* Better Government Association…
The BGA looked at how the [the attorney general’s Public Access Counselor’s office — or PAC] ruled on 28,270 [Freedom of Information Act] and [Open Meetings Act] requests for review from April 6, 2010 to March 15, 2018. […]
Out of the top 5 public bodies that initially failed to respond to [FOIA] requests — and only responded after the PAC intervened — the Chicago Police Department ranked the highest with 672 requests that it did not respond to during this period. Additionally, there were 6 instances in which the Chicago Police Department did not respond even after PAC intervention during the time period we studied. In fact, the PAC issued a binding opinion as recently as December 31, 2018, based on CPD’s failure to respond to a request even after the PAC intervened. Based on a FOIA request we submitted to CPD recently, it does not appear that anyone at CPD was ever disciplined for these violations.
In our list of the top 5 offenders, the Illinois Department of Corrections ranked second with 519 FOIA violations — that is, they did not respond to 519 FOIA requests. The Illinois State Police ranked third with 200 violations, followed by Chicago Public Schools with 199 violations, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with 162 violations. Overall, there were over 4,600 of these instances for all public bodies across the state during the time period we examined. […]
The BGA examined the frequency with which public bodies claimed a FOIA exemption that was found to be improper from April 6, 2010, to March 15, 2018. The PAC Office determined that public bodies had asserted incorrect exemptions 1,345 times — approximately 30 percent of the times in which the PAC issued a substantive determination on an exemption claim. […]
According to the PAC data, out of the top 14 public bodies that incorrectly applied exemptions to deny FOIA requests, the City of East St. Louis was in violation 100 percent of the time, the University of Illinois 63 percent of the time, the City of Joliet following closely at 58 percent of the time, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services and the Illinois Department of Transportation both 46 percent of the time, and the Chicago Police Department 43 percent of the time. […]
The BGA also looked at the PAC dataset for entries on the Open Meetings Act and determined the frequency with which public bodies violated OMA or did not violate OMA, according to PAC. […]
Between April 2010 and March 2018, the PAC Office reviewed 717 OMA requests and found that public bodies violated the Open Meetings Act approximately 42 percent of the time. There were 301 instances in which the PAC determined that the public bodies’ denial of open meeting records violated OMA and 416 instances in which PAC decided the public bodies’ actions were not in violation of OMA.
* From the attorney general’s PAC office…
“Despite years of work to change the culture of secrecy in Illinois government, the BGA’s findings show that many government offices still routinely disregard their obligation to provide access to government records,” the statement read. “The role of the Public Access Counselor is to resolve open records disputes, and we devote thousands of hours to doing that every year. But, as these findings demonstrate, far too often, government offices are choosing to ignore the law and working to thwart the Public Access Counselor.”
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* Press release…
Governor-elect JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor-elect Juliana Stratton are continuing to build a strong team to lead the state. Today, the governor-elect and lieutenant governor-elect made the following personnel announcements for their incoming administration:
Emily Bittner will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications in the Office of the Governor. Bittner currently serves as Chief of Strategy for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a role she began in 2017 after serving for three years at Chicago Public Schools, where she led the district’s communications and strategic efforts during the push for historic education funding reform. Bittner served as an adviser for Mayor Emanuel’s 2015 re-election campaign. Bittner previously led communications strategy serving as the chief spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, and the Democratic Governors Association. She began her career as a reporter at The Arizona Republic covering public safety. Bittner is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned degrees in journalism and political science.
Jordan Abudayyeh will serve as Press Secretary in the Office of the Governor. Abudayyeh currently serves as press secretary of the transition and served the same role on Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign. She joined the campaign after nearly 6 years in broadcast journalism. Abudayyeh previously was a political reporter for Springfield’s ABC affiliate WICS-TV, an anchor and producer for Naperville’s NCTV17, and an associate producer for Milwaukee’s WISN-TV. She received her Bachelor of Arts in broadcast and electronic communication from Marquette University.
Tiffany Newbern-Johnson will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Governor. Newbern-Johnson currently leads Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s state legislative agenda as the Deputy Director of Legislative Counsel and Government Affairs. She previously served as assistant counsel to House Speaker Michael Madigan in the Technical Review Unit and was an attorney in the City of Chicago Law Department’s Buildings and License Division. Newbern-Johnson received her Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in criminology, law, and justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Alicia Tate-Nadeau will serve as Director of Homeland Security and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).* Tate-Nadeau currently serves as the executive director of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications where she oversees an over $291 million budget and 2,100 personnel. She previously served as the Assistant Adjutant General - Army in the Illinois National Guard and led a 12-person rapid response force for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. While serving as the FEMA Region V incident management assistant team lead, Tate-Nadeau was deployed to the Flint, Michigan, water crisis to serve as the deputy federal coordinating officer. Prior, Tate-Nadeau served over 32 years in the National Guard, becoming the first female General Officer in Illinois National Guard history. In 2005, she was deployed to Iraq with a Multinational Division serving as an information operations officer. Tate-Nadeau’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, Polish Bronze Star and numerous other awards. She received her Master of Strategic Studies in Military and Strategic Leadership from the US Army War College, Master of Health Administration from Governors State University, and Bachelor of Science in Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences from University of Central Oklahoma.
