* Was really busy today and completely spaced out about a question and now it’s after 4 o’clock and I got nothing. I’m therefore declaring an open thread. Keep it Illinois-centric, please. Thanks.
Four times, I asked @JulianaforLG for specifics about @JBPritzker's proposed tax rate structure. Four times, she said it will be negotiated with the General Assembly, indicating voters will have to elect them first and find out how much it will cost them later. pic.twitter.com/wMSaqsHTwa
* This state does this all the time and we never seem to learn. We need to narrow the spending base and broaden the tax base. Instead, we broaden the spending base while constantly narrowing the tax base. It’s lunacy…
When state lawmakers pushed through a trio of tax breaks in spring 2017, the idea was to ease some of the financial pain caused by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s series of major property tax hikes on Chicago homeowners, especially senior citizens.
The changes, however, also had an unintended consequence: Thousands of homes in south suburbs such as Harvey and Park Forest fell off the tax rolls, meaning those homeowners no longer pay any property taxes at all, and an even greater number are paying less.
While that’s good news for many, it’s also resulted in tens of millions of dollars in property taxes being shifted onto remaining homeowners and businesses. They are now being hit with even higher bills in an impoverished, long-struggling, largely African-American region where an outsized property tax burden already made it difficult to attract the retail shops and industry needed to reverse economic woes made worse by the Great Recession.
Adding to the economic challenge is an impending change to a business tax break that was a prime development tool for the area. As of Saturday, Cook County will require businesses that get the job-creation perk to pay prevailing wages, which could increase labor costs. South suburban mayors say that will lead some businesses to avoid setting up shop in their towns, and also further a trend of companies crossing borders to northwest Indiana or Will County to escape high property taxes.
How could they possibly not know the consequences? When one person pays less, somebody else is gonna have to pay more. This phenomenon is much slower-moving with income and sales taxes, but, eventually, the revenue base becomes so narrow that the rates have to go up. Property taxes, however, produce a near-instant reaction because of the levy. Somebody always has to pick up the slack almost right away.
This is not some advanced economic theory, people. It’s elementary school-level math.
* Brian Mackey takes a look at regional jealousy and the debate over how to pay for things…
“Do we get our cut of the pie?” asks John Jackson, a professor of political science at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
“It’s probably a more explosive question in Illinois because we have such a long-standing, divisive debate about regionalism. And that debate takes the form of Chicago/Cook County versus Downstate. … And Downstate that resonates because we firmly believe that we’re not getting our fair share,” he says.
* He brings up Paul Simon Public Policy Institute polling which always shows that Illinoisans demand state budget cuts, but not to schools, universities, public safety, anti-poverty programs and programs for people with disabilities…
Jackson says political scientists call that disconnect “symbolic conservatives and operational liberals.” Such people want government programs, especially if it benefits them directly, “but they want to get rid of somebody else’s waste and fraud. And that’s the way the legislature has essentially acted, and government in the state has acted.”
The idea of symbolic conservatives and operational liberals calls to mind something a state senator told me years ago. It was Jeff Schoenberg, a Democrat from Evanston who’s since left the legislature. Then-Gov. Pat Quinn had proposed closing a few state facilities Downstate, and local legislators were resisting.
“They talk a good game about being fiscally conservative, but when it comes to closing a public facility that’s under-utilized or not cost efficient, they’re like New Deal Democrats,” Schoenberg said in 2012.
An effort to give lawmakers the power to block Gov. Pat Quinn from closing large state facilities fell one vote short of passage in the Senate Wednesday. … In addition to Forby, those supporting the idea included state Sens. Mike Jacobs of East Moline, John Jones of Mount Vernon and Kyle McCarter of Lebanon.
The year before Sen. McCarter tried to block Quinn from shuttering a facility in his district, he did this…
State Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon… conducted a Statehouse news conference just now to accuse Democrats of not taking the budget crisis seriously. McCarter and other GOPs called for a $30 billion ceiling on the budget (it’s a little over that now), with cuts and reforms designed to get rid of the major new income tax hike that went into effect this year. […]
McCarter delivered the message standing next to a 125-pound roasted pig that a butcher in his district had had shipped in to dramatize the pork-laden state budget.
Gov. Rauner, by the way, pledged to keep that facility open during the 2014 campaign.
* Mackey also made the same observation I did on Monday evening when Metra melted down for the second week in a row…
Remember earlier today when several suburban Republican legislators were screaming about the prospect of more government spending? One even called increased spending “evil.” I wonder if any of them took the Metra home after their press conference.
* And that brings us to yesterday, when Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti was asked how the governor planned to cut taxes…
Chris Kaergard: What’s your plan to reduce the tax hike? Speaking of plans that need fleshing out what’s your administration’s plan to reduce the tax hike?
LG Sanguinetti: Well our administration’s plan over the course of the four years that we’ve been in leadership, in going forward, is to [cross talk]. Well of course because there will be another term because I firmly believe that after the voters do their homework they will find that Bruce Rauner is, is the leader in Illinois that will make Illinois a wonderful place to have businesses, to grow your families here, to grow your businesses here. Why? Because over the course of time we will be less punitive to businesses, which is something that we’ve always fought for. We’ve seen it with the Angel Investment Tax Credit and the fact that we resuscitated it. We saw that with the LLC fees and the fact that Bruce Rauner took it back to the tune of 70%. Why? So that our small farmers could decide to open up their businesses. Other businesses could come here and take a leap rather than doing it in our neighboring states where it was so much cheaper in the past. This is the sort of governor that you will have in Bruce Rauner. One that will not be punitive to businesses and one who is truly a leader. Not an individual that was anointed by Mike Madigan who has been in office since I was a mere 3 months of age. Thank you.
A company owned by J.B. Pritzker is warning its employees not to join a union, according to a letter one of its employees posted to Facebook.
“There’s only one way to guarantee that you can avoid the problems a union could possibly cause. Just SAY NO!” the letter reads.
Billy Dean, an employee for SeaDog Ventures, which is an Entertainment Cruises company, posted the letter to his Facebook page. Dean claims he started pushing to form a union after his employer increased his workload up to “12-15 hour days with no break.”
Entertainment Cruises is owned by The Pritzker Group, which is owned by Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker and his brother Tony Pritzker.
“What is real interesting about this is I work for JB Pritzker, “pro-union” gubernatorial candidate for Illinois,” Dean wrote. “Right now his progressive rhetoric doesn’t match his action.”
As JB has said throughout the campaign, he supports workers’ right to organize and he believes the process should be fair, open, and free of intimidation. JB also believes in workers’ rights to collectively bargain as an important tool toward raising wages. JB has stepped away from Pritzker Group and is no longer involved in the management of the company. He believes that all employers should respect those rights of workers and unions. JB is proud to have the support of the Illinois AFLCIO and dozens of unions across the state and as governor, he will continue to fight for the tools working families need to thrive.
* OK, but just this week, the Pritzker campaign tied Rauner to a company that he retired from years ago…
Days after the U.S. EPA slammed a company tied to Bruce Rauner for toxic air pollution that could cause cancer, Rauner and former lobbyist turned IEPA Director Alec Messina are holding a press conference on the Volkswagen settlement.
* But, on the other hand, Pritzker has said he’s pulled back from running his companies. So, if he stays true to his word then he can’t go back in and do something about this union situation.
To mix metaphors, he’s in a trick box here, but he’s picked his lane and has to stay in it.
* With the recent departure of Monique Garcia from the Tribune (and no word yet on whether she’ll be replaced), the Statehouse press room is darned near empty. This video taken near the press room yesterday pretty much sums up the situation…
I guess we could consider this an open thread about the state of journalism today.
Democratic congressional hopeful Sean Casten said he thought President Donald Trump had a “tremendous amount in common” with al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, the man responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.
“In many ways—and I don’t mean to sound overly, I don’t know, hyperbolic on this—Trump and Osama Bin Laden have a tremendous amount in common,” Casten said, according to audio of a February meeting with voters that was obtained by the Free Beacon […]
Casten, a “clean energy entrepreneur” who emerged on top of a tight primary in Illinois’ sixth district in March, made the bizarre comparison after he was asked by a voter for his plans to advance gun-control legislation if he were elected. The comment was part of Casten’s explanation that gun-control opponents, whom he appears to be comparing to al Qaeda supporters, are what will keep gun-control legislation from advancing to the House floor.
“They have both figured out how to use the bully pulpit to activate marginalized young men,” Casten said. “Every demagogue has done this—find a group of angry people and give them something to be angry at.”
* I reached out to the Casten campaign for a response…
Sean’s words were poorly chosen, and he regrets them. Even prior to this election, Donald Trump’s politics of disparagement and division have been exacerbating the bonds that hold our diverse nation together. And Sean believes that Donald Trump has gone out of his way to divide Americans for his own personal gain rather than bringing us together to solve issues like gun violence.
*** UPDATE 1 *** ILGOP…
Democrat Sean Casten’s recent comparison of President Donald Trump to Osama Bin Laden is disrespectful, repugnant, and disqualifying” Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Travis Sterling said. “In this era of deep partisanship this type of harmful rhetoric shows that he is out of touch with the communities in Sixth district.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Roskam’s communications director Veronica L. Vera…
Sean Casten has called Republicans pedophiles, likened abortion to gallbladder surgery and called Republican Party donors ‘a bunch of morons.’ Our communities need a solutions-oriented Representative who can bring people together to get things done. This kind of hateful, vicious language is exactly the wrong approach.
Today, Indivisible Illinois endorsed JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton for governor and lieutenant governor. The statewide coalition is made up of over 50 local chapters spanning every congressional district in Illinois, and their endorsement follows Indivisible Chicago’s from after the primary election.
* Rauner campaign…
Snapchat Filter Highlights Pritzker Insult of Bernie Sanders at Indivisible Event
Today, JB Pritzker will be holding an event with Indivisible Chicago – a group that strongly supports Bernie Sanders.
But in 2016, Pritzker called Bernie Sanders a “Yutz” on Twitter. The term “Yutz” is Yiddish for a foolish, annoying, or socially inept person. The tweet has never been deleted.
To remind voters of Pritzker’s attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of voters, the Rauner campaign is launching a Snapchat filter geo-targeted to the Indivisible event featuring Pritzker’s old comment.
View the filter below:
* JB even included a handy link to the Urban Dictionary definition…
I’d like to get a balanced budget and a capital bill with a balanced budget, and put a lot of resources into our universities across the state, but especially U of I… The U of I is a major economic engine for this state and I want to take them to a whole other level… We need a budget to do it, we need a capital plan to do it…
On Wednesday, Rauner dangled the potential of a capital bill after the Nov. 6 election, though he declined to say what funding sources would be used to finance bonds to enact a massive infrastructure plan.
“I hope and believe that shortly after the election in November, we will come together. I’ve had some indications from members of the General Assembly that we’ll all come together and get done promptly a large capital bill,” Rauner said at Union Station, the site of recent problems involving Metra delays to suburban commuters. […]
As for new revenue to finance a capital program, Rauner said the state should “make the structural changes in our economy so we’re growing more, reduce the regulatory burden on our businesses, reduce the … income tax burden on our businesses, so that we can bring more businesses here, grow our tax base.” As a result, Rauner said, “We will have more than enough revenue to fund a large capital program.”
But those “structural changes” also have included Rauner’s push to eliminate a requirement that prevailing regional union wages be paid to construction workers on public projects, and other efforts to weaken private and public sector collective bargaining.
Capital plans cost money, even with “structural changes.” You need a funding source. If he’s gonna keep talking about it, then he should tell us how he plans to pay for it. After all, he and his surrogates have repeatedly demanded that JB Pritzker detail his progressive income tax proposal.
Area Republican legislators gathered Wednesday to demand Democratic governor candidate JB Pritzker more clearly detail his tax proposals.
Flanking Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti at Peoria County GOP headquarters, each asserted that voters deserve to know the details of Pritzker’s graduated income tax proposal — a topic on which he has avoided releasing any specifics.
“We think that Mr. Pritzker needs to come clean with the public about the specifics of his plan before they cast a vote in November or in early voting,” state Sen. Jason Barickman of Bloomington said of the concept that would impose different tax rates on different levels of income rather than Illinois’ current system in which everyone pays the same rate.
Lack of information on such a major policy proposal is “intellectually dishonest,” state Rep. Ryan Spain of Peoria said. He called on Pritzker to “have the guts to tell you what that looks like.”
That’s a legit hit. But I also want to see how Rauner will pay for a capital plan. And while he’s at it he could toss in his specific ideas for how he intends to lower taxes.
…Adding… No surprise here…
FWIW, I asked Sanguinetti to give specifics on her ticket's plan to lower taxes. I need to review the audio, but those specifics seemed a bit sparse.
