* I posted a Leftover Salmon video here late Friday afternoon. On Sunday, I realized that one of the group’s founding members Vince Herman was playing in a band later that day at a golf course just north of Springfield. The weather was great, the beer was cold and I saw a lot of friends and made some new ones…
It was important to me to be reflective before I Issued this statement. I came to Springfield to fight to bring equity to a system that is failing many and I will not apologize for that. There is no title or amount of money that will take me off of that position. My family lives by this motto, “I will not compromise my dignity, and I will not violate the dignity of others!” So whatever my past, you can count on me to be who I am demanded to be, for the people I serve.
The year that I was born in 1972, Shirley Chisolm stated: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” In January 2021, my work ethic and diligence to represent the constituents of the 103rd and the people of the state of Illinois earned me an invite to bring my ‘folding chair’ to the “leadership” table.
This position was created to unite a vision for holistic democratic values that encompassed traditional, progressive, moderate, and the varying needs within the party. It was also established to ensure we, as a Democratic unit, were upholding and fighting for both the voices of the heard, but more critically the voices of the unheard.
I approached this role with the same fearlessness, fight, and ferocity that I have throughout my over 20-year career as an activist/organizer, as well as my 15 years in public service; 5 years on the Champaign County Board, 2 years as an Alderwoman in Urbana, and 7 years as a state legislator. I brought to the role the same tenacious fire I had when I Co-founded Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice, as a member of the NAACP, working to pass prison reform legislation, temporary workers rights, protection of the Mahomet Aquifer, repeal the criminalization of people living with HIV and access to affordable higher education. I had the same passion when I helped move the four Pillars to end systemic racism with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, and when I advocated with all my might to ensure the historic vote of the first African American Speaker of the House of Representatives in Illinois’ over 200-year history.
During the course of my journey, as a Black woman and leader, I have always been unapologetic in my fight for truth, justice, and equity. My work is steeped in authenticity and integrity. To be clear, my journey has borne witness to the reality that inequities and the need to demand respect exists on all levels. And while I know I have not compromised my dignity or violated anyone else’s, on May 29, 2021, I was asked to take my folding chair to another table. As an activist/organizer it has always been important to highlight the contradictions within the society, organizations, or relationships. In the seven years I’ve been In Springfield I have witnessed the exact same argument be received differently based on the gender and/or the hue of the skin of the person delivering it. That reality was never a deterrent for me prior to being given a seat at the table of “leadership” and it will not be a deterrent for me going forward. I was taught that leadership is honest work and correct thinking and therefore can come from anyone at any time.
As your Representative, I wanted you all to know that I remain committed to working honestly and being well prepared to offer the correct analysis of any bill I work on, or any relationship that develops while working on your behalf. In short, I will continue to offer leadership whether my folding chair has a space at the table, or if I have to pick it up and move it to another location!
In Service,
Rep. Carol Ammons
I ran that letter through a file-converter program, so please pardon any transcription errors.
When asked for a response, House Speaker Welch’s spokesperson referred me to his original comments.
* Welch was asked about Ammons by Mark Maxwell. Transcript…
Maxwell: I don’t know if it was the hands off approach that led to some of the fights from the Democratic caucus spilling over onto the floor debate. I saw that a couple times down the stretch, between Rep. Terra Costa Howard and Rep. Ammons and between Reps. Tarver and Rep. Slaughter. Are you happy to just let these fights take place on the open floor? Wouldn’t you rather keep that in caucus behind closed doors?
Welch: Listen, we’re a diverse caucus. Diversity is a strength of our state. When you have diversity you have diversity of thought and democracy. You have to let people have debates.
Maxwell: What’s the line between a diverse caucus and a divided caucus?
Welch: Well, we’re not divided. I think people can see that we’re not divided. We had a very successful session. You don’t accomplish the things that we did by being divided. This is a very united caucus, but we’re geographically diverse, racially diverse, culturally diverse. Diversity is a great thing within us, it’s one of our strengths. But with that comes differences, and we’re not going to stifle debate. I think that’s important. I think if you look back on previous general assemblies, we’ve had some nice spirited debates on the floor of the House of Representatives, that’s nothing new, and you’re not gonna step in and start with a baby, that’s just not my style. And all I ask our colleagues to do is keep it professional.
Maxwell: Was that a reference to Representative Ammons?
Welch: That was a reference to ‘in general.’ Just keep it professional.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Senate Democrats just told me the chamber is returning a week from today.
…Adding… Press release…
The Illinois Senate will return to session on Tuesday, June 15 for the purpose of voting on clean energy legislation that Gov. JB Pritzker negotiated to set Illinois on a path to a nation-leading renewable energy plan.
“This is a landmark clean energy plan that both protects thousands of jobs and moves Illinois responsibly toward the future,” said Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.
It is expected that the Senate session will be one day only.
Hearing the House will come the following day, but that’s not yet solid.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Speaker Welch…
“As I indicated before we adjourned on the final day of session, the House is expected to return next week on Wednesday, June 16 to take care of some final-action legislation. Items such as the energy proposal, unemployment insurance, and an elected school board for Chicago will be at the top of our list. We were able to accomplish big things this legislative session, and I’m eager to keep that spirit alive in a quick special session next week.”
Senate President Don Harmon said [Monday] that he expects a vote in his chamber as early as next week on the wide-ranging energy bill that was the subject of frenzied negotiation at the end of the session.
Harmon, D-Oak Park, said he didn’t expect there to be changes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s insistence that all coal-fired plants in Illinois shut down by 2035, despite the entreaties of municipally-owned utilities that are on the hook past that date to pay for the Prairie State plant built a little over a decade ago. Those utilities, and unions representing workers at the plant in Marissa, Ill., about 40 miles southeast of St. Louis, continue to lobby lawmakers to permit the plant to stay open longer. […]
“I think enough of the members that were concerned about (Prairie State) have come to terms with the 2035 date,” Harmon said in an interview. […]
Observers believe that enough support in the House is virtually assured, so the Senate remains the primary question mark. Harmon’s remarks today provide more assurance that the biggest state energy package since the deregulation of the generation industry in the late 1990s will pass.
A coalition of unions, utility officials and Democratic and Republican lawmakers from central and southern Illinois called on Gov. JB Pritzker and legislative leaders Friday to exempt nonprofit coal-fired plants from mandated 2035 closures in an upcoming clean-energy bill.
“Springfield already is doing the right things to transition to a ‘zero-carbon’ future,” Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said at a news conference at the Steamfitters & Plumbers Local 137 hall in Springfield.
Doug Brown, chief utility officer of Springfield’s municipality-owned City Water, Light & Power, said it is “not feasible” for the utility to close all of its coal-fired units in 14 years without the potential for higher electricity bills for consumers and shortages of power downstate that could lead to “brown-outs” and electricity restrictions.