Janel L. Forde will serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS).* Forde currently serves as the chief operating officer of the City of Chicago after serving the same role at the Illinois State Board of Education. Previously, she served as a deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management and as the director in the Office of the CEO at Chicago Public Schools. Forde was also a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, a marketing manager at American Express, and a junior consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. She received her MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Theresa Eagleson will serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS).* Eagleson currently serves as the executive director of the Office of Medicaid Innovation at the University of Illinois system, joining in 2014 after spending over a decade in management at HFS. She served as the state Medicaid director, deputy administrator of the Division of Medical Programs, and senior adviser to the administrator during her 15-year tenure. Prior, Eagleson served two Republican governors’ administrations, leading the Medical & Child Welfare Division of the governor’s budget office and serving as Gov. Edgar’s policy adviser for health and human services and as senior budget analyst. A Mattoon native, she received her MBA from the University of Illinois at Springfield, formerly Sangamon State University, and her Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Heidi Mueller will continue to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ).* Mueller has spent nearly five years at IDJJ and was appointed to serve as director by Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2016 where she oversees the care, custody, and services provided to youth committed to the Department by Illinois Courts. Prior to joining IDJJ, Mueller served as the Director of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, advising the Governor and General Assembly regarding juvenile justice policy and practice and administering the state’s federal grant funding under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Her background includes development and management of community programs for justice-involved youth, legal practice, front-line youth services, and social science research. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School, Master of Arts in social psychology from Stony Brook University, and Bachelor of Arts in psychology and history from Macalester College.
Matt Perez will continue to serve as Illinois State Fire Marshal.* With over 30 years of experience in public safety, Perez was appointed as Illinois State Fire Marshal by Governor Bruce Rauner in 2015. He previously served as fire marshal for the City of Aurora. During his 27 years with the department, Perez became certified as a paramedic and rose to the rank of assistant chief. Before beginning his career in the fire service, Perez worked as a patrol officer in the Kane County Sheriff’s Department. He received his Bachelor of Science in Fire Service Management from Southern Illinois University.
* Appointment pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
Go, Jordan!
Your thoughts?
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* Press release…
Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael G. Nerheim announced that on January 10, 2019 Nicholas Sauer surrendered to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and appeared before the Honorable Judge Paul Novak. Mr. Sauer posted 10% of the $30,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on February 6, 2018 at 9am in courtroom T510 before the Honorable Patricia Fix. Mr. Sauer is to follow the following bond conditions:
No contact with the victims
No use of social media
State’s Attorney Nerheim would like to remind the public that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Meanwhile, the indictment has been released. Click here, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The reason he’s been charged with twelve felony accounts is because he allegedly posted twelve “intimate parts” photos of two women online.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
My name is Mrs. Melissa Kreithen and I am a victim of non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images committed by former Illinois representative Nick Sauer. I started dating Nick Sauer in mid 2016 after he friend requested me on social media while I was single. At first, Nick seemed like a nice guy and as our relationship progressed, intimate and private images were exchanged with him in confidence. However, after a few months, I broke up with him due to his unusual and erratic behavior.
On August 2nd, 2018 I saw the news story about Nick’s ex-girlfriend who filed a complaint with the Chicago Office of the Legislative Inspector General, accusing Mr. Sauer of sharing private naked photos and personal details on a fake Instagram account to lure men into “graphic conversations of a sexual nature.”
Based on these allegations, I felt it was very possible that Nick was using my photos in a similar way. It has been extremely frustrating trying to find out how to proceed with the proper legal avenue. After many phone calls, we contacted Illinois State Senator Melinda Bush’s office and was referred to contact the Chicago Police, without success. We also contacted the FBI cyber division and left a complaint, without a response.
Fortunately, we finally connected with Illinois resident and victim’s advocate Denise Rotheimer who was interviewed on TV about the Nick Sauer story. She was able to contact State Attorney Michael Nerheim’s office about the potential crimes by Nick, and we were then referred to the Lake County Special Investigator Jim Magna. I was asked to make a voluntary statement and eventually confirmed evidence that Nick was using my intimate photos when the investigators subpoenaed Instagram and found a fake page that Nick had created using my images to solicit men.
As a victim of this deplorable crime committed by Nick Sauer, I wish that he be brought to justice to the full extent of the law as well as make a full, formal pubic apology to me and any other individuals he has committed crimes against. There’s no excuse for someone using private intimate photos of someone without their consent in this matter, especially a politician who was part of a sexual harassment task force in his home state.
I am also concerned there might be other victims of his crimes, and want to reach out and empower others to have the courage to come forward. If you suspect you were also a victim of Nick Sauer, please contact the Lake County Special Investigator at the Illinois State Attorney’s Office at JMagna@lakecountyil.gov
Also, if you feel that you are a victim of revenge pornography, or non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, there are concerned people and organizations that can help you. You can contact the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative at 844-878-2274. Their website is www.cybercivilrights.org Another resource is HeartMob at www.iheartmob.org where you can report and document online harassment.
Due to my frustration in seeking justice, I found out that not all states have laws about these types of deviant and predatory crimes that were committed by former representative Sauer. Thankfully, there is a Federal Bill that was introduced by Senators Kamala Harris, Richard Burr and Amy Klobuchar called the ENOUGH Act. This legislation, if passed, will make it illegal everywhere to “knowingly distribute private, visual depictions of an individual’s intimate parts or of an individual engaging in sexually explicit conduct” without their consent. Please contact your local representatives to support this much needed legislation.
