The sponsors of a bill aimed at stemming the wage gap by preventing employers from asking about wage history had planned on holding a press conference Monday morning urging @GovRauner to sign the bill. But this afternoon Rauner amendatorily vetoed HB4163 https://t.co/o0PPRD7eMJ
Bill No.: HB 4163
An Act Concerning Employment
Action: Amendatory Veto
Note: Veto Message Below
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois House of Representatives,
100th General Assembly:
Today, I return House Bill 4163 with specific recommendations for change.
This legislation would prohibit employers from inquiring about previous salary and compensation of prospective employees.
House Bill 4163 substantially resembles House Bill 2462, which I vetoed in August 2017 with the same recommendations I make today. Since that time, the gender wage gap has remained. My position has not changed – I am committed to eliminating the gender wage gap and I strongly support wage equality. I noted in my prior veto message that Massachusetts already has established a best-in-the-country approach to the issue of employers inquiring about salary history. I recommended that Illinois model its legal regime on Massachusetts’ model. Unfortunately, legislators again refused to push forward a bipartisan approach that properly balanced the interests of the business community.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(e) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 4163, entitled “AN ACT concerning employment,” with the following recommendations for change:
State Senator Cristina Castro (D – Elgin) issued the following statement today after Gov. Rauner vetoed a bill she sponsored concerning the gender wage gap in Illinois and the protection of middle class working women:
“I’m frustrated by this veto, but it certainly doesn’t surprise me. The governor has never been a friend of the working class or of women, so a veto of a bill meant to offer protections to working class women definitely fits his style.”
…Adding… Press release…
“It is long past time women receive equal pay for equal work, but in 2018, Illinois has a governor who disagrees with that basic statement of equality,” said JB Pritzker. “By amendatory vetoing this critical piece of legislation that would help fight wage inequality in this state, Rauner has yet again proven he has no interest in standing with Illinois women. We must be steadfast in our advocacy for gender equality, not play politics with basic rights. I urge the Illinois House and Senate to move our state forward and override Bruce Rauner’s shameful veto.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner today said that Deputy Gov. Leslie Munger would be taking on the new role of acting director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). She replaces Director Sean McCarthy, who has accepted a position in the private sector.
“Leslie has more than two decades of private-sector experience, has connections with top business leaders, and is familiar with our pending economic development projects,” Rauner said. “In addition, she’s our point person on the Amazon HQ2 bid and leads the Bicentennial effort. She is the clear choice to take on this interim role.
* Speaking of Munger, she recently appeared at a press conference with Reps. Peter Breen (R-Lombard), Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), Margo McDermed (R-Frankfort) and Tom Morrison (R-Plainfield) to denounce House Democratic attack ads. She was particularly upset with the HDems’ use of “no budget, no pay,” which was her big issue after she was appointed comptroller. From a press release..
In 2015, Batinick filed “No Budget, No Pay” legislation. Speaker Madigan refused to call his bill for a vote. When then-Comptroller Leslie Munger moved legislator pay in line with state vendor pay, she was sued by Speaker Madigan’s lawyers on behalf of Democrat legislators. […]
“There are a lot of words on these mailers,” said Deputy Governor Leslie Munger. In addition to her work on “No Budget, No Pay, when Munger ran against State Representative Carol Sente in 2014. She was subjected of one of the dirtiest, most dishonest campaigns in the state.
“These words mean nothing if we don’t have people willing to stand up and do what they say they will do… We have to be choosy voters… We need to vote for people who will not support the status quo; who will not continue the empty promises that we’ve had in the past from the leader of the Illinois House - and, frankly, the leadership that we’ve had in the General Assembly altogether. We need to vote for people who will stand up for the taxpayers… Be choosy voters.”
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle jumped into the mayoral race [yesterday], joining an already huge field of people running to succeed Rahm Emanuel that is getting bigger by the day.
“Chicago can’t be a world-class city if we only focus on downtown,” Preckwinkle said at the Chicago Lake Shore Hotel in East Hyde Park. “The next mayor must make the needs of our neighborhoods their top priority.”
“I’m running for mayor because I want to bring opportunities not just to downtown but real investment to the neighborhoods that have been ignored,” said Preckwinkle. “I want to ensure that every Chicagoan has access to a solid education, feels safe and are thinking about their futures not worried about their present. I know that I can do something to make that hope a reality for all of our mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who are worried yet feel powerless or ignored.”
Progressive State Senator Omar Aquino, 2nd District, was present also to support Preckwinkle’s mayoral bid. “Chicago is at a crucial time that calls for a progressive leader like Toni Preckwinkle, who is rooted in a new coalition which crosses gender, race, age, and geography. She understands the values of our city and reflects the diversity of its residents and communities and will bring that into the Mayor’s office.”
Preckwinkle also faced questions over the resignation of her chief of staff, John Keller. Keller resigned earlier this week after allegations of “inappropriate and disrespectful behavior.” […]
In a brief press conference after her mayoral announcement, Preckwinkle said she couldn’t say much about the situation because she doesn’t want the woman involved “to be victimized a second time.”
She added: “What’s important here is I have zero tolerance towards harassment of any kind. I learned about this allegation on Friday, after corroborating it on Tuesday I demanded his resignation. I believe we need to treat each other with dignity and respect at all times.”
“There are those who have asked, and will ask, why I want to take on this job. I understand their thinking,” said Preckwinkle, 71, who is unopposed on the November ballot for a third term running the county. “I’ve faced no shortage of challenges while in public office. Why would I want to tackle even more?”
Preckwinkle then gave an answer befitting a politician who holds the most powerful post in the Cook County Democratic Party: “I’m doing this because I can. I’m doing this because it’s necessary. I don’t make this decision lightly.”
“Because I can” isn’t exactly “Yes, we can,” but Preckwinkle’s no-frills 20-minute speech reflected a no-nonsense approach she’s long brought to bear, first as a schoolteacher and gun control advocate and later as a Hyde Park alderman and the county’s chief executive. […]
Preckwinkle, who would be the city’s first African-American woman to become mayor, highlighted her work to tamp down gun violence, reduce the county jail population and call out misconduct in the Chicago Police Department. As mayor, she said, she would emphasize the importance of neighborhood schools, push for an elected school board, help enforce police reforms under a new consent decree, work to decriminalize substance abuse and mental illness, collaborate with aldermen and promote neighborhood development along with growth in the Loop, proclaiming, “I’m non anti-downtown, I’m anti-only downtown.”
