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.
* Gov. Rauner wants as many as a dozen debates, according to the Sun-Times. JB Pritzker has only agreed to three…
“Pritzker is depriving Illinois voters across the state to ask meaningful questions because he knows he will not be able to answer them,” Rauner spokesman Alex Browning said.
Browning said the Rauner campaign has agreed to more than 10 debates in markets across the state, and he’s “willing to face questions from Illinoisans on all range of topics.”
But Pritzker’s camp says they’re just following Rauner’s own rules. The Republican participated in three debates when he ran for governor in 2014. […]
“It’s fascinating to me that Rauner is wanting to do any debates because you know normally the challenger wants to debate because the incumbent is ahead,” veteran Democratic consultant Kitty Kurth said. “I think this is a clear indication that even Rauner knows he is not ahead.” […]
Pritzker and Rauner will participate in the following debates: Sept. 20 in Chicago, sponsored by NBC 5, Telemundo, Union League of Chicago and Chicago Urban League; Oct. 3 in Chicago, sponsored by ABC 7, Univision, and League of Women Voters, and Oct. 11 in Quincy, sponsored by WGEM and the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** Sen. Sam McCann…
Unlike JB Pritzker, I accept. 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only candidate against taxpayer funded on-demand abortions while Bruce Rauner and JB Pritzker approve. 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only proven true pro-life candidate running for Governor. 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only proven candidate against illegal immigration. 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only proven candidate to protect the sanctity of the 2nd Amendment. 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only proven candidate against transgenders changing their birth certificates. 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only proven candidate to stand up for the working middle class. And, 12 opportunities to point out that I am the only proven candidate to truly represent all 102 counties. I think 12 times should do it.
* The governor called the three pieces of legislation “bad bills.” Former Gov. Jim Edgar penned an op-ed earlier this week calling on him to sign the bills. Here’s Edgar’s take on the first bill Rauner referenced today…
The Immigration Safe Zones Act (SB 35) addresses the all-too-common fear among many immigrants of law enforcement agents swooping them up as they go to court, seek medical attention, pursue education, and seek other assistance. This bill would direct the Illinois Attorney General to develop model policies for courthouses, schools, libraries, medical facilities, and shelters on how to handle immigration enforcement activity. These model policies would send a strong signal that education, public health and justice should be available for all Illinois residents, while ensuring that any enforcement activity at these locations meet basic legal standards.
Gov. Rauner said today the “bad” bill was “part of the whole sanctuary concept that I’m against.”
…Adding… I posted the wrong bill above. He’s vetoing SB35, but signing SB3488. Change made in text.
The VOICES Act (SB 34) would set consistent rules for law enforcement agencies that work with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and certain other crimes. These survivors can seek federal protections if law enforcement agencies certify that they have come forward and actively cooperated in the prosecution of their case, but too often these agencies delay or deny these certifications. By setting standards for handling certification requests, this bill would encourage the untold numbers of survivors who have yet to come forward to report and cooperate with law enforcement, and improve public safety for all.
“That ties the hands of law enforcement,” Rauner said. “It can delay deportations which should otherwise occur. And again, that’s a bad bill and we’re gonna be vetoing that. We don’t want to tie the hands of our local law enforcement.”
The Immigrant Tenant Protection Act (SB 3103) would protect immigrant renters from unscrupulous landlords who might seek to avoid their legal obligations under Illinois law and local ordinances by issuing threats and illegal evictions based solely on immigration status.
“Again,” Rauner said, Wwe should not be tying the hands of any property owners in the state or supporting illegal immigration in that way.”
* The show’s host then mentioned that Illinois has more illegal immigrants than any other state. Rauner’s response…
That pushes up our unemployment rate, and that holds down wages in Illinois and takes jobs away from Americans.
* Rauner also talked about how the state Democrats “tried to ban E-Verify as a tool for employers to check on legal status of immigrants before they hire anybody.” He said that “fortunately, they lost that in the courts.” The governor said he wants E-Verify everywhere in the country. Click here for background on that fight.
The show’s host suggested that perhaps the alleged murderer of Mollie Tibbetts, who is reported to be an illegal immigrant, might not have even been working in Iowa if his employer had used E-Verify, which is a website that allows employers to determine the eligibility of their employees to work.
Well, you know I did read, I did read that, that that individual, the alleged murderer in that case, who was an illegal immigrant, had been working in the US for a while and the employer did not use E-Verify to check on his status and that may very well have made a difference.
Some Republicans, including former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have been pushing Republican candidates to use the Mollie Tibbetts case in the fall campaign.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Pritzker campaign…
“Bruce Rauner vetoing a majority of the immigration bills on his desk is a cowardly, political move that exploits divisions he and Donald Trump try to make in our society,” said JB Pritzker. “When Trump leads chants to ‘build the wall’ and bans refugees from entering our country, Rauner applauds his administration and follows his lead by vetoing bills even Republicans call ‘practical, common sense solutions to urgent issues that immigrants in our state face.’ We have 1.8 million immigrants in Illinois, and their governor refuses to protect and support them — that’s a disgrace. As governor, I will sign these critical bills, stand with our immigrant families, and work to improve educational opportunities, increase healthcare options, and foster economic opportunity for immigrant youth and their families.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Sam McCann…
Governor Rauner’s sudden change of heart on immigration is disingenuous and clearly driven by his staggeringly low poll numbers. Rauner willingly signed a bill into law reigning Illinois in as a sanctuary state and has remained silent in much of the national immigration debate. Choosing rather to side with a Chicago liberals rather than POTUS Donald Trump.
Now that polls show him trailing by nearly twenty points, Governor Rauner has decided his only political option is to flip-flop and pretend to be conservative, thinking Illinois voters won’t see right through him.
Illinois voters have one candidate who has been consistently tough on immigration, and they can count on me to stay vigilant in protecting jobs for our citizens.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Press release…
The Illinois Senate Latino Caucus denounced statements made by Gov. Bruce Rauner today while announcing his veto of three immigration-related bills on the basis of inaccurate assertions and false generalizations that all undocumented immigrants are murderers.
Senate Latino Caucus members released the following statements:
Latino Caucus Co-Chair Martin A. Sandoval (D-Chicago):
“These are measures that would have given immigrants basic human rights and protected them from deportation simply for reporting crimes. As we draw closer to November, Rauner gets closer and closer to being a Donald Trump clone than an independently-minded leader.”
Assistant Majority Leader Antonio “Tony” Munoz (D-Chicago):
“The governor’s comments today are misguided. I find it offensive that he would attempt to hurt members of our community to join in with President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. He has completely ignored the intent of these pieces of legislation while failing to lead our diverse state once again.”
Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago):
“The governor is trying to score political points during a week when anti-immigrant rhetoric is high. It’s a shame that he cares more about appealing to certain voters than really reading this legislation and understanding that it is beneficial to the many immigrants living in our state.”
Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago):
“Gov. Rauner chose to side with the racist rhetoric that is spewed from the White House instead of focusing on the people he represents. He was wrong for using such a tragic incident to benefit himself and hurting our community by completely undermining legislation that helps everyone.”
Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin):
“This once again proves the governor is no friend of Illinois’ diverse immigrant communities. Gov. Rauner continues to flock to President Trump’s hostile right-wing agenda instead of embracing the contributions diversity brings to our state and society. Illinois needs a leader, not a Trump follower.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Press release…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto Friday of legislation intended to improve relations between immigrant communities and law enforcement is a step backward that will punish victims and shield criminals, said Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton, the lead sponsor of the proposal.
“This is a slap in the face to crime victims who happen to be immigrants. The whole idea was to foster trust between police and immigrant communities. You want immigrants to report crime, because criminals aren’t checking immigration status,” Cullerton said. “Gov. Rauner’s veto is a misguided step in the wrong direction that will ultimately shield criminals and punish victims.”