Governor Rauner continues his legacy of broken promises as a failed administration attempts another stunt to shadow four years of incompetency. You don’t raid the road fund every year of your administration, requiring the Constitution to be amended to stop the bleeding, and then credibly make a call to repair our roads and bridges. You don’t raid downstate road districts of their funding by spending money on the Obama library project in Chicago, and then make a call to increase transportation and infrastructure investment because our competitiveness and job creation is faltering. What you do is lead. You lead every day of an administration, not just attempt to during the weeks leading up to an election. You don’t wait to veto endless Bills after failing to work with the legislature, you work with the legislature to curb the need to veto Bills. There is no doubt that we need a Capital Bill. We have a $4.6B annual shortfall in transportation and infrastructure needs in the State of Illinois, and that number continues to grow every day. If you want to grow an economy invest in it.
By the time of November’s election, Democratic candidates and liberal groups will have raised an astounding $1.5 billion in online contributions alone. And nearly every cent of it will arrive first in a mostly empty basement, where a printer the size of a carry-on suitcase processes checks next to a solitary cardboard cutout of former President Bill Clinton.
This is ActBlue, the not-for-profit group that has become a ubiquitous presence in Democratic politics, providing an online fundraising platform for just about every entity inside the party. If you’ve ever donated to one of the party’s candidates, or one of the recently formed grassroots progressive “pop-up” groups, you probably used ActBlue.
Few groups, then, have a better view of how a surge of relatively small, online contributions is reshaping the party’s priorities and campaigns — or how they are poised to upend the upcoming Democratic presidential primary.
There’s also an interesting new startup out there called GroundUp that allows Dems to link their credit cards to its system. They select the candidates they want to support and then every time participants make purchases, Ground Up rounds up to the next whole dollar amount and sends the “spare change” to the campaigns.
A month after acknowledging an impasse over whether Chicago police should make a record each time they point a gun at a person, it appears state and city lawyers will put the question to a federal judge.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office filed a motion Wednesday to partially lift a stay of her lawsuit seeking a consent decree to govern reforms at the Chicago Police Department. That stay has given her office a chance to negotiate with City Hall.
Now, partially lifting the stay over just the handgun issue would likely put that matter in the hands of U.S. District Judge Robert Dow.
“Focused litigation on a single, limited issue” could play out at the same time as the consent decree approval process, Assistant Attorney General Cara Hendrickson wrote in Wednesday’s motion.
* The Question: Should police be required to fill out a form when they point their gun at someone? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
A high-stakes veto battle over how to regulate the car-sharing business is shaping up in Springfield.
Yesterday Gov. Bruce Rauner rejected a measure approved by the General Assembly this spring that would require companies that connect individuals who want to lease their cars to others via a phone app to generally follow the same regulations and pay the same taxes as traditional companies.
The action likely sets off round two of a high-stakes lobbying battle, pitting new-economy firms such as Turo against long-time rentals companies like Enterprise. With a gubernatorial election set to occur before any votes are taken, the outcome is uncertain. […]
Bill advocates have not yet commented on the governor’s veto, which the Legislature can now accept or vote to override. If nothing happens, the bill dies. But given that some Republicans voted for the original bill, including Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, those override votes may be within reach.
Good point on Brady and Durkin.
* From the company which helped push the bill to Rauner’s desk…
“Why the Governor would veto bipartisan legislation that exempts peer-to-peer car rental providers from basic requirements is beyond comprehension,” [Enterprise Rent-A-Car] told Ars. “Ensuring vehicle safety, offering transparent pricing, and collecting essential state and municipal fees is just common sense. If peer-to-peer doesn’t pay taxes or fees, cities/municipalities will have to find ways to make up for lost revenue. That will only hurt local businesses and citizens while peer-to-peer companies get a free pass. We are confident the Legislature will right this wrong.”
“Gov. Rauner’s amendatory veto will enable car sharing to significantly lower the cost of personal transportation in Illinois. Every household will have the opportunity to redirect thousands of dollars per year from idle cars to education, paying off debts or saving for retirement,” said Allstate Chairman, President and CEO Tom Wilson. “The governor’s proposed changes will foster the innovation necessary to make car sharing a reality and should be supported by the legislature as a vote for family economic wellbeing.”
General Motors supports Governor Rauner’s decision to veto SB 2641 and seek a reasonable legislative compromise that protects consumers and allows innovative mobility platforms to operate in the State of Illinois. His actions today recognize that peer-to-peer car sharing can provide mobility solutions and economic opportunities for both vehicle owners and program users.
“It’s a telling symbol of Illinois’ unique reputation for politics that a one-sided and rushed effort to shut down new competition failed everywhere else but succeeded here,” said Mischa Fisher, chief economist and advisor to Governor Rauner. In the statement released along with the veto, Governor Rauner returned the bill to the Illinois Senate with a list of changes that would protect the operations of the car-sharing companies.
“It’s easy for even an active follower of tech and startups to think that the constant marginal progress we see is automatic,” Fisher told Ars. “But what nearly happened in Illinois is a reminder that the legal rules matter, and if we want to have competitive marketplaces that produce new goods and services in any state, we don’t want incumbent players authoring their competitors’ rules without any oversight or feedback.”
Over the last few days, Governor Bruce Rauner’s unleashed a “series of controversial” vetoes on bipartisan legislation that left one analyst suggesting they “probably didn’t help him” in his tough reelection battle. In fact, Rauner made abundantly clear to Illinois teachers, veterans, families, and immigrants that he has turned his back on them.
“This week, Bruce Rauner once again abandoned Illinois teachers, veterans, and families in pursuit of his fleeting reelection bid,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Already badly trailing in the polls after a two-year budget impasse, Rauner is adding insult to injury by vetoing critical legislation that would help working families across the state.”
* The governor has signed and vetoed so many bills the past couple of weeks that it’s all become a blur. So, I was wondering when I read that release earlier today if anyone was going to put some of his more controversial vetoes together into one list. The Pritzker campaign did that this afternoon…
Governor Veto is on a roll, nullifying bill after bill that would benefit working families. With so much critical legislation tossed aside by this failed governor, the Rauner campaign is left with no choice but to orchestrate a Veto Distraction Tour to provide cover from Rauner’s failures.
Here are 10 bills Bruce Rauner vetoed this session that he doesn’t want to talk about:
SB 2481: Rauner vetoed increasing the amount Veteran families can seek in a lawsuit against the state following his fatal mismanagement in Quincy.
SB 2892: Rauner vetoed raising teachers’ wages from the current minimum of $9,000 to $11,000 a year that hasn’t been updated in decades.
HB 4572: Rauner vetoed protecting Illinoisans from workplace discrimination if they work at a small business.
HB 4469: Rauner vetoed making it easier for people in jail to exercise their voting rights.
SB 2273: Rauner vetoed removing Illinois from the controversial Crosscheck voter registration system.
SB 3103: Rauner vetoed protecting immigrant tenants from being evicted or retaliated against.
SB 34: Rauner vetoed protecting immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and other crimes when they report those crimes to law enforcement.
SB 35: Rauner vetoed making public schools, health care facilities, or courthouses safer for immigrant families.
HB 2624: Rauner vetoed protecting Illinoisans with pre-existing conditions from losing their healthcare coverage.
HB 4165: Rauner vetoed allowing the legislature and public from holding the governor accountable for restricting access to healthcare.
“Illinoisans aren’t interested in a desperate distraction tour from Bruce Rauner as he casts aside bill after bill that would help working families thrive,” said Pritzker campaign spokesman Jason Rubin. “Governor Veto can try and run from his own record but this failed leader’s damage to communities across this state and resistance to progress is plain for all to see.”
There’s a ton more nuance to those vetoes than the Pritzker people are admitting to, but as I’ve said a kabillion times before, voters don’t do nuance.
* Not all that many years ago, the Democrats dominated Chicago and southern Illinois. The Republicans dominated the suburbs (including much of suburban Cook County) and the non-urbanized Downstate areas. Nowadays, the Democrats (particularly at the presidential top of the ticket) are doing much better in suburbia and not so well in southern Illinois. Some of this, particularly in southern Cook and eastern DuPage, can be explained by black and Latino migration out of the city. But that’s not all of it. Here’s Ted McClelland…
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Illinois by an even larger margin than her husband, but she won only 12 counties, most of them in the Chicago area. She won DuPage County 53%-38%, and lost Williamson County 67%-28%.
Since 2000… the Democrats have become the party of urbanized, well-educated voters, which has made them much more appealing to suburbanites. Today’s suburbanites are more likely than the previous generation to be pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-environment, pro-gun control, and pro-government, willing to tax themselves for schools and libraries — all values associated with the Democratic Party. When the Republican Party was dominated by moderates in the Midwest and Northeast, it won the suburbs comfortably. But as the party is increasingly led by conservative partisans, suburbanites are shying away. Even the Chicago Tribune, once the voice of Midwestern Republicanism, has not endorsed a Republican presidential nominee since 2004.
The same qualities that have made the Democrats so popular in the suburbs have repelled rural voters. In May, I visited Williamson County for the Old King Festival in West Frankfort, which celebrates the area’s biggest industry. The local state representative, Dave Severin, who took office after defeating a Democratic incumbent in 2016, began his speech by shouting “Gods, Guns and Coal!” Then he cracked, “In Chicago, they don’t even know how to spell ‘coal.’ ” In socially conservative Williamson County, the Democrats are seen as hostile to Christian teachings on abortion and homosexuality, and to the coal industry, which Donald Trump promised to revive and protect. […]
In this reordering of political allegiances, the Illinois Republican Party traded the Chicago suburbs for Southern Illinois, the Democratic Party vice versa. The Democrats got the better end of that deal, because the suburbs are far more populous.
The Democrats did get the better end of that deal, but most of it was at the very top of the ticket in presidential years. There are still a lot of suburban Republican state legislators, for example. And some urbanized Downstate areas did see a spike for President Trump in 2016. We’ll see if that holds, but the suburban trend is certainly not all that friendly to the GOP.
While a crowd of 9,112 fans removed their hats and stood at attention for the National Anthem prior to last Saturday’s SIU vs. UNI showdown in Saluki Stadium, three Saluki cheerleaders used the public stage to take a knee in protest.
Sophomore cheerleaders Czarina Tinker, Ariahn Hunt and Alaysia Brandy were unsure of how the rest of the squad would react to their intent to kneel during the anthem, so they decided not to share their plans. […]
“It’s not a protest against the flag. It’s not a protest against Donald Trump,” the Chicago native said. “It was a protest for our civil rights that we are still fighting for, that we have been fighting for, for hundreds of years and we’re not getting any justice.”
Brandy, who is studying biological sciences and is also from Chicago, agreed that while some people have expressed support, many of the responses have been unsettling.
“These people know our faces and names now. And we’re getting death threats and sexual assault threats, and being called the N-word so many times,” Brandy said.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Carbondale honored three SIU cheerleaders at the 36th Annual MLK Breakfast.
At the breakfast three sophomore cheerleaders Ariahn Hunt, Alaysia Brandy and Czarina Tinker were recognized for kneeling during the national anthem at the athletic events in order to protest against racial oppression. […]
Dr. Linda Flowers, NAACP Carbondale Branch president, said “They are college students whose courage transcends cheerleading. They have risked their safety, dare I say their cheerleading careers, to protest violence and injustices to African Americans.” […]
“The three young ladies were recognized for their courage in standing up for what they believe in,” [Vice Chancellor Lori Stettler] said. “That is foundational to everything we believe in as a society and as an institution.”
Stettler apparently wasn’t on the same page as campus leadership, however.
SIU Athletics administration has also added new language to the Code of Conduct policy that states any displays of activism will not be tolerated and could lead to the individual’s removal from their respective program.
“It is a privilege and not a right to be a student-athlete, cheerleader or spirit member at Southern Illinois University,” according to the addition provided by Liz Jarnigan, SIU Athletics senior woman administrator.
“Members of the department including student athletes cheerleaders and spirit members must remain neutral on any issue political in nature when wearing SIU official uniforms and when competing/performing in official department of athletics events and activities,” according to the addition provided to the Daily Egyptian. “Any display (verbal or non-verbal) of activism (either for or against) a political issue will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the program.” […]
“We have this policy because we’re wanting to put forward a message of unity and by taking sides or offending one side or the other… that’s not what we believe [is our] purpose,” Jarnigan said.
Brandy said she will no longer be taking a knee during the anthem and her decision to do so was made before the changes from the administration.
*** UPDATE *** Ed Yohnka, Director of Communications and Public Policy, ACLU of Illinois…
Southern Illinois University’s new policy suggesting that players or cheerleaders could be removed from their respective program for peaceful ‘displays of activism’ falls short of the critical responsibility of a public university to honor and protect free speech rights for their students. It is more troubling that the policy specifically suggests that such displays will not be tolerated on ‘a political issue.’
A central purpose for any public university is to engage students and the community in the issues of our time. Schools should not threaten students – or hide them away – because they engage in protests that some in the community may not agree with. SIU administrators should act immediately to reverse these new restrictive policies and welcome a full, vocal debate on all issues on the campus.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina launched the “Driving a Cleaner Illinois” program today, aimed at improving air quality in the state by primarily removing old diesel engines from service.
This program makes way for cities, schools, transit agencies, and private businesses to submit project ideas to the Illinois EPA detailing how they will replace the old engines with newer, more environmentally friendly options.