I realize that coming forward jeopardizes my personal and family’s privacy and puts me in the public eye, for better or worse. For additional information on this unfortunate situation, I will be updating periodically on my Instagram page Missy_kreithen
Sent to me with permission to send out to media
All my best, Denise Rotheimer
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* This has been expected…
Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Thursday announcing his appointment of state Rep. Greg Harris as House majority leader:
“At my request, Representative Greg Harris will serve as House majority leader. This is the first in a series of leadership appointments that will be announced in the coming days reflecting the diversity of our state, and reflecting our caucus’ approach to the coming legislative session.
“Throughout his tenure, Representative Harris has shown a dedication to meeting our state’s biggest challenges head on. Throughout his career, he has worked to advance progressive ideals, while also building bipartisan consensus. He led a historic effort to make Illinois one of the first states to pass legislation ensuring equal rights for same-sex couples; he has spearheaded complicated Medicaid reforms with an eye toward compassion and expanded access to health care; and his leadership was most critical during the budget crisis, when Representative Harris was instrumental in bringing together Democrats and Republicans to enact a bipartisan budget that protects lifesaving services like breast cancer screenings, child care, health care for the elderly and much more.
“In 1997, I asked Barbara Flynn Currie to serve as the state’s first female majority leader. Following in her historic tenure, today’s appointment again represents House Democrats’ commitment to building an inclusive, welcoming Legislature where all are represented. As the first openly gay majority leader, Representative Harris will also continue to reflect our caucus’ commitment to working across the aisle and making the tough decisions.”
…Adding… Statement from Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois…
We are excited by Speaker Michael J. Madigan’s appointment today of State Representative Greg Harris to be the next Illinois House Majority Leader. This is a historic appointment. Leader Harris is the first openly gay person to hold the important role of Illinois House Majority Leader.
We know Leader Harris as a true champion of advancing justice and equality for LGBTQ people and all historically marginalized communities. We look forward to working with him in this significant leadership role to continue advancing justice in Illinois.
We thank Speaker Madigan for his significant leadership in advancing LGBTQ equality in Illinois. Just yesterday, we heard in nominating speeches of the Speaker’s critical role in passing marriage equality legislation in Illinois. Today, his appointment of Leader Harris further demonstrates the Speaker’s commitment to LGBTQ equality and representation.
…Adding… Terry Cosgrove at Personal PAC…
State Representative Greg Harris has been a pro-choice leader in the Illinois House since the day he took office. Personal PAC is extremely pleased with Harris’s appointment to the position of Illinois House Majority Leader. Thank you Speaker Madigan and Representative Harris for your continued leadership to protect reproductive rights for all women in Illinois. States must now do more than ever to protect Illinois from right-wing attacks and your commitment as valued allies in our work is greatly appreciated.
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Rauner claps back at Madigan
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Speaker Madigan yesterday…
On Jan. 14, 2015, I stood before you and pledged to work cooperatively and professionally w/ Gov. Rauner. That was four long years ago.
Four long years of character assassination, personal vilification and strident negotiation positions which hurt our state government and led to inaction for the people of Illinois.
* Gov. Rauner on WJPF today…
I’ve heard, I’ve been told that Madigan’s been criticizing me again. You know what? I take pride in that. Mitch Daniels, the terrific governor of Indiana, who turned Indiana around, he once said to me about 8 years ago, he said ‘Bruce, you know we’re defined by our enemies. You’ve picked good enemies.’ I have. I’m proud of it. I don’t mind being Madigan’s enemy, that guy has has done more damage to our people than anybody. And I will always stand firm against that and I will always try to win for a better future for our kids and our grandkids.
One good turn deserves another, but Daniels told him that eight years ago about his enemies?
* From about eight and a half years ago…
Mayor Richard M. Daley today appointed Bruce V. Rauner, chairman of a Chicago-based venture capital and private equity firm, as chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, the sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a meeting and tourist destination. […]
In March, Daley appointed Rauner as a member of the interim board of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which had been re-organized by legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly.
Speaker Madigan pushed that McPier reorg through the General Assembly on Daley’s behalf and for Rauner’s benefit.
* From the same time period in 2010…
[Stand for Children’s national director Jonah Edelman] told the Aspen Institute’s conference participants that wealthy investor Bruce Rauner had approached him about expanding his group’s school reform efforts to Illinois. Rauner has long been a major supporter of Republican candidates, and many believed early on that his involvement with Edelman meant that Stand for Children would lean heavily toward the House Republicans and against Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
But Edelman said he noticed a political opening that Rauner didn’t. The teachers unions were so upset by the passage of a pension reform bill that they were refusing to contribute to House Democrats [in the 2010 campaign cycle] who had voted for the reform, even though the legislators had long supported the unions.
Edelman said he then looked at the landscape and determined that no matter what happened in individual races, “Madigan would still be Speaker.” So, he said, the “raw politics” dictated that “we should tilt toward him.”
“The press never picked up on it,” Edelman said about how his group had endorsed twice as many Democratic candidates as Republicans. Those endorsements were a strong indication to Madigan, however, that they were clearly favoring him.
“Luckily, it never got covered that way,” Edelman explained. “That wouldn’t work well in Illinois. Madigan’s not particularly well liked.”
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* Greg Hinz…
The richest person ever to become Illinois governor says he will take the strongest steps allowed by law to ensure that control and investment of his personal wealth is kept separate from his official duties.
In an announcement being made today, Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker, the multi-billionaire who is scheduled to be sworn into office just days from now, says that all of his personal assets will be placed into a blind trust managed by Northern Trust. The firm will “control all aspects” of how to invest the money, and give him only the minimum of information needed to file his income tax returns and the state’s annual statement of economic interest.