Cullerton sponsored the proposed Voices Of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors (VOICES) Act to add teeth to an existing federal law designed to encourage people to report crimes and help police regardless of their immigration status. Federal law creates special immigration visas for victims of crime.
Here’s how it is intended to work: When victimized immigrants help police and prosecutors bring criminals to justice, they are supposed to, in turn, get assistance from law enforcement with their official immigration paperwork.
That deal already exists in federal law. The problem is there’s no deadline for that paperwork assistance, leading to criticism that immigrant victims are too often left in legal limbo. These are often victims of human trafficking.
Cullerton’s proposal required Illinois law enforcement to sign off on the immigration paperwork within 90 business days.
The VOICES Act, Senate Bill 34, passed the Illinois Senate with bipartisan support.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Press release…
The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law condemns Governor Rauner’s veto of SB3103, the Illinois Immigrant Tenant Protection Act. The ITPA protects all Illinoisans by prohibiting landlords from harassing, mistreating, or evicting tenants based on any perceived immigration status. The bill would make Illinois a better place to rent property and a fairer place to live. It is disgraceful that in the year of the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act Governor Rauner has chosen to veto SB3103, putting hateful and discriminatory politics ahead of sound policy.
When You’re Bruce Rauner, Every Day is National Waffle Day
Chicago, IL – Today is National Waffle Day and while we’d love to celebrate by enjoying the golden brown breakfast staple and reciting Leslie Knope’s poetic verse “the sun is rising over a sea of love and waffles and possibility,” the Pritzker campaign has no choice but to highlight the ways Bruce Rauner has waffled on critical issues that impact Illinoisans:
EDUCATION: Rauner vetoed school funding twice before finally signing the funding formula bills and now even calls education reform a signature accomplishment.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: Rauner said he was pro-choice, then promised to veto HB 40 and even told Cardinal Cupich he would, then signed it, and now still won’t pledge not to undermine the law.
TRUMP: Rauner is proud of the White House, but won’t utter Trump’s name. He introduced Mike Pence as “one of the greatest leaders in American history” when he came to Illinois, but ditched Trump because of a supposed scheduling conflict. We still don’t know if Rauner voted for Trump.
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA: Rauner said the region has “no convenient transportation, not much of a workforce,” but suddenly changed his mind and is feeling syrupy lately after the community clapped back.
“While Leslie Knope loves waffles, she’d be ashamed by how much Bruce Rauner waffles on critical issues that affect the people of Illinois,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “From school funding to women’s healthcare, Illinois voters just can’t trust Bruce Rauner to take a stand on any issue and keep his word.”
“The Catholic Church has a moral obligation to provide its parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois.
“We have reviewed the Pennsylvania grand jury report, which identifies at least seven priests with connections to Illinois. The Chicago Archdiocese has agreed to meet with me. I plan to reach out to the other dioceses in Illinois to have the same conversation and expect the bishops will agree and cooperate fully. If not, I will work with states attorneys and law enforcement throughout Illinois to investigate.”
“We have been contacted by the Illinois attorney general and look forward to discussing our policies and procedures related to misconduct issues with her and her office,” the Chicago Archdiocese said in a statement. “We have worked cooperatively with the Cook County and Lake County state’s attorneys for many years.”
Among the Chicago-area priests named in the new report is the Rev. Raymond Lukac, a known “problem priest” accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl in the rectory of St. Stanislaus parish in Posen in the early 1960s.
The Rev. Gregory Furjanic is also named for unspecified accusations predating his 2003 arrival to Chicago to serve the Croatian Franciscan Friars, and the Rev. Jerry Kucan for a series of abuses in Pennsylvania before he was placed in Chicago’s St. Jerome parish in 1982. Kucan also was assigned to St. Anthony in 1986, Sacred Heart in 1994 and St. Anthony’s Friary in 1995.
The Rev. Robert Spangenberg was accused in the report of abusing boys in Pennsylvania after serving in the 1980s as chaplain at Chicago’s St. Francis de Sale High School.
Those four priests are all dead. It wasn’t immediately clear which other priests in the report were being scrutinized by Madigan’s office.
* OK, back to this statement by AG Madigan…
If [they don’t cooperate fully], I will work with states attorneys and law enforcement throughout Illinois to investigate.
* The Questions: 1) Is this an appropriate undertaking by the attorney general? 2) Should this be used as a template by future attorneys general for investigating corruption and other statewide illegalities? Take the poll, answer both questions and then explain your answers in comments, please.
* I have to take Oscar for a haircut and run another quick errand. Not sure when I’ll be back. Please keep it Illinois-centric and be nice to each other. Thanks.
Reporters including from POLITICO have been pressing Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker for weeks to cough up some details about his preferred graduated income tax rates. We’ve heard over and over that wealthy people like him and Bruce Rauner would be taxed more. And that he wants to negotiate with lawmakers before coming up with a rate. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Again and again. Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller finally threw up his hands and called Pritzker on the carpet for being “stuck firmly to this script.” Miller went on to speculate his own numbers. But that’s not going to make Pritzker any more forthcoming. And here’s why: Putting out any kind of number would only be political ammunition for his opponent. Rauner would clog the airwaves with ads about the rate number, the same way he did with those toilets.
First, reporters have been asking for those rates for more than just weeks. It’s been months. Maybe even a year or more.
And, yes, I agree that the Pritzker campaign likely isn’t going to release its numbers because doing so would give the other side some big ammo. Duh. That’s why I decided to do it myself. Unlike the rate issue, needed revenue is a question I could answer myself, but I had to ask them first just to see if they wanted to stick their necks out. We’ll just have to see if Team Rauner uses that back of the envelope guesstimate I published yesterday.
* Meanwhile, the Pritzker campaign has a new TV ad on this very topic. Rate it…
When you’re a failure, you lie. Bruce Rauner is intentionally misquoting newspapers to lie about JB Pritzker. The very same articles make clear Pritzker only wants to raise taxes on wealthy people. Most people would see a tax reduction. Lower and middle income taxpayers would not pay more. And JB’s plan increases funding for schools and reduces property taxes on local homeowners. Four years of failure and lying is enough.
Today, Orland Park Trustee and Republican State Treasurer candidate, Jim Dodge, challenged his opponent – incumbent Treasurer Mike Frerichs – to a series of debates.
“The voters deserve to hear where we stand on the issues of importance to Illinoisans. I challenge my opponent, Mike Frerichs, to agree to a series of at least three debates,” said Dodge.
“Our state is facing serious challenges, challenges that require leadership in Springfield that is committed to finding real solutions, not simple political posturing,” continued Dodge. “The job of Treasurer, especially given the fiscal crisis we face, is a critical one. I would hope that my opponent would be willing to stand before the voters, exchange ideas, debate policy and lay out his vision for the future.”
“I urge my opponent and his campaign to work with my campaign to put together a series of debates across this state that will give voters the opportunity to take the measure of both of us and decide who best should represent them as Treasurer,” concluded Dodge.
* As I told you earlier today, I’ve finally given up on asking JB Pritkzer to detail his preferred graduated income tax rates because he has always stuck firmly to this script forever…
“You’ve gotta negotiate this with the legislature—Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “We have to come up with a rate schedule that doesn’t penalize people who are striving to get to the middle class, cause they’re paying, frankly, the highest rates in taxes in general.”
He says that the tax rates have to be negotiated. Fine. How much net new revenue (approximately) does a graduated tax have to raise to do things like up the pension payment, reduce property taxes, fund programs, etc.?
