Campaign notebook
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Anti-Pritzker signs are being planted on public ways on Chicago’s South Side…
* DGA…
Illinois GOP nominee for governor Darren Bailey is desperately trying to get voters to forget that he groveled for an endorsement from Donald Trump for months.
At this week’s debate, when asked about endorsing a candidate for president in 2024, Bailey dodged saying whether or not he would support Trump.
This completely contradicts his Trump loyalist primary campaign, where he unapologetically embraced the MAGA platform and said Illinois would “roll the red carpet out” for Trump in 2024.
“Darren Bailey is trying to mislead voters and hide that he’s been completely loyal to Trump and the far-right all along,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Illinois voters deserve a leader with a track record they can trust, not someone who changes positions to whatever gets them further ahead.”
* MLL…
Today, the Lightfoot for Chicago campaign published a microsite highlighting quotes from Paul Vallas and Darren Bailey, quizzing Chicagoans on who said which MAGA-like comment.
The website is formatted as a guessing game where users are given direct quotes and are asked if each quote is attributed to Vallas or Bailey. Similarities run rampant between the two men, and many times, it’s hard to tell the difference and who is more extreme and wrong for Chicago.
“Paul Vallas for years now has been an extreme, conservative Republican masquerading as a Democrat,” said Lightfoot campaign spokesperson Christina Freundlich. “When compared to a far-right candidate who walks and talks like Donald Trump, Vallas’s disguise completely falls away. Vallas proves to be indistinguishable from MAGA role model Darren Bailey, and neither leader is right for Chicago.”
Click here.
* Budzinski…
Last week, IL13 Republican congressional candidate Regan Deering decided to fully embrace Kevin McCarthy’s radical policy agenda for if Republicans win back the House this November, including expanding school vouchers and gutting Illinois’ public school system.
This is already in line with Deering’s position, who earlier this summer outlined her plan to effectively end public education in Illinois, even saying that “One of my prime issues is going to be advocating for universal school choice [vouchers].”
Nikki Budzinski, Democratic congressional candidate for IL-13, released the following statement: “As the granddaughter of a public-school teacher and someone that comes from a family of educators, this attack on our public schools is especially offensive.
“It’s not surprising that Regan would be so excited to end public education as we know it now. She has proved time and again that she is completely out of touch with working people in Central and Southern Illinois, and this is another example of that.”
* Deering…
Illinois Candidate for Congress Regan Deering released the following statement on the recent Better Government Association investigation into Nikki Budzinski’s special interest payments:
“Nikki has spent millions of dollars calling me an out-of-touch heiress and yet, she made her own millions working for politicians and special interest groups where she always seems to be just outside the line of corruption.
“Her hypocrisy is on full display as she talks about good government and eliminating dark money from politics, but acts as just another part of the Madigan Machine that has held the people of Illinois down for far too long.
“I am running to help end this vicious cycle of corrupt, pay-to-play politics by removing political insiders profiting off the state like Nikki Budzinski from the process. The people of Illinois deserve a representative who will help improve working people’s economic opportunities - not her own.”
* No relation…
A national grassroots Christian organization has named Rep. Mary Miller to its list of 20 “False Prophets” as part of a new initiative to counter Christian nationalism’s distortion of the Gospel and its threat to democracy and equal rights during the 2022 midterm season and beyond.
“There’s nothing Christian about far-right nationalism. Although faith in Jesus has no boundaries, Rep. Mary Miller consistently contorts Christianity to justify her extremist and hateful agenda,” said the Rev. Dr. Dwain DePew, Illinois resident and Faithful America member. “The words and actions of Christian nationalists like Rep. Miller stand for power and hatred, ignoring Jesus’s counter-cultural teachings of love and peace.”
A secondary list of False Prophet “Dishonorable Mentions” also includes gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey.