“Taking old diesel engines off our streets and out of our rail yards will lead to better air-quality for all of us,” Gov. Rauner said. “The projects that will be funded in this first round will provide benefits to the most sensitive populations, including school children and residents in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards.”
The “Driving a Cleaner Illinois” program is funded through a recent $108 million allocation to the state of Illinois from the Volkswagen (VW) Settlement.
The Illinois EPA is opening the first round of funding with $20 million for government-owned commuter rail and government-owned public transit bus projects in the Chicago Metropolitan area, which has the highest population and most robust public transportation networks in the state.
Subsequent funding rounds will include other areas of the state that were affected by the VW vehicles, including the Metro-East St. Louis area along with Champaign, DeKalb, LaSalle, McLean, Peoria, Sangamon and Winnebago Counties.
“Commuter rail projects will remove some of the oldest, dirtiest diesel engines in Illinois from service,” said Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina. “Funding replacement of transit buses will promote all-electric and alternate fuel technology and funding for electric school buses will protect the public health of some of our most vulnerable Illinoisans.”
“The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is striking the right balance in its implementation of the VW plan,” said Todd Maisch, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “Leveraging investments in new transportation infrastructure and heavy industry while maximizing emissions reductions will drive much needed investments in Illinois communities and goes a long way in making our environment even cleaner. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce applauds the IEPA for their efforts.”
Mark Denzler, Vice-President & COO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, stated, “The IMA is pleased that Governor Rauner and the Illinois EPA have devised a thoughtful strategy to utilize the VW Settlement funds to get the best bang for the buck through future emission reductions.”
The Illinois EPA is also proposing to fund an electric school bus pilot project in Cook County. Electric school buses are a relatively new technology and a pilot project will provide school districts with information on the potential for future use. The Illinois EPA is proposing to spend more than any other state on electric school buses, an additional $9 million in future funding rounds.
Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), voiced support for the program stating, “The proposed VW final settlement plan set out by IEPA will kick start electrification of the transportation sector. Electrifying the transportation sector leverages our increasingly clean energy-powered grid to clean our air, lower carbon emissions, and improve health conditions for the most vulnerable. The Illinois Environmental Council is especially excited about the plan’s carve-out for electric school buses, which will protect young children from air pollution. IEC thanks Governor Rauner and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for working with environmental advocates and environmental justice communities on this final VW settlement plan.”
* ELPC…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency today released its final plan for spending the state’s $107 million share of the $2.7 billion Volkswagen Mitigation Trust funds. The Environmental Law & Policy Center has been active in discussions about the plan. Al Grosboll, ELPC’s Legislative Director and Senior Policy Advocate, said in response to the final plan:
“The Environmental Law & Policy Center is supportive of specific components in the Illinois EPA plan,” Grosboll said. “While ELPC will continue to raise some questions about the Agency’s plan, we are pleased the IEPA included funding for electric school buses and electric charging stations for light-duty vehicles. The inclusion of these programs reflects the Agency’s responsiveness to citizen requests and environmental concerns.”
* ICJC…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) released its final plan today to invest the $108 million settlement the state received from Volkswagen. The plan was revised after advocates called for more public input in the process.
The revised plan includes a significant increase in investments toward electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a reduction in administrative costs, and prioritizes public transit, including electric school buses.
Statement from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC):
“The plan the IEPA released today gives Illinois the opportunity invest VW settlement money to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and the electrification of mass transit systems, resulting in jobs, consumer savings, and cleaner, healthier air.
“This investment in electric vehicles will further develop the state’s clean energy economy and add to the economic and health benefits the state is already experiencing from the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA). The Volkswagen settlement provides Illinois with a unique opportunity to shift the focus of our state’s transportation economy toward cleaner, cheaper and more reliable technology. As the clean transportation sector continues to boom across the country, Illinois must position itself as a leader in this new sector that has the potential to transform our state’s economy.”
“Bruce Rauner has consistently failed to protect the environment, gutting environmental protections and showing complete disregard for the Illinois communities he is hurting,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is insult to injury from a failed governor who has been absent in the national fight to resist Donald Trump’s devastating policies and has unleashed his own attacks on the environment in Illinois.”
For every dollar DuPage County taxpayers send to Springfield, the state returns 31 cents.
That’s the lowest rate of return among all 102 counties in Illinois, according to a recently released study conducted by researchers at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
That puts DuPage County in a tie for the state’s biggest “giver.” Taxpayers in the other five counties in the Chicago area also put in more than what comes back from the state, according to the report. […]
Tiny Putnam County southwest of the Chicago area tied with DuPage, getting back 31 cents for every dollar sent to Springfield. That’s likely linked to a Cook County-based oil company that moved its sales offices to Putnam County to save on sales taxes.
The Daily Herald created a cool interactive county map, so click here and have a look.
When some politicians around here need a convenient excuse for the fiscal problem of the day, they go to their default position: Blame Chicago.
The party faithful are sure to believe anything and everything negative about the Windy City, which was given that name by New York newspapers’ editorial writers in the early 1890s to mock over-the-top boasts of Chicagoans touting their 1893 World’s Fair.
Blaming Chicago and Cook County — saying the city and the state’s most populous county take in more than their share of precious state money — is especially popular in the Rockford area.
The problem is, it’s not true. The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale ran the numbers.
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute has some bad news for all those people who think Chicago gets all of the benefits of state spending.
In short, it doesn’t.
A paper titled “The Politics of Public Budgeting in Illinois” looked at how various regions of the state fared under state budgets. In other words, how much did a region pay in taxes vs. how much did the region get in return of state spending?
In Cook County, home of Chicago, where downstaters believe all of their tax money ends up, residents paid about $2 billion more in taxes than they got back from the state, the paper found. In the suburbs, people paid more than $4.2 billion more in taxes than they got back.
And downstate? They paid about $8 billion in taxes and got $12 billion worth of spending. The paper further separated areas of downstate and determined the central part of the region got back nearly twice as much as it paid in.
But the raw data is still fascinating — especially if you saw those original, condensed reports about our region taking more than it gives.
It’s true, regionally. But at the county-by-county level it seems that most of the Peoria region still actually gives more than it takes. (Fulton County is an exception, having both a high poverty concentration and a state prison. Knox and Stark counties also receive more than they give.)
Using the same controls researchers did regionally to account for the missing data on payments and revenue, we found that for every dollar Peoria County sends out in tax revenue it receives back about 93 cents. In Tazewell County it’s about 82 cents. Woodford County gets about 91 cents and it’s 88 cents in Marshall County.
The study also showed that approximately 19.9 percent of the state’s disbursement revenue went towards southern Illinois, 12.4 percent went to central Illinois, 11.1 percent to northern Illinois, 8.7 percent went to southwest Illinois, 6.2 percent went to Cook County and 3.5 percent went towards the Chicago suburbs.
“We get told that over and over again by people in office and people running for office that we’d be great as a state if just weren’t for us having to support Chicago,” [John Jackson of the Simon Institute] said.
Some have even proposed splitting Illinois into several states. In fact, Robert Marshall made separating the state the counterpoint of his failed Democratic Primary campaign earlier this year.
Jackson says such a change could have drastic effects.
“If it weren’t for the support from northeast Illinois we would be north Mississippi basically,” he said.
Union and Johnson Counties are the biggest beneficiaries of state funding, with each getting back more than six dollars for each dollar they send to Springfield.
As the report concludes in boldfaced type: “It is quite clear that downstate taxes are not being disproportionately siphoned off and spent in the city of Chicago. . . .The lower income regions of Illinois as a whole are receiving significantly more in state expenditures than they contribute in taxes. Indeed, in the southernmost region, there would be very little activity at all without the state.” […]
Why the sharp disparities? Part of it is that income levels tend to be lower the farther south you get. Another part is that state government and all of the state’s major public universities, except the University of Illinois at Chicago, are downstate. And the major state pension funds all are headquartered in central Illinois. […]
The study does have some flaws. For instance, it uses data that don’t yet incorporate changes in the state’s elementary and secondary school aid formula, which delivered a pile of new money to Chicago and other poorer school districts around the state. Also of interest is the conclusion that the current tax system “certainly is not progressive,” something that works to the advantage of higher-income areas.
But there should be no debate over its main finding: “Facts should count for something, indeed for a lot, and are essential to any form or rational decision-making.” Amen.
Shelbyville state Rep. Brad Halbrook was a chief co-sponsor of a resolution urging Congress to recognize Chicago as the 51st state. He doesn’t dispute any of the report’s findings on state spending but said that it only tells half of the story in terms of regional antipathy for the power that Chicago politicians wield over the rest of Illinois.
“We continually see unfunded mandate after unfunded mandate,” he said. “Whether it’s on schools, local governments, or even individuals, we continue to see regulation that drives costs up.”
Illinois lawmakers often write laws that exclude or pertain to only Chicago by saying they’re only applicable or don’t apply to counties or municipalities with a population of more than two or three million people. Reasons for these exceptions vary and can be logical, but Halbrook said the laws tend to give Chicago more autonomy, send specific funds or services, or require things from other towns that are not required from the state’s largest city.
“Some of this legislation is for everybody but Chicago or Cook County,” he said. “They exempt themselves out and I think it’s really improper to do that.” […]
Jackson said those mandates and orders are small when compared to the amount the state spends on the regions, typically for higher education. Plus, it takes more than just Chicago lawmakers to pass state mandates. Many urban areas have legislators who often vote with Chicago on issues that Halbrook criticized.
State Representative Helene Miller Walsh (R-Mundelein) was sworn into serve the 51st legislative district of Illinois on August 18th, 2018.
Helene is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Leenie Productions, LLC, a multi-media production company. In addition to her business, Rep. Miller Walsh is involved in various philanthropic endeavors, and she has held leadership positions on several campaigns for Northwestern’s Prentice Women’s Hospital. Having experience working as a business leader while contributing to various philanthropies in the community, Miller Walsh brings a valued perspective and unique skill set to the General Assembly.
Rep. Miller Walsh was appointed to serve on the following committees in the House of Representatives:
Economic Opportunity
Elections & Campaign Finance
Human Services
Labor and Commerce
International Trade and Commerce
Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee
* She does have some unique skills, and her Facebook page proves it. Or at least it did before she scrubbed it. Here’s some stuff you haven’t seen unless you followed her. Opining on Roy Moore…
After BuzzFeed published an article documenting Nehlen’s mobilization of online followers against the “Jewish media,” he tweeted out pictures of top media executives at CNN, NBC, and The New York Times with little stars of David superimposed on their faces. “Do the people pictured seem to have anything in common?” he wrote, before apparently deleting the tweet. […]
“Poop, incest, and pedophilia. Why are those common themes repeated so often with Jews?” he tweeted.
At a meeting before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Republican candidate and Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland countered by calling White “the term-limit king.”
“He didn’t want to run in 2014. He didn’t want to run in 2018. I think it’s time to retire Jesse White,” Helland, of Mazon, said.
Asked if he had an issue with White’s age, Helland replied: “Absolutely,” adding White’s “not capable” of continuing serving until his term would end in January 2023.
White, well-known for the Chicago tumbling team that bears his name, later replied: “By the way, I think I’m in better shape than this gentleman.”
Libertarian candidate Steve Dutner, of, Elgin called Helland’s comments a “form of ageism.”
It’s not a “form of ageism,” it’s outright ageism. And it’s not the first time he’s done this, either. Click here if you need a reminder.
SB 904, as approved by the General Assembly, proposes changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act to: 1) provide to medical providers a mechanism for collection of the 1% per month interest penalty provided by Section 8.2 of the Act; and 2) provide penalties for the Department of Insurance enforcement of the electronic claims transaction requirements under the Act.
This Administration has advocated since taking office the need for reform of our workers’ compensation system to provide relief to employers from the high costs of our system. Unfortunately, the majorities in the General Assembly have sent to me legislation that does not provide the changes needed to bring our workers’ compensation costs in line with other states. Failure to work with our business community, legislators supporting reform, and my office to enact meaningful reform has resulted in the maintaining of our high costs, which are driving high wage jobs with good benefits out of our state.
SB 904 is not reform, does nothing to assist injured workers and dramatically tips the balance in favor of medical providers in a system where Illinois has the second highest medical fee schedule in the country for overall professional services and the highest in the country for major surgery services. Furthermore, SB 904 diminishes an employer’s ability to determine causation and whether an injury is work-related.
A much more balanced approach is necessary to meet the bill’s purpose and to reduce the friction in the billing and payment of medical bills in our workers’ compensation system. Rather than creating lengthy disputes in our court system, I propose a procedure through the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission which would result in more timely determinations of interest payments for all concerned. Furthermore, this administration is dedicated to the proper enforcement of the Insurance Code, and the Department of Insurance will be issuing guidance on compliance with the relevant law.
* That line about how the bill “dramatically tips the balance in favor of medical providers” didn’t go over well with the docs…
Illinois physicians are deeply disappointed by Governor Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 904, which included important bipartisan protections within the workers’ compensation system. The Governor’s action gives workers’ comp insurance companies continuing latitude to skirt current law on payment of workers’ compensation claims. Quality medical care is key to reducing workplace injuries and getting injured workers back to work. This is an important benefit to both the injured worker and the employer.
