggests a vendor for the Illinois elections board might have been compromised by Russian hackers seeking to attack voting systems here and in other states.
Russian hackers attacked the voting-software supplier days before last year’s presidential election, according to the classified National Security Agency report.
The report, published online by The Intercept, does not say whether the hacking had any effect on election results. But it says Russian military intelligence attacked a U.S. voting software company and sent spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials at the end of October or beginning of November.
The company involved has contracts in eight states: Illinois, California, Florida, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, according to The Intercept. It was unclear whether any officials in Illinois might have received spear-phishing emails.
Either way, I kinda doubt the Russians are much interested in Putnam County’s machines.
…Adding… From John Bambenek…
As someone who has spent much of the last year and a half investigating election interference, I can say with confidence that these senseless and factless sensational claims are giving Russia exactly what they want. That is, an American public which does not have faith in our democratic institutions.”
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) wrote to the Illinois State Board of Elections (IL SBE) today asking them to stop using the deeply flawed Interstate Voter Registration Data Crosscheck Program (Crosscheck) to help the state maintain the accuracy of its voter registration system. Reports have shown that the system is not only ineffective at catching duplicate registrations, but discriminatory as well. Researchers recently found that “one of Crosscheck’s proposed purging strategies would eliminate about 300 registrations used to cast a seemingly legitimate vote for every one registration used to cast a double vote,” often because they had a common first and last name. The Senators encouraged the Board of Elections to instead participate in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) multistate partnership, a far more precise alternative that has resulted in higher voter registration rates and increased voter turnout.
“Maintaining the integrity of our elections is vital to ensuring a fair and equitable democracy. To fulfill this goal, we should use tools that enable us to protect voting rights and ensure that every eligible voter can access the ballot,” the Senators wrote to the Illinois State Board of Elections’ Chairman Cadigan and Vice Chairman Keith. “Voters in Illinois deserve voter lists that are complete and accurate—and no voter should ever be improperly disenfranchised because of inaccurate information produced by a flawed data matching tool. That is why we strongly support the IL SBE completely withdrawing from Crosscheck and becoming a fully active participant in ERIC to improve the accuracy of voter lists and make sure all eligible voters are empowered to freely exercise their right to participate in American democracy.”
The Crosscheck program is run by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who currently serves as Vice Chair of President Trump’s voter suppression commission. The large number of inaccurate findings Crosscheck produces has sparked concerns that it could be used to disenfranchise voters, particularly in communities of color. A 2015 Center for American Progress report noted that Crosscheck was much more likely to flag African-American, Hispanic and Asian voters as possibly being registered to vote in multiple states than White voters.
Like Durbin and Duckworth, Cook County Clerk David Orr told me this week that he now opposes continuing to participate in Crosscheck and favors Illinois relying on another program that also matches the last four digits of voter Social Security numbers.
Until now, Orr favored participating in Crosscheck, as did the Chicago election board. But Chicago elections spokesman Jim Allen said Friday that a majority of the board now opposes Illinois’ continued involvement in Crosscheck.
Illinois elections officials have defended the program, but they have acknowledged one potentially big problem with it, according to an email obtained by Indivisible Chicago, an anti-Trump activist group.
“We are concerned that other states may have released Illinois voter data pursuant to their own [Freedom of Information Act] laws, and as a result we are currently in the process of determining if this is indeed occurring,” Steven Sandvoss, executive director of the state election board, told county elections officials on Oct. 20.
* The Sun-Times editorialized against remaining in the Crosscheck system…
Illinois also is a member of an alternate system, the Electronic Registration Information Center, also known as ERIC, which is nonpartisan and widely considered to be significantly more accurate. The downside is that not as many states belong to it because it costs money, unlike Crosscheck, which is free. Crosscheck has 28 member states, though four have quit, citing unreliable data. ERIC has 20.
On top of the other problems, Indivisible Chicago reported Crosscheck administrators have been careless with voter information, emailing passwords and using unencrypted servers. That could expose voters’ names, addresses and, in some states, Social Security numbers to hackers.