Leaders of Faithful America, the Christian organization behind the “False Prophets Don’t Speak for Me” campaign against this heretical ideology, note that the list includes both lawmakers who hijack faith to attack democracy and demonize equal rights (such as Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Senator Josh Hawley, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene) as well as pastors and religious-right strategists (including Franklin Graham, Steve Bannon, and Tony Perkins) who build the Christian nationalist organizing infrastructure of the religious right.
Researchers define Christian nationalism as a political ideology that merges American and Christian identities with the goal of seizing power for conservative Christians and destroying the separation of church and state.
The name “False Prophets Don’t Speak for Me” is a reference to Matthew 7:15: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
“Christian nationalism is a grave threat to both American democracy and the church,” said the Rev. Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America. “Christian nationalist leaders like Mary Miller come to us in sheep’s clothing, claiming to speak for Christ, but prove themselves to be ravenous wolves by distorting Scripture, spreading misinformation, and inciting political violence. The good news is that these false prophets don’t speak for the vast majority of American Christians, many of whom are speaking out to finally deflate the claims of a right-wing monopoly on faith, reclaiming our religion and its prophetic voice for the Gospel’s true values of love, truth, peace, equality, and social justice.”
* Chicago early vote totals…
The most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
The Early Vote total stands at 3,087 ballots cast.
Additionally, 20,120 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 187,516.
The grand total is 23,207 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Rep. Casten calls for federal decriminalization of possessing small amounts of cannabis: “We should not be putting people in jail for low-level drug offenses,” Casten told the Daily Herald in a recent online interview. Casten’s Republican challenger in the mostly suburban 6th Congressional District, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, refused to participate in the interview or answer questions about the nation’s drug laws and other subjects.
* Underwood has big financial lead over Gryder in 14th Congressional District race: Underwood’s campaign raked in about $1.2 million between July 1 and Sept. 30 — more than three times Gryder’s $348,041 quarterly fundraising haul. Likewise, Underwood has raised about $6.4 million since the campaign began — more than 14 times Gryder’s $439,720 total for the cycle. Neither has gotten much financial help from their respective political parties — indicating party leaders expect an Underwood victory, said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.
* Election day is around the corner, how is Candidate Jack Vrett feeling?: Arlington Heights veteran and attorney Jack Vrett is challenging Mark Walker for State Rep. in IL District 53. He and the Steve Cochran Show talk about how the mood of the country has shifted towards the “middle”, how he’s going to fight corruption, and he weighs in on recalling State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
* New grant targets political violence prevention in southern Illinois: “I don’t think the right or the left has a full monopoly on violence,” Weerarante said. “So whether you are on the right or the left you can have violent elements with your group.”[…] “The first part of the grant is we are going to do a survey of people in southern Illinois and the second part is based on the data that we get from the survey where we do training sets,” Weeraratne said.
* Regan Deering takes on Nikki Budzinski: In a congressional district drawn to favor Democrats, Republicans believe they have reason for optimism. But just how much optimism is justified remains a bit of an open question for the Illinois 13th Congressional District, which pits Republican Regan Deering against Democrat Nikki Budzinski.
* Endorsements…
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* The Tribune…
Hiring precinct election judges and poll watchers has traditionally been routine work for state political parties and candidates trying to ensure ballots are cast and counted properly leading up to Election Day.
But this year, the Illinois Republican Party and its candidate for governor, Darren Bailey, have classified those roles as part of a broad “election integrity” effort that is a follow-up to baseless claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen. What’s more, that effort is being led in part by individuals who support former President Donald Trump’s debunked assertions. […]
For their “election integrity” efforts, Bailey and the state GOP have enlisted help from Carol Davis of Carol Stream. She is a former west suburban tea party activist who for years has held election training sessions as head of the Illinois Conservative Union and now is a leader in a national network of election deniers along with top former Trump aides. […]
Davis contends “there is fraud in every election in this country.” She has signaled belief that left-wing, anti-fascist or antifa groups, rather than Trump supporters, were behind the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She expressed disappointment that a cold kept her away from the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., on that day. She has questioned the integrity of election machinery. And she has said vote-by-mail ballots are susceptible to fraud and are part of a Democratic plot to do away with in-person voting.