We consider Governor Rauner’s amendatory veto of SB 904 a huge setback for the medical community, employers and injured workers. The important care provided by doctors, hospitals, and other providers is threatened because of a loophole being exploited by workers’ compensation insurance companies that allows them to authorize treatment and then not pay a medical provider, which can stretch as long as three years.
This loophole is so egregious that even the Illinois Appellate Court sent a notice to the Illinois Department of Insurance about the questionable practices of Illinois workers compensation insurance companies.
Right now, doctors in Illinois are owed millions of dollars for approved workers’ compensation medical care. We know of one medical practice that is currently owed $24 million in pre-authorized claims. Senate Bill 904 would avoid the bureaucracy of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and allow for a right of action in Circuit Court to collect those amounts receivable with an interest penalty, a right that was written into the law in 2005 and agreed to by the business community.
By rejecting SB 904, Governor Rauner also allows insurers to continue ignoring mandatory electronic billing requirements enacted in 2011. These insurers are clinging to an all-paper based billing system that delays care and payments.
ISMS thanks the members of the General Assembly for passing SB 904 by an overwhelming margin. On behalf of Illinois physicians and the injured workers we serve, ISMS will seek an override of this amendatory veto.
* When it comes to workers’ comp, there are three competing interest groups: business, unions and medical providers. Sometimes, biz and labor team up to whack the docs, sometimes labor and the docs turn on business. Sometimes, when everybody works together, all three agree to a haircut. They didn’t all work together this time. Here’s the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
“The IMA applauds Governor Rauner for stopping an attempt to significantly increase the cost of workers’ compensation for Illinois employers that already face the 8th highest costs in the nation,” said Mark Denzler, Vice President and COO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “This legislation sought to impose draconian new penalties on job creators while also limiting information that could be used to determine whether an injury was caused by the workplace. Lawmakers need to address the structural inequities in the system, including creation of a primary cause standard, creation of a drug formulary, use of American Medical Association standards, and reigning in medical costs. It makes absolutely no sense that a doctor can charge 350 percent more for performing the exact same surgery under workers’ compensation that they would receive under private insurance
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new digital ad titled “Yep,” as Illinois students are starting the new school year.
The ad centers around the tax credit scholarship program signed into law by Governor Rauner designed to help low-income students. But JB Pritzker has made it clear that he will immediately get rid of this program if elected, denying these students the opportunity for a better future. This is in spite of the fact that Pritzker paid zero state income tax in 2014 due in part to him claiming tax credits for educational expenses.
The ad features footage of a press conference in April in which Pritzker was asked about the program.
“We’re going to get rid of them,” Pritzker said of the tax credits.
This is JB Pritzker. He took tax credits to protect his wealth. In fact, he paid no state income tax in 2014 after taking tax credits. But as Governor, JB Pritzker would end tax credits that helps low-income students. The hypocrisy is clear. Tax credits for Pritzker, but not for low-income students.
Early figures show 28 percent of the scholarships are going to kids who don’t qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. A family of four can make up to $73,800 and get one or more scholarships; once they’re selected they can make up to $98,400 without losing their tuition help. While poor kids are supposed to get priority under the law, that doesn’t necessarily happen. Kids who live in a low-performing school district also get priority. And donors can designate funds to specific schools. If scholarship groups can’t find enough free-lunch kids at that particular school, they can give the designated funds to non-poor applicants (more on this below).
Some school choice advocates are fine with this; they’re pushing for the middle class to be included in tax credit scholarship programs. Enrollment of middle-income students in private schools has been falling.
It looks like many scholarship winners were already attending private school.
This has also happened in other states. Many Illinois private schools made sure to get the word about the scholarships out to their families; some held application events so their students would have a better shot at the new first-come, first-served scholarships. At St. Mary Star of the Sea School on the Southwest Side, 30 kids are getting tax credit scholarships. According to Principal Candice Usauskas, two-thirds were already students there. All seven kids who will attend Frances Xavier Warde with taxpayer help were already students at the school, according to the group that awarded their scholarships.
We may never know how many scholarship winners were already attending private schools because scholarship groups aren’t required to report that information.
* This press release from Turo arrived in my in-box minutes after Gov. Rauner’s veto statement, which claimed he had drafted his amendatory veto “in close coordination with the broader stakeholder community”…
Efforts by car rental giants to slap new taxes on thousands of Illinois residents were dealt a major setback on Tuesday as Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a bill that was backdoored to legislative approval in the waning days of this year’s spring session.
A bill developed by Enterprise Rent-A-Car would have triple taxed anyone using peer-to-peer networks to share their car. Illinois residents using those networks had no opportunity to provide input before it was quickly passed. Tuesday’s veto will allow them, as well as the companies hosting those services, to lend their voices to the discussion.
“We support strong safety standards and regulations in every state where we operate,” said Michelle Peacock, Turo VP of Government Relations. “Illinois was the only state where we were never given a chance to substantively discuss those regulations before they were rammed through to approval. We appreciate the opportunity to have a seat at the table, just as we’ve had everywhere else.”
In May, just days before the end of the Legislative session, language in an existing bill was gutted and replaced with language that would have created a new 5 percent state tax and upwards of 15 percent in local taxes on anyone sharing their car through a service like Turo – identical to the tax paid by anyone renting a car. However, those sharing their car on Turo already paid a sales tax when they purchased their vehicle – something companies like Enterprise are exempt from, costing the state $199.3 million each year. Additionally, Turo hosts pay taxes on any income generated by sharing their car.
That gut-and-replace amendment came as Turo has rapidly grown in Illinois, with nearly 264,000 residents using the service and more than 7,300 residents sharing their vehicle. The legislation would have stifled that growth, limiting choice for consumers and financially harming those earning an average of $625 per month by sharing their car.
Tensions are likely to play out at a northwest suburban township board meeting Tuesday night, as trustees consider how to move forward after a messy investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
Maine Township Trustee Kim Jones made her allegations against Trustee David Carrabotta public a few months ago. Jones alleges the fellow Republican intentionally touched her inappropriately on three separate occasions in the past year during group photos taken of the township trustees. […]
And in December, local governments got word they’d need to update their sexual harassment policies by mid-January to explicitly outlaw harassment and direct employees where to report it. But some say the problem is that there’s no statewide inspector general for local governments, and there’s no standard, or office, for investigating ethics complaints.
“It shouldn’t be so difficult for someone to file a sexual harassment claim,” state Democratic Sen. Laura Murphy said. “It’s difficult enough for them to come forward with it.”
Murphy is the chief sponsor on a bill that would create an inspector general’s office for local governments. She says the allegations within the Maine Township board highlight exactly why such an office is necessary.
Thoughts?
* More bills…
* ICOY Calls on the General Assembly to Override Rauner’s SB2662 Veto: This task force is needed to examine and develop recommendations on how to improve the contracting relationship and partnership between the state and private nonprofit human service providers so they work effectively and efficiently to improve the well-being of all Illinoisans.
* Legislation aims to make grant process more transparent: Among new requirements introduced in the legislation is grant dollars must be spent or distributed during the fiscal year for which they are appropriated. … [and creates] a blackout period before elections when state officials are not allowed to make grant announcements.
* Rauner signs bill tightening notification requirements after gas leaks: That provision is aimed at preventing a repeat of a 2016 incident in which there was a leak at Peoples Gas’ Manlove Field — an underground natural gas storage facility in Champaign County — which wasn’t quickly reported to residents and authorities. The leak is said to have contaminated private water wells.
* At today’s bill signing to expand the use of our state’s medical marijuana “pilot program” we have Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the mother of marijuana legalization, and Gov. Bruce Rauner, who staunchly opposes legalizing recreational use…
Gov. Rauner to sign SB 336 soon, which creates the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program. It will allow patients to have access to medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids. pic.twitter.com/6ZIDArgAF7
A measure that could dramatically expand access to medical marijuana in Illinois — making it available as an opioid painkiller replacement and easing the application process for all who qualify — is expected to become law on Tuesday.
The measure is a response to the epidemic of overdose deaths from narcotics, which killed almost 2,000 people in the state in 2016 and an estimated 72,000 people nationwide last year. It would allow doctors to authorize medical marijuana for any patient who has or would qualify for a prescription for opioids like OxyContin, Percocet or Vicodin.
But the measure is also noteworthy for removing some of the major restrictions on the medical marijuana program in Illinois.
No longer will any applicants have to be fingerprinted and undergo criminal background checks. And those who complete an online application with a doctor’s authorization will get a provisional registration to buy medical cannabis while they wait for state officials to make a final review of their request.
Kudos. This is an important bill.
* The Pritzker campaign, however, takes us through some Rauner history…
Mid 2018: Rauner refused to take a position on SB 336 and let it sit on his desk for almost two months despite its immediate effective date.
Early 2018: Rauner’s IDPH fought a court ruling requiring Illinois to include chronic pain in medical marijuana, even though a judge called their argument “clearly erroneous.”
Late 2017: One week after unveiling his opioid task force, Rauner announced he would slash funding to a critical behavioral health and substance abuse facility.
Early 2017: Rauner reportedly disbanded the state’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Board in exchange for adding two new conditions to the list of qualifying conditions.
Mid 2016: After a judge ordered the state to add PTSD to the medical marijuana program, Rauner signed legislation to comply after holding out for a year.
Early 2016: Rauner again refused to add eight conditions to the state’s medical marijuana program for the second time in five months. A military veteran told AP, “I’m flabbergasted…I think (Rauner) is intentionally stalling the program. … He’s putting politics before people.”
Late 2015: Rauner vetoed a bill to add a dozen conditions to and extend the state’s medical marijuana program.
Late 2015: Rauner vetoed the Heroin Crisis Act, calling funding for opioid treatment “a very costly mandate.” The legislature overrode Rauner’s veto, allowing police to have access to Narcan, a lifesaving drug that resulted in more than 11,000 overdose reversals since 2010.
“From vetoing the Heroin Crisis Act to stalling the state’s medical marijuana program, Bruce Rauner has been a repeated obstacle to solving our state’s opioid epidemic,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Lives have been on the line while this failed governor has ignored this epidemic for years, and no last-minute photo-op can change that.”
There’s an old saying that goes something like: When a politician changes positions away from you, he’s a flip-flopper. When he changes positions toward you, he’s a statesman.
Today, Rauner’s a statesman.
…Adding… He’s evolving slowly…
Rauner on why he's backing medical marijuana as opioid alternative, a switch from his previous stance; says he has and still is studying the issue. https://t.co/RkLjZhG6bz
Thought you might be interested since they never publicize their own ads…
It’s attached.
According to the same group that Pritzker uses to criticize access to mental health care, the overall ranking from Illinois has steadily improved since 2011. In 2011, Illinois ranked 16th. In 2014, Illinois ranked 15th. Right now, Illinois is ranked 11th in overall mental health care.
There is one thing they left out, though. Pritzker’s new ad accurately references this July, 2017 CNN story…
About 80,000 people in Illinois have lost access to mental health care because of the budget crisis, according to a recent survey by the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois, which represents mental health, substance abuse and youth service providers.
* As you know, Speaker Madigan’s attorneys want to depose Blair Hull as part of their defense against a federal lawsuit filed by Jason Gonzales, Madigan’s 2016 Democratic primary opponent. Hull wants to limit the scope and length of his deposition. Madigan’s lawyers have agreed to some limits (seven hours instead of the two demanded by Hull), but not others. Their argument…
As discussed in Defendants’ Response to Plaintiff’s Motion to Quash, Blair Hull’s involvement in the facts of this case is not minimal: 1) Mr. Hull established and funded a Super PAC “exclusively dedicated to defeating Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan,” which subsequently raised and spent significant sums of money (nearly $1,000,000) to defeat Mr. Madigan in the 2016 primary; 2) Mr. Hull and Illinois United for Change produced campaign materials to support Plaintiff’s 2016 primary campaign; 3) in the weeks prior the primary election, Mr. Hull was in communication about Plaintiff’s campaign with Governor Bruce Rauner through his executive assistant, Holly Griff; 4) Mr. Hull has paid for Plaintiff’s legal bills in this lawsuit ; and 5) Plaintiff has continued to keep Mr. Hull apprised of the status of this lawsuit and has characterized it as an opportunity to find “dirt” on Mr. Madigan.
Wait. Hull was in contact with Rauner?
* I’ve redacted the contact information. Click on the third pic if you have trouble reading it, but the first one is the most important…
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So, Hull reached out to Rauner about Gonzales and Ken Dunkin, eh?
I asked the governor’s campaign for a response a couple of hours ago. I’ll let you know if they say anything.