Kobach, who is running for governor in Kansas, does not appear to be the kind of individual who should be entrusted with sway over voting. In June, a federal judge fined him $1,000 for “deceptive conduct” in misleading the court about documents he brought into a meeting with President Donald Trump.
No one wants cheating in elections. But that counts for the people who run the system as well as those at the polling place.
Lake Michigan water rates have been surging throughout the Chicago region in recent years, squeezing low-income residents and leaving them with little, if any, recourse, a Tribune analysis shows.
In this tangled network that delivers water to the vast majority of the region’s residents, the Tribune found an upside-down world, one where people in the poorest communities pay more for a basic life necessity than those in the wealthiest.
And the financial pain falls disproportionately on majority-African-American communities, where residents’ median water bill is 20 percent higher for the same amount of water than residents pay in predominantly white communities, the Tribune’s examination revealed.
Consider Ford Heights, a cash-strapped, predominantly African-American suburb south of Chicago. People there pay nearly six times more for the same amount of water than residents of Highland Park, a wealthy, predominantly white town on the North Shore — and four times more than Chicago residents.
In the end, little is stopping local leaders from raising rates even more: Illinois regulators have no oversight authority over towns’ water rates. […]
Community leaders offer a variety of explanations for the high rates. Some acknowledge that residents are paying for significant amounts of water lost through cracked pipes and leaky hydrants. Others say they are imposing higher rates to pay exorbitant replacement costs of that infrastructure.
Drop by drop, more than 25 billion gallons of water drawn from Lake Michigan was lost in the Chicago area last year, an analysis by the Chicago Tribune has found.
A sprawling network of crumbling underground pipes allows water to surreptitiously seep into the soil before customers even turn on the faucet. […]
Last year alone, northeast Illinois would have saved nearly $9.1 million if towns using Lake Michigan water had been held to the state’s water loss standard of 12 percent. […]
Towns with majority-black populations lost an average of 18 percent of their water, compared to the region’s overall rate of 10 percent. These towns pay some of the highest rates for water in the area. […]
The result has been a significant drop in overall water use by Illinois over the past 20 years — by nearly 30 percent, state officials say. And despite its losses, Illinois still fares better than many other states.
But improvements to unseen pipes and water mains have not materialized. In towns like Maywood, for example, water loss has remained stubbornly high.
REPORTER: Governor, there’s a bump stock bill that failed yesterday. There’s also a Republican measure that would ban just bump stocks, not modifications. You’re a hunter. Would you support that kind of a measure?
RAUNER: Well, uh, again there are number of regulations and regulatory bills being discussed in the General Assembly. I think, I’m, I encourage the conversation. I look forward to, our team is participating in the conversation. I don’t want to, um, comment prematurely or speculate about legislation, but there’s good conversations going on.
REPORTER: So do you support bump stocks, or do you not support bump stocks?
RAUNER: What I support is a good bipartisan conversation about these issues.
* JB Pritzker’s people sent that around along with this…
Rauner Dodges on Bump Stocks… Again
Chicago, IL – Bruce Rauner once again dodged questions and refused to take a position on bump stocks, the gun accessory used to take 58 lives earlier this month in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. Just days after the Las Vegas massacre, Rauner was asked about a bump stock ban, and was silent then just as he is now. […]
“In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, Bruce Rauner doesn’t care enough to provide solutions to prevent gun violence and keep Illinoisans safe,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Rauner’s repeated silence is another symptom of his failed leadership and his inability to take any action on pressing issues facing our state.”
*** UPDATE *** Republican lawmaker uses liberal Democrat’s video to demand GOP governor veto gun-related bill. What a world…
* Before we begin, let’s look at the author’s bio…
Louis Jacobson is the senior correspondent at PolitiFact, the fact-checking website that is part of the Tampa Bay Times of Florida. He is also senior author of the Almanac of American Politics 2016 and was a contributing writer for the 2000 and 2004 editions. For Governing, Jacobson has written a column on state politics since the 2010 election cycle, including handicapping gubernatorial, state legislative and state attorney general races and the electoral college. Before that, he wrote a similar column for Stateline.org and Roll Call. He has also handicapped state and federal races for such publications as the Cook Political Report, the Rothenberg Political Report, PoliticsPA.com and the Tampa Bay Times.