On education, she stated clearly that she wants an elected school board, and she is opposed to closing any more public schools.
“Schools are more than just buildings, they are anchors in our communities,” Preckwinkle said. “When we close a school, we aren’t just reallocating resources or addressing logistical challenges, we’re making a public withdrawal of support from an already struggling community. The unprecedented loss of so many neighborhood schools has been nothing short of devastating.”
She also scored a big endorsement Thursday from Valerie Jarrett, a top advisor to former President Barack Obama, as well as from the public employee union SEIU. […]
And Preckwinkle’s longtime ally, Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, is expected to get in the race for mayor in the coming weeks. Garcia received a nudging on Twitter from his friend, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a former presidential candidate.
“My hope is today is more than a kick-off for a campaign, but a start of a movement,” Preckwinkle said.
Preckwinkle got her start as a high school history teacher and served 19 years as a Chicago alderman before becoming Cook County Board president. While she backed Rahm Emanuel in his last campaign, she criticized many of his decisions Thursday without mentioning his name. Among them, she highlighted what she believes is a lack of police accountability in black and brown communities..
Preckwinkle is the second high-profile candidate to jump into the race for mayor this week. Gery Chico, who ran against Emanuel in the 2011 race for mayor, threw his hat in the ring on Tuesday.
Chico, who served as longtime Mayor Richard M. Daley’s chief of staff, president of the Chicago Board of Education, and head of the Chicago Park District and City Colleges of Chicago, has said those experiences make him the most qualified candidate in the race.
More than a dozen other candidates have announced bids for mayor, including former White House chief of staff and Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, 2015 former Chicago Public Schools principal Troy LaRaviere, former Chicago Police Board president Lori Lightfoot, former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, former CPS Chief Executive Officer Paul Vallas, and millionaire businessman Willie Wilson.
* McCarthy slams Preckwinkle blaming her for rising violence: In his warning to voters, McCarthy noted, “Toni Preckwinkle has not only manipulated and controlled the budgets of the county’s criminal justice system, but in the process, she has contributed, as much as anyone, to people dying in the streets and to preventing prosecutors and the courts from effectively doing their jobs.” McCarthy claims the manipulation doesn’t stop there. “Preckwinkle, uses race-baiting and outdated Chicago machine politics to accomplish her manipulative goals.”
The WBEZ report raises many questions. The hat was appraised at $15,000 in 1988 but $6.5 million in 2007. Why the massive increase in value? Prior to the foundation’s purchase of the Taper collection, an appraiser said he based his evaluation on “prior in-depth research by the museum.” But the historians reported they found no evidence of that research. Where is it? Alan Lowe, who has been director at ALPLM since 2016, said he did not see the full report until about a month ago when one of its authors gave it to him. Why did the foundation not give it to him when he arrived? The museum’s curator has been fired. Why?
In that letter, [Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum executive director Alan Lowe] also told Knorowski and McCaskey that he had unearthed a document at the museum from former state historian Thomas Schwartz, who had arranged a 1988 tour of Lincoln artifacts and borrowed the hat from an earlier owner as part of that tour. Taper purchased the hat from that previous owner for an undisclosed price in 1990.
In 1988, Schwartz valued the hat at $15,000, a far cry from its $6.5 million appraisal in 2007, Lowe told WBEZ.
“I’d like to ask Ms. Taper and Mr. Schwartz, ‘Why between 1988 and 2007, what new thing did you see that led you to change the possible value of that from $15,000 to $6.5 million?’ Certainly, that means somewhere along the point, you saw something that was a slam dunk by saying that this belonged to Abraham Lincoln. And if you didn’t, why did you do that?”
WBEZ was interested in posing that question to Schwartz, now director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa, but he ignored an interview request.
Republican county chairmen are fundraising for state Rep. Jerry Long, the defiant Streator Republican accused of harassing an employee. Long’s conservative friends stepped forward after the House Republican Organization shut off the spigot of funds to his re-election bid and asked him to step down from his seat. Long has refused. “We’re going to do all we can to get him re-elected,” John McGlasson, the Central Committeeman for the 16th Congressional District, told POLITICO. He and county chairmen from Bureau, Putnam, Lasalle and Livingston counties are helping Long’s campaign..
* Those county party chairs ain’t exactly fundraising powerhouses. None have reported any contributions since the quarter began and here are their quarter-ending cash on hand balances…
John McGlasson was re-elected 16th Congressional District State Central Committeeman despite the objections of four state lawmakers.
McGlasson, of Pontiac, had supported Jeanne Ives for governor against incumbent Bruce Rauner in the Republican primary, as well as candidate James Marter, who lived outside the district, against incumbent Adam Kinzinger. Both candidates he endorsed lost.
Reps. Jerry Long, Streator, and David Welter, Morris, and Sens. Chuck Weaver, Peoria, and Dave Syverson, Rockford, signed a letter discouraging McGlasson from running.
“With the candidates you endorsed losing their elections, we feel it would be in the best interests of Republican voters in the 16th District for you not to stand re-election,” they wrote. “Your actions are not only unusual but call your judgment and political acumen into serious question.”
So, Long sided against McGlasson because of McGlasson’s support for Ives, which would also indicate that Long didn’t endorse Ives. But now McGlasson is standing with Long. Any port in a storm, I suppose.
Keep an eye on what McGlasson and Ives do next. Ives has remained stone silent about Rep. Long. Her close ties to the Richard Uihlein cash pipeline means we might possibly see some money coming in for Long.
* The video’s audio are a bit out of synch, but one of the lesser-told stories of last night’s debate was how JB Pritzker dodged and weaved throughout the evening. The man just doesn’t like to talk specifics…
JB took Rauner to task on higher education and taking credit for Andy Manar’s historic school funding reform, saying “virtually everything you just tried to take credit for happened in spite of you, not because of you.”
Illinois not-for-profit hospitals can continue to skip paying property taxes, after a Thursday ruling by the state’s highest court.
The Illinois Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that a 2012 law exempting not-for-profit hospitals from having to pay property taxes is constitutional. That law says that not-for-profit hospitals in Illinois don’t have to pay property taxes as long as the value of their charitable services is at least equal to what they would otherwise pay in taxes.