* Davis on the conservative Illinois Family Institute podcast after November 2020…
Q: Was this a free and fair election?
Davis: Well, absolutely not. Monty and our experience over years of investigating elections, learning everything there is to know about elections and learning how to spot fraud teaches us that there is fraud in every election in this country.
Q: Especially here in Illinois, we’re the champion of that.
Davis: Absolutely. You know, Illinois, unfortunately, has got that reputation and it’s well deserved and their methodology of how to swing an election has been taught throughout the country. And I’m not saying they put people in classrooms, or private meetings and teach it. But I’m saying that the things that have worked to sway elections in the Chicago area and throughout the state are working now across the country. Let’s say the best practices of deceit have been picked up by many organizations.
Oof
* When poll watchers were brought up during the debate, Bailey dodged…
Q: Let’s talk about the popular subject these days, threats to democracy. A NextStar, Emerson College, the Hill poll found that threats to democracy is the second most important issue driving voters to the polls this November. Senator Bailey, on Facebook you said your campaign has signed up nearly 2,500 people to be poll watchers on November 8, but very few instances of fraud have been reported here. What specifically are your concerns for election security?
Bailey: My entire concern is the fact that people have lost confidence in the election process. And the very fact that this last primary only drew out 18% of eligible voters. That’s a problem. Peoria County, 9% of the voters showed up, registered voters. And as a matter of fact most times during general elections 40%, sometimes 50% at a high show up to vote. They’re not showing up because they have lost confidence in our election. There’s constitutional positions called election judges and poll watchers. And we need to make sure that we put people in place so that we rebuild integrity to our election process and that we make sure that people show up to vote. The brave men and women that served our country, they fought to protect our freedoms. And today it’s up to us, we the people to get involved with the process and uphold our freedoms. Otherwise, as you suggest, constitutional freedoms are at risk.
* The Sun-Times Editorial Board…
Swarms of form letters have been sent to election officials here threatening legal action for unsubstantiated claims of wrongdoing and voter fraud, WBEZ reporters Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney reported last week.
The letters, which of course offer no proof of misconduct, demand access to voter records the nonpartisan website Votebeat said cannot even be used to demonstrate fraud. But that detail isn’t important to these scribes, who sent the copycat missives to places across the country, including Chicago’s Board of Election Commissioners, the Cook County clerk’s office and the Illinois State Board of Elections. […]
Here in Illinois, Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said there is no doubt Biden won the election fair and square. Still, he keeps pushing the narrative that election fraud is rampant and has vowed to get close to 4,000 poll watchers for the November general elections.
David Paul Blumenshine, the man Bailey enlisted to recruit poll watchers, also doesn’t deny the 2020 election results. But it is hardly comforting to know Blumenshine attended the Jan. 6 rally that descended into violent chaos at the U.S. Capitol.
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SAFE-T Act supporters hold two protests
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jacksonville Journal-Courier…
State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, will be joined this week by Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll and others for a discussion on changes being made to the criminal justice system through the massive Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act — commonly known as the SAFE-T Act.
* Wednesday press release…
This evening, Faith Coalition for the Common Good came together with concerned community members to disrupt Sen. Steve McClure and Rep. Sandy Hamilton’s SAFE-T Act Town Hall. This disruption was in response to misinformation that has been spread by right-wing political operatives seeking to undermine the law’s success.
“Over the last few weeks, right-wing operatives have spread misinformation about the Pretrial Fairness provision of the SAFE-T Act. These lies are rooted in racism and are meant to protect mass incarceration.
“The Pretrial Fairness Act was designed to protect everyone’s right to the presumption of innocence and ensure that nobody is jailed simply because they’re too poor to pay a money bond. Throughout Illinois, Black people are disproportionately jailed while awaiting trial. By passing the Pretrial Fairness Act, the Illinois legislature took a significant step towards addressing the harm pretrial incarceration has caused communities across our state. For decades, people have lost jobs, housing and even custody of their children, not because they were a danger to the community, but simply because they couldn’t afford to pay bond to secure their freedom.