* And I just received this answer…
Unlike the current governor who made decisions about cuts and spending without the input of others, JB is not interested in going it alone. He will work hand in hand with community leaders, stakeholders, and elected officials to make sure that we are investing in children, families, and communities across the state. As we identify all of the ways that Bruce Rauner’s failures have harmed Illinois, JB will partner with the legislature to achieve the policy priorities he has laid out in this campaign.
So, not only won’t Pritzker tell us which income levels should be protected from higher tax rates, now he won’t say how much money he has to raise to pay for his new programs.
And that leaves me no choice but to speculate.
* First, there’s a $1 billion or so structural operating deficit to deal with.
And then there’s his plan to accelerate pension payments. It sounds to me like he’s basing his idea on the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability’s reamortization plan, which proposes borrowing $11.2 billion over eight years. With interest, that’s about $1.7 billion a year.
The bill backlog stands today at $7.8 billion. Of that, you’d have to get rid of at least $4 billion to return to a “normal” payment cycle. Let’s say you bond out $4 billion over five years and you wind up with about $900 million in annual payments.
And let’s figure $1 billion for his new programs, just because it sounds like a nice round number and they won’t say what they want to spend so I have to just throw it out there. I could be low-balling, I just don’t know.
He said again yesterday that he wants to pump more money into local schools in order to lower property taxes, because that tax is really what’s driving people out of state. A five percent cut in local school property taxes (which ain’t much) would cost about $1 billion. I’m figuring he won’t go even that high. Does $500 million sound about right, particularly if you cheat a bit by including in that number the extra $300 million mandated every year by the new education funding reform plan?
So, you’re looking at $6.1 billion in revenue needs. But then there’s all the natural spending growth in programs like Medicaid. I don’t know what that could be, so let’s just say natural revenue growth takes care of it - even though it probably won’t.
Subtract out about $500 million gained from legalizing marijuana and sports betting and you’re at $5.6 billion (although that pot estimate is probably too, um, high). If they expand gaming in a big way, some say that could bring in $1 billion more a year, but I really doubt it.
To put all that into perspective, the last income tax hike in 2017 produced about $5.7 billion in new net revenues its first year, according to COGFA.
* An idea older than she is with no chance of passing and an empty complaint that somebody who has an opinion ought to go to Springfield to do something about it…
Harold stressed the fact that she wants to be the state’s watchdog. The Attorney spoke on her desire to focus on workers comp and fighting against controversy in Springfield. Harold called it an asset that shes never held an elected office.
The Republican candidate wants voters to know that she wont be swayed by special interests from either parties.
“The Attorney General should be given the power by the General Assembly to be able to convene a statewide Grand Jury,” Harold said. “That’s important because it would give you the opportunity to be far more proactive and aggressive in investigating corruption.”
Harold’s opponent, Democrat Kwame Raoul was also there to speak with voters. When referring to Harold, he spoke on her “lack of experience”. The democrat said that she shouldn’t be able to make promises she knows nothing of, Raoul’s comments were in reference to her stating she will focus on workers comp issues.
“On all of these issues that she says she wants to advocate for now, shes never weighed in like people do on a day to day basis in Springfield,” explained Raoul. “People come from all over the state that are concerned about the policy that we are putting forth, she hasn’t been doing that.”
The main contenders for Illinois attorney general seeking to replace the retiring Lisa Madigan on Wednesday traded accusations of which contender was more beholden to their political leaders.
Republican contender Erika Harold of Urbana sought to link rival state Sen. Kwame Raoul to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Raoul, after offering words of encouragement about Harold’s candidacy during the forum, used an appearance before reporters afterward to question her ties to Rauner and assailed her for lacking experience in policymaking. […]
“It’s not ironic that she was given $1 million a couple of weeks ago from Bruce Rauner and introduced herself in a general campaign with an ad comparing me to Mike Madigan,” Raoul told reporters. […]
“When you think about why Illinois is the way it is, you’ve had certain people that have been in power for a very long time. Speaker Michael Madigan is the longest serving (state) speaker of the House in U.S. history,” Harold said. “And my opponent has been in Springfield for the past 14 years, marching lockstep behind him. If you want change within your state, you cannot continue to send the same people there hoping that somehow they will change. And that’s why we have to have redistricting reform.”
They did talk about some substance. Harold jabbed Raoul for proposing a bill (SB3005) that she said would give legal standing to out of staters to block state environmental siting permits. Raoul said he withdrew the bill after discussions with the Farm Bureau and others. They also both talked about worker’s comp. She’s for a causation standard, for instance. No surprises. Lots of droning. She says he’s ducking debates, he says his campaign manager reached out last month about setting up debates.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner put politics over people and sought to increase his own power when he used an amendatory veto to change technical legislation to give himself new authority over approval of certain investments, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said [yesterday].
“This is a stunning act even by Illinois’ insider and corrupt standards,” Frerichs said. “Before the Governor tries to do the Treasurer’s job, he should work on doing his own.”
Rauner changed SB 2661. The bi-partisan legislation, sponsored by Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) and Representative Robert Martwick (D-Chicago), would have allowed the treasurer’s office to invest up to five percent of administrative funds in stocks of publicly traded American businesses.
Higher returns in the administrative funds would enable lower investment fees and lead to higher returns for college savers and local governments who use the Treasurer’s programs. Rauner’s proposed change would allow him – rather than the treasurer’s office – to have the final say over the actual stocks to be purchased or sold based on personal preferences rather than sound investment strategies.
“Separation of powers is as old as our country. It is a bedrock of our democracy,” Frerichs said. “In this era of executive overreach, Governor Rauner’s amendatory veto simply defies common sense.”
The legislation had overwhelming support by Republicans and Democrats. It passed the House 114-1 and the Senate 55-1.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, from 1991 to 2014 the state of Illinois lost 50,000 students at public universities and community colleges. Governor Bruce Rauner signed 2 new laws Tuesday in an effort to keep Illinois students in the state. […]
Senate Bill 2927 creates the AIM HIGH grant Pilot Program, a merit-based scholarship for Illinois students who attend college in-state. House Bill 4781 creates a task force to help share college and career interest data between high schools and higher education institutions.
* Press release…
Yesterday Governor Rauner issued an amendatory veto to House Bill 5104, which abolished the $5 co-pay Illinois prisoners must pay to see a doctor. The Governor cited balancing “the need to provide medical services with potential abuses of a free medical system that could create significant backlogs in an already overburdened Corrections healthcare system.” This decision is incredibly disappointing and the reasoning behind it flies in the face of research and correctional realities. There is little or no substantiation for the assertion that without a medical co-pay, prisoners will seek medical attention regardless of medical need; there is a plethora of evidence demonstrating correctional medical co-pays result in poorer overall health for prisoners and staff as well as increased costs to the state due to administrative expenses and heavier utilization of expensive emergency treatments.
HB5104 passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, and the Illinois Department of Corrections, the agency most impacted by this legislation, took a neutral position on it. The fact that the agency charged with the medical care of the state’s incarcerated population did not oppose abolishing the $5 co-pay is evidence that concerns about abuses of the prison healthcare system are not founded on fact or experience. Illinois is not alone in recognizing this; the National Commission on Correctional Health Care opposes inmate co-pays as an obstruction to quality, necessary healthcare in prisons.
* Equitable funding is needed, SIUE staff members tell state panel: Kim Archer, president of the union at Edwardsville called SIUE needing to loan money to SIUC a slap in the face to Edwardsville. “After all, we were also entering our fourth year without so much as a half-percent cost of living adjustment, while some administrators on our campus quietly received five-figure raises,” Archer said.
* More protections needed for tax dollars, lawmaker says: Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law to better control how taxpayer-funded grants are spent, but a state senator who pushed for the measure said it needs to go further. Rauner signed Senate Bill 2540 this week. The law puts limits on how grant dollars are issued. “Numerous nonprofits in Illinois are doing excellent, important work to improve our environment or improve people’s lives,” Rauner said in a statement. “This will help ensure that our limited grant resources are put to the best use.”