About three-fourths of the state’s more than 200 hospitals are not-for-profit.
Section 15-86(c) of the Property Tax Code provides that a hospital applicant “shall be issued” a charitable property tax exemption if the value of certain qualifying services or activities provided by the hospital in a given year equals or exceeds the hospital’s estimated property tax liability for the same year. 35 ILCS 200/15-86(c). In her single-count complaint, plaintiff alleged that section 15-86(c) commands that the hospital applicant receive the charitable property tax exemption if the statutory criteria are satisfied. Plaintiff contended that section 15-86 was facially unconstitutional because the statute mandates the issuance of the charitable property tax exemption without consideration of the constitutional requirement that the subject property be “used exclusively for *** charitable purposes” […]
The appellate court affirmed. The court rejected plaintiff’s argument that the legislature intended the word “shall” in section 15-86(c) to be mandatory. Rather, the court held that the word “shall” is merely directory
* Illinois Hospital Association…
The Oswald plaintiff argued that the statute was unconstitutional because it does not expressly mention the constitutional requirements for exemption. The Supreme Court rejected the plaintiff’s argument:
“In the case at bar, while [the statute] does not expressly provide that the hospital charitable property tax exemption is limited to applicants that satisfy the constitutional requirement of exclusive charitable use, section 6 of article IX of the Illinois Constitution does say so, and we presume that the legislature intended to comply with this constitutional limitation.”
“In the case at bar, the legislature was certainly aware of section 6 of article IX of the constitution and its requirement of exclusive charitable use, and it intended to enact a constitutional hospital charitable property tax exemption.”
* SEIU…
“Today’s Illinois Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of exempting non-profit hospitals from paying property taxes when their charitable services and activities equal the tax amount does not end the debate.
“The constitution requires ‘exclusive charitable purposes’ for property tax exemption, and the Illinois Hospital Association (and the hospitals themselves) will have to answer why it continues to defend these mostly large corporate non-profit hospitals that abuse their tax exemption.
“A law crafted by the IHA allows non-profit conglomerate hospitals to count such things as Medicaid shortfalls and graduate medical education toward its ‘charitable care’ total, making it possible for most hospitals to retain their exemptions without providing any additional care to the poor.
“Additionally, these hospitals – Northwestern Memorial, Advocate, Presence-Amita and others – make billions in profits collectively, pay their executives millions and divest resources into off shore bank accounts instead of paying employees fairly. Many have employees whose wages are so low that they rely on Medicaid.
“The one-two punch strategy of the IHA is to enrich its large corporate non-profit hospitals while keeping wages for service workers low and making it hard for hospitals in economically challenged communities to survive.
“We call on elected officials to address this issue and hold these hospitals and the IHA accountable, even as future lawsuits will more directly address the IHA’s abuse of the charity care requirement.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is at odds with the state’s chief lawyer again, this time about the public health investigation of a suburban Chicago sterilization plant connected to the governor.
Urged by fellow Republicans to cooperate with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat who isn’t running for re-election, the Rauner-led Illinois Environmental Protection Agency instead refused in late August to provide Madigan’s office with key documents about highly toxic ethylene oxide gas emitted in Willowbrook by Sterigenics, a global sterilization company bought in 2011 by a private equity fund co-founded by Rauner. The governor still has a financial interest in Sterigenics, according to a report he filed in May with a state ethics commission.
After Madigan’s office filed another request for Sterigenics records under the Freedom of Information Act, the EPA took more than two weeks to respond, then withheld detailed reports about pollution from Sterigenics during the past two decades, records show.
According to the Tribune, IEPA Director Alec Messina received phone calls yesterday from House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and Sen. John Curran, who both represent the area. Messina released the files by the end of the day.
I’ve met with Willowbrook residents and listened to them express fear for their families. As a cancer survivor myself, I take their concerns personally and find it unconscionable that any public official would ignore a documented carcinogenic threat, especially given the conflict of interest in this case. Bruce Rauner owes local residents answers and an apology.
Tax increment financing–or TIF–made the news this summer with the release of a report by Cook County Clerk David Orr. The Tribune covered the report with the headline “Nearly a third of city property tax collections diverted into special taxing districts.”
But do TIF districts really “divert” hundreds of millions of property tax dollars that would otherwise go to the city or its schools? The short answer: mostly not. But to understand why not, and why “mostly,” you’ve got to understand how TIF and property taxes both work.
Today, Sen. Kwame Raoul’s campaign for Attorney General released a new television ad, “Banned,” highlighting his commitment to protecting a woman’s access to healthcare and Republican Erika Harold’s extreme position in favor of banning abortions, even in cases of rape and incest.
“At a time when a woman’s access to reproductive healthcare is under relentless attack, state attorneys general have become the last line of defense,” said Raoul. “As my record of public service reflects, I respect a woman’s choice and as attorney general, I will always protect her rights. My opponent’s extreme views make her a dangerous choice for women in Illinois.”
You won’t believe what Erika Harold believes. Harold believes abortion should be banned, even in cases of rape and incest. And as Trump’s Supreme Court nominee threatens to overturn Roe v. Wade, Harold opposed the Illinois bill that would protect a woman’s right to choose.
Kwame Raoul believes in a woman’s right to choose. He’s always fought to keep a woman’s healthcare decisions between her and her doctor, and always will.
[Raoul]: I’m Kwame Raoul. This is the work of my life, and I’m just getting started.
* If you missed it last night, the debate video is here. From NBC 5…
NBC 5 Political Editor Carol Marin started things off by questioning Democratric challenger J.B. Pritzker about toilets.
“You’ve saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes by having toilets disconnected in your Gold Coast mansion,” she said. “First of all, who unhooks all their toilets?”
Two billionaires with big names and two others that are less familiar all blamed each other for the state’s problems.
The debate in the race for Illinois Governor began with toilet talk as J.B. Pritzker addressed unhooking the johns in his Gold Coast mansion for tax breaks.
“That was a tax reduction that we received,” said J.B. Pritzker, (D) candidate for governor.
“To own a mansion and take the toilets out where he does not pay the proper taxes and to use your inherited wealth to try to buy political office,” said Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner.