Illinois is the third-largest net electricity exporter among the states, and typically sends about one-fifth of the power it generates to other states via the interstate transmission lines. […]
Coal-fired power plants have been the second-largest electricity providers in Illinois for the past decade. However, coal’s contribution to in-state generation has declined, dropping to 27% of generation in 2019 as more than a dozen older coal-fired generating plants have shut down. Others are being considered for closure, in response to stricter emissions regulations and economic pressures. Natural gas-fired generation provided slightly more than 10% of the state’s net generation in 2019, an all-time high and about four times more than in 2008. Wind energy accounts for almost all the rest of the state’s net generation.
Tuesday, Jun 8, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
More than two-thirds of Americans surveyed in July 2020 by the Harris Poll on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies say they or someone in their household delayed or canceled healthcare services due to COVID-19. Delayed care is even more prevalent among communities of color. In fact, Black and Hispanic adults, people with disabilities, and those with two or more underlying conditions are putting off medical care at higher rates than others. That’s why Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies introduced My Health Can’t Wait Illinois, a public information effort and resource hub designed to help Illinois residents get the information they need to prioritize their health and seek needed care. Learn more at MyHealthCantWait.com/Illinois.
* The governor’s office told me yesterday that hospitalizations are at the lowest level since they started reporting the number…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 365 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 11 additional deaths. In addition, more than 68% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 51% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Boone County: 1 male 60s
- Champaign County: 1 male 50s
- Cook County: 2 males 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Marion County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 male 60s
- Will County: 1 male 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,385,854 cases, including 22,974 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 36,408 specimens for a total of 24,949,758. As of last night, 791 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 226 patients were in the ICU and 117 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 1-7, 2021 is 1.1%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 1-7, 2021 is 1.3%.
A total of 11,708,874 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 42,852 doses. Yesterday, 44,174 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, Friday said throughout the pandemic, he also relied on guidance from Fauci. But that’s changed.
“When you look at some of the emails, you look at some of the recommendations, right now they clearly don’t follow science and data that we know about this disease now,” Davis told WMAY. “They follow feelings, they follow politics and we’ve got to change that in Washington and frankly all levels of government.”
In one email dated Feb. 5, 2020, Fauci responds to a question from a sender asking about whether to mask when traveling to a redacted location.
“Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection,” Fauci wrote. “The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through the material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you. I do not recommend that you wear a mask, particularly since you are going to a vey low risk location.”
Scientists weren’t certain about whether masks would work on this brand new virus back in early February of 2020. Illinois didn’t get a mask mandate until May, and it was one of the first. So, to judge this sort of thing in hindsight is to undermine legitimate public health efforts and enables the covidiots, many of whom have morphed into anti-vaxers. It’s also downright stupid politics outside of a Republican primary.
*** UPDATE *** Here’s a statement from far-right congressional candidate Esther Joy King. Rodney’s words are nicer, but they’re basically on the same page…
“These email releases clearly show Dr. Fauci—without reading into his intentions—was no more informed than anyone else on Covid-19. His only advantage was to use “science says” to back up his opinions, many of which turned out to be 100% wrong. There was no settled science in the mask debate, no settled science in the opening of schools debate, and there was just lies on the Covid-19 origins debate. And yet, Dr. Fauci hid behind “science says” each time to give credence to his opinions—many of which turned out to be flat wrong. The cult of Fauci was a media echo-chamber of fear-mongering journalists, and anti-Trump liberals. Frankly, this cover-up and misdirection to prop-up political agendas scares me, and every normal American should be wary of being lied to by media elites.”
Get your shots or get tested. That’s Illinois State University’s message to students returning to campus this fall.
It’s part of the university’s plan for a more traditional college experience after the COVID-19 pandemic turned everything on its ear 15 months ago.
ISU does not plan to require COVID-19 vaccinations at this time. However, students taking courses on campus who do not provide evidence of vaccination for the coronavirus will be required to participate in an on-campus COVID-19 testing program.
• About half of Republicans, 46%, compared with 31% of independents and 6% of Democrats, do not plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Americans without a college degree are much more likely than college graduates to be vaccine-hesitant, 31% to 12%.
• Vaccine hesitancy is more common among middle-aged Americans (33% of those between the ages of 35 and 54) than among younger (22%) and older Americans (20%).
Former Democratic state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias on Sunday endorsed Republican Tom Cross over Democrat Mike Frerichs for the job of managing Illinois’ money.
“While I’m not in politics anymore, and who I’m friends with and who I think would be a good leader is probably not important to a lot of people, I do appreciate the fact that Tom Cross has done his homework on the office of treasurer,” said Giannoulias, a senior director at BNY Mellon Wealth Management and chairman of the Illinois Community College Board.
Appearing on WGN radio, Giannoulias said Cross “understands the role (of treasurer) and when we talk about people willing to break with their party and do what’s right, I think he represents one of those people.”
Former state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat, is throwing his support behind Republican Tom Cross in the current race for treasurer, opting to not support fellow Democrat Mike Frerichs.
* All three of the above links were sent out by Pat Dowell’s campaign for secretary of state along with a news release…
At a Secretary of State’s Forum held by the Cook County Democratic Party on Saturday, June 5, candidate Alexi Giannoulias was asked if he had ever endorsed a Republican. He said that he had not. In fact, in 2014 he endorsed Republican Tom Cross for statewide office against a Democrat. This was widely reported at the time by outlets including The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, and Capitol Fax.
Alderman Scott Waguespack reacted, saying, “I am very troubled by Alexi Giannoulias’s statements at the forum over the weekend. He was asked a direct question from committeemen and lied about it. He tried to brush it off, claiming he only said ‘nice words’ about Cross. But when it was reported as an endorsement then, he didn’t say anything to the contrary. If he’s lying about something that can be so easily fact-checked, what else can we expect?
“I am endorsing Alderman Pat Dowell for Secretary of State because she embodies honesty and integrity and hard work. We need these qualities in Illinois public servants,” said Alderman Waguespack.
Alderman Pat Dowell said, “I promise the people of Illinois that I will work hard for them, innovate the Secretary of State’s office, and provide the best service to the public. And I will always be honest — that is who I am.”
Susan Sadlowski Garza: I just need to know a little bit about your, your past history. Is it true that you endorsed a Republican for statewide office?
Alexi Giannoulias: The answer is no, I didn’t. I did say good things about Tom Cross who was in the legislature [and running for] state treasurer. I think that no one should question my commitment to the Democratic party.
Tom Cross wasn’t just a legislator. He was the House Republican Leader.
And then Giannoulias went on to talk about Presidents Obama and Biden and skipped the Rauner era.
One candidate to replace White, Chicago businessman and former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, announced endorsements from U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and other Latino leaders. A second candidate, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, responded with support from influential labor groups, including the painter’s union and Local 1 of Unite Here, which represents workers in the hospitality industry.