* Gov. Bruce Rauner appeared before the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable yesterday and was whether he supported abolishing the estate tax. Here’s his reply…
Our estate tax should be eliminated. I’ve recommended that every year that I’ve been governor.
He has? I couldn’t find anything on Google about an official proposal while he’s been governor to abolish the estate/inheritance/death tax. Maybe you can help me find something because I also asked his press office for a response and haven’t heard back. And I searched through all of his budget addresses and couldn’t find anything, either…
*** UPDATE *** Text from Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego)…
Hi Rich, Just saw the blog. I introduced HB0648 - which would protect family farms from the estate tax if it is passed down to a qualified heir. It got stalled in subcommittee and I never once was contacted by the Governors office about it. I’m reintroducing it again next session.
“I’ve lived in Illinois for 62 years, my entire life. I don’t know of a more important election in my lifetime than this election. Everything is on the line,” Rauner said.
I guess those years he spent at Dartmouth and Harvard don’t count?
In 1971, when Rauner was a student at Lake Forest High School, the family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. Vincent had left his law firm to head up Motorola’s lucrative patents division, based in nearby Phoenix. Rauner finished high school there, then entered Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1974.
He returned to Chicago for a year in 1978. Then left again.
“Pritzker has proposed a mileage tax on cars. … Put a box in your car, measure your miles and pay a tax based on how many miles you drive,” Rauner told reporters after addressing about 100 at the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable at Rader Farms. “That’ll be devastating for farm families (and) anyone who lives in a small town or rural community.”
Pritzker denied that he has such a plan but didn’t back away from the idea entirely while addressing reporters after his remarks.
“What I said is there are tests that have been done on this (tax) and I think we’ve got to look for how we’re going to pay for infrastructure in the state. It’s not anything definitive,” said Pritzker. “We can’t … go without an infrastructure capital bill for the state. It’s late at this point.”
This is what Pritzker said in January that got Rauner all riled up…
“In some states (such as Oregon) they have done tests recently for a VMT tax because we have more and more electric cars on the road, more and more hybrids, and because gas mileage is rising. It’s only fair if you’re on a road and traveling on that road that you should pay your fair share,” he said.
A VMT tax “is something we should look at … we have to careful how it gets implemented and that’s why it should only be a test at this point.”
On ethanol-based fuels E-85 and E-15, however, Pritzker was more assertive, saying he completely supports sales tax exemptions to encourage farmers to work with those alternative energy sources. Rauner said he would like to negotiate some kind of new policy.
* Related…
* Rauner, Pritzker Face Off in Southern Illinois Forum: “Higher taxes and more corruption which is what Madigan and my challenger are really part of,” he said. He also embraced several Trump administration policies. “The White House and Congress cut the tax burden, removed the red tape on businesses, fought unfair trade deals,” he said. “We need to do the exact same thing for the state of Illinois.” He even incorporated a familiar phrase. “This is the greatest place on earth, Illinois, and we’re going to make it great again,” Rauner said.
* Gov. Bruce Rauner, J.B. Pritzker clash at agriculture forum over Trump policies: Rauner also appeared to acknowledge the region’s support for Trump and how that could assist him after largely distancing himself from the controversial president. “Lower the taxes, roll back the income tax hike, cut the red tape and we’ll get Illinois booming just the way the federal government has done for the U.S. economy,” Rauner said. “The U.S. economy is strong. Illinois is doing fairly well because the federal government — the White House and Congress — has cut the tax burden, cut the red tape on businesses, fought unfair trade deals, fought against illegal immigration, and we’re strong and we’re getting stronger. We need to do that exact same thing for the state of Illinois,” he said.
* Rauner, Pritzker Make Back-To-Back Pitches To Illinois Farmers: Pritzker said Rauner hasn’t delivered for Illinois farmers, including during the two-year budget standoff. He cited the 2017 closure of the Department of Agriculture’s Galesburg Animal Disease Laboratory, at the time the state’s only animal-disease testing lab.
* Rauner Vetoes Bill to Create Urban Agriculture Zones in Illinois: This spring, the legislation passed the Illinois House by a vote of 86-22 and the state Senate by a unanimous 55-0 vote. But Rauner issued an amendatory veto Monday, proposing to strip the bill of property tax abatements and other incentives that would have benefitted urban farmers. Using property tax abatements to incentivize growing “would continue a problematic pattern of shifting property taxes to other taxpayers who may or may not directly benefit from the creation of these Urban Agriculture Zones,” Rauner said in his veto message. “Abatements like this simply redistribute property taxes, when homeowners are already struggling under the immense weight of their own tax burdens.”
* An independent pharmacy is closing its doors in Lincoln, so the SJ-R takes a look at one of the reasons why it couldn’t remain in business…
The Springfield-based Illinois Pharmacists Association says many owners of the state’s more than 500 independent pharmacies and smaller chains are being paid less than the “acquisition cost,” or wholesale cost, of the medicines they dispense to Medicaid patients.
Garth Reynolds, executive director of the association, says pharmacies also have seen their per-prescription “dispensing fee” from Medicaid, a fee designed to cover professional services, drop from $5.50 for generics and $2.40 for name-brand drugs under the previous “fee-for-service” system to the current 45 cents per prescription.
Advocates for managed-care organizations and [pharmacy benefit managers] say the managers save states money in their Medicaid systems. But advocates for pharmacy owners say Illinois’ less-than-transparent managed-care contracts conceal what may be unfairly high profits by PBMs that are being earned at the expense of independent pharmacies.
And because at least one PBM, CVS Caremark, is owned by the huge chain that operates CVS pharmacies, independent pharmacies say Caremark’s rate cuts may be designed to put independents out of business.
“We’re seeing in other states the exact same problem,” said state Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago. “We’ve got something going on that’s against the public interest.”
Hospitals have been closing at a rate of about 30 a year, according to the American Hospital Association, and patients living far from major cities may be left with even fewer hospital choices as insurers push them toward online providers like Teladoc Inc. and clinics such as CVS Health Corp’s MinuteClinic. […]
The risks are coming following years of mergers and acquisitions. The most recent deal saw Apollo Global Management LLC swallowing rural hospital chain LifePoint Health Inc. for $5.6 billion last month. Apollo declined to comment on the deal; LifePoint has until Aug. 22 to solicit other offers. Consolidation among other health-care players, such as CVS’s planned takeover of insurer Aetna Inc., could also pressure hospitals as payers push patients toward outpatient services.
…Adding… The Washington Post published an interesting story on who’s behind some of this fight. Click here. And Axios put it into some more perspective this month. Click here.
During a Q&A with reporters, Pritzker did not answer a question about whether he would flesh out his tax plan with specific rates and brackets before the election.
“I’ve been clear about what the principles are for a fair tax system,” Pritzker told GLT. “First of all, we need to ask people like Bruce Rauner and me to pay a slightly higher rate. We need to make sure there’s a graduated system so people in the middle class and those who are striving to get there actually get a tax break. He likes to say that other states aren’t creating jobs with a fair tax system. Tell that to New York and California and Minnesota. They’ve created lots of jobs.”
At what income level will people’s taxes go up?
“You’ve gotta negotiate this with the legislature—Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “We have to come up with a rate schedule that doesn’t penalize people who are striving to get to the middle class, cause they’re paying, frankly, the highest rates in taxes in general.”
Sigh.
Months of pounding on Pritzker to release his proposed rates clearly has not and will not work. So, after listening to Pritzker’s comments yesterday, I came up with a new idea and texted his campaign spokesperson this…
He says that the tax rates have to be negotiated. Fine. How much net new revenue (approximately) does a graduated tax have to raise to do things like up the pension payment, reduce property taxes, fund programs, etc.?