In September of 2014, Jacobson rated the Quinn/Rauner race “Lean Republican.”
Three Republican-held governorships are so vulnerable that we’ve rated them lean Democratic. Those are the open seats being vacated by Paul LePage of Maine and Susana Martinez of New Mexico, as well as the seat held by incumbent Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who announced his run for re-election earlier this week. […]
Lean Democratic
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R)
Rauner’s first term continues to be tough. A Republican in a strongly Democratic state, he’s fought an ongoing battle with the Democratic-controlled legislature that kept the state without a full budget for more than two years. The state remains in fiscal trouble, though, with over $15 billion in unpaid bills and the biggest public pension unfunded liability of any state. A decision to sign a bill providing state funding for abortions for low-income women in September, precipitated a war between the governor and social conservatives, possibly enough to provoke a primary challenge. Rauner has a vast personal fortune, but discontent within the GOP, combined with approval ratings in the mid-30s, point to a difficult re-election bid.
The Democratic field includes three figures from the populous Cook County: J.B. Pritzker, a multibillionaire and the brother of the former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker; Chris Kennedy, a businessman and son of Robert F. Kennedy; and progressive state Sen. Daniel Biss. Pritzker appears to be in the best position, having secured endorsements from the AFL-CIO, key unions and Cook County Democratic officialdom. Perhaps most important, Pritzker is a self-funder, which is attractive to Democrats looking for a way to beat the deep-pocketed Rauner.
*** UPDATE *** Part of a DGA press release that also references the above projection…
This week, Bruce Rauner officially announced his reelection campaign with a web video, a paid TV ad profiling Rauner’s lack of job creation, and a distinct lack of campaign events with voters. On Sunday, he heads overseas for a week. […]
“Rauner, who kicked off his bid for a second term with the help of his Harley-Davidson, remains the most-vulnerable governor. With the two-year-long budget battle completed despite Rauner’s veto, attention has pivoted to the Republican’s expansion of taxpayer-funded abortions that has alienated the base.”
Maybe week two will go better.
“Bruce Rauner’s reelection campaign is off to a rough start and its only five days old,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s failures have simply caught up to him. Voters will not forget the two-year budget crisis he imposed on the state, the debt he piled up, and his inability to stem the flow of jobs and people out of state. Illinois is doing worse under Bruce Rauner and riding around on a Harley will not fix it.”
Under pressure in advance of hearings on Russian election interference, Facebook is moving to increase transparency for everyone who sees and buys political advertising on its site.
Executives for the social media company said Friday they will verify political ad buyers in federal elections, requiring them to reveal correct names and locations, and to create new graphics where users can click on the ads and find out more about who’s behind them.
More broadly, Rob Goldman, Facebook’s vice president in charge of ad products, said the company is building new transparency tools in which all advertisers — even those that aren’t political — are associated with a page, and users can click on a link to see all of the ads any advertiser is running.
Users also will be able to see all of the ads paid for by the advertisers, whether or not those ads were originally targeted toward them. […]
Facebook’s Goldman said the company also will build a new archive of federal election ads on Facebook, including the total amount spent and the number of times an ad is displayed, he said. The archive, which will be public for anyone to search, would also have data on the audience that saw the ads, including gender and location information. The archive would eventually hold up to four years of data.
That last component should apply to state and local elections, too, and go beyond candidates to third party “issue” advertisers.
In the coming weeks, we will launch an industry-leading transparency center that will offer everyone visibility into who is advertising on Twitter, details behind those ads, and tools to share your feedback with us.