Meanwhile Chicago Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, a few days earlier rolled out support from prominent Black officials, including U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago; Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough; and council colleague Jason Ervin, 28th, head of the City Council’s Black Caucus. […]
Some insiders clearly have noticed, with Giannoulias winning endorsements from Garcia and, notably, the Illinois Council of SEIU. “These early endorsements are big news, and, more importantly, they demonstrate the momentum that our campaign is experiencing and our success at building a broad-based coalition of support from across the state,” Giannoulias said in an email to backers. […]
The fourth Democrat known to be running, state Sen. Mike Hastings of Tinley Park, was not available to comment, but he has his own labor backing, from the Chicago region Carpenter’s Union. Hastings also has a somewhat different story to tell as an Iraq war veteran and Illinois Senate majority caucus whip.
The Carpenters recently moved over $933K into a campaign fund. Sure looks like they’re readying to make a big move.
City Clerk Anna Valencia officially launched her bid to succeed outgoing Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White on Monday, promising “everyone will have a seat at my table.”
Before White’s time leading the office, Valencia said it used to be a place where “people with special connections could land jobs” or a “campaign contribution could buy you special treatment or a permit.”
White changed that “pay-to-play” culture, Valencia said, pledging to build on the changes the longtime secretary of state made.
“Running an office that serves all people — Chicago, downstate, in the suburbs, everyday working class people of all races, just like my family — requires the highest standards of integrity and an honor,” the Granite City native said. “That has been the hallmark of my career, and it will be the hallmark of my service as secretary of state.”
She said her father, Joe, “proudly stripes … streets” currently as a member of Painters District Council 58, which endorsed Valencia Monday.
* Related…
* City Clerk Anna Valencia joins crowded Democratic field to replace Jesse White as secretary of state
Tuesday, Jun 8, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nominations are open now for the inaugural Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Inspired by the service of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, a Democrat, and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, the award will affirm and celebrate the best traditions of Illinois politics and government.
The Simon-Edgar Award will be presented each year to an elected Illinois official at the state or local level who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
We seek guidance from fellow Illinoisans and urge citizens from the Prairie State to nominate someone from local or state government who has displayed exceptional leadership. We are not seeking the perfect public servant, but a leader who has consistently endeavored to serve the public good and prepare their constituents for future challenges and opportunities.
* I am in no way or fashion a picky eater, but I’ve seen Asian carp up close and personal and it’s gonna take more than a name change to get that vision outta my head. But, hey, if it works, more power to them. Here’s Paris Schutz…
At the end of this month, Illinoisans will no longer hear the words “Asian carp.” After several years and hundreds upon hundreds of millions spent trying to keep them from the Great Lakes, how can that possibly be?
And why does this news have environmentalists and the state’s commercial fishing industry swimming in, or leaping with optimism?
Dirk Fucik says he’s discovered seafood cuisine that could one day be more popular than tilapia: Asian carp.
“It’s healthier than tilapia. Tilapia is omega 6 instead of omega 3, so you get a lot less benefits of health from tilapia,” Fucik, the purveyor of the popular North Side seafood spot Dirk’s Fish and Gourmet Shop.
To prove his point, Fucik spent a recent Saturday afternoon grilling up some creative carp cuisine in the parking lot of his store, from carp Cuban burgers, to carp tacos, to regular old smoked carp. But despite the accoutrements, the Asian carp is not yet a bestseller.
The state is supposed to announce the new name in a few weeks. Any suggestions?
* Most of the news media has centered its analysis of the new House Speaker almost solely on what the super-minority Republicans say about him. But that’s just a tiny part of the story. Ignored is what fellow Democrats say about the new speaker, including the governor. Here’s my weekly syndicated newspaper column…
I interviewed both Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week, so I thought I’d tell you about one of the overlaps.
Welch followed a man who had been in office for decades, so comparisons are unavoidable. When former House Speaker Michael Madigan was around, we were always playing guessing games.
What is he really up to? What does he really want? What’s he really trying to say?
I almost never got that sense with Welch this year. He was usually pretty upfront. He’d say he was going to do something and then, for the most part, he’d do it. There were no major guessing games. I wondered if that was a conscious decision and whether it would continue in the future.
“You know, Rich, I like to say I’ve been successful in politics for 20-plus years now because what you see is what you get. I try to be straight-up with people. They may not like the answer that I give them, but they like the fact that I give them the truth. And I think that’s been a successful recipe for me in politics, and I’m going to continue to be that way. I think it’s important that you just be straight-up and straightforward with people no matter what the position is.”
“A pretty transparent” guy
It’s one thing for Welch to pat himself on the back, but I was curious about what Gov. Pritzker thought. Pritzker dealt with Madigan during the 2018 campaign (when Madigan’s inner circle was battered by a series of sexual harassment scandals), and during his highly successful first spring session in 2019 (when Madigan was very helpful in getting loads of bills passed), then through the federal investigation of Madigan and his allies which ultimately resulted in Madigan’s ouster as House speaker this past January.
So I asked Pritzker about the biggest changes he’s experienced since the House elected a new speaker. He essentially confirmed what Welch said about himself.
“Look, these are two very different personalities,” Pritzker said. “I was friends with Chris Welch before he became speaker. He’s outgoing. He has a manner of addressing people and working with people that’s very different than Speaker Madigan.
“You know, everything’s close to the chest with former Speaker Madigan. Chris is a reasonable, I think pretty transparent and honest guy.
“And then the last thing I’ll say is that you understand who Chris Welch is on a policy level. You know his ideology, what he believes in. Obviously he’s got to make some tough decisions sometimes being speaker, but understanding that we share a commonality of direction on most issues just makes it easy to deal with him.
“Look, I’m not trying to denigrate the former speaker. I’m just telling you that Chris Welch is somebody that I regularly have the opportunity to speak with. I can text with Chris Welch or I can call Chris Welch and he will answer the phone. I mean, it took, I don’t know, two phone calls through whatever to get through to Speaker Madigan. [There’s] nothing wrong, he’s from a different era.”
I mentioned to Pritzker that every day was a different guessing game with Madigan. And, so far, we haven’t had to play that game with Welch. Senate President Don Harmon, I said, has been a different story.
Harmon unexpectedly tanked an agreement on a massive energy omnibus bill last week at literally the last minute, then appeared to play some parliamentary games with the new state budget. He’s gaining a reputation as someone who, like Madigan, keeps his cards close to his vest.
Harmon and Pritzker are not on the greatest of terms. In public, they refer to each other as friends, but Pritzker backed someone else for Senate president in 2019 and the tension has been evident ever since.
“I won’t even, I don’t know if I should even put you on the spot on that one,” I joked to Pritzker about my Harmon reference.