“We oppose efforts to repeal the Pretrial Fairness Act or roll it back, like SB42228 which would further fuel mass incarceration, worsen racial disparities, and create a pretrial system that is far worse than the one in place today. Instead of suing the state or building opposition against this crucial reform, Sen. McClure, Rep. Hamilton and our county stakeholders should be working together to ensure this historic reform is properly implemented.”
Some video from last night…
* Today…
The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice (INPJ) protested today in Dupage and Will Counties outside of the local state’s attorneys’ offices calling the state’s attorneys’ SAFE-T Act trailer bill (SB4228) unconstitutional and a violation of people’s rights. The group penned an open letter signed by more than 120 organizations calling on the Illinois General Assembly to protect the Pretrial Fairness provisions of the SAFE-T Act and oppose the State’s Attorneys proposal for gutting this historic legislation.
“It is absolutely essential that any future amendments to the Pretrial Fairness Act are made in the same spirit in which it was written.” said Katrina Baugh of The People’s Lobby. “Using this historic legislation as a vehicle for incarcerating more Black and brown people would be a slap in the face to the communities that have suffered under the injustices of the money bond system for decades.”
“The State’s Attorneys Association has not productively engaged in implementation conversations to ensure the safe and effective implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act,” said Reverend Marilyn Pagán-Banks of A Just Harvest. “Following the lead of right-wing operatives like Dan Proft, Jeanne Ives, and Dick Uihlein who’ve funded racist misinformation campaigns, the State’s Attorneys Association is exploiting this moment immediately before an election and attempting to use SB4228 to increase their power to jail vulnerable Illinoisans.”
The result of the State’s Attorneys Association’s political machinations is power-grab that would make the criminal legal system worse, not better.
“SB4228 is unconstitutional because it creates a presumption of detention in some cases, requiring the accused person to prove they deserve pretrial release,” said Em Gonzalez of Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice. “The Illinois Constitution grants a presumption of release to legally innocent people, and requires that the prosecution prove jailing a person pretrial is necessary and that that burden not be placed on a legally innocent person.”
Protestors also pointed out that SB4288 extends the timeframe a person must be brought to trial to 120 days from 90 days, making the right to a speedy trial even further out of reach and prolonging pretrial incarceration.
Worse still, that SB4228 would allow prosecutors to use evidence in their arguments for detention that would not have to be shared with the defense prior to a hearing. This would mean that accused people would have no way to challenge the evidence being used against them.
“The Constitution protects the presumption of innocence,” said David Cannon of West Suburban DSA. “Now these prosecutors don’t even want people to be able to properly defend themselves. It’s outrageous.”
If passed, the state’s attorneys’ bill would cause the number of people jailed while awaiting trial to skyrocket and exacerbate racial disparities in Illinois jails–the exact opposite of what the Pretrial Fairness Act was intended to achieve. Meanwhile, state’s attorneys representing counties that make up 50% of Illinois’ population support the Pretrial Fairness Act, and State’s Attorneys representing 60% of Illinois’ population support eliminating money bond. By contrast, many of the State’s Attorneys leading opposition to the Pretrial Fairness Act represent counties where Black residents make up at most 14% of the population, but up to half of the people admitted to their jails. Specifically:
“Illinois is currently jailing thousands of people simply because they’re too poor to pay a bond, not because they pose a danger to anyone,” said James Baugh, a resident of DuPage County. “While the current system limits who can be denied bond, SB4228 would allow prosecutors to ask that anyone be jailed indefinitely, far beyond the authority they had prior to the passage of the SAFE-T Act. We must protect the Pretrial Fairness Act”
From today’s event…
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Proft PAC airs another crime ad
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “FALL OF FEAR.” It is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.