Senate President Cullerton personally lobbied to raise the age to buy tobacco to 21. He says he called Rauner urging him to sign the bill but he vetoed it. Cullerton says he’ll know it’ll be difficult but he will try to rally votes for an override. “This is about saving lives.” pic.twitter.com/mdTHcVBsIa
* Cullerton told reporters that he’d never called the governor about a bill before, but he did so “for the first time ever” on Tobacco 21…
I told him that the real effect of his bill is to stop an 18-year-old from buying cigarettes so that he or she could give it to the 14, 15 and 16-year-olds and that’s why the tobacco lobbyists are so much against the bill. I mentioned that there’s issues with borders like there is with a lot of other bills. What really happens is when we pass a good bill and other states don’t have this law they try to pass it themselves and we help them lead the way. I told him that you have an argument about 18, 19 and 20 year-olds being able to vote and serve in the military but not buy cigarettes, but then I reminded him the real problem is the 18-year-olds buying for the young kids.
He didn’t engage in the conversation with me. He thanked me for calling. I told him if he signed the bill I’d say nice things about him. He kinda laughed at that. Then, he vetoed the bill.
The governor’s office says the two men have a “philosophical difference” on the legislation and Cullerton himself said he’s probably hated by the tobacco industry more than anyone else.
OK, but if the Senate President calls you about a pet issue of his, then you should probably take a minute to engage with him and maybe try to find something else to agree on. Even if Rauner isn’t reelected, a veto session is happening in a few months. Just sayin…
Brendan Kelly’s campaign for Illinois’s 12th Congressional District today released its third television advertisement for broadcast, titled “Jennifer,” in the Paducah media market. The campaign also introduced its first ad, “Faith,” to the St. Louis media market.
Today marks the first time that the campaign is broadcasting ads throughout the 12th Congressional District.
In the St. Louis market, voters seeing “Faith” are learning who Brendan is and his reasons for running. Brendan affirms his commitment to overcoming divisions by rebuilding his home district and restoring faith in Southern Illinois. He also restates his pledge to push for new leadership in BOTH parties.
Further south, “Jennifer” tells the story of Jennifer Herling, who became addicted to prescription opioids after a freak accident at a young age. Through the voice of Jennifer’s mother, Chris, we see the fatal consequences Big Pharma’s choice to be part of problem by putting profits over people, compounded by Congress’s inability to fix the opioid crisis. Voters also learn about Brendan’s record as a prosecutor, and his aggressive action to force Big Pharma companies to take responsibility for their deadly actions.
Chris: Jennifer, she was a straight A student until she got to middle school. I have this angel statue and Jennifer fell back up against it and it put a gash in her back. They prescribed her the Vicodin. I mean she took them the way she was supposed to, but somehow it still grabbed ahold of her. The day that she died, my mom was like, St. Clair County just pulled up. I just remember seeing my oldest daughter come running out on the porch ‘cause I’m telling my mom that she’s gone.
Brendan: It’s the huge flood of money into our politics. Big pharmaceutical companies give money to members of Congress, and Congress lets them continue the cycle of addiction. I was the first Prosecutor in Illinois to fight Big Pharma. We’ve got to hold them accountable.
Chris: Brendan has stepped up to the plate.
Brendan: I’m Brendan Kelly, and I approve this message.
* We’ve discussed much of this stuff before (click here and here for background), but Kristen McQueary’s new column is about the appointment of Helene Miller-Walsh to replace disgraced former Rep. Nick Sauer on the ballot…
Mark Shaw, Lake County GOP chairman and co-chair of the Illinois Republican Party, and Chris Geissler, Barrington Township GOP committeeman, interviewed nine candidates to replace Sauer, according to Shaw. They selected Helene Miller Walsh. She is now the representative of the 51st District and faces Democrat Mary Edly-Allen on the ballot. […]
So when Lake County Republicans announced that his wife secured the seat appointment, it took Democrats about five minutes on her Facebook page to find a series of strongly worded posts too — not the N-word but charged posts on Muslims, immigration and Chicago violence, to name a few. […]
For its part, the Illinois Republican Party shifted questions about her appointment to the “local committee” that made the decision to choose her. That committee was made up of two people. One of them is Shaw, co-chairman of the state party.
No, this is not a hands-off moment for Illinois GOP leadership. This belongs to them. It’s going to be a fiasco.
* So, why would Illinois Republican Party Co-Chairman and Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw appoint Miller-Walsh? There are a lot of reasons, but one is that he may also be a fan of conspiracy theories. Check out this Lake County Republican Party Facebook post…
A day after a competitive video gamer shot and killed two people, wounding 10 others, at a Madden video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, a group of far-right news outlets announced that they had found the Reddit account used by the shooter, who they said used the pseudonym “Ravenchamps.”
But the groups were wrong.
“Ravenchamps” did not belong to the shooter, who the police say was a Baltimore resident named David Katz and who killed himself in the shooting. And the announcement caused considerable trouble for the real person who owned the account. […]
This is not the first time Gateway Pundit has misidentified someone who committed an attack or mass shooting. The site said the Charlottesville car attack was conducted by an “anti-Trump protester” who in reality was hundreds of miles away at the time of the attack. The site also named the wrong person in the Las Vegas mass shooting, and spun an elaborate conspiracy based on an anonymous Twitter post which identified the wrong person in a mass shooting at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in January 2017.
* And the original GP story’s headline has finally been changed to reflect reality with this little notation at the bottom…
UPDATE: An anonymous Reddit user was mis-identified in an earlier post.
…Adding… The Lake County GOP has removed the Facebook post.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has issued an amendatory veto effectively killing legislation that would have let Lake County voters decide how their chief assessment officer is hired.
The job is an appointed post and has been held by Marty Paulson since 2003. Paulson’s office coordinates property tax assessment activity in Lake County, oversees the work of township assessors and mails annual assessment notices to property owners, among other duties.
Paulson has feuded with some township assessors who say he ignored their reassessments. Paulson and the county have been sued twice by those assessors, but both cases were dismissed.
This spring, the General Assembly passed legislation that would have put a question on the Nov. 6 ballot asking if it should be an elected position.
* The county board chairman has been a staunch foe of the legislation and engineered a board resolution calling on Gov. Rauner to AV the bill to make it apply to all counties with appointed assessors. Rauner complied…
While this legislation promotes the accountability of property tax officials to the taxpayers they serve, it furthers a concerning practice of local carve-outs in state law. What is beneficial to Lake County taxpayers and voters may also be beneficial to citizens across the state, who should get the same opportunity to determine whether an elected county assessor would better serve their communities.
The referendum would’ve been held this November had he signed it into law.
* Rep. Sam Yingling is the bill’s sponsor…
Today, Governor Rauner issued an amendatory veto of SB2544, killing the bill and ignoring thousands of Lake County taxpayers who called him and signed petitions urging him to sign it.
If signed, the bill would have put a question on the ballot in November to let the people decide whether the position of Lake County Chief Assessment Officer, the Lake County Assessor, should be popularly elected by the people. That position is currently appointed by the Chairman of the County Board.
“Lake County homeowners pay some of the highest property taxes in the country, but today Governor Rauner denied voters the power to hold the Lake County Assessor accountable for decisions that impact how much they pay,” continued Yingling. “Appointments can be the ultimate prize in political gamesmanship, and with the Lake County property tax system in crisis, it’s important that the person whose decisions impact how much my constituents pay is accountable to my constituents —not the politically connected. With his Amendatory Veto, Governer Rauner denied the taxpayers of Lake County their right to vote this November on whether to elect the Lake County Assessor.”
“It was wrong when Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor led efforts to get the Lake County Board to thwart our grassroots campaign to increase accountability by opposing this bill in July, and it’s wrong now for Governor Rauner to side with him over us,” said Denise Neufeldt, a homeowner in Carillon North in Grayslake. “All we want is the right to vote to elect the assessor in November. Why is Governor Rauner against increasing accountability in our property tax system?”
Yingling’s measure had bi-partisan super-majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly and was supported by good government advocates, Illinois REALTORS, republicans and democrats on the Lake County Board, the Lake County Township Assessors, and thousands of Lake County residents who made phone calls, signed petitions, and testified at local hearings on the bill.
“The people of Lake County are sick and tired of Governor Rauner ignoring our local concerns,” concluded Yingling. “He ignored our historic flooding last summer, he vetoed additional education funding for our schools, and now he’s denying our right to vote to make our property tax system accountable to us in November. This is just the latest example of Bruce Rauner being an out-of-touch, failed governor who cares more about politics than the people of Lake County.”
* This is smart politics if it can lead to some news coverage and maybe a TV ad or mailer…
FOLLOWING METRA DELAYS, SEAN CASTEN & REP. CHERI BUSTOS MEET TO TALK INFRASTRUCTURE
Sean Casten & Rep. Cheri Bustos Host a Roundtable Discussion with Industry Experts on Infrastructure Needs in Illinois and the 6th Congressional District
TODAY, August 28, 2018 - 6th District Congressional Candidate Sean Casten and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos will lead a discussion on investing in Illinois and the 6th District’s infrastructure. They will be joined by leaders from the public transit, labor, and other transportation industry experts.
Following delays and overcrowding that plagued Metra’s commuter network Monday, today’s discussion takes on a sense of urgency.
Cheri Bustos serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Subcommittee on Aviation, and as the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Co-Chair.
WHO: Sean Casten; 6th District Congressional Candidate; Cheri Bustos, Congresswoman 17th District; Jack Franks, McHenry County Chairman; Steve Schlickman, Former Exec. Director of the Regional Transportation Authority; Kristi Lafleur, Former Exec. Director of the IL Tollway; Bob Guy, Legislative Director SMART Transportation Division; Debbie Halvorson, Owner American Eagle Logistics & Former Member of Congress.
WHAT: Roundtable discussion on investing in infrastructure in Illinois and the 6th Congressional District.
WHEN: TODAY, Tuesday, August 28, 2018
12:45 to 1:45pm CT
WHERE: SMART Headquarters
205 Alexandra Way, Carol Stream, IL 60188
This may have been planned in advance and they just got “lucky” with the timing, but it’s something that directly impacts the daily lives of thousands of Illinoisans. More officeholders and candidates ought to be weighing in about this stuff.
* CBS 2: Commuter Gridlock At Union Station As Signal Problems Hit Metra Trains
* Daily Herald: Metra expected to be back to normal Tuesday after Monday meltdown: “The conditions were a madhouse, to put it extremly lightly,” BNSF rider David Keating of Aurora said. “I enter Union Station in the evenings through the Madison Street entrance, and once I got into the actual station, it was a mob scene right away.
* E-mail from a longtime reader…
Was on the train that started the problem tonight.
We were told we went through a red signal (the train was still in Union enough that we had three cars on the platform).
They said they needed to get a replacement crew, and a bunch of better dressed folks showed up including one with a measuring wheel.
At various times they said it would be 10-15 minutes and we would be rolling. They also tweeted that we would be departing shortly, one hour after departure they canceled the train.
I eventually got off and am taking an uber home. […]
Yeah Metra has funding issues but to be blunt it seems like they have internalized it and it is now their excuse for everything.
Also for what it is worth, that would have been an Amtrak switch, not a Metra or BNSF switch.
If it hasn’t already, a flier will soon be arriving in the mailboxes of many of Illinois’ approximately 400,000 public school teachers, state employees and municipal workers (including police officers and firefighters) informing them that their “legal rights as a government employee have changed.” […]
The flier was sent by the Illinois Policy Institute, a self-described free-market think tank with links to billionaires like Dick Uihlein, who are bankrolling campaigns for conservative candidates in Illinois and elsewhere.
“We want to be a resource,” IPI spokesman Eric Kohn said. “About what Janus means, what was decided in the case. What their rights are – their constitutional rights were withheld from them for 40-some years. Now that they’ve been restored, we want to make sure they have all of the information that they need to make the best choice for themselves about whether or not they want to be a part of the union, whether they want to pay money to a union and support a union.” […]
“When you look at who funds IPI, it’s definitely about politics. Gov. Bruce Rauner gives them money. You can see that Dick Uihlein, who is a big conservative billionaire investor, gives them money as well. This is about privatizing public education and our members know that,” said Illinois Education Association spokeswoman Bridget Shanahan. “If they can take away our members voices, our teachers, our education support staff – if they can silence them and the voice they use to advocate for their students, then they are one step closer to privatizing education.”
Shanahan said the IPI flier is “misinformation” because of a section headlined “member money spent on politics” when in fact legally member dues cannot be spent on political activities.
Do you know where your news is coming from? Illinois' has a massive news propaganda machine at work. The groups behind that article you're reading, newscast you're watching or radio show you're listening to can be alarming. Help us spread the word.
*** UPDATE *** From Mailee Smith, staff attorney and labor expert for the Illinois Policy Institute…
“What we’ve seen since the Supreme Court ruled that forced union fees are unconstitutional is that workers are being bombarded with information. We are a resource to break down what the ruling truly means.
“Hundreds of workers across Illinois have already chosen to leave the unions at their workplace. We hear from folks all over the state who are grateful to be able to choose their own path. Meanwhile, dozens are reaching out to us for clarity about the ruling and how it affects them. Downstate, a ‘fair share’ payer was told by her union president that she was not allowed to opt out; in another instance, a union told their members they needed to opt out together as a group. Both of these are violations of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“We support our state and local workers — including teachers, police officers and government employees — and believe they deserve to have all of the information on the choices they have now, as well as how to exercise those options, available to them.”