“I always enjoy hearing your views,” the governor said. And then his staff abruptly cut off the interview. Not totally because of the line of questioning, mind you, but also because we’d gone several minutes beyond our allotted time.
To be fair, the governor defended the Senate president earlier in the interview, saying, for instance, that Harmon was merely speaking up for members of his caucus when he temporarily tubed the Exelon deal and that Harmon has been a reliable environmentalist throughout his career.
“I know that he wants to do the right thing on energy legislation,” Pritzker said about Harmon.
That bit about Welch’s ideology and “what he believes in” is also important because Speaker Madigan didn’t believe in much at all except power.
I decided last week that I’ll soon be reaching out to various House Democrats who banded together to force Speaker Madigan into retirement to hear what they think of how the session went with their new leader. So, stay tuned.
* As a reminder, 84 percent said Illinois was on the wrong track in an early 2018 poll conducted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Things are improving from the Rauner days and it shows, despite the best efforts of some. This poll is from Ogden & Fry…
Ogden & Fry conducted a nine-question poll on Friday June 4 and Saturday June 5, 2021 with 752 respondents. Respondents were selected by random sampling of likely general election voters. The margin of error for this poll is +/- 3.65% at the 95% confidence interval.
There were several other questions, mostly related to the sex education bill, so click here for the rest.
There is only a six-month bar on ex-lawmakers lobbying. Neighboring Iowa has a 2-year prohibition, and most states at least make lawmakers wait a year before they can cash in.
It also mandates lawmakers must wait six months before becoming lobbyists once leaving office
After checking around and reading this passage over and over, it’s clear that Illinois did much less than the bare minimum. Here’s the language…
Beginning the second Wednesday in January of 2023, no former member shall engage in activities at the State level that require registration under the Lobbyist Registration Act in a General Assembly of which he or she was a member until 6 months after leaving office.
I highlighted the controlling section.
* There are three clear implications:
1) Legislators who resign before the second Wednesday in January of 2023 can begin lobbying right away;
2) Legislators who resign on or after the second Wednesday in January of 2023 must wait six months before they can begin lobbying the same General Assembly of which they were a member. So, if they resign 2 months into the new GA, they have to wait until the GA is 8 months old before they can lobby. But if they resign 22 months into the GA, they only have to wait to lobby for two months, when a new GA is sworn into office;
3) Legislators who serve out their complete terms, or Senators who complete two full years of a four-year term, don’t have to wait to lobby because they are then no longer members of the same General Assembly.
* No blogging today, but here’s some interesting political news…
U.S. Representative Jesús “Chuy” García and the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization (IPO) officially endorsed Democrat Alexi Giannoulias today as the party’s nominee for Illinois Secretary of State in 2022.
“Alexi represents a new generation of progressive leaders in the Democratic Party and has proven himself as someone who will stand up and fight for progressive values,” Congressman García said. “Having worked closely with Alexi on several issues that have been important to working families and our communities, I know he positions Democrats with the best chance to win this critical seat.”
In addition to García’s support, Giannoulias was also endorsed by 22nd Ward Alderperson and Committeeperson Michael D. Rodriguez, President of 22nd Ward IPO Vanessa Uribe and State Representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D-21st District). In addition, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Commissioner Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda also announced her support.
* Comptroller Susana Mendoza spoke to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute today…
[Mendoza] said her office is able to pay vendors and others within the 30-day timeframe required by law.
“The last time that we were this current on paying our bills was just before Sept. 11, 2001,” Mendoza added.
However, the Democrat from Chicago said she doesn’t believe Illinois will improve its financial standing without restructuring the state’s tax system with a graduated income tax, a plan defeated by voters in 2020.
“There is a structural deficit, which means that in any given year, I’m just trying to meet the core obligations of the state – things like K-12 spending, Medicaid, all of our health care payments, public safety, human resources – all of those basic things – even with all of that, we don’t have enough revenue coming in on a year-to-year basis to cover just the most basic expenses.”
I’ve written several times that Illinois has never really recovered from the 9/11 economic shock. It’s the starting point of our state’s long fiscal decline. It’d sure be nice if that was about to change. I suppose we’ll see.
Friday, Jun 4, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
More than two-thirds of Americans surveyed in July 2020 by the Harris Poll on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies say they or someone in their household delayed or canceled healthcare services due to COVID-19. Delayed care is even more prevalent among communities of color. In fact, Black and Hispanic adults, people with disabilities, and those with two or more underlying conditions are putting off medical care at higher rates than others. That’s why Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies introduced My Health Can’t Wait Illinois, a public information effort and resource hub designed to help Illinois residents get the information they need to prioritize their health and seek needed care. Learn more at MyHealthCantWait.com/Illinois.
Tony “Chubby” Brown announced Friday morning he is retiring as Macon County Sheriff effective Monday, June 28.
This announcement comes a week after a judge ruled Jim Root won the 2018 Macon County Sheriff race by 16 votes. Tony Brown was originally the winner by one vote when he was sworn in as sheriff in 2018.
A full recount was done and the judge when through ballots.
The day after the announcement from the judge, Brown initially told WAND News he planned to appeal the ruling. But during a news conference Friday morning, Brown said he decided against appealing due to division that the court case has caused within the community and the sheriff’s office.
“I have stated previously that Macon County and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office is larger than one individual,” Brown said. “And I believe now is the time that our community must heal.”
Brown said he will do whatever it takes to help Root transition into the role of sheriff.
“We need to put this to an end,” he said. “We need to love one another a little bit more and stop the division.”
Illinois Republicans may have been shut out on the key issues this spring, but they did find a unifying theme as the party tries to make its case against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’s up for reelection next year.
“How can we trust him?” asked Senate Republican leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods at one of the many news conferences the out-of-power GOP held to deliver a litany of grievances about Pritzker and Democratic lawmakers.
Republicans offered a pair of examples from the recently concluded session in support of that “trust” concept: Pritzker agreed to Republican-backed business tax changes two years ago, then unsuccessfully tried to take them away to balance his new budget. And candidate Pritzker vowed to veto a new map of legislative districts if both parties didn’t have input, but is now poised to sign Democrat-drawn boundaries into law.
GOP leaders also cited two of Pritzker’s biggest stumbles since becoming governor: 36 COVID-19 deaths at the LaSalle Veterans Home on his watch, which factors into the top issue of how the governor handled the pandemic, and the sound rejection by voters last November of his push for a graduated-rate income tax for the state.
Questioning the trustworthiness of a politician is a tried-and-true opposition tactic aimed at seizing upon the public’s cynical views of government and elected officials. Whether Illinois Republicans can capitalize on that message against Pritzker is a question of its own, however.
* The Question: Can the trust issue be effectively used against Pritzker? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.