A bitter race for Illinois governor that has played out in TV attack ads for more than 16 months carried over to the debate stage Thursday as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker assailed each other’s character and integrity before voters.
But in the first face-to-face meeting of the contenders for governor, it was Rauner’s exchange with third-party candidate Sam McCann, a Downstate Republican state senator running under the Conservative Party banner, that was the sharpest. […]
Rauner said of McCann: “He has received funding from Mike Madigan for his campaign. He was put on the ballot by Mike Madigan’s attorney.”
“You’re a liar. You’ve been lying to the people of Illinois from the very beginning,” McCann replied.
“He has received funding from Mike Madigan for his campaign. He was put on the ballot by Mike Madigan’s attorney,” Rauner said.
“You’re a liar,” McCann responded. “You’ve been lying to the people of Illinois from the very beginning. You said you had no social agenda and all you’ve been able to accomplish is to make yourself the most progressive liberal governor the state of Illinois has ever had. You’re a liar and a thief.”
“Are you getting paid on a per interruption basis by Madigan or a lump sum?” Rauner asked the senator. Rauner said McCann had one purpose of being on stage: “to help Pritzker be victorious for Mike Madigan.”
“We’re here to take both of you out,” McCann said to both Pritzker and Rauner.
While the two had a brief consensus on immigration reform, most policy discussions degenerated into sniping.
On reducing gun violence, Rauner, a venture capitalist from Winnetka, said “the simple, biggest fact is we need more jobs and more economic growth.”
Pritzker interjected, “You know — people who want to get jobs and want to get trained — and you cut funding for people who want skills training. You’ve got it all backward.”
Rauner told the Hyatt hotel heir, “It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize when you’ve not done an honest day’s work in your life.”
The heated moments continued — from arguments over the record-spending in this governor’s race to issues such as integrity and Illinois’ historic budget impasse under the Rauner administration.
“You’re a failed governor,” Pritzker said. “You have failed through every year of your term. It is abominable to me. and it’s time for a change in the state.
“I will respond with this,” said Rauner. “Mr. Pritzker — your lack of character, your lack of integrity, your cheating on your property taxes, your cheating on your income taxes. you’re trying to use your inherited wealth to buy political office from imprisoned Rod Blagojevich.”
But Pritzker refused during a debate Thursday, as he has throughout the campaign, to detail what those [progressive income tax] rates should be. He says the Legislature should decide, while Rauner says Pritzker is dodging the question because he “cannot be trusted when it comes to taxes.”
“He doesn’t want to talk about it because the truth is so painful and politically unpopular,” Rauner said.
“Gov. Rauner you’re lying,” Pritzker responded. “He’s defending a system that’s good for him, and it’s bad for middle-class taxpayers.” […]
Pritzker blamed Rauner for Illinois’ yearslong state budget impasse, which brought huge cuts to social services, higher education and other programs and took Illinois to the brink of having its credit rating downgraded to “junk” status. And he criticized Rauner for constantly blaming others — namely Madigan — for the failures of his administration, noting the governor declared late last year that “I am not in charge” of Illinois.
“The truth of the matter is, Gov. Rauner has got to go,” Pritzker said.
It was a nasty night of name-calling as all those ugly TV ads came to life on stage for the first TV debate in the governor’s race. Voices were raised. Integrity was questioned. And then, just before the screen switched to commercial, there was J.B. Pritzker putting his hand out to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner—and he took it. What theater!
The moderator asked Rauner and Pritzker if the tens of millions of dollars they’ve spent on this campaign embarrasses them. Pritzker answered first.
“I think this race is about values, not about money. It’s about what we’ve been doing our whole lives to stand up for working families across the state and standing up and expanding early childhood education in the state of Illinois,” said Pritzker.
Rauner scoffed at Pritzker’s comments saying, Mr. Pritzker has inherited billions of dollars. There’s nothing wrong with that but what’s unethical and just deceitful is for him to keep that money in the Bahamas where he does not pay any taxes.”
When election hacking came up, it was the Libertarian Kash Jackson’s turn to rip both parties.
“Why are we worried about the hackers when right here, the General Assembly, the democrats and republicans continue to rig elections year after year,” Jackson said.
Pritzker blamed the governor’s intransigence for a historic two-year budget shortfall, five public Illinois universities falling into “junk” credit status and eight credit downgrades that have left the state the worst-rated in the nation.
“You’re the biggest deficit spender in the history of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “You’re a failed governor, you have failed every single year of your term. It’s abominable to me, and it’s time for a change in this state.”
Rauner responded with a line he repeated several times during and after the debate.
“Your lack of integrity, your lack of character, your cheating on your taxes, your trying to use your inherited wealth to buy political office from imprisoned governor Rod Blagojevich,” meant the Democratic nominee was “not worthy of public office,” according to the third-least popular Republican governor in the country.
* The gubernatorial debate begins tonight at 6 and the station is promising “a Q&A session” with the candidates after the forum officially ends. So the fun won’t stop after an hour. The debate is being moderated tonight by the inestimable Carol Marin. My fave Mary Ann Ahern will take questions from the audience with Karla Leal.
* NBC 5’s embed is a bit janky and takes several seconds to load. If it doesn’t work well for you, use the “full screen” option or just click here and watch it on their site…
* I’ve had a lot of stuff about the Big John & Ramblin’ Ray show on the ol’ blog lately. They had the governor, Mrs. Rauner and Jeanne Ives on their show (separately, of course) and the hosts continually mentioned that Rep. Ives was scheduled to be a special guest at their “Politics And A Pint” event in Naperville last night.
Some tracker footage came in over the transom of Ives’ talk today. Here’s one bit…
RAMBLIN’ RAY: “We talk about the polls, and I think John said Rauner’s down 16 points, we don’t know about the polls rights? We learned about that in 2016 when Donald Trump became President, right? So, there’s a thinking in the state that Rauner might have a little more of a chance than we’re hearing about, because why replace one billionaire with another billionaire, isn’t it just better keeping the guy that we have in and maybe staying the course? Do you think there’s any truth to that? I mean is there – “
REP. IVES: “There’s no – no, you know I don’t think that there’s any way for him to come back. I’m just being truthful, I mean I’m not being wishful here I’m being truthful. And that’s because his unfavorables are so high. So, I think they’re at over 54 percent and I think when you hit that threshold of unfavorables, unfavorables, that’s what’s difficult to overcome.