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new TV ad titled “Moby Dick.”
The ad features Ron Wilson, a Vietnam veteran and proud Illinoisan, talking about the Madigan-Pritzker tax hike agenda. In the ad, Ron says, “Madigan’s been in since Moby Dick was a minnow. 47 years, he hasn’t fixed it.”
Ron, like many other Illinoisans, knows that giving Madigan total control by electing JB Pritzker means higher taxes and more corruption.
A friend suggested to me this morning that the “Moby Dick” thing kinda works in this case. Bruce Rauner is Captain Ahab and Madigan is his great white whale. But the book didn’t end too well for the Captain, she reminded me.
Truth is, Illinois is in trouble. It didn’t get here in just a decade. It didn’t get here in two decades. Madigan’s been in since Moby Dick was a minnow. 47 years, he hasn’t fixed it. And he’s got JB Pritzker in there. What makes you think one of his lackeys is going to change it. They want to tax and then spend more. He’s not going to hit you with just one tax. He’s going to hit you with two or three. It’s just not going to work. It will not work.
JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan. Higher Taxes. More Corruption.
…Adding… Four years ago, the Rauner campaign billed Ron Wilson as a former AFSCME local president who said in the spot of Gov. Pat Quinn: “Don’t attack Bruce, tell me what you got done”…
Bruce Rauner's campaign just released an ad featuring Ron Wilson, who also appeared in a commercial for Rauner's 2014 campaign.
— Illinois Working Together (@IllinoisWorking) August 28, 2018
…Adding… DGA…
Today, Governor Bruce Rauner launched a new ad that only served to remind voters of how little he’s accomplished in four years as Governor. The newest ad features Ron Wilson, who four years ago called out Rauner’s opponent for his negative ads and challenged him to “tell me what you got done. I see zero.”
Four years later, Rauner is using Wilson to attack his opponent instead of telling voters what he’s gotten done.
“Bruce Rauner has zero positive things to say about his failed record in office,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “If anything, Rauner’s failed leadership negatively affected Illinois families as his two-year budget crisis added billions of dollars of debt and slowed job creation in the state.”
“DuPage cancer risk linked to Rauner” has to rank right up there as one of the worst headlines the guy has ever received.
* The online story’s hed is less harsh, but still not great: “High cancer risk in southeast DuPage County linked to company co-owned by Rauner’s former firm.” From the piece…
Two low-slung industrial buildings, tucked behind a Target store in west suburban Willowbrook, are about as nondescript as they come. For years, they have been home to Sterigenics International, a company that has quietly gone about its business of fumigating medical instruments, pharmaceutical drugs and food to kill bacteria and pests.
But a new federal study is putting a bright spotlight on the company, finding that people living nearby face some the nation’s highest cancer risks from toxic air pollution.
A gas used by the company, ethylene oxide, is far more dangerous than previously thought, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In one census tract near the plant, the EPA estimates the risk of cancer is more than nine times the national average.
Another federal agency concluded the cancer risks could be significantly higher.
Federal officials began investigating Sterigenics last year after surrounding communities popped out on a national map of health hazards from breathing toxic chemicals.
You have to scroll six paragraphs down to find the first mention of the governor’s former firm.
* However, this is from the Willowbrook Village website…
The emissions of ethylene oxide from the Sterigenics International, Inc. facility in Willowbrook, IL are not an immediate threat to public health and are not considered to be an emergency situation. ATSDR recommended to U.S. EPA that actions be taken to reduce emissions of ethylene oxide from this facility to protect the public from long-term exposures that could harm their health. […]
The highest measured levels of ethylene oxide in those areas were about 1,000 times lower than levels associated with cancer risks in scientific studies of workers with industrial exposure to EtO.
Emphasis was in the original.
…Adding… Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove)…
“The residents of Willowbrook and I have deep concerns, and many questions, about the recently released toxicity report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) regarding the air quality in our community. The health and well-being of our residents is my number one concern and priority. Therefore, I have demanded that Sterigenics and government agencies involved in this matter attend the public forum being held Wednesday night so we can have all our questions answered. I am pleased all parties have agreed to attend, and I would encourage residents with questions to attend as well. It is vital that we have all the information available so we can best mitigate this issue in order to reduce any long-term impact on our community. We cannot delay, we must act now.”
*** UPDATE *** The governor was asked about the story today…
.@govrauner on @scribeguy story of chemical used by a suburban company posing heighted risk: the federal government created a scare, cautions "this is not a public health crisis," we will work to monitor and manage risk https://t.co/u9GoqYpj7T
Cmon @metrabnsf. Can you get someone there to just once explain what’s happening in language that’s helpful? Here, I’ll help: “your train was canceled. Also you won’t be able to move inside Union station if you’re trying to catch a train right now” @OnTheMetrahttps://t.co/ermklzGoty
Metra has an unsustainable economic model and faces the worst financial crisis in its 33-year history. In addition to a chronic lack of adequate funding for capital assets, such as rolling stock and infrastructure, Metra is now faced with decreased funding for operations. […]
Because capital funding has been inadequate, Metra now has the oldest commuter fleet in the nation. Approximately 40 percent of Metra’s assets are classified as in marginal or worn condition. Half of the 800 bridges in Metra’s system are 100 years old or older. These assets, while safe, have exceeded their useful lives. Metra will always run a safe railroad, but continued use will result in higher operating costs and degraded on-time performance.
Public funding for operating costs, provided through a regional transportation sales tax and a partial state match, is falling short. […]
Public funding for capital is also falling short. In past decades, the state recognized the need to fund capital improvements for public transportation and did so regularly. In recent years, the lack of a state bond program for capital investment has had impacts on funding for public transportation. Metra understands it cannot continue to ask its customers to pay higher fares in the absence of adequate public funding. […]
The current situation is unsustainable, and threatens the future viability of the important service Metra provides. Funding levels will need to change to ensure Metra can continue to provide the service its riders depend upon, or else that service will have to be cut.
Remember earlier today when several suburban Republican legislators were screaming about the prospect of more government spending? One even called increased spending “evil.” I wonder if any of them took the Metra home after their press conference.
* Folks have long asked for a “like” button on comments, but is there anything else you’d like to see added to (or subtracted from) this site? Explain.
Chicago Mayoral Candidate Dr. Willie Wilson has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a cash giveaway last month.
The Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously to exonerate Wilson, who was accused of mixing politics and charity work
At a July 22 cash giveaway at a South Side church, Wilson handed out $40,000 of his own money to needy people. He also wrote checks worth $200,000 from his charitable foundation to help people with their property taxes.
The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform filed a complaint about the event.
“It was a nonsense complaint, we proved it was a nonsense, the hearing officer found for us, the board found for us, and the legal counsel also found for us,” said Wilson’s attorney, Frank Avila.
As Illinois’ leading nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the role of money in politics and encouraging government transparency, ICPR sought an Illinois State Board of Elections ruling on whether the giveaway should have been reported as an “in-kind contribution” to Wilson’s campaign. The state board voted in Wilson’s favor and said disclosure wasn’t needed, in part because it determined that connections between Wilson’s campaign and the Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation event were mistakes. […]
“Transparency is the only real safeguard Illinois voters have after decades of costly corruption scandals. ICPR will work to ensure that lone safeguard is not whittled away,” said ICPR Executive Director Mary Miro. “ICPR has tremendous respect for Dr. Wilson and his philanthropy, and has never wanted to stop his charitable activities. ICPR only wants to ensure that such activities are appropriately disclosed when they are closely aligned with a campaign for public office.”
* Common Cause Illinois…
The people have had enough with pay-to-play politics and are ready for change. While the Illinois State Board of Elections may technically be correct in their ruling that Willie Wilson’s recent cash handouts are legal, that does not make them right.
Illinois voters deserve a campaign focused on creating an accountable government for the people, not one where millionaires and billionaires can self-fund their campaigns and partisan politicians can play tricks to essentially buy votes. That’s why Common Cause Illinois will continue to organize people in support of and push the state legislature and localities across the state - including Cook County and the city of Chicago - to prioritize and pass campaign finance reform that lifts the voices of everyday Illinois citizens and reduces the influence of wealthy special interests and big money in politics.
* Willie Wilson…
HUMANITARIAN DR. WILLIE WILSON RESUMES ASSISTING PROPERTY TAXPAYERS…FOR NOW
WHO: Humanitarian Dr. Willie Wilson and The Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation
WHAT: For the third time this year, Dr. Willie Wilson will financially assist Cook County property taxpayers who are drowning under outrageously high tax bills and, many, in danger of losing their homes.
Those receiving help must pre-apply, through the foundation, and must have their tax bill and matching, personal identification for proper vetting and fulfillment by Foundation staff.
WHEN: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 – 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Cook County Treasurer’s Office | 118 N. Clark St. | 2nd Floor | Chicago IL
WHY: To complete the commitment made to taxpayers for this year. “I will die and go to heaven before I stop helping the needy.” –Dr. Willie Wilson
Today, legislative leaders will hold a press conference in Chicago on JB Pritzker’s plan to raise taxes on hardworking Illinoisans. Pritzker has called a graduated income tax hike the “theme of this campaign.” Despite his claims that this would only affect the wealthy, his tax hike would crush the middle class and be a disaster for the state.
JB Pritzker’s expensive campaign promises would dramatically increase the state’s spending, requiring massive tax hikes. For more information, read Rich Miller’s recent post on Capitol Fax.
Leaders Jim Durkin and Bill Brady will be joined by other area legislators at the press conference. They will give short remarks and will take questions from the press.
* From the event…
Leader Durkin says the GOP caucus will oppose every measure pushed by JB Pritzker to try to enact a progressive income tax. pic.twitter.com/2FftOBJTO5
GOP legislators are warning that the state income tax hike Democratic candidate JB Pritzker is pushing would hit every wage earner, not just the rich.
In the long-term, Pritzker wants to go to a graduated income tax – the more you make the bigger rate you pay – and in the short-term, raise the flat rate on the rich but protect the middle class with exemptions.
Jim Durkin, the Republican leader of the Illinois House says he’s never seen a Democrat so enthusiastic about wanting to raises taxes to spend more billions, noting “More Democrat spending, which is the root evil, the root problem causing all the issues we have in Springfield.”
Durkin’s solution to the states revenue needs is don’t raise taxes, but freeze spending and pass a pending pension reform bill.
* Raw audio…
At times, it almost sounded like the Republicans were viewing Pritzker’s election as a fait accompli. When Sen. Brady as asked about that, he said “On this issue alone, [Rauner] can win the election.”
…Adding… And this is the biggest reason why the last tax hike was needed…
moody's on NJ and ILL…..NJ had the weakest pension contribution ratio at 29.6%, and Illinois saw a 25% growth in ANPL with unfunded pension liabilities reaching $250B or 601% of state revenues in 2017, before the state's 2018 tax increase, an all-time high for any state.
*** UPDATE *** The governor’s campaign compiled some quotes…
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin:
“Mr. Pritzker has made raising taxes a central theme of his campaign. After the Mike Madigan 32% permanent income tax last year on all Illinoisans, including the middle class and low income workers. Pritzker now wants to raise the current rate against all Illinoisans until he can change the constitution so he could ram through what he has called the graduated tax system. Why? For more Democrat spending, which is the root evil and the root problem of all issues that we have in Springfield.”
Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady:
“I don’t even think Pat Quinn or Rod Blagojevich would have the gumption to talk about forcing a tax increase on the backs of Illinois families and businesses. We already have one of the highest property taxes in the nation if not the highest as JB Pritzker knows very well. It’s time to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses.
“…These calls by JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan and John Cullerton will not work to create opportunities for Illinois families. So candidate Pritzker, come clean with what your tax proposals truly are, but as you do that, you ought to reconsider Governor Rauner’s proposal which is reducing the tax burden on families and businesses.”
State Representative Grant Wehrli:
“JB Pritzker’s solution to Illinois’s fiscal woes could not be any more simplistic. It is simply a higher tax burden on all of us. It is an intellectually lazy approach to governance, there is nothing on the reform side, there is nothing on the cut side, there is nothing on the integration of technology to make our state government more productive. Intellectually lazy solution to our fiscal problems.”
State Representative Keith Wheeler:
“Small business owners don’t hide their money offshore, overseas accounts, they pay taxes and create jobs, and they do the little things in our communities that make a difference, like sponsor that baseball team or promote a dance recital, so if you’re a small business owner, or you work for a small business, pay close attention. JB Pritzker’s tax increase is going to hit you, and it’s going to hit you hard. And here’s why: when a small business moves to another state, closes its doors, it never even opens, because the entrepreneur can’t see a way to make ends meet because our taxes are too high and still going up. Well then that real life toll on the family in Illinois that loses that job or never gets that opportunity, that’s real impact, so make no mistake. The Pritzker-Madigan tax increase will crush Illinois small businesses and kill Illinois jobs.”