Other assets, held in Pritzker-family trusts for him and other beneficiaries of the Hyatt Hotels empire, will be managed by those trusts without input from him, documents released by Pritzker indicate. As with personal assets, the governor will receive only “the minimum amount of information necessary to prepare and verify his statement of economic interests, his personal income tax returns and other financial filings required by law,” one document states.
Pritzker also will sell his personally-held interest in any company that has a contract wholly or partially funded with state money, aides said. And if any company in which his trusts invest ends up acquiring a state contract during his term and makes a positive return, Pritzker “will make a charitable contribution in the amount of that return.”
* From a press release…
Governor-Elect Pritzker believes that public service is a public trust, and he has taken steps to ensure that the Illinois Governor’s Office operates free of any financial conflict of interest and upholds the highest ethical standards during his term of office.
Governor-Elect Pritzker has created a blind trust to manage his personal assets, and has removed himself from decision-making authority and knowledge of decisions of family trusts that he is a part of. Extensive work has taken place to eliminate potential conflicts of interest while also ensuring the Governor-Elect can meet Illinois’ reporting requirements.
* From a Perkins Coie LLP memo…
* Governor-Elect Pritzker is divesting his personally-held direct interests in companies that have contracts that are wholly or partially funded with state dollars. Pursuant to 30 ILCS 500/50-13(a), neither Governor-Elect Pritzker, M.K. Pritzker, nor their minor children will have or acquire any direct pecuniary interest in a contract during his term of office that is satisfied with state funds.
* Governor-Elect Pritzker is voluntarily placing his remaining personally-held assets into a blind trust. Governor-Elect Pritzker has appointed the Northern Trust Company as independent trustee responsible for managing and controlling the trust. The blind trust terms prohibit the Governor-Elect from exercising any management or control over assets held in the trust. The terms further prohibit direct or indirect communication between Governor-Elect Pritzker and the trustee except to the extent described below. The terms severely limit the information he is entitled to receive about the trust, its assets, its performance, and its management. The only communication Governor-Elect Pritzker may have with the trustee is to receive minimum amount of information needed to (1) properly file his personal income tax returns and other filings required by law; (2) verify his Statement of Economic Interests under the Illinois Government Ethics Act; and (3) comply with the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code. In the event Governor- Elect Pritzker becomes aware that he is entitled to receive a return from an investment held in trust in which the underlying company enters into or acquires a state contract during his term, the Governor-Elect will make a charitable contribution in the amount of the return.
* Governor-Elect Pritzker is a beneficiary of several domestic and foreign trusts. These trusts are irrevocable, and the preexisting trust instruments do not grant Governor-Elect Pritzker authority to alter or terminate the trust or its investments. Moreover, Governor- Elect Pritzker does not receive distributions from any foreign trust. For several of the domestic and foreign trusts, Governor-Elect Pritzker has the limited ability to direct trust distributions to certain beneficiaries (not including himself) who are specified in the trust instruments. The Governor-Elect has committed to the following rules further limiting his involvement in these trusts: (1) Governor-Elect Pritzker will not make asset allocation or risk decisions regarding assets held in these trusts. Instead, the respective trustees will control all aspects managing the trust investments. (2) Governor-Elect Pritzker will not receive regular reporting regarding the performance of assets held in these trusts. The Governor-Elect has instructed the trustees to provide him only with the minimum amount of information necessary to prepare and verify his Statement of Economic Interests, his personal income tax returns, and other financial filings required by law. (3) Governor- Elect Pritzker will not take any action in his official role or communicate with any office of Illinois government regarding assets held in trust, nor will any such assets receive any favor or advantage in any Illinois government proceeding. (4) In the event Governor- Elect Pritzker becomes aware that he is entitled to receive a return from an investment held in trust in which the underlying company enters into or acquires a state contract during his term, the Governor-Elect will make a charitable contribution in the amount of the return. The complete rules Governor-Elect Pritzker has outlined regarding these trusts are included as Attachment A to this memorandum.
* To ensure the highest levels of transparency and ethical compliance are maintained throughout his term in office, Governor-Elect Pritzker is appointing an independent compliance adviser. The advisor will oversee a team of attorneys and ethics experts to advise the connected parties on compliance considerations regarding potential conflicts that arise.
* Finally, Governor-Elect Pritzker will also continue to comply with the terms of the Illinois Government Ethics Act by disclosing his assets on a public Statement of Economic Interests. The Statement of Economic Interests will allow the media and members of the public to verify that none of Governor-Elect Pritzker’s holdings conflict with his ability to fairly and impartially execute the duties of his office.
Also, a transition spokesperson told me today that the sale of the Pritzker family’s Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin was finalized last year.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
Yes, I know we already have one caption contest today, but…
* The Question: Caption?
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Where does Pritzker want to take Illinois?
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Brian Mackey spent time on JB Pritzker’s campaign website and pulled out an extensive list of the candidates “priorities and principles.” Here is the economic stuff…
* Raise the Illinois minimum wage to $15 an hour.
* Pass a big infrastructure spending bill — money used to build and repair highways, bridges, ports, public transpiration, and government buildings.
* Make high-speed internet access available everywhere in Illinois.
* Upgrading the locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
* Update lead pipes in water systems.
* Make “microloans” more widely available.
* Pass a Truth in Lending Act, aimed at protecting small business owners.
* Increase funding for Small Business Development Centers.