Following weeks of steady decreases in new positive COVID-19 cases and with over 67% of residents age 18 and older receiving their first vaccine dose, Governor JB Pritzker is releasing guidelines for Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan, which will go into effect on June 11th and marks a full reopening of all businesses and activities. This guidance will mean businesses, large-scale events, conventions, amusement parks, and seated-spectator venues, among others, will be able to operate at full capacity for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The State is also lifting the outdoor mask requirement in schools in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
This guidance comes as Illinois has recently reached a test positivity rate of less than 2 percent, more than half of the population has been fully vaccinated, and key hospitalization metrics have been declining since early May.
“After a tremendously challenging year, Illinois has now reached a defining moment in our efforts to defeat COVID-19,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to the hard work of residents across the state, Illinois will soon resume life as we knew it before – returning to events, gatherings, and a fully reopened economy, with some of the safety guidelines we’ve adopted still in place. As we fully reopen, this administration remains laser focused on ensuring a strong recovery for our small businesses and communities. Our FY22 budget invests $1.5 billion in small business relief, tourism, job-creating capital projects and more and we look forward to getting these dollars to communities across our state as quickly as possible.”
Upon entering Phase 5, fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. The State will continue to recommend masking for unvaccinated persons, and require it for all people while traveling on public transportation, in congregate settings, in health care settings, as well as in schools, day cares, and educational institutions pursuant to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and CDC guidance. Businesses and local municipalities can put in place additional mitigations as they deem appropriate.
Under Phase 5, all sectors of the economy can resume at regular capacity. Phase 5 also marks the return of traditional conventions, festivals, and large events without capacity restrictions. Large gatherings of all sizes can resume across all industry settings, and Phase 5 removes requirements that businesses institute mandatory social distancing in seated venues as well as daily health screenings of employees and visitors. Businesses and venues should continue to allow for social distancing to the extent possible, especially indoors. Businesses and venues may also continue to put in place additional public health mitigations as they deem appropriate, including requiring face coverings.
“This pandemic has robbed us of many of our freedoms such as going to ball games and concerts, celebrating graduations, weddings, and birthdays, going to dinner with friends, and even sharing a hug with loved ones we don’t live with,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “The vaccine is giving us our freedoms back and allowing us to move to Phase 5. Let’s keep the vaccination momentum going so we can put this pandemic in the rearview mirror and not look back.”
While the entry to Phase 5 signals an end to business and activity specific guidance requiring social distancing, health screening and other required operational shifts, Illinois will continue to recommend face coverings for unvaccinated persons, as well as all individuals while (1) on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation and in transportation hubs, such as airports and train and bus stations; (2) in congregate facilities such as correctional facilities, veterans’ homes, and long-term care facilities, group homes, and residential facilities; and (3) in healthcare settings.
In addition, the guidance for schools is updated to align with the CDC guidelines, including lifting the requirement for individuals to mask outdoors in most situations.
The State’s advancement to Phase 5 builds on last month’s announcement of the return of conventions and leisure travel to the state. Just last week McCormick Place announced its plans to re-open, bringing 122 events, 1,000 workers and an expected 1.9 million convention goers to their halls. Additionally, the State has recently launched a new tourism campaign to welcome out of state visitors back into communities, helping support a return to leisure activity as well as the important economic activity stimulated by Illinois’ iconic attractions, hotels and tourism businesses.
“The State’s move to Phase 5 next week marks a significant milestone in our efforts to bring businesses and workers back safely and will play a key role in getting the economy back on track,” said DCEO Acting Director Sylvia Garcia. “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, we are making steady progress in stabilizing our businesses and communities hit hardest during the course of the pandemic. New investments in the Governor’s budget will ensure that the state continues to play a vital role in aiding in the emergency response, while laying the groundwork for a sustained economic recovery.”
Earlier this week the Governor announced another $1.5 billion in funds to be made available through the FY 22 budget to support business grants, tourism recovery, workforce recovery, affordable housing, violence prevention, capital projects, and other investments throughout Illinois communities. This builds on the State’s record $580 million investment last year to deliver thousands of business grants through the Business Interruption Grants program, which provided emergency relief dollars to business grants and childcare providers in over 98 counties statewide.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 626 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 15 additional deaths. In addition, more than 67% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and nearly 51% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Champaign County: 1 male 80s
- Christian County: 1 female 60s
- Cook County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s
- Henry County; 1 male 60s
- Kane County: 1 male 50s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 60s
- McHenry County: 1 male 70s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 90s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 70s
- Will County: 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,384,365 cases, including 22,880 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 65,300 specimens for a total of 24,796,789. As of last night, 901 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 247 patients were in the ICU and 140 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 28-June 3, 2021 is 1.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from May 28-June 3, 2021 is 1.6%.
A total of 11,427,833 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 36,025 doses. Yesterday, 53,156 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
After reviewing the General Assembly’s proposed maps to ensure they align with the landmark Voting Rights Act, Governor JB Pritzker signed three new maps that reflect Illinois’ diversity. The maps outline new districts for the General Assembly, Illinois Supreme Court and Cook County Board of Review and preserve minority representation in Illinois’ government in accordance with the federal Voting Rights Act.
“Illinois’ strength is in our diversity, and these maps help to ensure that communities that have been left out and left behind have fair representation in our government,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These district boundaries align with both the federal and state Voting Rights Acts, which help to ensure our diverse communities have electoral power and fair representation.”
A landmark achievement of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act prohibits practices and procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a protected language minority group. Building on and strengthening that consequential law, the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 ensures redistricting plans are crafted in a way that preserves clusters of minority voters if they are of size or cohesion to exert collective electoral power. The maps signed into law today meet those requirements to adequately preserve minority representation and reflect the diversity of our state.
The district boundaries also account for population changes in the state, particularly in the regions that saw the most population loss as recorded by U.S. Census’ American Community Survey. In addition, the General Assembly held more than 50 public hearings statewide.
Detailed summaries of each individual House and Senate district, including communities of interest, geographic descriptions, and demographic data were adopted by both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate and are contained in House Resolution 359 and Senate Resolution 326 respectively.
The General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2021 (HB 2777), the Judicial Districts Act of 2021 (SB 642) and the Cook County Board of Review Redistricting Act of 2021 (SB 2661) take effect immediately.
Pretty certain this post will be updated.
…Adding… Speaker Welch…
“Today was a win for the people of this great state. With Governor Pritzker’s signature, people of Illinois can be confident in a legislative map that is reflective of the diversity that we see in every corner of our state. Not only does this map adhere to state and federal laws, but it is a product of more than 50 public hearings where citizens came to tell us what their communities look like to them. We also have new Illinois Supreme Court boundaries for the first time in more than half a century that accounts for population change and demographic shifts, as well as a new map for the Cook County Board of Review ensuring more equal representation for taxpayers in those districts. I am so proud of Leader Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, and the rest of the Redistricting Committee, who worked tirelessly to make sure that Illinois remains a model for the nation for minority representation.”
* Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington)…
“When JB Pritzker was a candidate for Governor, he made a lot of promises. He told us he was different, that he was a reformer, and that he would veto any map drawn by lawmakers. Today he broke his promise to voters and joins the all-too-long list of Illinois politicians who promise one thing and then do another.”
“The people of Illinois deserve a fair, transparent process that allows them to choose their representatives in Government. Pritzker turned his back on them and chose instead to use his signature to further enshrine the broken status quo of politicians picking their voters.”
I’m told by a source close to him that Pritzker advanced his timetable because the maps had become entangled in another hot issue: the terms of an energy deal that will satisfy green groups while keeping open Exelon nuclear plants without socking taxpayers with the costs of excessive subsidies.
Somebody tried to play games, so he signed the map bill to get that off the table.
* SGOP Leader McConchie…
“Today, Gov. Pritzker affirmed to all Illinois families why they can’t trust him to run the state,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods).
“By signing this map, created using flawed data and drawn by political insiders, the governor broke the promise he made to the people of Illinois. He also proved that he cares more about keeping power for his political friends than fair elections where the people of Illinois can pick their elected officials, instead of politicians picking their voters. He proved today that he’s just another old-school, tax-raising politician who cannot be trusted.”
* Rep. Ryan Spain…
“As a member of the House Redistricting Committee, we repeatedly heard from government reform advocates to use US census data and that they would require two weeks to provide adequate public review of the new map to see if it meets Voting Rights Act compliance. This is why Governor Pritzker broke his promise after only one week; before Democrats’ lies could be exposed as the deception Democrats intended to perpetrate all along. Through bad data, fake transparency and false urgency, Pritzker, Welch, and other Democrats pulled the wool over voter eyes. They assume they can get away with it because this is Illinois. The next election must be a referendum on whether voters will openly permit their own politicians to lie to them.”
* ILGOP Chair Don Tracy…
Governor Pritzker lied to the people of Illinois when he pledged to veto a politician-drawn map. Governor Pritzker promised to take politicians out of the mapmaking process and hand it over to an independent commission that would be required to follow the Voting Rights Act and protect minority representation. Instead, he let politicians pick their own voters, split up numerous communities of interest, and use faulty data all in an effort to rig the system for those already in power. Pritzker didn’t keep his word and cannot be trusted.
• Half (49%) of Americans who lost their job during the pandemic report they are not active at all or not very active in searching for new employment. Less than a third (32%) report that they are strongly active in their job search.
• Six in 10 respondents (61%) say they are in no hurry to return to work. Three in 10 (30%) say they do not expect to return to work this year, with more than half of those (13% of the total) saying they never plan to return to work.
• One in eight (13%) who became unemployed during the pandemic and remain unemployed have turned down at least one job offer in the past year.
• One in six (16%) not actively seeking work say the amount of money they are receiving from unemployment benefits and government programs makes it “not worth looking” for jobs. Even more—28 percent of all respondents—agree that “there are a lot of people who are not looking for work because they can do almost or just as well collecting unemployment benefits.”
• Other common factors contributing to unemployed Americans not looking for work include childcare and other family care needs (24%), a lack of available jobs due in sectors that are still suffering (28%), and COVID-19 concerns (26%).
• One in four survey respondents (23%) say they lack the skills or experience necessary for most of the jobs available right now.
I’d ignore the 28 percent who are speculating about why others aren’t returning to work and focus on what they actually said about themselves. It’s pretty clear that this Chamber poll shows the vast majority of unemployed people aren’t staying home because they can make more money by doing so. There are far more important factors involved.
And if you look at the Chamber’s own analysis, you’ll see that 55 percent of people 45+ are not actively seeking a new job, with 42 percent saying they aren’t at all actively looking - by far the highest number in that category.
Yet, some people insist on punishing families with children and younger workers by cutting off their UI benefits.
* Methodology…
The poll of 506 Americans who lost jobs during the pandemic and have not returned to full-time employment was taken May 17-20. The poll has an overall survey margin of error +/-4.4 at the 95% confidence level, with stable and projectable bases across age, prior total compensation, ethnicity, incidence of children at home, industry sector and educational attainment.
Disagreements between the House and Senate prevented legislation reforming the state’s Firearm Owner Identification card renewal system from moving forward.
The House barely passed a version that would have mandated applicants and those renewing to provide fingerprints. The Senate passed a version that made fingerprinting optional. Though some were trying to whip votes in the House for the Senate proposal, it did not come to fruition.
Another flop was gaming legislation, which would have allowed in-person betting on Illinois college teams and permitted a sportsbook at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
It easily passed the House but was not taken up in the Senate due to lack of coordination between the point persons for gaming in each chamber.
House Bill 3401 would allow certified professional midwives to obtain official state licensing. […] The bill passed with bipartisan support in the House, by a vote of 105-2, but was never taken up for a vote by the full Senate. […]
House Bill 3447 would reclassify small amounts of drug possession, including heroin and cocaine, from a low-level felony to a misdemeanor. […] HB 3447 passed narrowly out of the House, by a 61-49 vote, with just one vote more than needed. The Senate did not take up the bill for a full vote.
There’s much more to both of those stories, so click the links.
Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Governor, retired Marine announced an Illinois Parents’ Bill of Rights in a press conference by Zoom today. He made the following comment during this press conference:
“Over the past several years, Illinois parents have seen governments infringe upon their ability to raise their children in the manner of their choosing. Too often, the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate act as if they are 118 and 59 member school boards, making curriculum decisions for school districts and passing unfunded mandates. The time has come to reset and readjust the relationship between the parents of Illinois and their government. That is why I am unveiling this Illinois Parents Bill of Rights this morning.”
Parents, not the government, have the authority and responsibility to raise their children to the best of their ability in accordance with their values. The following rights shall be given to Illinois parents who are raising minor children.
1. Parents, acting through locally elected school boards, have the right to control public schools in their respective districts. Local school boards will make curriculum, safety, and closure decisions. Children have the right to a public education free from political indoctrination of any kind.
2. The ability of parents to educate their children through homeschooling or enrollment in private schools shall not be infringed by the state of Illinois. No official representing the state of Illinois shall have the authority to order the closure of private schools.
3. Parents with daughters shall have the right to see their daughters flourish by having a fair chance to compete in sporting activities where they are not at a biological disadvantage due to their sex.
4. The parent, not the state, has primary responsibility and authority for the physical and mental wellness of their children. Parents will have knowledge and control over of any medical procedures and medicine that a child may be provided. Furthermore, schools will not provide non-emergency medical treatment or medical referrals to a child without the consent of a parent or a court order.
5. A parent shall be present during (or consulted prior to) the custodial questioning of their child by law enforcement personnel.