State Representative Deanne Mazzochi:
“JB Pritzker says that he won’t commit to the rates, that he’s going to take from our social service workers, our teachers, our farmers, truck drivers, doctors, business owners, and the rest of the middle class, because he needs to work with the legislature. And again, we know what that means—Pritzker puppet, Madigan master. JB’s commercials, that Madigan-Pritzker tax hike, is only going to hit the billionaire class, is a flat lie.”
State Representative David Olsen:
“I think that the critical point is that this math doesn’t work unless there is a tax increase on the middle class, and so JB Pritzker’s plan—oh we’re just going to focus on the billionaires, that he’s going to pay more, it sounds nice, except that means a tax increase on every working family in Illinois, and that is really something that we cannot afford.”
State Representative Peter Breen:
“JB Pritzker, as one of my colleagues declared he only made $15 million in income but had $120 million available to spend on his political campaign. So this guy is bad faith in a state where we have had enough bad faith we have had enough corruption. We need people, leaders, and policies that give people hope for the future and that’s something Governor Rauner is trying to bring to the state and we fully support him in terms of those policies that will turn around our state. Again, this is a tax cheat, pushing tax hikes. He is absolutely in bad faith and in the most corrupt and bankrupt state in the country and we can’t afford it.”
State Representative Steve Reick:
“What we’re going to be left with are a whole bunch of people making less and less money providing less and less revenue in an economy that continues to stagnate. So whatever JB Pritzker is selling, I’m not buying it, nor should you.
“…He’s wasting an awful lot of money on ads talking about taxing the rich. Let’s find out what he’s going to do about taxing the middle class, because that’s what’s going to happen.”
Over the weekend, numerous users on social media platforms notified our campaign that the incumbent state Treasurer, Mike Frerichs, is using taxpayer dollars to advertise. This morning, Republican nominee Jim Dodge issued the following statement:
“Mike Frerichs is using taxpayer dollars, just months from an election, to advertise on social media. He should be immediately and totally transparent with taxpayers about how much this costs and why it is the most efficient use of their money.
“We need a Treasurer who is committed to transparency and who will work to insure that each and every hard earned dollar that Illinois taxpayers send to Springfield is used in the most efficient and effective way.
“It is absolutely abhorrent to ask the taxpayers of this state to send one extra penny to Springfield until our elected officials can guarantee that they are getting the absolute most out of current funds.
“I urge the Treasurer to be transparent and accountable and to do so today.”
* I asked Treasurer Frerichs’ spokesman if they were running ads on Twitter. His response…
Yes, we do advertise on Twitter as part of a larger campaign to increase the number of people claiming their unclaimed property.
We have had a lot of success with the campaign. In fact, we have doubled the number of successful claims to over 116,000 and returned $180 million in FY 18.
For years, Illinois universities have watched as thousands of the state’s best and brightest students headed elsewhere for college.
Lured by generous scholarship offers, and spooked by the state’s budget stalemate and rising tuitions, Illinois students have increasingly pursued their higher education in other states. Enrollment has slid, and Illinois is losing far more local students to other states than it is attracting nonresidents to attend college here.
Now, the University of Illinois and a bipartisan group of lawmakers want to change that.
On Monday, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is announcing a free tuition and fees program for admitted Illinoisans whose family income meets or falls below the state median.
But when you scroll down to the particulars and do the math yourself (because the Trib doesn’t do it for you), you’ll see that the program will pay tuition for 250 students, tops. That’s only about 3 percent of its total freshman enrollment.
So, while probably a good start and very consequential for those individual kids, it won’t make much of a dent in the state’s out-migration problem.
…Adding… From Sen. Pat McGuire…
Rich, hello. UIUC Chancellor Robert Jones explained to me that Illinois Commitment is last-dollar financial aid. Pell and MAP are first-dollar. Illinois Commitment then covers the gap between the sum of those two grants and tuition and fees.
John S. Jackson, a professor specializing in politics at Southern Illinois University, says the southern part of the state has come to resemble the changing political landscape of the Deep South of the nation.
“We lagged the South and we’re a good deal later getting to that, but we have certainly come to that party and we’ve become increasingly red in presidential votes and even in congressional votes now,” Jackson said Sunday on WGN-AM 720.
“This end of the state, particularly because of economic reasons, was always a bastion of Democratic strength, and the unions were a key part of that,” he said. But with union declines, primarily in the coal industry, “the same thing that’s happened to the South has happened here, though ours came more recently.” […]
“We are a deeply polarized nation and we are polarized ideologically and (in) partisanship and geographically, and now Illinois reflects almost exactly that same (national) distribution” of voter attitudes, he said.
Rauner had previously come under fire from conservatives over signing into law an immigration measure that prevents people from being held by law enforcement solely on the immigration status without a judicial court order. Rauner has been forced to defend his signature as not creating “sanctuary” law.
But on Friday he spoke out against “that whole sanctuary concept” and blamed Democrats for forcing the legislation that resulted in his vetoes, though some measures also got support from Republican lawmakers.
One measure he rejected would create “immigration safe zones” which would require the attorney general to develop policies for courthouses, schools, libraries, medical facilities and shelters on how to handle immigration enforcement activity. It also would remove questions of immigration status from applications for benefits from state agencies, schools and universities.
Rauner also vetoed legislation that he said forced law enforcement to advance visa applications to immigrants “who otherwise would be deported” in order to defer their removal in cases where they “claim to be victims of crimes.”
Supporters said the legislation set rules for processing visa applications aimed at assisting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, giving them federal protections if law enforcement certified they came forward and actively cooperated in prosecuting their case.
Interestingly enough, the governor’s state and campaign Twitter accounts made no mention of these vetoes.
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday stubbed out a bill that would have raised the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy cigarettes, vaping devices and tobacco products in Illinois.
In a letter explaining his veto to the General Assembly, Rauner called smoking “detrimental to the health of Illinoisans of all ages,” but argued the bill would only limit consumer choice without keeping tobacco out of youthful hands.
Using that logic, why does he still oppose legalizing marijuana?
Gov. Bruce Rauner is expected to take action on a bill that would give opioid patients the option to use medical cannabis to treat their pain. […]
The bill, dubbed the Alternatives to Opioids Act, would significantly expand the state’s medical cannabis pilot program by giving people who have been prescribed opioids the opportunity to obtain a temporary medical cannabis card.
Under the bill, temporary access could not exceed 90 days, although a doctor could re-certify a patient after that point. The measure would also eliminate requirements for temporary patients to submit to background checks and fingerprinting.
Our current law makes zero sense. If you’re a cancer patient with weeks or a few months to live, there’s no way you can get a medical cannabis card before you die. Same goes for injured people. By the time they recover, they still won’t have a card.
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Saturday signed a bill legalizing industrial hemp, adding Illinois to a growing list of states that allow the growth of cannabis for non-drug purposes.
“Legalizing the farming of industrial hemp just makes good sense,” Rauner said in a statement. “Roughly 38 states — including our neighbors in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee — have allowed or are considering allowing cultivation of this crop for commercial, research or pilot programs. Our farmers should have this option as well.”
* Other bills…
* Thumbs down to Gov. Bruce Rauner for vetoing legislation that would expand benefits and collective bargaining rights for city paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Rauner took the action over the weekend on plans that would define paramedics and EMTs as “firefighters” for purposes of union bargaining and benefits for injuries or death. Yes, we know that Rauner has long sought to limit unions’ collective bargaining power, but this is too far. He says the legislation would be an “unfunded state mandate.” Maybe, but our EMTs deserve better. They have tough jobs, too. Both measures received the General Assembly’s approval by wide bipartisan margins and could face veto-override votes.
* Rep. Reick sponsors bill to help clarify dental care insurance: Senate Bill 2851 requires that dental insurance cards now include specific information that identifies whether the coverage is subject to regulation by the Illinois Department of Insurance.
* Letter: Why is Rauner violating health care basics?: By vetoing HB 4096, Illinois will require Medicaid Managed Care Organizations to adopt a single preferred drug list. This limits physician prescribing behavior. Practitioners must be allowed to prescribe freely. Illinoisans with various chronic illnesses, including HIV, have similar clinical decision points. Often, these involve life-saving medications. Rauner is choosing to put vulnerable individuals — like the estimated 45,000 Illinoisans living with HIV — at increased risk for various unknown reasons. Perhaps, it’s just plain politics. It doesn’t matter — the ultimate effects are the same.
* Cunningham’s plan to end Chicago police quotas becomes law: Senate Bill 3509, sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham, rescinds Chicago’s exemption from a 2014 law banning counties and municipalities from assigning ticket quotas and using the number of tickets an officer issues as a performance evaluation. The law made exemptions for municipalities with their own independent inspectors general and law enforcement review authorities.
* The Sun-Times looks at the immediate aftermath of the Janus ruling…
As a result of that ruling, [labor expert Robert Bruno’s] research has predicted an 8 percent loss for Illinois’ total public sector unions, with teachers’ unions faring slightly better. […]
The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees said “several dozen” former members had dropped out. Spokesman Anders Lindall said just 10 percent of the 75,000 public service workers represented by the union were fair-share payers.
Lindall, too, said “more than 1,000” fee-payers signed up as new dues-paying union members.
So, they had a net loss of about 6,500 people who were paying fair share fees and didn’t join the union. That’s about an 8.7 percent drop, which is darned close to Bruno’s prediction, particularly since teachers’ unions are expected to fare better.
But the loss could be higher if those “several dozen” card-carrying union members who dropped out actually number in the hundreds.
The Trump administration’s efforts to allow health insurers to market short-term medical plans as a cheap alternative to the Affordable Care Act are already running into headwinds, with state insurance regulators resisting the sales and state governments moving to restrict them.
State insurance regulators, gathered over the past three days for a meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, expressed deep concern that short-term plans were being aggressively marketed in ways likely to mislead consumers. Many said the plans, which need not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s coverage mandates, were a poor substitute for comprehensive insurance.
“These are substandard products,” sold on the premise that “junk insurance is better than nothing” for people who cannot afford comprehensive coverage, Troy J. Oechsner, a deputy superintendent at the New York Department of Financial Services, told the insurers.
For instance, a standard silver plan under the ACA now averages $481 a month for a 40-year-old nonsmoker. A short-term plan might cost as little as $160 a month, according to some estimates.
But lower premiums may be deceptive, says Karen Pollitz senior fellow, health reform and private insurance at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Cheap insurance is cheap for a reason,” says Pollitz, referring to both short-term and association health plans. “These plans are less expensive because they are offering you less protection.” […]
Under Obamacare, short-term plans could only be sold for a coverage period of 90 days. That seemed a reasonable amount of time to offer bare bones coverage for people who are in between jobs or in another short-term bind.
Under the new rules, a short-term policy can be issued for a limit of 364 days and insurers are allowed to extend those policies up to 36 months, or a total of three years. Three years is not exactly short term, according to many health care advocates. Over a period of time that long, chances are higher a healthy person who signed up for a minimal plan may encounter health issues that could potentially be excluded from coverage.
It is expected that if these policies can last for a year or more, healthier individuals may choose to purchase short-term coverage for the lower premiums, leaving only those with high medical needs to purchase individual plans. This would cause premiums to skyrocket to cover anticipated costs for the smaller population remaining.
* May 25th press release…
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) advanced a measure through the Senate to protect consumers from a pending rollback to the Affordable Care Act.
House Bill 2624 would encourage individuals to enroll in comprehensive health insurance rather than remaining on a short-term plan. The measure would limit short-term coverage to 180 days within a year. The Obama Administration limited the time an individual could stay on a short-term plan in 2016. President Trump has proposed reversing this ruling and allowing individuals to stay on short-term, limited duration insurance plans for a year.
“President Trump wants to extend the length of time individuals can stay on a short-term health insurance plan, driving up the cost for everyone on the exchange,” Steans said. “These plans can also hurt consumers by not providing full medical coverage and leaving patients with high medical bills.”
Short-term, limited duration insurance plans are exempt from many of the Affordable Care Act’s mandates and often provide less coverage to consumers. House Bill 2624 would require short-term policies to disclose to consumers that the plan might not cover all medical bills.
“This legislation is about protecting consumers and the insurance exchange in Illinois,” Steans said. “It is clear that the Trump administration does not have consumers’ best interest at heart, so as a state we need to step up and protect patients from enrolling in plans that won’t cover their expenses.”
Short-term health plan legislation that was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner more than a month ago should be vetoed to protect middle-income Illinoisans, the founder of an independent insurance brokerage firm said.
“House Bill 2624 will be devastating to Illinois consumers who do not qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies,” C. Steven Tucker, Health Insurance Mentors founder and principal broker, told North Cook News. “These consumers have been forced to absorb premium increases of more than 200 percent in the last five years.”
* Gov. Rauner vetoed the bill over the weekend…
Today I veto House Bill 2624 from the 100th General Assembly, which restricts the scope and operation of short-term limited-duration health insurance plans (“STLDs”).
This legislation would impose numerous restrictions on these plans, which have historically been utilized to cover individuals who may be experiencing a gap in longer term coverage options, including strict maximum time frames and prohibitions on renewal.