RAMBLIN’ RAY: “Would you go for the governorship again?” [APPLAUSE]
REP. IVES: “You know what’s exciting about being the governor is you can really affect change if you’re paying attention to the right things. You have so much power as the governor of the state of Illinois. You can get in there and you can really dig into those agencies and find out where there’s mismanagement. And you have the ability to hire and fire the right people, and make the changes happen. You have a bully pulpit, you have a bully pulpit where the media’s going to pay attention to you, where you can go out and be that champion for folks, where you can connect dots for them and you’re going to be heard. Right? Very few people get that opportunity, to actually be heard and listened to. That’s the power of the governorship. You can really affect change regardless of what the legislature looks like. You can do it, and you can bring people along to common sense, and you can stop people with that veto, which is really a big deal.”
Something she could do in the meantime is speak out on Rep. Jerry Long. If she wants to be a leader then she should, you know, lead.
Regarding the “absolutely false” claim that she believes in workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, in 2014, Erika stated that she opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
In 2014, Harold supported prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from undermining the Defense of Marriage Act, which the Supreme Court had already found unconstitutional.
Harold also advocated for a constitutional amendment “defining marriage as being between a man and a woman,” months after marriage equality became law in Illinois in 2013.
People can change their minds. But Harold will only say today that she supports the law of the land. Laws can always be changed, however, and a constitutional amendment (which she supported) would obviously overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage.
* As I told subscribers this morning, Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) has once again changed his story…
Long initially claimed he was a “demanding boss,” then he claimed he was railroaded for not agreeing with the script of a robo-call, he also claimed he pounded on the desk and possibly frightened the complainant.
Yesterday he said on television that his complainant had a headache and he massaged her neck.
“No, that is not the story that was received from the complainant,” said Eleni Demertzis, spokesperson for House Republican Organization Leader Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge). “The facts brought forward by the complainant were corroborated by a witness and ultimately deemed truthful and founded by the independent investigators. Leader Durkin and his leadership team stand by the independent investigator’s report and subsequent actions rendered to Rep. Long.”
That’s the first time the HGOPs have said on record that they have a corroborating witness. This is not gonna end well.
The only “good” thing about this saga is I’ve had a chance to interact with a couple of very good local reporters. Tamara Abbey wrote the above story. She’s really insightful and top notch.
* Meanwhile, McGlasson’s comments to a Proft paper make him sound like he’s living in an alternate universe…
John McGlasson, central committeeman for Illinois’ 16th Congressional District believes the Republican Party is attempting to torpedo the re-election of Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) in a campaign to rid the party of anyone not in lockstep with Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“[The Illinois GOP] targeted me and three others in our run for Central Committee (last spring),” McGlasson told the Illinois Valley Times. “I saw what dirty tricks they can play. Bob Winchester knows this too.” […]
Long doesn’t talk the “same line” as Rauner, who trails Democrat J.B. Pritzker by double digits in the polls, McGlasson said.
“It’s my opinion that Rauner believes the only way he can win this thing is to have everyone talking the same line and get only those targeted votes to come out,” he said.
That’s some weird logic there, campers. Rauner wanted to dump Long so he could… what again? I read it like ten times and I can’t make any sense of it at all. Maybe you can help.
And Rep. Long may say he doesn’t talk the same line as Rauner, but the unions are all going after him for siding with the governor against them.
McGlasson said Long told the group that the anonymous allegations made against him are “not valid.”
He said HRO is trying to force its conservative members, like Long, into taking “centrist positions” as part of strategy of “uniformity across all state house districts.”
And there he goes changing his story yet again.
Plus, you gotta be more than just a Kool-Aid drinker to believe that kookiness about candidate “uniformity.” I mean, you probably gotta be living in a Kool-Aid ocean to buy into that insane nonsense.
*** UPDATE *** The Ottawa Times (home to another good local reporter named Derek Barichello) has its story up…
“She was at the computer. I’m standing right behind, and I’m looking at it,” Long told The Times Wednesday. “She leans back. She goes, ‘Ah man I’m tense, I’m getting a migraine headache.’ And I grabbed her neck. Not grab. I touched her neck. And I said: ‘You do feel tense.’ And then I said I’m going to grab my stuff and go.” […]
Long didn’t speak to the staff member all weekend and the co-worker didn’t answer her text messages Monday or Tuesday. Long received a call later that Tuesday indicating a complaint had been made to the House Republican Organization and he was being investigated for harassment. Long said initially investigators told him they were looking into “sexual harassment.”
“Once they realized the touch wasn’t sexual harassment, they said it’s a hostile work environment,” Long said.
That last statement was flatly denied by the House Republicans this afternoon.
* The Tribune published an op-ed by House Speaker Michael Madigan late yesterday and I asked the Madigan folks to send me a copy so I could post it all here…
Over the past year, women across our country have bravely come forward to shed light on the culture that permits and facilitates harassment in the workplace. Because the sheer number of stories has revealed just how prevalent these problems are - from Hollywood to Wall Street and throughout politics, the media, and academia - some have attempted to use this disturbing prevalence to shield themselves from accountability for actions under their control. That is nonsense and I reject that, which is why I’ve reviewed both my State and political operations, identified wrongdoers, and removed six individuals. As a leader in this state, I know we all have a responsibility to create a better Illinois for everyone.
I have made it a personal mission to take this issue head-on and correct past mistakes. I wish I would have done so sooner. Since the beginning of this year, I have met with more than 100 women working in the Capitol, both within my office and outside my office. I asked questions that I should have asked before and made changes to create a better environment.
One of the first meetings I attended was with a group of women in their 20s and 30s. I heard stories of inappropriate behavior, both inside and outside of the Capitol. What’s worse, these young women did not feel there was anyone willing to listen or take action to alleviate their concerns.
What became clear is that I didn’t do enough, and that we, collectively, have failed in the Capitol to ensure everyone can reliably, confidentially and safely report harassment. I thought the pathways were there, but they weren’t.
Throughout the course of these meetings, when I learned of activities that did not reflect an appropriate workplace environment, I acted by terminating or demoting those responsible. In one meeting I learned of a supervisor who was not taking staff concerns seriously, and subsequently learned that supervisor had failed to report allegations of abuse and harassment. That supervisor was removed. In another case, I learned of an individual making inappropriate comments to several female staffers. That individual no longer works in my Office.