* Review the Enterprise Zone Program to make sure the state is stimulating growth in the most economically distressed communities.
* Promote wind and solar power while also supporting the Advanced Coal and Energy Research Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He’s also pledged to ”set Illinois on a path toward 100% clean, renewable energy.”
* Make more money available to farms for investment in technology.
* Force “net neutrality” on internet service providers that have state contracts.
* Pursue legislation that prevents employers from asking about salary history.
* Support construction of a third Chicago airport near Peotone, in the far south suburbs, on the condition it doesn’t take jobs away from O’Hare or Midway airports.
* “Economic inclusion”…
* Increase the “aspirational goal” for the share of state contracts going to women- and minority-owners businesses to 30 percent.
* Create a cabinet-level position to make sure it that aspiration becomes a reality.
* Have a loan program that helps minority business owners compete for state contracts.
* Start minority- and women-owned business “accelerators” to provide mentoring, financing and other help.
* Fund pre-apprenticeship programs to help people from disadvantaged communities get jobs in the building trades, both union and non-union.
* Expand employment programs for disadvantaged youth.
* Help “unbanked” communities by encouraging financial institutions to provide services in libraries and other public spaces.
* Cap rates for check cashing.
* Higher education…
* Create a single, shared application for every state university in Illinois.
* Increase financial aid for low-income college students, known as Monetary Award Program or MAP grants, by 50 percent.
* Create a state-run program to help people refinance student loan debt.
* Restore funding for state universities and community colleges to levels that predate Gov. Bruce Rauner’s tenure.
* Assign a task force to study how Illinois might “set a course toward” free college.
* Make it so 90 percent of Illinois households can access the AIM-HIGH merit-based financial program.
* Ensure university credit for Illinois community college courses.
* Expand technical education and apprenticeships.
* Start new statewide competitions for university students to foster entrepreneurship.
* Have state grants seed start-ups based at universities.
* He also found this….
Not favor increases in the gas tax, expanding the sales tax to cover services, or ending the tax exemption for so-called retirement income. (All three topics were presented at debates — those who supported the ideas were asked to raise their hands; Pritzker kept his down every time.)
Interesting.
Click here to read the rest. Lots more at that link.
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Stava-Murray roundup
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Raquel Martin at WCIA TV…
All but one Democrat, Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) voted for him.
Stava-Murray said she couldn’t vote for the Speaker because of a series of sexual harassment complaints in his office. The complaints became public last year, in the midst of a #MeToo fallout at the Capitol.
“I felt great, I was smiling before hand and it felt so empowering to do the thing that I promised,” said Stava-Murray.
Stava- Murray says Madigan apologized to her in private about the harassment complaints and promised to address the issue moving forward.
Much of her campaign was based on a promise to vote against Madigan and she kept her promise.
* Sam Dunklau at NPR Illinois…
Stava-Murray says voters in her district “factored into” her decision, since she campaigned on voting against Madigan. She says they did not support the longtime speaker’s leadership in the House, though some of her colleagues were “hard-selling” a Madigan vote.
But it was primarily Madigan’s stance on sexual harassment in the state legislature that drove Stava-Murray away. She says the Chicago Democrat hasn’t done enough to combat what she calls “a culture of sexual assault and violence.” She also claims she’s been harassed on several occasions by people working for Madigan since she was elected in November.
“When you have leaders who have to step down as a result of the “MeToo” movement, you’ve clearly been promoting people who display those aggressive behaviors,” she said. “Whether or not you know, you’ve chosen to know or not know.”
* Greg Bishop at Illinois News Network…
State Rep. Will Davis, D-Hazel Crest, said Stava-Murray should find ways to work with her colleagues.
“Don’t work to try to alienate yourself,” Davis said. “There are still things that you want to get done and you need 60 members in the House and 30 members in the Senate.” […]
Stava-Murray said she’s on the Democratic team, but that doesn’t mean staying silent when the leader isn’t doing enough to address harassment and intimidation at the statehouse.
“I think dissent is patriotic,” Stava-Murray said. “It makes us stronger to be able to say ‘that’s OK, I respect a difference of opinions. To me, only dictators get 100 percent of the vote.”
* Mark Maxwell at WCIA TV…
[Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights] shrugged off concerns about the potential for witnessing harassment in a statehouse where so many stories of harassment had been reported.
“I came out of corporate America, so that didn’t scare me at all,” she said. She added that electing more women to office would be the only lasting solution to change the culture and cure the problem.
* Mike Riopell at the Tribune…
Even before Stava-Murray was sworn in to her first Illinois House term on Wednesday, she announced she’d challenge U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in 2020. She has started referring to Durbin as “my opponent” on social media.
* She’s been advertising her US Senate campaign on Facebook. Here’s both of them…
In honor of Girl Scout cookie sales kicking off, I’m introducing a Couragous Cookie Contest:
This competition will be sponsored by my campaign and include 6 Prizes…
Grand Prize: $200 in sales (donated to the troops) and a pizza party for the winner’s troop
5 Runners-Up: 10 boxes each (donated to the troops)
If your IL Girl Scout is interested in participating, please have them create a 2 min video introducing themselves and sharing the most valuable lesson they learned in 2018.
Please email entries that include entrant first name, troop number, favorite badge she’s earned, age, school, and video to cookiecontest@teamstavamurray.com before ***midnight January 16th, 2019***
Winners will be announced 1/31/19.
Please tag a Girl Scout parent in the comments below to help spread the word!