* I know this is very long, but try to read it anyway…
Gov. Bruce Rauner this week signed a bill package that increases access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment and addresses the state’s opioid crisis.
“We are taking steps to dramatically improve mental health and substance use disorder treatment for the people of Illinois,” Rauner said. “These five initiatives work together to improve the quality of care and hopefully, the quality of life for so many Illinoisans suffering from mental health and substance use disorders.”
Signed Wednesday:
Senate Bill 1707 improves insurance companies’ coverage of mental health and substance use disorder treatments and strengthens the ability of the Department of Insurance to protect consumers.
Senate Bill 682 allows providers to give immediate access to outpatient treatment by removing prior authorization barriers.
Senate Bill 3049 expands access to behavioral and mental health experts for Medicaid patients by allowing them to utilize telehealth technology.
Signed Tuesday:
Senate Bill 3023 partners law enforcement agencies with licensed substance abuse service providers.
Senate Bill 2951 provides the Department of Healthcare and Family Services the opportunity to apply for a waiver that would allow treatment for serious mental illness on the first episode of psychosis.
“The Opioid Helpline has received over 5,000 calls in eight months,” Rauner said. “The State Police have trained approximately 1,600 officers in the use of NARCAN. And now, with this signing, we are reaffirming our efforts, putting Illinois on the path to becoming the nation’s leader in mental health and substance use disorder treatment.”
In a ceremony at Memorial Center for Learning & Innovation in Springfield on Wednesday, Rauner signed the bill package to improve the quality of care for Illinoisans with mental health and substance use disorders.
“This is no time for moral platitudes, judgment or shame,” Rauner said. “We are amid an opioid crisis in our state and around the country. We need comprehensive, evidence-based solutions. And that is what we have here today.”
Senate Bill 1707, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, improves the scope and coverage of Illinois’ parity laws and provides clear enforcement power to the Department of Insurance (DOI). The legislation prohibits prior authorization and step-therapy requirements for FDA-approved medications to treat substance use disorders and requires generic medications be on the lowest-tier of prescription formularies.
“This law is putting the ability to treat people and get them well back in the hands of providers,” Rauner said. “It lets providers do their jobs saving lives.”
The legislation also prohibits exclusions of the prescription coverage and related support services for substance use disorders because they are court-ordered.
“These medications are a critical component in the state’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis and get people, including those who are ordered by the court to seek treatment, the help they need,” said DOI Director Jennifer Hammer. “This isn’t just about rules and regulations, it’s about not giving up on people.”
This legislation also aims to improve transparency by requiring insurance companies to make parity compliance information available via a public website.
“I applaud the Illinois legislature and Gov. Rauner for enacting this landmark parity legislation, which will hold insurers accountable for complying with state and federal mental health parity laws,” said former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum. “By increasing access to treatment amid skyrocketing rates of overdoses and suicides in this country, SB 1707 will save lives! I call on other states to follow Illinois’ lead in demanding insurer and regulator transparency and accountability to help end coverage discrimination against people with mental health and addiction challenges.”
The legislation clarifies that medication-assisted treatment medical necessity determinations must comply with the American Society of Addiction medicine guidelines.
“This state, like many others, has a serious problem with the overuse of prescription painkillers and runaway opioid addictions,” said Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena, who co-sponsored the bill. “Simplifying this process will most certainly improve patients’ quality of life and it will hopefully lead to less opioid overdoses.”
Finally, the legislation requires that school district plans comply with state parity laws.
“Mental health and substance abuse issues are a serious problem that affect many citizens in Illinois,” said Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, who co-sponsored the bill. “Information about and access to adequate treatments is often difficult for those suffering from these issues to find or afford. These treatments have the potential to save the lives of those who need them, so it’s critical that we as a legislature do all that we can to ensure that anyone who needs treatment can get it.”
Senate Bill 682 is a key component in addressing the opioid crisis by providing people in need immediate access to outpatient treatment.
“Obtaining treatment is often a matter of life and death for people fighting addiction,” Rauner said. “SB 682 helps give them the tools to win that fight.”
Currently, individuals experiencing an opioid overdose or reaction must wait for their treatment to be approved by their insurance plan before entering a facility. The legislation removes prior authorization barriers so people do not have to wait for treatment.
“This year Illinois tackled the issue of substance use, working closely with providers to remove barriers to admission,” said Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, chief sponsor of the legislation in the House. “The moment a person decides they are ready to enter a recovery program is a crucial one — and that person should never be turned away. SB 682 removes the prior authorization requirement to eliminate barriers to recovery treatment.”
“When a provider determines that an individual with a substance abuse addiction needs immediate treatment that is medically critical, prior authorization from an insurance company can cause delay in care,” said Sen. John Mulroe, D-Chicago, chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate. “That delay in care has resulted in death. Senate Bill 682 will remove an administrative barrier to treat substance abuse addiction and will aid in the fight against the opioid epidemic.”
In the event the insurance company denies treatment, SB 682 requires the insurance plan to cover outpatient treatment for 72 hours while the patient challenges the denial.
“It gives those in need the option for immediate coverage while they determine future coverage,” said the Department of Insurance’s Hammer. “It provides the support these people need at the right place at the right time. We hope it will encourage treatment and save and improve countless lives.”
The legislation also defines that those who are insured will be free to select the professional of their choice to treat their disorder and the insurer must pay the covered charges if they are listed in the policy.
“Both rural and urban Illinois families have lost loved ones to drug overdoses that, in many cases, could have been prevented with immediate access to addiction treatment,” said Illinois Association for Behavioral Health CEO Sara Howe. “By eliminating insurance pre-authorization red tape for critical care, Gov. Rauner deserves praise for now ensuring swift access to vital addiction services that will save lives.”
Senate Bill 3023 partners law enforcement agencies with licensed substance abuse service providers to focus on preventive measures in dealing with the opioid crisis and other substance use issues.
“Our police officers want to help us solve the problem, not just punish people,” Rauner said. “This effort builds community and allows our law enforcement and peace officers a way to give people help instead of a criminal record.”
“Substance abuse contributes to crime, hurts Illinois families and deteriorates communities,” said Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, the chief sponsor of the bill in the House. “Our Illinois law enforcement and human services leaders understand this reality, and I applaud their support of a solution in the form of SB 3023. I am happy to see this community- and family-improving idea become law.”
The legislation allows for a deflection program where peace officers or members of law enforcement agencies facilitate contact between an individual and licensed substance abuse treatment provider or other such professionals.
“We know the factors involved with treating mental health and substance abuse are multilayered and complex,” said Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate. “Early detection is key, as both issues can manifest into a lifetime of challenges if left untreated.”
“This new law focuses on preventive measures in dealing with the opioid crisis and other substance abuse issues,” said Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, who co-sponsored the legislation. “It partners law enforcement agencies with licensed substance abuse service providers to treat individuals with substance abuse problems before they are arrested. Getting these individuals help before they enter the jail system will make it easier for them to resume their daily routines later without a criminal record, and will reduce the burden on local jail and court systems.”
“This legislation is modeled off the Safe-Passage Program in Dixon, Illinois,” said Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, who co-sponsored the legislation in the House. “Dixon has had great success with 215 people placed directly into treatment over incarceration. This has resulted in a 39 percent reduction in arrests for drug crimes, as well as properly deflecting people to get the medically driven substance abuse help they need instead of making it difficult for them to get help because of a criminal record.”
“Deflection programs provide police officers with another option when dealing with someone they believe may have opioid or other substance abuse problems,” said Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, who co-sponsored the legislation in the Senate. “Continuously arresting and locking up such troubled individuals rarely fixes their underlying issue. It is my hope that with these deflection programs, we can get people the treatment and help they need to get better.”