I also heard stories where the prior process for reporting and handling these issues did work. I learned of a legislative secretary who was being harassed by a male lobbyist, and despite this lobbyist’s attempts to suppress her, this woman summoned the courage to report his abuses. We immediately investigated and contacted the lobbyist’s employer. He is no longer a lobbyist.
I am committed to enacting change. At my initiative, we retained Maggie Hickey, a former federal prosecutor and Inspector General. She is conducting an independent investigation of all allegations of discrimination and harassment. Ms. Hickey will bring to light any additional problems. When she does, I am committed to acting immediately.
While this independent investigation takes place, my new Chief of Staff Jessica Basham is leading a review of our policies and practices. Our office is taking immediate steps to improve. We have established a new process to bring complaints so that Jessica knows of any future allegations and reports them to me. We will enforce in-person sexual harassment training. Directors and supervisors will receive continuing training on how to better handle workplace behavior. I am accountable for my office and will ensure that any issues are dealt with quickly and appropriately.
I have the responsibility to make sure our workplace is safer, equitable and non-discriminatory. Harassment of any kind and workplace bullying will simply not be tolerated - period. There will be a zero tolerance policy for any kind of harassment. Leaders cannot leave these issues to others. Now is the opportunity to ask ourselves what we are doing to make Illinois a better workplace for everyone.
* The Question: Do you believe he’s heading far enough in the right direction on this topic to date? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Planned Parenthood on Thursday plans to announce a six-figure ad buy to help bolster Democrat Sean Casten’s campaign against incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., in an effort to help Democrats win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives this fall.
Planned Parenthood Votes, the organization’s federal PAC will spend about $400,000 to reach out to more than 110,000 voters on behalf of Casten, a political newcomer and former clean energy businessman.
The plan, they say, is to educate voters about Roskam’s record on women’s health. “It’s more important than ever to flip the House to a pro-reproductive health majority,” Planned Parenthood Votes said. […]
The buy will include digital ads and mailers to begin Thursday through Election Day, which will be focused on “educating these voters about Roskam’s votes to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood, repeal the Affordable Care Act and his desire to ban abortion.”
The Congressional Leadership Fund said Thursday it will spend nearly $3 million on behalf of three incumbents representing traditionally Republican-heavy districts who are facing aggressive challenges this year.
In downstate Illinois, CLF is planning to spend $1 million to reelect Rep. Rodney Davis and defeat Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. […]
(I)n several races where CLF has spent big, recent polls have shown Democrats maintaining leads or keeping races too close for GOP comfort.
CLF is also adding additional reservations on behalf of incumbents Mike Bost of Illinois ($600,000)
So, they’re worried about Londrigan now?
You’ll know things are totally getting out of hand if CLF starts spending big in Randy Hultgren’s district.
* Glowing press release with the not great news highlighted by me…
Illinois Unemployment Rate Matches Lowest on Record
August Payrolls Drop first time since January
CHICAGO–The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in August and nonfarm payrolls decreased by -5,200 jobs over-the-month, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The July job gain was revised down slightly from its initial report to show no growth. (+0 jobs versus +3,700 jobs).
Job growth moderated in the June to August period posting average monthly gains of +4,000 jobs over this three-month period, less than the prior 3-month average monthly gain of +8,300 jobs between May and July 2018.
“Illinois’ unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in August, matching the lowest rate on record,” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “Even with the over-the-month drop, nonfarm payrolls have surpassed the prior business cycle peak of September 2000. Jobs are still up more than 47,000 over the year, led by manufacturing.”
“The positive job growth over the last year indicates that efforts to improve the Illinois economy and actively recruit new investment are paying off,” said Illinois Department of Commerce Director Sean McCarthy. “Illinois is seeing the best employment environment since 1999, demonstrating that companies can see the potential to grow in our state.”
In August, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Professional and Business Services (+900); Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+400); and Financial Activities (+400). The industry sectors with the largest payroll declines were: Leisure and Hospitality (-3,600); Education and Health Services (-1,300); and Construction (-1,200).
Over-the-year, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +47,500 jobs with the largest gains in these industry sectors in August: Manufacturing (+11,300); Government (+10,500); and Financial Activities (+8,200). The industry sectors with over-the-year declines were: Information Services (-3,200) and Other Services (-600). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were up +0.8 percent over-the-year in sharp contrast to the nation’s +1.6 percent over-the-year gain in August.
The state’s unemployment rate is +0.2 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for August 2018, which held at 3.9 percent. The Illinois unemployment rate is down -0.9 percentage points from a year ago when it was 5.0 percent. The Illinois jobless rate last stood at 4.1 percent in February 1999. The difference between the Illinois unemployment rate and the U.S. rate represents the smallest gap since December 2010.
The number of unemployed workers decreased -1.3 percent from the prior month to 268,700, down -16.9 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force decreased -0.1 percent over-the-month and declined -0.2 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and are seeking employment.
An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
My favorite line was how job growth was revised down “slightly,” when it actually went from +3,700 jobs to zero jobs. Also the part where job growth “moderated,” when growth was actually cut in half. That was a good one right there.
Today, ahead of the first televised gubernatorial debate, the Pritzker campaign is releasing two new TV ads that show how Bruce Rauner drove state finances into the ground.
The ads highlight another central failure of Rauner’s tenure: gross fiscal mismanagement at the expense of Illinois taxpayers. “Credit” focuses on Rauner dragging the state’s credit through eight downgrades to the lowest of any state in U.S. history while “Interest” focuses on Rauner wasting over $1 billion of taxpayer money on late fees for unpaid bills.
“Bruce Rauner wrecked Illinois’ finances at the expense of taxpayers across the state,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “This failed governor is responsible for wasting $1 billion and eight credit downgrades, leaving Illinois with the worst credit rating of any state. While it will take years to recover from this damage, one thing is abundantly clear: four years of failure is enough.”
Want to see what failure looks like? Under Bruce Rauner, Illinois’ credit rating has been downgraded eight times to the lowest of any state in American history. Bruce Rauner, four years of failure is enough.