Also, love the mission, my former Brownie days, and that they’ve accepted trans members since 2012 🌈.
“Our fundamental value is empowering girls to be leaders in their own lives. By helping them build the courage, confidence, and character to lift their voices, champion their views, and be advocates for the issues and ideas important to them, Girl Scouts supports girls as they become catalysts for change who strengthen their communities.”
Posted by Anne Stava-Murray for U.S. Senate on Wednesday, January 2, 2019
* Madigan on joy ride after ‘four long years’ of Rauner’s ‘my way or the highway’
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Edgar, Ives respond to Rauner criticism
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember this quote from Gov. Rauner the other day when asked about criticism from former Gov. Jim Edgar?…
That said, if you’re gonna be a moderate to win elections, but you’re not going to be a reformer and fix the problems, what’s the point of winning? And, in Illinois, Republicans have won, in the 80s and 90s, but then they did the same bad stuff that the Democrats did. Kick the can on pension payments, don’t reform the system, raise taxes with no reforms, over-regulate businesses. If you’re gonna moderate to win and then do the same thing that the guy or gal that you were running against would do, what’s the point?
He also had some things to say about former Rep. Jeanne Ives.
* Bernie followed up with both…
“Governor Rauner lost the support of both Jim Edgar and me during his tenure as governor,” [Ives] said via email. “In what direction should the ILGOP head? Opposite Bruce Rauner.” […]
“We weren’t perfect,” said Edgar, who was governor from 1991-1999. “I do think, though, at the end of the ’90s, we had … a billion and a half dollar surplus, pensions were funded at the highest level they’ve ever been … we paid our bills off within 30 days, unemployment in Illinois was below the national average, which was a very unusual thing in Illinois. … It wasn’t perfect, but far better than it is today.”
He also said he doesn’t think “anybody ever accused me of rolling over to the Democrats” as governor, and while he had battles with House Speaker MICHAEL MADIGAN, D-Chicago, “we would work things out.” […]
“I think [Rauner’s] approach on the budget was wrong and I think his kind of confrontation approach, I don’t think that gets much done, particularly when you don’t control things,” the former governor said, referring to the legislature dominated by Democrats.
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Even Pat Brady is an optimist these days
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Weird times we live in when the outgoing governor’s favorite campaign attack dog is now talking about working together…
As a new Governor and lawmaking body take office in Illinois, former GOP chairman Pat Brady is advising both political sides to work together.
Brady says Republicans and Democrats have bashed each other for over a decade creating a political civil war in the state.
“It started with the Democrats, Rod Blagojevich and Mike Madigan, then Gov. Bruce Rauner against House Speaker Madigan,” said Brady. “I think most people are just kind of fed up with the blame game and are asking what can we do to move this forward.” […]
“This state is not too far right or left, it’s a pretty centrist state. I think there is an opportunity for Speaker Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton to work with Republican leaders Jim Durkin and Bill Brady to get something done.”
* Even the Chicago Tribune editorial board is seeing some green shoots…
One change agent could disrupt the cozy status quo: Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker, whose inauguration is scheduled for Monday. Pritzker mingled with House members on stage at their swearing-in ceremony. He was the buzz. The circle of politicians waiting to shake his hand and snap a selfie marked him as more popular than any other figure in Springfield, even Secretary of State Jesse White.
Pritzker was, and is, the man of the hour. Every hour, as long as the honeymoon lasts. The clock starts now.
* Dennis Byrne is not buying it…
Over the next five days, J.B. Pritzker becomes the 43rd governor of Illinois, succeeding Bruce Rauner. Michael Madigan gets re-elected by his flock to yet another term as Speaker of the House. And Illinois will circle the drain. Heading toward the darkness below, even faster than before.
Put aside the absurd speculation that with the new dawn, Pritzker and Madigan will bring a bright, new day of cooperation that’ll cleanse the state in their brilliance and uprightness. That’s for child-like innocents, hopeless Democratic partisans, the gullible and simple-minded.
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* Daily Herald…
As one of 44 Republicans in the House, Amy Grant of Wheaton said she wants to work for cooperation in the legislature.
Grant, a six-year DuPage County Board member, fills the legislative seat formerly held by Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives.
“It is vital that the 101st General Assembly make its decisions based on the next generation and not the next election,” she said in a written statement. “I believe members must work in a bipartisan basis.”
Grant, a former teacher, said she also wants to focus on the state’s management of education with better budgeting, accountability and ethics.
Well, that’s certainly a different attitude in the 42nd House District.
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Caption contest!
Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico…
Yesterday’s General Assembly inauguration had Democratic leaders talking unity and Republicans calling for good will and good faith. But it wasn’t until Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker and Lieutenant Gov.-elect Juliana Stratton dropped in on a GOP celebration that everyone understood they meant it.
“J.B. walked in and no one could believe it. We haven’t seen anything like that in years,” said one guest. “You could feel the energy in the room.”
House Republican leader Jim Durkin welcomed the crowd, then Stratton spoke and introduced Senate Republican leader Bill Brady, who introduced Pritzker. “They talked about working together and encouraged laughter,” said another guest. “It wasn’t an act. All four were genuine.”
* A photo posted online by Pritzker…
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* House Speaker Michael Madigan used his inaugural address to bash Gov. Rauner, but Senate President John Cullerton took a different tack. From Cullerton’s speech…
Governor Rauner, thank you for presiding over today’s ceremony.
And, on behalf of the Illinois Senate, thank you for your public service.