:30 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akqy4uyoIz8 [Fixed link]
TV Script:
JB Pritzker’s Purge Law has put you in danger. That’s what Democrats are telling you:
“…Significant increases in violent crime…” – Justin Hood, Hamilton County State’s Attorney, Democrat
“…Endangers our communities.” – Zachary Gowin, Alexander County State’s Attorney, Democrat
“What you see in Chicago, we’ll have here.” -Democrat State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow
AT HOME.
CHICAGO MAN HAD TO RUN AWAY WITH HIS CHILD DURING CARJACKING IN UKRAINIAN VILLAGE – CBS 2 CHICAGO
“You just started freaking out, thinking ‘Oh my God it happened, it happened, what we’ve been talking about and fearing forever just happened to us.” – Josselyn Kula, Mother
AT WORK.
MOVING OUT. BUSINESSES MOVING OUT OF BIG CITIES DUE TO CRIME.
“The city of Chicago has become Gotham City except we don’t have the Batman. We can’t even walk down the street without looking over our shoulder.” – Uzma Sharif, Chocolatier
Civilization is on the ballot November 8th.
It’s Pritzker or your personal safety.
You can’t have both.
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Fun with numbers
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Bailey discussed his vision of a “zero-based” budget that he believes will better serve the taxpayer. The candidate said during the Friday forum that he would appoint the proper department heads to serve this mission.
“They will account for every dollar that is going to be spent and, finally, the people of Illinois will be able to look and see directly where there money is being spent,” he said. “I believe that is how we are going to ferret out the waste that is currently in our budget.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
Bailey still won’t say how he’d cut roughly a third of the state’s budget that he believes to be “waste.”
When asked directly for three proposed budget cuts, Bailey didn’t name any. […]
The only number Bailey cited in the discussion was $2 billion in fraudulent claims paid out by the Illinois Department of Employment Security amid nationwide unemployment fraud of a new federal pandemic-related program.
It’s certainly an example of fraud, but it’s not an example of state spending.
The defrauded program was entirely federally funded.
* To the debate…
Q: Senator Bailey, we’re gonna play for you what you said about wanting to enact zero-based budgeting.
Bailey: Once we do a zero-based budget, I believe there’s $10 to $15 billion in that budget of waste. And we can take that and begin to get our state healthy again.
Q: And you’ve also said that everything is on the table. What in the $10 to $15 billion you plan to cut, name three things. You have 60 seconds for that.
Bailey: We’re going to fire all of the agency directors because they failed. We’re going to place business-minded men and women in those positions. They will be tasked with coming up with a zero based budget. Maybe people don’t understand what that means. But that means accounting for every dollar that’s spent. Governor Pritzker hasn’t even read the 5000-page budget that he’s created over the last four years. No one knows what’s in it. And as a matter of fact, just this last year $2 billion of fraud, of fraudulent payments was discovered in the Department of Employment. Governor Pritzker ignored it, he didn’t do anything about it. And it took some doing to actually get an account to find that money. Now I want to suggest to you that if $2 billion were just recently found as fraudulent unemployment payments, can you imagine how much more fraud or waste exists in each one of these agencies? A zero-based budget will ferret that out.
Q: I think I want to hear something a little more tangible. You say you’re gonna fire everybody and put more people in there, you’re gonna be paying them the same, right?
Bailey: Right. Agency directors that Governor Pritzker has put in place. They failed this because there’s not one state agency that’s doing its job.
Q: So where are you cutting the money then?
Bailey: That is the purpose of a zero-based budget. To find that waste.
This is basically just a dodge to avoid answering reporters’ questions and to look like he has a plan. What we all discovered during the Rauner years is that about 90 percent of state funding is mandated. If we try to cut it, the courts will step in. The other ten percent goes to fund a myriad of programs and services. OK, so cut 10 percent of that and you’ve saved less than $500 million. That’s a far cry from $15 billion.
Also, the $2 billion lost in that federal program was through fraud, not waste. And it was a lot less than a third of the overall pricetag. Bailey’s estimates are clearly being pulled out of thin air.