Want to see what failure looks like? Bruce Rauner has wasted over a billion taxpayer dollars on interest penalties for the state’s unpaid bills. Over a billion dollars. Bruce Rauner, four years of failure is enough.
By the looks of things, that “Four years of failure is enough” tagline will be driven so deep into everyone’s heads by November that people will be mumbling it in their sleep.
* These are for personal committees, so the House Republican Organization’s $6 million from Gov. Rauner’s campaign fund isn’t included. Also, the results are misleading, because they’re totaling cash raised since the candidates’ last elections. Cullerton last ran four years ago, while Madigan ran two years ago, as did Brady…
* After that list was posted yesterday afternoon, Speaker Madigan’s uncapped campaign fund reported over $2 million in contributions, including $1.5 million last night from the Laborers Union and $250,000 today from Fred Eychaner. So, he’s catching up to Cullerton fast, even on this uneven playing field of an two extra years for the Senate President.
And, remember, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s fund is also now uncapped, so he should be high on that list pretty soon.
Edgar, an increasing critic of Governor Bruce Rauner during and after the state’s unprecedented budget impasse, has been coaching Democrat J.B. Pritzker in private discussions about how to woo voters and dodge controversy all while leaving himself enough room to maneuver in office. […]
From Edgar’s vantage point, the more promises a politician makes on the campaign trail, the more hobbled they can become in office.
“I don’t think anybody should explain a blueprint right now on all these issues,” Edgar said Monday.
The former governor, who was widely seen as a popular, moderate state executive, argued that Pritzker should focus on winning election now, and splitting hairs in the statehouse later.
“I would be very cautious on too many specifics before the election because they don’t have all the information, and they won’t have the information until they’re in the office,” he said. “And they won’t really know what might work and not work until they sit down with the legislative leaders in a non-election environment and try to get things done.”
On the campaign trail, Pritzker appears to be heeding Edgar’s advice.
Serious candidates for governor often ask former candidates for advice. That’s nothing really new. I’ll bet he’s talked to other candidates and incumbents as well. That’s just practical. Even Rauner talked to Edgar a bit during the 2014 race.
But this story running so near to the first gubernatorial debate has got to irk Rauner a bit.
* Also, Edgar’s 1990 campaign was pretty issues-focused. From the late, great Paul Green…
One issue dominated this campaign statewide: taxes. Hartigan took a very strong antitax position. He advocated (1) allowing the temporary two-year income tax surcharge to expire on June 30, 1991, (2) “cutting” 2 percent, or $573 million, from the state budget and (3) allocating 25 percent of new state revenue to education his first year and 50 percent thereafter to make up for the $383 million annual loss to education by discontinuing the surcharge. Edgar supported continuation of the income tax surcharge, and he was as firm in advocating state control over rising local property taxes by placing a cap on them equal to either the annual cost of living or 5 percent, whichever was less. Edgar rejected Hartigan’s projections for new state revenue as a hollow promise to education because the current economic slowdown and a possible recession would strangle state revenue growth.
Edgar won in a Democratic-leaning year. He was also one of the first statewide candidates here to realize that suburban women were a major key to victory and so he played up his pro-choice philosophy.
* Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Illinois has put together a new video featuring Edgar and Jeanne Ives talking about Rauner…
* The comptroller’s office is releasing a report about the impasse’s consequences. Some press release bullet points…
* State contracting with non-profits declined due to the lack of state budgets. Grant contracts with non-profits decreased from 6,333 in fiscal year 2015 to 3,916 in fiscal year 2016—a drop of just over 38 percent. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the number of social service providers that closed as a direct result of the impasse, this drop in contracts shows the negative effect on the state’s provider network.
* During the impasse, public universities and community colleges enrolled 72,196 fewer students, cut 7,490 jobs, and the state lost roughly $948.7 million in generated economic output—$461.7 million of which was felt outside the Chicagoland area.
* The Monetary Award Program (MAP), which is a college tuition grant program designed to benefit low-income students, experienced a decrease in funding from $364.1 million to $169.8 million, a 53.36 percent cut. The number of MAP grants awarded continues to lag pre-impasse levels to this day.
* The bill backlog hit a record peak of $16.7 billion. By the end of calendar year 2017, the amount of late payment interest penalties linked to the budget impasse period totaled $1.139 billion—more than the combined late payment interest penalties over the previous 18 years.
* The fiscal year 2018 budget included $6 billion in general obligation bonding authority to pay down a portion of the backlogged debt. The Office of the Comptroller stopped the clock on most interest accruing bills and used federal matching funds to pay nearly $8.8 billion in backlogged bills. Even with the large paydown, Illinois’ bill backlog remains above pre-impasse levels.
* In interest alone, Illinois will pay $1.936 billion on this new general obligation debt. However, that is much less than the projected cost if the state had failed to refinance a portion of the backlog—between $6.02 billion and $8.02 billion.
* You’ll recall that Gov. Bruce Rauner launched an ad over the weekend that included a bunch of hot-button issues targeted at Downstate voters. Pritzker’s campaign never lets anything go unanswered, so earlier this week they started running their own Downstate ad. It’s quite something…
* Script…
Bruce Rauner lies.
He lied to the Cardinal of the Catholic Church about signing an abortion coverage bill. He lied about Jeanne Ives. And now he’s lying about JB Pritzker.
Tribune: So, we’re gonna jump right in with a burning question right now, um, Mayor Emanuel’s decision to not run for re-election next year has thrown a different factor into the November races. So, Comptroller Mendoza, do you plan to run for mayor?
Mendoza: Way to start off with a softball, right? So, hello! Uh, I am running for comptroller, that’s why I’m here and I’m very excited to talk about the record of accomplishments that I’ve done over the last almost now two years and uh the reason I’m here is I love my job and I’m very focused on being comptroller, so there’s still 48 more days to go, and I have a message to share across the state of Illinois and that is what my commitment is. I know that there’s a lot of speculation going on but I don’t think that anybody here can know exactly what the future holds for any of us, what I know is what I can do today and that is stay focused on this race and and ask people to give me an opportunity to continue to represent them.
Tribune: Can you give us an idea of where your thought process is, because obviously voters don’t want to elect someone for comptroller and then you spend the next six months running for mayor.