We may have had our differences, from time to time, but you took on a challenge when others merely complain from the sidelines.
Thank you, and I wish you and your family the best.
* The Question: What is the truly nicest thing you can say about the departing governor? This is a serious question, so no snark. And if you can’t say anything nice, then please do not respond to the question.
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* From Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee)…
“I want to thank the people of the 66th District for again entrusting me to represent you in Springfield,” said Skillicorn. “Illinois government is broken, but when we the people work together we can affect change. Our recent success to defeat a massive motor fuel tax hike in the waning moments of the 100th General Assembly that appeared to be a sure thing just a month again is proof of that.”
A sure thing? I told subscribers this on November 15th: “Tentative plans are afoot to move forward with some sort of tax increase to fund a capital bill by the end of the lame duck session on January 9th.” And then on November 27th I told subscribers that from everything I was hearing the plans to do a capital bill in lame duck had been scrapped.
The “horizontal” (roads, bridges, transit) infrastructure project list would’ve likely been ready to go by this week, but the “vertical” (building construction and repair) list would not have been. That lack of a list, I was told in late November, was a big reason for the delay. They couldn’t do the tax hikes for both at once because it’s tough to pass a tax increase for vertical projects when nobody knows what the projects are. They also didn’t want to do one tax hike for horizontal and then another just weeks later for vertical. Too many headlines.
Also, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said this earlier in the week…
“I don’t see anything else coming,” Durkin said. “I’m seeing some posters here about a gas tax. There’s nothing about an infrastructure bill or anything regarding a gas tax or anything that’s going to be considered this week.”
Make no mistake, however: A capital bill is coming, along with revenue streams to pay for it.
*** UPDATE *** It’s not just Skillicorn. Check out this over-heated Taxpayers United press release…
Illinois taxpayers defeated the plan of downstate and Cook County Democrats to give the state of Illinois the highest gasoline tax in the country during the Illinois 100th General Assembly lame duck session.
The Democrat mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel, showing how out-of-touch he was with taxpayers, had called for a 30 cent-per-gallon increase on the state gasoline tax. In response, taxpayers protested inside the Illinois Capitol Building against this two billion dollar tax hike. The January 7 protest featured many prominent anti-gasoline-tax speakers, including St. Rep. Allen Skillicorn, St. Rep. Jeanne Ives, and Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America.
When the protesters went to confront their state representatives over this proposed gasoline tax increase, the tax raisers gaveled out and fled to caucus. They refused to leave their rooms until protesters and their signs were thrown out!
“It must have been two minutes,” commented Val, a concerned taxpayer who was waiting in line to speak to his state representative about the gas tax. “They were in session for two minutes and ran. It’s like they didn’t want to talk to us.”
Illinois lawmakers were so shaken by the outpouring of opposition they did not amend any bills to include a tax increase.
“I bet those tax-raising cowards have never seen so many taxpayers gathered together in one place before,” said Tobin. “It’s too bad we taxpayers need to work for a living. Otherwise we could protest and stop every tax increase in its tracks.”
When asked about the possibility of the new general assembly passing a gas tax increase, Tobin responded, “I think they will try to pass it again. But now Springfield Democrats and the newly elected Governor Pritzker will have to take responsibility for any tax increase. They own it now. They wanted to pass it in the 100th so they could blame Gov. Rauner, and not look like hypocrites when they throw poor and middle class taxpayers under the bus.”
Hilarious.
Some background on Mr. Tobin is here.
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* House Speaker Michael Madigan was unsurprisingly reelected today, with, as expected, Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) voting “Present.”
He began his remarks by asking for prayers for former House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who checked herself into the hospital on the way home to Chicago yesterday with a bad case of pneumonia.
Madigan then launched into a litany of complaints about Gov. Rauner’s one term in office. The following are individual tweets from the House Democrats’ account which excerpted his speech…
On Jan. 14, 2015, I stood before you and pledged to work cooperatively and professionally w/ Gov. Rauner. That was four long years ago.
Four long years of character assassination, personal vilification and strident negotiation positions which hurt our state government and led to inaction for the people of Illinois.
Since then, Illinois suffered through a three year budget impasse. Some may say “We made it through the budget impasse” or “our organization got its money,” but others were not so fortunate.
If you were an Illinoisan depending on funding for Autism services, breast cancer screenings, child abuse prevention or services for survivors of sexual assault, you became a victim of the budget
In America and in Illinois, government is people working with people. Sometimes they agree and other times they disagree.
Where people disagree, if they are reasonable, they talk to each other, exchange ideas, negotiate in good faith, and attempt to find common ground. For the last four years, this didn’t happen. Instead we simply got a series of ultimatums.
Illinois has serious problems. A significant budget imbalance and a debt load that is far too high. This impairs our ability to properly support areas such as education, infrastructure maintenance and improvement, and many others.
To solve these problems people need to work with people. Some may say to just ‘put an end to the last four years’ or ‘close the book.’
But, let me suggest we move beyond these last four years and not just close the book. Rather, let’s close one chapter and take lessons, so we can move on to a new chapter where people work with people.
Speaker Madigan did not announce his new leadership team.
* House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s speech was mostly upbeat. From the HGOP’s Twitter account…
Following the oaths of office… each one of us will be charged with representing the interests and welfare of 108,000 Illinoisans.
That oath is solemn and has meaning. Deep meaning.
I implore you to embrace this historic moment with the best you can offer.