Specifically, the Transparency Center will show:
All ads that are currently running on Twitter, including Promoted-Only ads
How long ads have been running
Ad creative associated with those campaigns
Ads targeted to you, as well as personalized information on which ads you are eligible to receive based on targeting […]
Electioneering ads are those that refer to a clearly identified candidate (or party associated with that candidate) for any elected office.* To make it clear when you are seeing or engaging with an electioneering ad, we will now require that electioneering advertisers identify their campaigns as such. We will also change the look and feel of these ads and include a visual political ad indicator.
In the Transparency Center, there will be a special section for electioneering ads that will include:
All ads that are currently running or that have run on Twitter, including Promoted-Only ads
Disclosure on total campaign ad spend by advertiser
Transparency about the identity of the organization funding the campaign
Targeting demographics, such as age, gender and geography
Historical data about all electioneering ad spending by advertiser
We are also updating our policies for electioneering advertisers to:
Include stricter requirements on who can serve these ads and limit targeting options
Require electioneering advertisers to self-identify as such
Introduce stronger penalties for advertisers who violate policies
Regarding Issue-Based Ads
We are committed to stricter policies and transparency around issue-based ads. There is currently no clear industry definition for issue-based ads but we will work with our peer companies, other industry leaders, policy makers, and ad partners to clearly define them quickly and integrate them into the new approach mentioned above.
* Rep. Jeanne Ives was asked this week what she’d do if she was elected governor…
So, what would I do differently? That’s a good question. First of all I’d ask everybody to turn out. You have to completely turn out, uh, turnover the Democrat legislature. You must get rid of Mike Madigan. He is stopping all the good economic policies that would come to fruition.
* Which leads us to this kinda tongue in cheek oppo dump…
Jeanne Ives: Secret Democrat?
The Dan Proft-Run Prairie State Wire Recently Attacked House Republican Caucus Leader Jim Durkin For Having Donors Who Also Contributed To Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. “How to be a ‘Citizen for Durkin’ and ‘Friend of Madigan,’ at once…Ex-GOP State Senator Thomas J. Walsh, now a lobbyist and one of Durkin’s oldest political mentors, gave his friend’s “Citizens for Durkin” political action committee $500 in September. He also gave $500 that month to Friends of Michael Madigan, run by Durkin’s alleged arch-nemesis, who he is supposed to be trying to depose in 2018. Walsh, whose younger brother, David, is a top paid strategist for Durkin, has donated this year to a host of House Democrats competing for Madigan across the aisle, including State Rep. Marty Moylan, State Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside), State Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), State Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island), State Rep. Fran Hurley (D-Chicago), and State Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights). Thomas Walsh isn’t the only self-described Republican Durkin supporter who also backs Democrats.” (“House Republican Leader Durkin Solicits Democrats To Back Re-Election Bid,” Prairie State Wire, 10/24/17)
Proft Ally Jeanne Ives Has Raised 24 Percent Of Her Campaign Funds From Donors Who Also Gave To Madigan
Jeanne Ives Has Raised $288,943.11 Since First Running For Office In 2011. (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 10/26/17)
$68,012 – 24 Percent - Of Ives’ Fundraising Has Come From Donors Who Also Contributed To Friends Of Michael J. Madigan. (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 10/26/17)
Proft Called Out Durkin For Receiving Money From A Union That Also Gave To Ives
The Prairie State Wire Story Specifically Called Out Durkin’s Receipt Of Contributions From The Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management Political Action Committee. “Durkin also received contributions in September from former top State Senate Democrat aides-turned-lobbyists Eric Madiar and Stephen Morrill, President Barack Obama’s first campaign manager Dan Shomon, former Daley political operative Thomas Manion, and the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management Political Action Committee, which vigorously opposes Governor Bruce Rauner’s push for local ‘right to work’ legislation.” (“House Republican Leader Durkin Solicits Democrats To Back Re-Election Bid,” Prairie State Wire, 10/24/17)
Ives Received A $1,000 Contribution From The Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management Political Action Committee On September 5, 2017. (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 10/26/17)
Ives Has Received $5,900 Since 2013 From The Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management Political Action Committee. (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 10/26/17)
State Rep. Peter Breen of Lombard predicts a [primary challenge to Rauner] but is dubious about whether it will be a viable one. Breen, recently named House Republican floor leader, had been mentioned as a possible challenger to Rauner, but he says he’s happy in his current role.