Mendoza: Right, well, you know, my thought process is that I love this job and I think that it’s super flattering and it’s, you know, the greatest honor to have people say and suggest that I am capable and experienced to lead a higher office, but you know, the mayor just dropped a bombshell on the city of Chicago and the dust is still settling and I can’t get distracted from what my job is which is to manage the state during this fiscal crisis and I’m committed and continue to do that. So, again, I don’t know what the future holds for any of us but what I know is that every single day that I’ve served in this position and every single day that I continue to serve is with the people of Illinois’ best interests in mind and that is what I’m focused on.
Tribune: So, will you pledge that if elected you will fill your full term as comptroller?
Mendoza: Again, you know, I don’t rule anything in or out, I think that there’s been lots of people before me, and even people that are right now currently running for mayor, who are in a similar position as I am in, where I think a lot of people have gotten out front on this issue and are focused on the mayor’s race, my focus continues to be the comptroller’s race and again I don’t know where I’ll be in three years, I hope I’m healthy, first and foremost, and everybody else that’s sitting at this table, but I think that my commitment continues to be to run for comptroller, I haven’t made any noise in terms of running for mayor. Um, and that is something that needs to continue to be the case, it’s one election at a time, and I’m very focused on this election right now.
Tribune: Do either of her opponents, do either of you want to weigh in on this mayoral issue?
Senger: You know um, I could just tell you one thing right now is when elected and if elected comptroller, I will serve four years as comptroller, and unless something, like merging the comptroller’s office and the treasurer’s office happens, so that’s an issue there, but, [to Mendoza] I would like to see a commitment that on November 7th, if you’re elected, you’re gonna be there for four years, and you’re kind of hedging it.
Mendoza: I’m not hedging anything, I’m very committed to be the comptroller, that’s what I’m running for, that’s why we’re here, and I do think it’s ironic though, all kidding aside, that the person who is saying she doesn’t want to even serve as comptroller because she wants to eliminate the office is questioning my commitment to this office. I think I’ve shown my commitment over the last two years, I have lead this state through the worst fiscal crisis, it’s been my greatest honor, and it’s nice that people think that I am capable of doing something else. But right now I am here to talk about my record and why I believe that the people of Illinois should be happy to continue to hope that they have a, you know, a fiscal watchdog that is looking out on their behalf. So, that is my focus, um, again, as someone who doesn’t even want to serve a whole term as comptroller, when the comptroller’s office is very important in the state of Illinois, I would say that that’s a little bit disingenuous, as well.
Senger: And again, the function’s not going away, the cost of having two offices are…
Mendoza: -I’ll be happy to engage in that debate in a little bit.
Senger: But again, you haven’t answered the question, on November 7th are you…
Mendoza: I think I’ve answered the question and I would be happy to talk about my record as comptroller and why I deserve to be re-elected as comptroller, thank you.
Tribune: If you are thinking about running for mayor, you’d have to turn around almost immediately after election day and prepare for that.
Mendoza: So, here’s the great part, like the media and everyone else gets to speculate and have fun with that…
Tribune: I’m not asking you to speculate. I’m saying that you would have to turn around immediately to prepare, get petitions,
Mendoza: sure..
Tribune: …to run for office, so it’s hard to me that you wouldn’t be making a decision on this before election day.
Mendoza: All those points are true, all those points are true. But again, I am very focused on the next 48 days and everyone who has called me to ask that I consider running for mayor I have given the exact same answer that I’m giving you, which is that I am very focused on this election, I have been working hard across the entire state of Illinois. Not a single thing has changed on my schedule as to am I in Chicago more versus Downstate more. I am here today with this Tribune editorial board because I think that it’s important that your readers know what I’ve done for the state and why I’m asking them to give me another opportunity to continue to represent them. And again, what the future holds, I can’t tell you at this moment whether I’m going to comptroller for four years or forty more years. I certainly hope not, right? But I would say that uh, you know, I’m committed to this job, and that’s why I’m here. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here, and I think that uh, that that’s very clear.
Tribune: Do you have any members of your team that are looking into it is as you’re maintaining focus?
Mendoza: No, every single person that works for me is focused on leading this state through the worst fiscal crisis, which still continues to be a very intense crisis. There are people who have been trying to draft me to run for mayor, I can’t control what they do, again it’s again, you know, very flattering, it’s a high honor. But I keep telling every exactly which is what I’ve told you, including those who have called me to urge me to run for mayor, and that’s that my focus is the next 48 days. I mean, at the time that they called it was a different number, right, but I’m very focused on that election and you know, it’s nice that people think that but again, one race at a time. And the race that I’m running for right now is comptroller of the state of Illinois.
Senger: Would you endorse someone else to run for mayor? Rather than yourself because you’re running for comptroller?
Mendoza: We don’t even know who’s running for mayor yet, Darlene. There’s like 20 thousand people, maybe some people in this room besides the names that have been mentioned might throw their hat in the ring for mayor. It seems like it’s a free for all right now, but my focus is on this job. I’m not even going to entertain or worry about the mayor’s office from now until election day and this is the only job that I care about.
A hat that purportedly but not provably belonged to Abraham Lincoln is off the display list at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum pending review of the artifact’s provenance that has been in question for years.
The announcement by the museum that the hat, which is not on regular exhibition, won’t be taken out for public viewing until provenance is reviewed comes in the wake of a Wednesday report by WBEZ radio in Chicago, which revealed that the private foundation that owns the hat engaged in secret efforts to prove that the hat is authentic. The efforts, which involved DNA analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and top historians from the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago History Museum, failed to verify that the hat is real. […]
According to the WBEZ report, the private foundation’s verification efforts began in 2013 and were kept secret from the public institution, although ALPLM curator James Cornelius was in the know. When federal agents visited the museum to collect DNA samples from the hat and other Lincoln artifacts in 2015, Cornelius encouraged them to present themselves as a “news crew” upon arrival, according to the station’s reporting. […]
Cornelius was terminated on [Tuesday]. Wills declined comment when asked why. Cornelius could not be reached for comment. The curator had been on administrative leave since last spring. The museum has refused to release records showing why he was put on leave and why he was suspended last year for insubordination. Illinois Times, which had previously been granted Cornelius’ disciplinary records, sued the ALPLM in July under the state Freedom of Information Act to obtain the records. The lawsuit remains pending.