6. Parents have the right to review video footage (including footage from body cameras) and social media content of their child that is in the possession of law enforcement personnel or school administrators.
7. Parents, not the state, will control the transition from childhood to adulthood of their children. Parents have the right to “opt out” of subjects taught in public and private schools in which they choose not to have their children participate.
8. Parents have the right to have the taxes for schools go to either the public school or the private school of their choice.
Lotta hot buttons in there. But it’s not too difficult to poke holes in some of them. Forbidding the state to close any private school for any reason? What could possibly go wrong there? And we’re gonna divert local and state tax dollars to the Latin School?
* Maybe it’s me, but I tend to assume somebody is running for reelection unless I start seeing real evidence to the contrary. In this case, Gov. Pritzker has plunked down a decent chunk of cash, which seems to be evidence that he’s running again.
Also, do you know how furious super-competitive reporters like Mary Ann Ahern would be if the governor chose to give an exclusive scoop on his reelection bid to a rival TV station more than a year before the primary? Ha! I pity the fool.
Governor JB Pritzker hinted Thursday that he may not run for a second term, breaking the news even as Illinois is poised to come out of the pandemic and make his job a bit easier starting next week.
So, the question is: Is the governor serious, or just being coy about his plans?
If Pritzker decides not to run again, it would send shockwaves across the political landscape in Illinois and open the floodgates for candidates on both sides of the aisle.
In a one-on-one interview Thursday, he left open the possibility that maybe he only wants to serve one term.
“You know, again, I haven’t talked to my family completely about this and I need to spend time with them had to have that conversation. So I’ll get back to you shortly. I promise,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker seemed to kick start his re-election bid with a whopping $35 million personal donation to his campaign coffers on March 12. The donation came right around the first anniversary of when he had to shut the state down due to the pandemic.
One political insider said First Lady MK Pritzker is not very happy with the lifestyle created by the demands of her husband’s job.
I ran into the First Lady last week at a Springfield restaurant. She told me how she’d taken the staff rollerskating at a local rink and said she wanted to host a legislative rollerskating night during next spring’s session. Does that sound like someone who isn’t “happy with the lifestyle”? Pre-pandemic, she regularly attended plays put on by women prisoners at Logan Correctional Center and actively supports the prison’s culinary program. She’s about to host a big reception for the new executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, a Black woman.
Yes, her teen daughter has been maliciously and falsely targeted by a right-wing media outlet for just being a kid. And, yes, her husband received multiple and regular death threats during the pandemic. What mother and spouse wouldn’t hate that? But from all I can tell, MK is a trouper. She’s also from a political family.
Here’s Gov. Pritzker’s comms director, who almost never tweets…
If the First Lady had any concerns about her husband running again, let’s remember the death threats and vitriol leveled at their family. https://t.co/Ww5OP5UjqV
Saying she doesn’t like the “lifestyle” based on an unnamed “insider” is a gross, sexist trope that needs to end. Let’s stop treating political wives like they’re vapid and vacuous nags. Shame on anyone who falls for such tired tricks.
But, you know, campaign season is right around the corner and I’m sure the Democratic Party would like to know definitively what his plans are sooner rather than later.
Again, the primary is almost 13 months away. And, like the party could do anything about it anyway.
In his interview on Chicago Tonight, Pritzker also defended his actions following a government watchdog’s report that found a lack of preparation and of communication at the LaSalle Veteran Home contributed to a COVID-19 outbreak.
The inspector general’s audit found that the team at LaSalle requested asymptomatic employees show up for shifts even after they’d tested positive for COVID-19, lax masking by staff, and lacked a formal response plan even in October ‘20 when risks of transmission were well known.
At least 36 residents died in the final three months of last year.
“Let me start by reminding you that we’ve been in a global pandemic that has had no mercy, particularly on those who are elderly, those who are in nursing homes,” Pritzker said.
The governor said residents of the nearby community who weren’t wearing masks led to a high local rate of COVID-19 infections, which were brought into the LaSalle home.
This is really challenging. People in the community where that veterans’ home resides aren’t wearing masks and when they’ve got a very high rate of infection, case positivity, test positivity in that area. People who live there and work at the home, unfortunately, were bringing that into the home.
He’s not wrong about the problems in that community, of course. There was a lot of Downstate resistance to mitigations as the state experienced its devastating second wave, and that attitude infected, hospitalized and killed a whole lot of people. Period. But, that doesn’t even begin to excuse the fact that the state had no adequate protocols in place and local and state management was horrid. That would be on the governor.
* Meanwhile, the governor made this claim about Rep. Butler to more than one reporter yesterday, but Hannah Meisel went back to check the actual record…
The governor also pointed to comments from State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) earlier this spring at a press conference with U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, who said a fair map would elect more Republicans.
“Does that sound fair to you?” Pritzker asked Thursday. “Does that sound like Republicans are really fighting for fair maps? That’s not what they’re fighting for…What they want to draw is a partisan map in their favor. So at this point I don’t believe anything that they say about this.”
The governor was referring to an April 12th appearance at the Capitol where Butler said he’d heard testimony from communities both in Chicago and rural areas of Illinois. He also drew upon his experience representing a slice of Springfield in the House.
“If you stop dividing up these communities for political reasons, you are going to see more competitive elections and probably you’re going to see more Republicans in the legislature,” Butler said. “I don’t know what the right number is but I guarantee if the lines are more fair, you’re going to see more Republicans in the legislature.”
Butler was being disingenuous about his definition of community. Towns that aren’t landlocked gerrymander their own boundaries quite often when they annex turf.
But Butler isn’t out of line to speculate that, without Democrats putting their fingers on the scale, a fair map could wind up with some districts being more winnable for Republicans. And while I agree that the Republicans would stick it to the Democrats if they were given the right to draw the maps, I don’t think there’s any evidence of that intent within Butler’s remarks.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker in March sunk $35 million into his campaign fund – not a huge expense given his personal fortune but assumed as a sign that he’s gearing up to campaign for a second term.
But the Chicago Democrat Thursday said he hasn’t decided whether he’s running.
Even so, Pritzker said the Republicans who’ve already lined up to run against him aren’t fit for the office.
“Many of them have fought against the [COVID-19] mitigations, have sued on the side of Donald Trump and all of his lies. These are folks who really shouldn’t run the state of Illinois because they don’t seem to care about the working families of Illinois — they haven’t over the last year as a result of their failure to push mitigations forward, to stand up for those mitigations. A couple of ‘em not wearing masks and telling other people not to,” Pritzker said. “I just think that they’re not qualified to be governor as a result of how they reacted to the pandemic.”
Republicans who have thus far declared their candidacy for governor are State Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia; suburban business owner Gary Rabine, the founder of exterior facilities management company Rabine Group; and former state Sen. and ex-Marine Paul Schimpf of Waterloo.