I recognize concerns that certain STLDs have not always been clear in their terms and coverage, but ultimately broad restrictions such as those contained in House Bill 2624 will reduce consumer plan choice as well as the availability of STLD options in Illinois. The scope of STLDs has recently been debated at the federal level, and we should look to be consistent with the regulatory structures of other states and the federal government, as further regulation will create barriers to Illinoisans’ access to the health care plans that best fit their needs.
Republican House hopeful Dan Caulkins believes true conservatives should support Gov. Bruce Rauner’s re-election effort despite their many disappointments in his first term.
“We had a primary election and the outcome of that means he’s the Republican candidate,” Caulkins told the Chambana Sun. “It’s important that we come together as a party to send Republicans to Springfield.” […]
“We need to keep the Governor’s Mansion in Republican hands because that is the only person that can veto Madigan and Pritzker’s agenda,” he said. “That is the only way that Republicans will have a significant voice in the next remap that, in many ways, will shape this state.” […]
As for all the disappointment, some conservatives might still feel regarding Rauner’s first four years in office, which saw him sign off on abortion expansion with House Bill 40 and gay rights legislation, Caulkins said he has a feeling things may be vastly different this time around.
“By sending more Republicans to Springfield, I think we will help Rauner to be more conservative in the way he governs,” he said. “In the House, if we can chip away at the Democratic majority and pick up seats I think the other side will start to see a trend that tells them people really want change. With that, I think everyone will be more willing to work toward real solutions to our problems instead of marching in lockstep with Madigan and the Democratic machine.”
Seems reasonable. But the Chambana Sun is one of those Dan Proft papers, and even though Caulkins was a Proft guy in the primary, his current reasoning is diametrically opposed to the position of the GOP’s Ives/Proft/Uihlein wing, which is basically: Rauner needs to apologize to Ives for calling her a Madigan ally. Or something. I’m not quite sure.
*** UPDATE *** From Dan Proft…
Hey Trump
I don’t take any stories down. There is no anti-Rauner litmus test. People can take whatever position on Rsuber they so choose including the candidates supported by my PAC.
But nothing like concocting fake news agitprop to curry favor with the AFL-CIO Times and the rest of the groupthink brigade.
You may now resume you fact-free conspiracy theorizing.
* If JB Pritzker wins the governor’s race and the Democrats strengthen their legislative majorities, it’ll be interesting to see how the Dems deal with bills like this one…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday vetoed legislation that would have raised the minimum salary for an Illinois teacher to $40,000 within five years, putting the re-election-seeking Republican at odds with teachers unions once again.
The bill approved by lawmakers in the spring would make the minimum teacher salary for next school year $32,076. The number would rise to $40,000 for the 2022-23 term and grow with the Consumer Price Index after that.
“Teachers are our greatest asset in ensuring the future of our youth and they deserve to be well-compensated for their hard work,” Rauner wrote in his veto message. “However, minimum pay legislation is neither the most efficient nor the most effective way to compensate our teachers.
“Things like pay-for-performance, diversified pay for teachers in hard-to-staff schools or subjects, or pay incentives for teachers with prior work experience are all viable options to provide greater compensation for teachers,” the governor wrote.
This sounds like a good idea, and it sure has pleased the teachers’ unions in an important election year. But just about everybody knew this bill would be vetoed from the get-go.
The bill received 37 votes in the Senate (one more than needed for an override), but just 65 votes in the House (6 votes shy). This was yet another bill specifically designed to put Rauner on the hot seat and help the Dems with their own base. But will they pass stuff like this when it could actually be signed into law? I guess we may find out.
* JB Pritzker…
“I’m disappointed that Bruce Rauner doesn’t think our state’s hardworking teachers deserve a fair wage,” said JB Pritzker. “With this veto, thousands of educators across the state are being denied a raise at the same time that Illinois grapples with a worsening teacher shortage that this governor is doing nothing to stop. It’s been decades since the state updated the law to maintain fair wages for these public servants — which currently sits between $9,000 and $11,000 a year — but Rauner fails to see this basic inequity. I want to thank the sponsors of this critical legislation, Senator Andy Manar and Representative Christian Mitchell, and pledge to our invaluable educators that I will sign this bill if I’m elected governor.”
* Gov. Rauner walked through the Du Quoin State Fair parade Friday evening just behind Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s contingent…
* Closeup…
* But, unlike last year, when the governor vetoed a Mendoza bill that was unanimously overridden in the House, he has signed all her bills this year…
* Press release: Governor Rauner has signed all five of Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza’s bills, the last two coming late Friday. “This really advances my office’s Transparency Revolution,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “These bills give taxpayers more information about how their money is being spent. They can use that information to demand more responsible budgets from their legislators and the Governor.” 1) SB3560 The Lender Transparency Act, signed late Friday, opens a window for the first time on the lenders who profit from the state’s chronically late payments. These lenders serve an important role in allowing Illinois businesses to survive by fronting them money until the state pays them. The state pays up to 12 percent interest on late bills. The lenders profit from that high interest rate. Up to now, taxpayers have had little information about who makes up these lending groups; where their financing comes from and who is profiting – to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars – from Illinois’ financial dysfunction. … 2) HB5814 Budgeting for Interest Payment, also signed late Friday, requires governors to include in their budget proposals their plans to pay down the state’s late payment interest penalties, which currently total nearly $1 billion. Up to now, governors have ignored these liabilities in their budget proposals.
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday vetoed legislation that would have increased from $100,000 to $2 million the maximum damage award families of veterans who died due to Legionnaire’s disease at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy could have sought from the state.
Rauner has come under fire over his administration’s handling of repeated annual outbreaks at the home that began in 2015 with the deaths of a dozen people and illnesses to scores more. Since then, at least two more deaths have been associated with the disease.
At least a dozen lawsuits have been filed since the initial outbreak, claiming negligence by the state. The Republican governor’s Democratic challenger, J.B. Pritzker, has accused Rauner of “fatal mismanagement” at the veterans home, which is now undergoing a reconstruction.
In its legal filings, the state has denied any negligence and Rauner has said the state has followed all recommendations of federal experts at the Quincy home. In April, Rauner’s veterans affairs director resigned.
* The Sun-Times’ headline was equally tough (”Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoes larger damages for Legionnaire’s victims”), but the story was a bit more accurate…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed legislation that would have boosted the maximum damage awards to people who sue the state, including survivors of veterans who died of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in downstate Quincy.
This bill wasn’t just about Quincy. The bill covered just about everybody who sued the state. So, I think the governor was right that a $2 million cap was a bit much. The cap was originally set at $100,000 in 1971, which works out to about $600,000 in today’s money. Rauner used his AV to change the cap to $300,000. So, where the GA high-balled, he low-balled.
From the outset, the legislation put Rauner in a political trick box. Embracing the status quo, as Rauner did Friday, carried the risk of making the governor seem unsympathetic to the plight of the veterans’ families at Quincy. Accepting new limits could have been viewed as a tacit acknowledgment the state bungled its response to the outbreaks, something Rauner has never admitted.
Legislators were in the same trick box. It wasn’t easy voting against the bill because of the deceased veterans angle.
* JB Pritzker took full advantage in his own press release…
“I’m disgusted by Bruce Rauner’s callous dismissal of Veteran families in this veto,” said JB Pritzker. “These families lost loved ones because of Rauner’s fatal mismanagement of the Veterans’ home in Quincy. No amount of money will ever bring back a life taken too soon or soothe a family’s grief, but Rauner had the indecency to lower the reparations for those who have paid the ultimate price. It is unconscionable and a disgrace to our fallen heroes. I hope the legislature overrides this bipartisan, veto-proof bill that this failed governor refused to sign into law.”
* From the governor’s veto message…
When citizens are inadvertently harmed by the State of Illinois or State employees performing their duties, they are granted statutory recourse to address those harms through the Illinois Court of Claims. There are approximately eight thousand cases filed against the State of Illinois each year, two hundred of which are for torts. Currently, these tort claims are subject to a cap of $100,000.
I recognize that the current law is outdated and in need of adjustment. However, this adjustment should reflect regional and national averages in order to properly compensate those who, once properly adjudicated, were found harmed by the State of Illinois.
This legislation raises the cap on awards from $100,000 to $2,000,000, effectively ignoring the impact of vastly expanded future litigation on the fiscal position of the State and its taxpayers.
The increase stands out when compared to other large states across America. Among the largest states in the nation, the cap averages about $350,000 for individual claims. As proposed, SB 2481 would make Illinois an extreme outlier when compared to our surrounding states. Wisconsin and Michigan are almost entirely immune from tort liability. Kentucky caps claims at $250,000; Indiana at $700,000 and Missouri at $300,000. Iowa has essentially no cap on tort claims. Further, the increase proposed far outpaces what would be a reasonable increase based on growth statistics available from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Finally, as proposed, this legislation could invite frivolous lawsuits and expose taxpayers to hundreds of millions of dollars of potential damages each year without adequate study or justification.
…Adding… And here comes ITLA, right on cue…
Following the Governor’s amendatory veto of a measure that would have allowed access to justice for all families whose loved ones are injured or die while under the care of the state, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association President Mark D. Prince issued the following statement:
“Senate Bill 2481 is meant to ensure access to adequate and fair compensation for victims and their families when the state is responsible for their injuries or death. Despite the support of strong, bi-partisan majorities in the House and Senate, the Governor’s amendatory veto creates yet another artificial legislative hurdle for our veterans and their families, and put vulnerable children, the elderly, and other future victims that are injured or killed under the state’s care into peril.”
If you were wondering whether the latest NBC/Marist poll showing Gov. Bruce Rauner trailing J.B. Pritzker by 16 points was enough to take the wind out of the incumbent, you only had to look to an event last week for an answer.
Rauner, along with other major statewide candidates, spoke to the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable near Normal. It’s a rite of passage for statewide hopefuls. They speak and take questions under a large, open-sided tent next to a cornfield. The event is not easy to get to and even more difficult to endure because the August heat is rarely kind.
But the context and conditions didn’t seem to faze Rauner. “Everything is on the line in this election,” he told attendees.
And as he has for months on end, Rauner warned of Pritzker’s ties to Chicago’s “corruption” and Speaker Madigan, which are basically two sides of the same coin to this governor. It was as clear as ever that he truly believes this stuff. He’s the good guy on the white horse (or motorcycle, if you prefer) who was born to save the state from the “evil” machine.
Rauner also unveiled a new TV ad last week with the tag line: “J.B. Pritzker and Mike Madigan. Higher taxes. More Corruption.”
He may very well go down in flames this November, but he and his people have long made it clear that Pritzker’s win won’t come without a steep price. He appears ready to battle all the way through, even if he isn’t thrilled about the billionaire Pritzker’s ability to outspend him.
Rauner admitted during the Illinois State Fair that Pritzker is outspending him 3-to-1. The dollar margin may narrow a bit, but I doubt that the overall gap will ever be closed. He’ll have to make up for the cash disadvantage by going over the top with his negative attacks.
Rauner’s tenure as governor and the national political climate have combined to just about destroy his reputation (his unfavorable rating is twice as high as his favorable rating in that NBC/Marist poll). It’s far too late and the national headwinds are far too strong to totally rehabilitate his image with the general public. So Rauner’s best path to victory appears to be to drag Pritzker down as far as he possibly can.
By contrast, “this guy Pritzker,” as the governor likes to refer to him, came across last week as a happy warrior when it was his turn to speak. Few in that heavily Republican Farm Bureau audience will be voting for him come November, but he didn’t behave as if he was in hostile territory. The man has skills.
In person, Pritzker comes across as genuine and accessible, two traits you don’t usually associate with billionaires who are allegedly tied at the hip to a corrupt political machine. He just doesn’t match up with the governor’s negative hype.
He parried Rauner’s attacks with a believable smile and got in some solid jabs of his own as he recounted pieces of the now-familiar story of the years-long governmental impasse. He admitted his ignorance on certain topics instead of trying to bluff his way through and promised to listen and learn, which are not things the governor does on a regular basis.
One concern I’ve heard since the last poll came out is about voter complacency. If the polling continues to show large Pritzker leads, will his campaign lay back and will Democratic voters stay home?
I don’t think the campaign will let up. To illustrate my point, Pritzker’s campaign manager tweeted in all caps the night the NBC/Marist poll was published: “DON’T GET COMPLACENT, PEOPLE.” And in a year like this, defined mainly by opposition to what’s happening in and around the White House, people are probably gonna vote no matter what. Things can always change, but this trend shows no signs of abating soon.
Pritzker’s candidacy is basically billed as the antidote to Raunerism and a protective wall against President Trump. And that’s not a bad idea when every poll including this last one has Rauner doing worse than Trump.
But a win also has to have some meaning outside of “I’m not him.” If he does win, he’ll have to govern.
Pritzker has to show legislators that he took some risks with policy ideas so that they will, too. Otherwise, they’ll behave in Springfield next year the way he’s been on the campaign trail this year and stick to only poll-tested ideas that won’t rock the boat.