“You’ve got to have seven figures in commitments” before taking on the billionaire businessman, said Breen, who sharply castigated Rauner for signing the abortion bill. […]
Rep. David Harris of Arlington Heights recalled a 1990 primary between then-Gov. Jim Edgar and Steve Baer, an activist against abortion, that the incumbent won convincingly.
“Folks in the party say, ‘Oh, this is (Rauner’s) death knell, he’ll never win.’ I don’t believe that,” said Harris, who recently announced he will not seek re-election. “I do not believe you can build a gubernatorial campaign just on the abortion issue. … It probably works to a great extent in a primary but not in a general election.”
* The General Assembly lost its acting inspector general in 2015, when Bill Roberts quit, and hasn’t had a “real” IG since 2013. State law requires that the Legislative Ethics Commission (composed of eight members of Illinois House and Senate leadership) appoint an interim IG if there’s a vacancy, but that hasn’t happened. So, what’s going on?…
(T)he office of the state’s legislative inspector general sits empty. The Legislative Ethics Commission’s executive director, Randy Erferd, attends only to the group’s administrative needs and did not return calls for comment by publication.
Despite this, $312,500 were appropriated for the Office of the Legislative Inspector General in this year’s budget. The same amount was appropriated in 2013, 2014, 2015, and for the 2016-2017 year. A total of $1,875,000 million has been appropriated for an office which has not been occupied and to pay for a staff which doesn’t exist. […]
“We haven’t found an appropriate person but I want to hasten to add that there have been no reports of ethics violations during that period of time so it’s not like there’s something that hasn’t been done,” [Rep. Lou Lang] said.
The commission’s governing statute holds that the number of claims received by the body is a matter of public record. However, no quarterly or annual reports appear to have been filed by the office since June 2014, making Lang’s claim difficult to verify. The responsibility to file those reports resides with the inspector general.
Lang was asked why quarterly reports, if they have been filed by the commission, have not been made public. “At this moment I don’t have an answer about that for you, but I can tell you if there had been complaints we would have had to figure out how to investigate them.”
…Adding… As a commenter rightly notes, the IG is a significant component of Speaker Madigan’s sexual harassment bill…
Each state Inspector General will have authority to review allegations of sexual harassment and submit any founded complaints to the applicable Ethics Commission for a hearing. Each Ethics Commission will have the authority to fine an individual up to $5,000 for a violation of the prohibition on sexual harassment.
…Adding More… I think the appropriations mentioned above were probably re-approps, so while the money was budgeted, it wasn’t spent every year.
That, that bill was really, um, primarily about, um, enabling some more political manipulation by Speaker Madigan and Comptroller Mendoza on how they can prioritize, um, bill payment. That’s really what was behind that bill.
To be clear, I am a strong advocate for transparency. Very strong advocate. The way to have transparency is to invest in our computer systems so we can be fast and everything can be online and everyone can look. Our computer system’s budget was gutted, um, reduced dramatically, uh, by the Speaker and the appropriations that passed over my veto. Um, we need to invest in our IT systems and our infrastructure. Actually, that will reduce the cost of government over time and make everything much more transparent. So, we’ve gotta keep working on transparency. I will continue to be a strong advocate for transparency. And trying to do what I can to eliminate the politicism, politicization of bill paying, which is really what’s driving a lot of this right now.
…Adding… From GOP Rep. Dave McSweeney…
Hey Governor - You lost 112-0 and hid $2.8 billion of unappropriated fiscal year 17 bills. What did the Governor know about the hidden bills and when did he know it?