Senate Bill 3049, signed Tuesday night, expands access to behavioral and mental health experts for Medicaid beneficiaries by allowing patients to meet their behavior and mental health needs via telehealth technology — as is the current practice in over 30 states.
“By encouraging telehealth services through reimbursement, we can lower the cost of our health care system and allow more people to receive vital treatment that can improve their lives,” Rauner said. “We are grateful to the leadership of Lt. Gov. Sanguinetti and the Illinois Telemedicine Task Force for all the hard work they have put in to make this life-changing initiative a reality for so many people.”
Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti has visited nearly two dozen hospitals and medical offices across Illinois the past two years to learn how telemedicine improves access to quality health care while reducing costs. As co-chair of the Illinois Medicaid Telemedicine Task Force, she has passionately advocated for expansive telemedicine reform and strongly supported the legislation.
“Medicaid clients with behavioral health needs represent 25 percent of all Medicaid enrollees but account for 56 percent of all Medicaid spending,” Sanguinetti said. “By signing SB 3049 today, Gov. Rauner will immediately improve access to mental health experts for Medicaid beneficiaries. The result will be fewer emergency visits, reduced hospital stays and readmissions, and lower costs to taxpayers — but most importantly, a better quality of life for those with mental and behavioral health needs.”
After researching cost analyses of other states’ programs and third-party studies, Sanguinetti and members of the Illinois Medicaid Telemedicine Task Force recommended expanding Medicaid telehealth coverage to improve access to quality health care in a way that lowers the overall cost to Medicaid.
“This plan begins to solve a problem in central and southern Illinois by breaking down a significant barrier to mental health care, which is access,” said Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, chief sponsor of the measure in the Senate. “By chipping away at some of Illinois’ outdated regulations, we can help families begin to get more of the help they need in a timely manner closer to home for a fraction of the cost.”
“Telehealth medicine is the way of the future,” said Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, chief co-sponsor of the legislation in the House. “After working nine months on this bill, it is now becoming law. I appreciate the bipartisan support from both the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
The legislation requires Medicaid to reimburse eligible behavioral and mental health providers at the same rate it would reimburse for in-person care.
“I’m grateful to Gov. Rauner for signing this important piece of legislation that will help so many residents in Illinois have better access to behavioral health services,” said Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove, who co-sponsored the bill in the House. “As we continue to study this issue in our house mental health committee meetings, we continue to prioritize access issues to this important service, especially in downstate Illinois.”
The measure will also allow schools, hospitals, substance abuse centers and other Medicaid-eligible facilities that serve as the location of the patient at the time of a telehealth appointment to receive a $25 facility fee from Medicaid.
“The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) and the hospital community commend Gov. Rauner and the General Assembly, especially sponsors Sen. Andy Manar and Rep. Sue Scherer, for enacting this important legislation to improve telehealth coverage for critically needed behavioral health services,” said IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi. “This is a positive step in strengthening Illinoisans’ access to provider networks, contributing to timely care in the most appropriate setting and helping facilitate the integration of physical and behavioral health care in hospital and primary care settings. This will help enhance the efficient delivery of care, such as by avoiding unnecessary hospital emergency department utilization.”
Currently, reimbursement is only provided to psychiatrists and Federally Qualified Health Centers for telepsychiatry.
“Health care providers that offer mental health services are crucial to combating mental health issues in Illinois,” said Sen. Murphy of Des Plaines, who co-sponsored the bill in the Senate. “By expanding the number of mental health care providers who can bill Medicaid for telehealth services, we hope to avoid a situation where a health care provider who is facing financial trouble has to turn away a patient in need.”
Senate Bill 2951, signed Tuesday night, provides the Department of Health and Family Services (HFS) the opportunity to apply for a waiver that would allow treatment for serious mental illness on the first episode of psychosis.
“The Early Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Act puts Illinois in the forefront nationally in tackling the country’s long-standing mental health crisis,” said Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy at Thresholds Heather O’Donnell. “If federal approval is granted, Illinois will be the first state in the country to cover through Medicaid a treatment model, including intensive wrap-around services, tailored specifically for young people in the early stages of a serious mental health condition.”
Early intervention is important in reducing the severity of the progression of the disease as well as preventing future emergency room visits. It is especially vital for young people who will benefit from early intervention.
“First episode treatment has proven to be highly successful,” said Feigenholtz, chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate. “Illinois should be proud to be among the first states to pilot these interventions around the state.”
Praising the overall package of bills was Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health System.
“Health care is about people serving people. It’s not something any of our organizations can do alone,” Curtis said. “These bills illustrate the importance of collaboration within our community and our state to improve the healthcare of our citizens.”
Last year, Rauner issued an executive order to create the Governor’s Opioid Prevention and Intervention Task Force to help combat the epidemic. This spring he launched Better Care Illinois which, through an 1115 waiver, will allow the state to better address substance abuse in Illinois.
“Mental health often determines our physical health,” Rauner said. “It is vital we increase Illinoisans’ access to treatments that can improve and save their lives. This bill package is the culmination of almost four years of bipartisan, public–private sector work, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished together.”
“We already have the second-highest property taxes in the country,” [Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods] said. “There’s not a lot that we at the state level can do to directly address property taxes. We need local units of government to constrain their own budgets.”
* OK, first, government budgets can always use some constraining. But here’s a reminder of how most of our local property tax money is spent…
A total of $28.7 billion in property taxes were levied statewide in 2015. Of the $28.7 billion levied statewide, nearly $18.0 billion, or 62.6% went to fund school districts.
Some 47 percent of K-12 spending nationally comes from state funds (the share varies by state). Cuts at the state level force local school districts to scale back educational services, raise more local revenue to cover the gap, or both.
IL only contributes less than 20% of the money for educating public K-12 students.
So, it stands to reason that if our state government was funding classrooms at the national average, then pressure would be eased on local property taxes. Not all, of course. But a goodly chunk for sure.
We’ve known this forever. We just deny the facts when inconvenient or we shrug it off.
State Rep. Jeanne Ives, the Wheaton Republican who came within 3 percentage points of knocking off GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in the March primary, said she’s not surprised by poll results showing the governor with weak support from conservatives.
Ives also acknowledged she has not spoken to Rauner about the election since the primary. Asked if he had reached out to her, Ives said, “Not that I know of.” […]
“I’m not surprised by the poll results. I travel the state still. I’m asked to speak around the state at various functions and I hear directly from Republican voters and so I’m not surprised by any of this,” Ives said at an unrelated downtown Chicago news conference. […]
Asked by a reporter if the meager showing for Rauner among conservatives was indicative of the conservative split, Ives said, “I think that is what the poll would indicate.” Still, Ives said she intended to stick to her commitment to “vote for the Republican nominee” on Nov. 6.
Yeah, that poll just doesn’t have a whole lot of good news for Rauner. The thing that jumped out at me the most was that 20 percent of registered voters who self-identified as conservative/very conservative said they were voting for Pritzker, while 55 percent were with Rauner.
“Any consultant would say you’ve got to take the other guy down. It may be too late for him to project any sense of why the next four years would be any different than the last four years. That’s the question,” Axelrod said.
“If he were to come back under these conditions, it would be one of the greatest political rehabilitation stories in Illinois history,” said Axelrod, who expects Rauner “to run brutal negative ads and hope he can knock Pritzker down to the point to pass him.”
Axelrod said Rauner’s favorability numbers also need to rise in order for him to get out of his funk. The poll shows voters have a negative opinion of him by a 2-to-1 margin. Those numbers seem “almost impossible to surmount,” said Axelrod. “But impossible things happen in politics.”