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Many Illinois counties are maternity deserts
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WCCU…
Dozens of counties in Illinois are labeled “Maternity Deserts ‘ meaning there are no maternal resources in the area. […]
After the recent closure of labor and delivery services at OSF in Danville, mothers in the community had to travel around 40 miles to deliver their babies.
Brenda Adams from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program located in Danville stated that doctors from the Champaign county area are helping fill in the gap over in Danville to make sure all mothers can be seen. […]
Along with WIC services, the Gibbson Area Hospital and Health Services provide maternal care to patients from eight surrounding counties. Helping care for maternity desert areas in Illinois.
* More background on the study from NPR…
That’s according to a report released Tuesday by March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health. It finds that 36% of counties nationwide — largely in the Midwest and South — constitute “maternity care deserts,” meaning they have no obstetric hospitals or birth centers and no obstetric providers.
It paints a slightly grimmer picture than the organization’s last such report, which was released in 2020. Five percent of counties have a worse designation this time around, and there’s been a 2% increase in counties classified as maternity care deserts — accounting for some 15,933 women living in more than 1,000 counties.
March of Dimes says these changes are driven primarily by the loss of obstetric providers and hospital services within counties, as a result of financial and logistical challenges including the COVID pandemic.
And it warns the result is disproportionately harming rural communities and people of color: One in 4 Native American babies, and 1 in 6 Black babies, were born in areas with limited or no access to maternity care services.
You can take a look at the map here
* Last month in Crain’s…
On Chicago’s South Side, maternal care offerings are severely limited. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of South Side hospitals offering maternity services dropped from seven to three. The lack of options available to women on the South Side has created what the Chicago Tribune called a “birthing desert,” meaning expectant mothers must travel far beyond where they live to seek prenatal care.
How can we begin to address this crisis? A start would be to invest in community-based approaches that include certified practicing midwives providing Black families with holistic, culturally informed and science-based maternal health care before, during and after birth. These approaches can reduce maternal mortality and lead to improved outcomes such as lower rates of C-sections and fewer instances of pre-term or low-birth-weight infants.
Research shows that community-based approaches to maternal care, like doulas and freestanding birth centers (particularly when Black-owned), make a difference. This is why the organization I lead, Chicago Beyond, provided funding for Jeanine Valrie Logan, a birth-equity champion who works to address disparities in Black maternal health. Valrie Logan is bringing a nonprofit, Black midwife-led, culturally concordant, community-focused birth center to the South Side. […]
The truth of the matter is that systemic failures often prevent Black mothers and babies from receiving necessary care. And though we may never live in a perfect world, investing in community-based approaches can promise that healthy and safe birthing
* AP reported a link between COVID-19 and increases in pregnancy-related death…
COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The report lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies.
It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80% since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.
“We were already in the middle of a crisis with maternal mortality in our country,” said Karen Tabb Dina, a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “This really shows that COVID-19 has exacerbated that crisis to rates that we, as a country, are not able to handle.”
…Adding… From this past May…
Governor JB Pritzker today signed two bills designed to provide better access to healthcare for rural Illinoisans. SB3017 amends the Loan Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act to address the shortage of healthcare providers, particularly for obstetrical services, in rural committees. SB1435 amends hospital licensing procedures to clear the way for health center mergers and increased healthcare coordination in rural districts.
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Rate IPI’s online hot dog ad
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Here you go…
Vote "NO" on Amendment 1
🚨 ILLINOIS VOTER ALERT 🚨
On Nov. 8, you will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment.
“Proposed Amendment to the 1970 Illinois Constitution …"
Amendment 1 for short.
Here's a quick summary:
🗳#1 question on ballot: Amendment 1
❓What happens if Amendment 1 passes
🏠 Average property tax bill increases $2,100
❌ Vote "NO"
👇🏻 Share this post
Posted by Illinois Policy on Tuesday, October 18, 2022
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* Brenden Moore…
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker outspent Republican challenger Darren Bailey more than 23-to-1 in July through September, according to quarterly campaign finance reports.