Bailey and Rabine held mask-less indoor campaign events during the height of the pandemic, and Bailey sued the governor in a failed attempt to void Pritzker’s executive orders mandating COVID mitigations.
Other names are floated by political prognosticators as potential contenders include Congressmen Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger.
Republicans in the General Assembly have repeatedly called on Pritzker to veto the maps Democrats passed last week. The GOP considers the proposed boundaries unfair, and object to the maps being drawn by Democratic lawmakers, rather than an independent commission.
During his 2018 campaign, Pritzker had vowed to reject any new maps drawn by politicians.
On Thursday, Pritzker told the Sun-Times what’s most important to him is “fairness.”
“That starts with the Voting Rights Act of Illinois, the Voting Rights Act in the United States, the Supreme Court decisions that have been made around making sure that we have majority minority districts, and then looking at the overall diversity of the state to see whether there are plurality districts that minorities might be representing in the future,” Pritzker said.
“So, we’ll look at the population trends, things like that, so that we continue to have representation, with a diverse set of people in our legislature — and then of course in the Supreme Court and the [Cook County] Board of Review. And ultimately, I guess later, the same thing will be true of a congressional map when it gets submitted.”
It’s more than what the governor said on the matter at his post legislative session news conference earlier this week when asked about the maps.
But it still doesn’t answer the question of whether Pritzker will OK the Democrats’ version of fairness or heed Republicans calls for him to reject it.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday that he feels good about the direction in which the state is heading, on many levels.
He sat down Thursday with CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov, and they covered as much ground as they could in 15 minutes.
One of the first topics Kozlov brought up was the state’s – and specifically an Illinois House resolution demanding that Pritzker reopen unemployment offices.
Pritzker: “You’ll see IDES reopening over the next month or two.”
Kozlov: “Month or two, but noting more firm than that?”
Pritzker: “No. They’re still working out the security concerns at all of our offices.”
Well, let me start by saying that I want people to be able to get the service that they need from our Department of Employment Security, and so we’re going to open as soon as we possibly can. As you know we’ve had a significant challenge with security, for people who work in those offices. They’ve been there, but the threats that have been leveled are continuing. We’ve had ISP pursuing the people who are threatening. But I will also say that many of our government offices have been closed over the course of the pandemic. We’ve been gradually reopening all of those. So you’ll see IBS reopening over the next month or two.
I’ll have more later this morning because some stories haven’t been posted as I write this. I’ll also get to these goofy “Pritzker won’t say if he’ll run again” clickbait stories later today. For now, I’ll just caution you to not buy into the silliness.
ITEP’s newest edition of Who Pays? helps to reveal that many states traditionally considered to be “low-tax states” are actually high-tax for their poorest residents. The “low tax” label is typically assigned to states that either lack a personal income tax or that collect a comparatively low amount of tax revenue overall. But a focus on these measures can cause lawmakers to overlook the fact that state tax systems impact different taxpayers in very different ways, and that low-income taxpayers in particular often do not experience these states as being even remotely “low tax.”
Had a great discussion with my Transportation Advisory Coalition this morning at @RCCDecaturIL. Wanted to get their input as we consider surface transportation legislation and a potential broader infrastructure bill in Congress. I'm hoping we can do these on a bipartisan basis. pic.twitter.com/rUnL5bPCoI
* From comments on a post about the elected Chicago school board bill yesterday…
It’s fascinating to me that folks (like editorial writers) who regularly complain about the speaker and senate president having too much power over their chambers now want them to exercise that power to stop something a super-majority of their members are in favor of.
The Illinois House must still approve the bill, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker would have to sign it before it becomes law. It could be a moment for the new House speaker, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, to step up and say no, he won’t call the bill for now, even though it’s an issue he supports.
It could be a moment for Pritzker to say no, he won’t sign it as is, even though it’s an issue he supports.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot doesn’t want it; it would be bad for taxpayers and students; and the reasons it flew through the Senate were heavily political — jabs at Lightfoot from Martwick, with whom she has battled, and Senate President Don Harmon, with whom she has a strained relationship. Throw kids under the bus to assert your own power? You bet, they said.
Welch and Pritzker should put a brick on it. Don’t call the House back to Springfield.
A third former state legislator has filed a lawsuit to argue he is entitled to pay raises from years past — even though he voted against them while he was in office.
Mike Fortner, a former Republican state representative and NIU physics professor from West Chicago, had a reputation for paying close attention to the state’s many fiscal headaches.
Fortner filed the new lawsuit on Tuesday seeking backpay for himself and all current or former state lawmakers. His lawyers argue Fortner’s previous votes to block his own pay raises were unconstitutional because it changed his salary during the middle of his term.
“Fortner is entitled to receive his full COLA salary adjustments for the period from July 2009 to January 2019 — spanning all of fiscal years 2010 through 2018 and the first six months of fiscal year 2019,” the suit argues.
Fortner’s attorneys later filed a motion for class action certification on Wednesday, which would extend to all current and former members of the General Assembly — even those who don’t publicly put their names on the lawsuit.
* Comptroller Mendoza…
I am disheartened to hear that former State Representative Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago, has filed an ill-advised class(less) action lawsuit seeking to retroactively take from taxpayers money for raises he voted not to take through legislation he co-sponsored. This reckless lawsuit exposes taxpayers to millions of dollars in additional liability.
I respectfully suggest that this Professor of Particle Physics has sued the wrong person – he should sue himself. HE is the one who voted to deny himself a pay raise – not the Comptroller’s office.
It’s not rocket science, Professor. You should know better.
I have been fighting a similar shameless lawsuit brought by former State Senators Michael Noland, D-Elgin, and James Clayborne, D-Belleville, for four years and will continue fighting in hopes the state Supreme Court sees that legislators who voted to decline their raises should not be entitled to claim them years later.
If the court orders the state to take up to $10 million or more of taxpayers’ money to pay all former legislators raises they voted not to take, I will send legislators the forms state employees can already use to distribute a portion of their salaries to charity. As a former legislator who voted against these pay raises, I will lead by example, donating any back pay I get to charity and will encourage others to do the same.
it’s not rocket science, but it is constitutional law. Legislators’ compensation cannot be altered during their terms of office. The comptroller is running for reelection, and this is a great issue for her, but it doesn’t change the facts.
* Meanwhile…
Fun fact: Mike Fortner is already making money on state payroll. House Republicans have paid him $53k+ since December of 2019 out of their redistricting fund. State records show they sent payments to "M.F." through a consultant named Rebecca C. Hall.
Dan Hampton and his Chicago 6 bandmates are stepping on stage Saturday to help former Bears teammate Steve “Mongo” McMichael’s battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. https://t.co/LEo7IDc8Xa