Told of Axelrod’s comments, Rauner spokesman Alex Browning responded, “Pundits and public polling were wrong about Bruce Rauner in 2014 and they’ll be wrong again in 2018. With Illinois’ future on the line, voters care about lowering taxes and fighting corruption, not polling and prop bets.”
* Democrat Jason Woolard is running against freshman Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) in a deep southern Illinois district. Woolard’s new ad hits all the high spots…
The video is not great because somebody sent the ad to me with their phone.
Hi, I’m Jason Woolard. I’m a Christian. I’m pro-life. I’m pro-gun. And I’m running for state Representative.
My promise to you is this: I won’t break my word to you. I won’t walk out on you. I won’t answer to anyone but you. And I won’t put my personal interest before you.
You’ve always had my back. I’m Jason Woolard. I’ve got your back.
Severin beat Democratic Rep. John Bradley two years ago. Donald Trump won the 117th District by 43 percentage points. I kid you not.
New Rauner Campaign Digital Video: “Bruce’s Biker Pins”
Following yesterday’s endorsement from ABATE of Illinois PAC, the Rauner campaign released a new digital video today featuring Governor Rauner talking about the pins on his biker vest.
Governor Rauner has received hundreds of pins from various organizations and different communities throughout the state. In this video, he highlights three pins in particular: a Cubs legend Ernie Banks pin, one from the Illinois Firefighters Memorial, and one to commemorate the Honor Flights program he has been deeply involved with during his time as governor.
As Patrick “PJ” Jones, President of Chicago ABATE, said: “Governor Rauner is a true motorcyclist, and we feel it’s a slap in the face of all motorcyclists for someone to have called his riding apparel a COSTUME – we take our riding gear serious, and so does he.“
Rauner Yesterday: “I’m So Proud Of What’s Going On In Washington, D.C.”
At a campaign stop yesterday, Governor Bruce Rauner sang the praises of the White House’s agenda on the same day that two of President Donald Trump’s close associates became felons. The Herald & Review captured Rauner’s full embrace:
“It’s an honor for me to work for you and I’m so proud of what’s going on in Washington, D.C. In Washington they are cutting taxes, they’re reducing regulation, they’re fighting against the illegal immigration, they’re fighting against unfair trade barriers and unfair trade deals. They’re creating more jobs and helping the American workers. We’ve got higher wages now and more jobs now because of that. Illinois is strong because of what is happening in Washington and what our doing in our administration.”
President Trump lost Illinois by 17 points, but a recent NBC/Marist poll found him with higher favorability ratings than Rauner (30% to 26%).
“As Donald Trump’s top advisers head to prison and his administration is enveloped in scandal, Bruce Rauner is proud of President Trump’s work in Washington,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “It’s no wonder that Illinois voters view Bruce Rauner, lacking in principles and lacking in accomplishments, as a failed leader.”
* Circling back on this story from last week because I missed this bit the first time…
Speaking after the rally, Pritzker said that, if elected, getting an infrastructure bill that will address Illinois’ roads, bridges and waterways will be “critically important” for him during his first year in office.
The last comprehensive capital plan in Illinois, the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! plan, was signed by then-Gov. Pat Quinn in 2009.
When asked how to cover the cost of a capital plan, Pritzker suggested possible revenue streams such as legalized sports betting, online sales tax and legalizing and taxing marijuana.
Online sales tax money is already budgeted and sports betting won’t bring in huge state tax dollars.
He’s talked about taxing pot for a long time, but mainly for general revenue purposes, although he did seem to suggest once that it could be used for education funding.
Pritzker said in April that marijuana could be in the mix for a capital bill, along with his graduated income tax (which he still won’t detail).
I do not expect the man to produce a full state budget on his own. But he’s making a lot of promises and we don’t even have a coherent outline of how he’s gonna pay for them. I mean, even Bruce Rauner did that in 2014.
Pritzker is launching a new three-day tour of central and southern Illinois. Hopefully, he’ll get pressed on some of this stuff.
The latest Democratic mailers are accusing state Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst of voting against programs for veterans and the elderly.
That’s misleading. The Democrats have provided no proof she targeted those programs in particular. […]
The Democrats are using a similar tactic against Rep. Jerry Long, R-Streator, in La Salle County. A recent flyer accuses Long of opposing money for programs that track sex offenders, citing the same budget bill that he joined Parkhurst in voting against. The programs tracking sex offenders consume only a tiny fraction of the budget, which is tens of billions of dollars.
My own opinion is that if you vote “No” on a bipartisan compromise budget that’s signed into law, this is what you can expect. Yes, it’s ugly, but their vote is their vote. Those who voted “Yes” have had to answer for whatever’s in the bill, like money for the Obama presidential center.
So, while Parkhurst and Long may fully support those state programs in their own minds, their actual voting record is the only thing that truly counts. It’s public record. It’s fair game.
But I know from previous posts that many disagree. So…
* The Question: Is it fair game to ding legislators over the details of a bipartisan budget that they officially opposed or supported? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
…Adding… I should add that some of these mailers (that the Dems do all the time) can backfire on their candidates. As well they should. But that’s also part of the campaign process. Your opponent goes too far, you benefit. Saying somebody supports rapists or child molesters or whatever because they voted against a budget can cause the accuser problems if the hit isn’t believable.
* While looking out your house’s window in Wilmette you see a little girl walking her dog without any adults around. Do you 1) Ignore it because this is Wilmette and the kid is old enough to walk her own dog; 2) Go outside and ask the little girl if she’s OK because maybe she isn’t old enough and could’ve wandered off; or 3) Immediately call the cops? If you chose “3″ I just cannot understand you at all…
Just after returning home from a walk around the block with her dog, Marshmallow, an 8-year-old Wilmette girl expected a visit from a playmate. Instead, police officers arrived at the family’s door.
An anonymous caller had contacted police after seeing the girl walking the dog alone, said her mother, Corey Widen. While police never pursued charges, the seemingly common activity launched an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigation to see if Widen was neglecting her children, she said.
“For something like this to happen to me, there’s something really wrong,” said Widen, 48, who agreed to let her 8-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son get the Maltese puppy last year as long as everyone took turns walking her. Widen, who asked that her daughter’s name not be used, said the girl’s walk around the block — most of which Widen says she can see out her windows — is the only time her home-schooled daughter is unsupervised. “The funny thing is … I’m a joke with my friends because my kids are around me all the time.” […]
Like in many states, the law in Illinois is vague. It defines a neglected minor as a child younger than 14 left “without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental or physical health, safety or welfare of that minor.”
But DCFS investigations are separate from criminal ones; even if police decide a parent has not broken the law, there could still be child welfare repercussions.
.@RodneyDavis giving blood a year after the Congressional baseball attack to support blood donations. He also addressed questions about his former staffer saying “I haven’t spoken to him” and “My campaign didn’t send him”. pic.twitter.com/6ZV3fkNTHf
* Davis’ former staffer, by the way, posted this rambling story on the Young Americans for Liberty website several months ago…
Here at EIU the culture doesn’t allow for much freedom of speech. The PC culture is alive and well at Eastern Illinois University, so my Restore the 4th event was lackluster. Our campus and therefore student culture is dominated by authoritarian leftists who condemn free speech in favor of safe speech and false pretenses of being non-offensive. Unless you’re a “progressive” group, or advocating for whatever group is trending at the time, real open free speech is hard to come by. That’s why my event last week was unique. Since I could not get official university recognition, I had to get creative to spread the message. Instead of setting up a booth or informational table, I took to the street and canvassed to individuals who couldn’t be bothered to peel their faces from their phones. This in -your -face, aggressive guerilla style seemed like the most effective way to spread the message in a seemingly uninterested audience. Hearing many people argue that there are more important causes than worrying about the content of their phones was truly disappointing. Have we become so fascinated with everyone else’s lives that we simply don’t care what happens to our own? While I didn’t get the experience or levels of enthusiasm I was hoping for, I got something else. I acquired a desire to help spread the message of liberty across my campus. It is sorely lacking free-thinkers and those who challenge authority.