The reports show Pritzker spending nearly $38.5 million — including $15.2 million for other state and local candidates — the previous three months.
Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC spent $17 million in the third quarter to help Bailey.
* NBC 5…
The governor has faced plenty of criticism over his prodigious spending on his political campaigns, shelling out more than $150 million on his reelection efforts.
He says that his spending compares to that done by Republicans and opposing political action committees.
“We’re going head-to-head with them,” he said. “$100 million and more has been spent attacking me. It has to have an effect on the public while they’re doing that, and it’s a tough campaign. I’m certainly telling people what I think about Darren Bailey.”
Thoughts?
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Morning stuff
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* A quick roundup to start your day…
* Former Teamsters boss John Coli asks judge for home confinement, probation: Duffy wrote that Coli is now “a thoroughly humbled man” who, at 63, has been “barred for life from associating with the Teamsters —the organization he has been devoted to his entire professional life.” Coli is set to be sentenced Wednesday.
* Lawmaker to IDPH at administrative committee: ‘The pandemic is over’: But at JCAR’s meeting in Chicago on Tuesday, state Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, objected, arguing that “the department has been issuing an awful lot of emergency rules lately.” […] “The pandemic is over,” he said. “It is time for us to get back to normal way of doing business, and the normal rulemaking process should be the one that is used instead of emergency rulemaking when the time is available to do that.”
* ‘We are absolutely on the right track’: Illinois’ top education official says student growth rebounded to pre-pandemic levels: Ayala says the quick growth in 2022 means that pandemic-response school interventions are working. It could look like tutoring, parent engagement, summer school and social emotional programs — depending on the school and student. More data on student growth and achievement can be found in the new 2022 Illinois Report Card, which officially launches next week.
* No, those Illinois tax rebate checks aren’t bouncing: WGN Investigates contacted Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office which issues the checks. A spokesperson said the check didn’t bounce due to lack of funds. Instead, the ink likely smeared on the routing numbers rendering the checks worthless.
* Tracking where Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Darren Bailey and their running mates have visited on the campaign trail: From July 1 through the end of last month, Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton had made 105 stops in 52 Illinois cities, making appearances at labor rallies, speaking with faith and equity leaders, and meeting with Democratic groups in various counties throughout the state. Bailey, a state senator from downstate Xenia, and his running mate, Stephanie Trussell, had made 208 stops in 124 cities since the start of July. The Bailey campaign has organized frequent bus tours, attended county fairs and fundraising events, and met with local chapters of law enforcement, as well as religious and conservative action groups.
* Illinois to take center stage in battle over union rights vote: Tim Drea, president of Illinois AFL-CIO, which is pushing for passage, said union counterparts from around the country have been calling him about the ballot measure. “They are watching this very, very closely,” he said
* Bailey Vows To Cut Billions From State Budget, Won’t Say How Government Jobs Would Be Affected: Bailey contends that through “zero-based budgeting,” where every dollar spent has to be justified, he can identify and eliminate $10 to 15 billion in wasteful spending. Speaking to reporters after a Springfield rally Wednesday, one day after his final debate with Governor JB Pritzker, Bailey did not answer when asked how many state jobs might be eliminated by cutting that much spending from the budget. Payroll is generally one of the largest expenditures each year for state government.
* Illinois elections: Big money funnels into lower-profiles state races: “State representative districts are not very big and those ads are very expensive,” ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington said. “They reach millions, but only a very small fraction of people you are targeting.”
* Mike Halpin talks workers’ rights, inflation, SAFE-T Act in News 8 roundtable: The Democratic candidate for Illinois’s 36th Legislative District sat with News 8’s Shelby Kluver to showcase his policies and values ahead of the midterm elections.
More to come!
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Good morning! What’s going on in your slice of Illinois today?
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Live coverage
Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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