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Abdon Pallasch at the comptroller’s office…
No, the Speaker did not hypnotize every House Republican to vote against the Governor. That 112-0 vote – every House Republican joining every House Democrat – ends any discussion about whether this was about good policy or, as the Governor futilely tried to misrepresent, about “politics.” Comptroller Mendoza outworked the Governor and educated all House members about the need for our office – and for legislators and taxpayers – to know how many unpaid bills the Governor is holding at his agencies.
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, said he was happy to co-sponsor the debt transparency legislation and asked Republican colleagues to unanimously support the override.
“It was the right thing to do. #thatsleadership,” Skillicorn tweeted. […]
Asked about the overrides this week, Rauner said his priorities are to make sure the economy grows to help job creators, protect taxpayers and “make sure we have a government that’s efficient, effective, transparent.”
“We set some priorities in this session and we prioritized,” Rauner said. “My vetoes, our priorities have been protected.”
Asked whether that meant the Debt Transparency Act wasn’t on the same level of priority as other vetoes, the governor reiterated that his priorities “held.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner will lead a delegation to Israel next week to explore opportunities for expanded business and research ties to the “Start-Up Nation,” the moniker used to describe Israel’s remarkable economic advances through technological innovation.
The trip builds out of the governor’s announcement last week that the University of Illinois System will launch the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) in Chicago and the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) by creating research partnerships with world-class universities here and abroad. U of I President Tim Killeen is joining the Israeli trade mission. He and the governor will meet with officials at four Israeli universities: Technion, Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv and Hebrew.
“We hope to establish research partnerships that augment the work U of I System universities will do at the Discovery Partners Institute,” the governor said. “We also want to make our plans known to companies in Israel so they consider investments in our initiatives and in our state.”
“Our meetings in Israel are a critical first step toward creating new relationships for DPI, and for the U of I System’s three best-in-class universities,” Killeen said. “The discussions will build bridges for research collaborations that lead the way to progress, and exchange programs that prepare students to succeed in the increasingly global workplace that awaits them.”
Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Aviv Ezra, who was instrumental in setting the itinerary for the mission, will travel with the delegation.
“We look forward to sharing our expertise as the startup nation with Illinois,” he said. “The future partnerships between the world-renowned universities in Israel and Illinois are sure to produce groundbreaking solutions to world challenges. The projects that emanate from this win-win collaboration will be acknowledged on the world map as revolutionary.”
The delegation from the governor’s office will include the governor, Deputy Gov. Leslie Munger and a staff member. From the University of Illinois, traveling are: Edward Seidel, vice president for Economic Development and Innovation; Andreas Cangellaris, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Jeffrey Brown, dean of the College of Business in Urbana-Champaign; Mark Rosenblatt, chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and Pradeep Khanna, Associate Vice Chancellor for Corporate Relations and Economic Development.
The delegation departs for Israel Sunday, Oct. 29, with the state of Illinois group returning on Friday Nov. 3, and the university group returning Saturday, Nov. 4.
* This looks more like a campaign appearance for Gov. Rauner than a legit raiding trip…
Florida’s governor is leading a raiding party through Illinois in hopes of taking some of the state’s employers back to the Sunshine State with him.
Gov. Rick Scott arrived in Chicago Wednesday in a winter coat and scarf. He told reporters that he and his delegation are speaking to businesses and site selectors in hopes that they will choose to relocate to Florida.
Scott explained the fiscal situation of his state’s economy compared to Illinois.
“We’re continuing to reduce our taxes,” Scott said. “We’ve reduced taxes 75 times and cut 25 percent of our state debt.”
He hammered Chicago and Illinois tax rates and their effect on business.
“Rahm Emanuel is raising your taxes. The Illinois state legislature is raising your taxes,” he said. “It’s making it more difficult for companies to do business.”
As he stood along the Magnificent Mile, wearing a top coat and scarf to shield himself against the morning’s 40-degree temperatures, the Republican governor said warmer weather isn’t the only big difference between Florida and Illinois. […]
Scott’s visit comes just two days after Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner launched his re-election campaign. Scott said he believes Rauner has tried very hard to grow the Illinois economy.