Several dozen people crammed inside the Stripmasters break room to hear Rauner speak for about 10 minutes. Calling November “the most important election of my lifetime,” Rauner stressed the importance of voting for GOP candidates down the ballot.
Well, yeah. Understandable because he appears to be very much on the bubble right now. I’d say the same if I was him, but maybe not out loud to a group of people.
Electing more Republicans would make it possible to enact more measures that Rauner has long supported, such as term limits for elected officials, he said.
“We’re going to work our tails off to pick up at least two seats in the Senate and pick up nine seats in the House of Representatives,” Rauner said. “Mike Madigan will be gone!”
He hasn’t yet contributed any money to the Senate Republicans this cycle. Just sayin…
…Adding… Oops…
For the record, @BruceRauner … Illinois doesn't have a "Macomb County" despite this link in today's campaign email.
It does have a McDonough County, though. The city of Macomb is there. Both are covered by the McDonough County Voice. pic.twitter.com/Z6a8Po9BUv
* Coverage roundup for the governor’s latest tour…
* Gov. Rauner shares views during Shelbyville visit: Rauner’s main point, which he mentioned several times, was his hope to get rid of corruption brought on by corrupt Chicago politicians. … Rauner encourages voters to, “Get Erika Herold in as Attorney General, because she’ll help prosecute corruption and investigate unethical behavior.”
* Governor Rauner stops in Macomb: He urged voters to make Illinois a Republican-majority state, saying it was “the only way” to effect meaningful change. “We have a Democratic Party that’s taken over the state (and) one-party rule for decades: Madigan, Blagojevich, Quinn - the whole crowd - and they’ve almost bankrupted us, morally as well as financially,” he said. “We can’t have that. Democracy doesn’t work on a one-party basis.”
The latest round of GOP mailers essentially has Democrat Lisa Dugan tied at the hip to House Speaker Michael Madigan. In one Photoshopped image, Madigan and Dugan are playing poker with each other.
* ABATE endorsed Gov. Bruce Rauner today. From its Chicago president, Patrick “PJ” Jones, who is referring to a recent JB Pritzker TV ad. Click here to watch it…
“Bruce was a member before becoming Governor and has been a friend to all motorcyclists in the state. He has gone on many rides with the Chicago Chapter, and has supported many of the charities that we support including the Chicagoland Toys for Tots Parade and Shriners Hospitals.
“Governor Rauner is a true motorcyclist, and we feel it’s a slap in the face of all motorcyclists for someone to have called his riding apparel a COSTUME – we take our riding gear serious, and so does he.”
* Never make assumptions based on just one poll in August. Or at any time for that matter. For instance, a Tribune poll in September of 2014 had Gov. Pat Quinn leading Bruce Rauner by eleven points. That didn’t work out too well.
While those Tribune poll results went against the national pro-GOP tide four years ago, this new NBC/Marist poll seems to go right along with the national “blue wave” predictions. JB Pritzker leads Gov. Rauner by 16 and the Democrats have a huge ballot advantage in congressional races.
Even so, the poll has some very puzzling results in the crosstabs.
It’s not weighted too heavily for Democrats (38 percent), but polls of registered voters will tend to skew a bit more Democratic than polls of likely voters, and this one is of registered voters. It’s close enough on the geographical and racial splits, but it does look a bit on the young side.
* For me, anyway, the really odd results are in the collar counties and in central/southern Illinois. As you know, Hillary Clinton won every collar county except McHenry and Donald Trump did really well in Downstate.
Yet, when asked if they preferred a Republican or Democratic Congress, the collars chose the Republican Party 45-40 and central/southern Illinoisans chose the Democrats 44-40. The partisan margins in both regions were even more pronounced when asked which party they intended to vote for in the congressional elections.
Same for the governor’s race. The collars chose Rauner 40-34, while central/southern Illinoisans preferred Pritzker 43-33. A ten-point winning margin in that region would be an absolutely stunning upset for Pritzker and would reverse decades of trends.
* Now, even if the poll is dead wrong about those two regions, the overall results could be close to right. I’ve seen plenty of polls with some questionable crosstabs that wound up mirroring the final overall result. Also, Clinton won Illinois by 17 points and this poll has Pritzker ahead by 16. Another wave is almost assuredly heading our way. Etc., etc.
All I’m saying here is that either a couple of this poll’s regional results are off or are expectations are off. We’ll find out in November.
Also, for the small number of you who think that Pritzker should be leading by even more than 16 points, I’d point you to the very similar 2016 presidential results and the fact that the last time a sitting governor lost reelection by double-digits was 1960, when Otto Kerner clobbered GOP Gov. Bill Stratton by 11 points.
* Coverage roundup…
* Poll: Democrat leads expensive race for Illinois governor: And 57 percent of voters say their choice for Congress in November will be a message for more Democrats to “check and balance” Trump, while 32 percent say it will be a message for more Republicans to help pass the president’s agenda.
* NBC/Marist poll: Pritzker up by 16, Rauner 2-to-1 unfavorable rating: The poll showed Pritzker ahead of Rauner among self-described independent voters 43 percent to 25 percent and among those with a moderate ideology, 50 percent to 25 percent. Rauner had the advantage among self-described conservatives 55 percent to 20 percent and was backed by 71 percent of supporters of Donald Trump despite the governor’s aversion to speaking about the controversial president.
* Poll: Democrat leads expensive race for Illinois governor: With the state hosting at least four competitive U.S. House races this November, the poll also shows Democrats enjoying a 14-point advantage in congressional preference, with 49 percent of voters preferring a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 35 percent wanting Republicans in charge. Inside those numbers, Democrats lead among women (54 percent to 30 percent) and men (44 percent to 39 percent); among voters in populous Cook County (59 percent to 23 percent); among independents (43 percent to 32 percent); and among whites with college degrees (54 percent to 34 percent).
* TV news poll shows Pritzker leading Rauner by 16 points: Poll takers were also asked about how President Donald Trump is doing. Of registered voters, 56 percent said they disapproved of his performance, with 32 percent saying they approved.
Beginning well before Labor Day, Sixth District congressional candidate Sean Casten’s campaign has placed a substantial cable TV & digital ad buy to counter false, negative ads being run by Peter Roskam and a Super PAC associated with House Speaker Paul Ryan. Today, the Casten campaign released their ad and the following statement:
“We’re proud that we’re in a position to offer voters the truth about Sean’s record as a successful green-energy entrepreneur who’s put thousands of people to work while fighting pollution and climate-change,” said Greg Bales, Campaign Manager for Sean Casten. “The ad features Charlie Bayless, one of the Directors of the Board Sean reported to, setting the record straight on Casten’s record of creating jobs and protecting his employees during their time working together for a clean energy company.”
Bales said that the new Casten ad would be seen on cable TV systems and digital platforms across the 6th District beginning on August 22nd and characterized the buy as “substantial.”
“It’s sad that Roskam has so little to say about his 25 years in public office that he can only throw mud at his challenger, and his ads are a complete distortion, as pointed out by Crain’s and the Better Government Association,” Bales said. “Now, with our first TV ad, voters will get the facts about Sean’s exemplary business record.”
So far in the general election, Roskam and his allies have spent millions of dollars on mailings, TV and digital ads. Yet, in the last two weeks, two different organizations that predict the outcomes of congressional races have moved the Illinois 6th District race from “leans Republican” to “toss up.”