“While he’s trying to keep the taxes low here, and the regulation low, his legislature is hurting the Illinois economy,” he said. “Your taxes are too high. You don’t cut regulation enough.”
I’m not sure if anyone asked Gov. Scott if he planned to stop by an Illinois National Guard base while he was here to thank them for their help with hurricane relief. Gov. Rauner dispatched 800 guard troops to Florida last month.
* The Tribune has the only story I could find on this event…
Cook County Clerk David Orr on Thursday endorsed first-time candidate Fritz Kaegi in his Democratic primary bid to oust Assessor Joe Berrios.
The veteran clerk, who’s not running again after seven terms, cited the “need to clean up” the assessor’s office, particularly the inequities in the property tax system.
The Chicago Tribune highlighted that issue in its “Tax Divide” series. The investigation concluded that the county’s property tax system created an unequal burden on residents, handing huge financial breaks to homeowners who are well-off while punishing those who have the least, particularly people living in minority communities.
Orr said he’s frustrated that there have been no changes since the Tribune’s stories ran in June. In the meantime, thousands of homes have been reassessed, he said.
Despite a July announcement by County Board President Toni Preckwinkle that a probe of the entire assessment system was underway, two meetings to move that process along have since been canceled, Orr said.
Following is a statement from Fritz Kaegi, the progressive Democrat running against incumbent Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios in the March 2018 primary election, in response to Berrios’ testimony before the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Friday.
“Today, Joe Berrios stood before the Cook County Board and claimed with a straight face that the assessment model Cook County uses is ‘a very good one.’ He should tell that to the hundreds of thousands of Cook County working families who are grossly and systematically overassessed every year. Meanwhile, he lets wealthy property owners off the hook–as long as they hire property tax attorneys who donate to his political fund. Let’s not forget that, for years, he has refused to reveal how Cook County calculates assessments. That is unique among county assessors in Illinois.”
“Joe Berrios wants us to ignore the well documented facts and simply pretend everything is fine. Cook County homeowners struggling to stay above water know differently.”
Over the last 15 years, the labor force participation rate fell more in counties where more opioids were prescribed. Here’s a county-by-county look at the relationship between the change in the labor force participation rate at the state level and the opioid prescription rate at the county level […]
Krueger notes that, “Regardless of the direction of causality, the opioid crisis and depressed labor force participation are now intertwined in many parts of the U.S.” He argues that finding a solution to the decades-long slide in labor force participation by prime-age men should be “a national priority.” Men who are outside the workforce, he writes, express very low levels of subjective well-being and report deriving relatively little meaning from their daily activities. […]
Because nearly half of this group [men who are out of the labor force] reported being in poor health, it may be possible for expanded health insurance coverage and preventative care under the Affordable Care Act to positively affect the health of prime age men going forward. The finding that nearly half of NLF [not in the labor force] prime age men take pain medication on a daily basis and that 40 percent report that pain prevents them from accepting a job suggests that pain management interventions could potentially be helpful.
The drug company founder now charged with leading a nationwide conspiracy to bribe doctors and pharmacists to overprescribe an opioid cancer pain drug once was listed among Arizona’s richest billionaires.
John N. Kapoor, the founder of Insys Therapeutics, several years ago was listed by Forbes as having a worth of $2.4 billion. That worth has fallen amid the indictments of numerous fellow Insys executives, but Forbes still listed Kapoor’s worth at $1.75 billion on Thursday as he went to U.S. federal court in the fraud and racketeering case.
Kapoor is also the longtime chairman of the board of Akorn Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Lake Forest. Akorn is in the process of being acquired by German health care company Fresenius Kabi for $4.3 billion. That deal is expected to close by early next year, subject to regulatory approval. […]
The new indictment alleges Kapoor and the other defendants offered bribes to doctors to write large numbers of prescriptions for the fentanyl-based pain medication that is meant only for cancer patients with severe pain. Most people who received prescriptions did not have cancer.