Durkin quotes his friend, the late US Senator John McCain. …there is “much more than unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other.”
The same can be said about us, my fellow Illinoisans
Today is a day for celebrating and unifying.
This is our state’s 5th year in a row of population loss and will once again lead to diminished influence and a loss of congressional representation.
It also means a loss of taxpayers.
With this new General Assembly, and a new Governor I am optimistic that for once for many, many years, we can put politics aside.
Leader Durkin is outlining what the House Republicans stand for… reform of our state’s regressive property tax system… creating efficiency in our pension systems, by reducing costs and making the systems sustainable for members and taxpayers… balancing the budget by weighing spending demands with fiscal realities… enhancing our weak business climate to bring real sustainable jobs back to our state… getting career gun criminals off our streets.
I have never let the R or D next to a representative’s name impact what I think about their district or constituents and I hope you do the same.
The time for a new direction starts today.
…as former Governor Thompson implored, we can be a “Great” Assembly… that works through the many challenges we face to take Illinois in a new direction.
Durkin ended by saying, “My door is always open. My hope is yours will be, too.”
…Adding… She’s gonna get a lot of press coverage…
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* Some background is here if you need it. From a press release…
Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael G. Nerheim announced that in late July of last year, he was contacted by the Illinois Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter regarding the possible criminal activities of then Illinois State Representative Nick Sauer. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Special Investigations Division and Cyber Division immediately began an investigation.
This morning, a Lake County Grand Jury issued a twelve count Indictment for Mr. Sauer for the offense of Non-consensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images involving 2 separate victims. As charged, these are all Class 4 felonies.
Our office has been in communication with Mr. Sauer’s attorney and we expect him to surrender himself on these charges by tomorrow morning. We would like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts and assistance provided by Illinois Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter, the Chicago Police Department, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
State’s Attorney Nerheim would like to remind the public that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The statute he is alleged to have violated is here.
I’m working on getting a copy of the indictment. I’ll post it when/if I get it.
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* Sun-Times…
The Chicago Teachers Union is heading into contract talks with the wind at its back: A new poll that shows likely voters have a favorable view of the union that stood toe-to-toe with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and overwhelmingly embrace the union’s “educational justice agenda.”
The telephone poll of 600 likely primary voters was conducted Dec. 11-through-16 by Lake Research Partners and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
It shows 62 percent of voters surveyed have a favorable view of the union that led its members on a seven-day 2012 teachers strike that was Chicago’s first in 25 years after Emanuel instigated the walkout with his bullying missteps, including cancelling a teacher pay raise.
That’s compared to a favorability rating of just 31 percent for the City Council, 41 percent for the Chicago Board of Education and 33 percent for County Board.
* From the polling memo…
* Voters are generally pessimistic about both the direction of the city (57% wrong track) and the state of CPS (52% wrong track).
* They are dejected and their issue agenda is noticeably diffuse, with concerns over crime and public safety (19% most important problem), education (16% MIP), property taxes and fees (15% MIP) and jobs and the economy (12% MIP) rounding out a top tier of issues.
o A close second tier includes ethics and corruption(9%), community-police relations(9%), healthcare (8%), and criminal justice reform (7%). […]
* A majority (56%) of voters also says it is important that the next Mayor do something to address the unequal concentration of wealth in downtown and the “push out” of working class African American and Latino families.
* A similar 56% majority also believes that racial segregation should remain an important factor when determining attendance boundaries for Chicago Public Schools. These are key issues the candidates for mayor would do well to address, as they are among the criteria the remaining undecided voters will use to assess them.
* When it comes to sources for new revenue, a millionaires’ income tax (34% excellent idea, 73% total good idea) remains the most popular idea for generating more funding for Chicago Public Schools.
* Voters also solidly support implementing a new tax on large corporations that pay their employees less than $12 an hour (30% excellent idea, 59% total good idea), suing the big banks to recover losses from ‘toxic swaps’ (27% excellent idea, 61% total good idea).
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* Stateline…
President Donald Trump’s warning that the partial federal government shutdown could last “for months or even years” has states, cities and businesses increasingly nervous.
States depend on federal money to pay for food stamps, welfare and programs such as the Child Care and Development Fund Plan, the National Flood Insurance Program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides matching grants for state and local parks and recreation projects.
Marcia Howard, the executive director of the nonprofit Federal Funds Information for States, said states have enough leftover federal dollars, plus money of their own, to keep key programs going for several weeks — but any period longer than that would create significant problems. The longest previous shutdown was for 21 days, in 1995-1996. […]
In Michigan, for example, $22 billion of the $57 billion state budget comes from the federal government. A spokesman for the Michigan State Budget Office, Kurt Weiss, said the state wouldn’t face significant challenges until 45 days have elapsed. But the day that marks the end of that period, Feb. 5, is fast approaching. […]
Weiss’ office recently asked the heads of state agencies to assess how long they can remain open without federal dollars and which of their programs are most essential. Their responses are due Friday. […]
Federal funding for Medicaid, the joint federal-state health care program for low-income people, is not immediately in jeopardy because Congress already has approved the federal share of those payments through September. […]
As a result of the shutdown, 420,000 federal employees are working without pay and 380,000 have been furloughed, according to a Democratic report from the Senate Appropriations Committee. […]
Because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is closed, officials there won’t process Section 8 and veterans housing vouchers, or answer cities’ questions on grants, Benjamin said. Cities may soon have to work with landlords, food banks and within their own limited budgets to help residents get by in the meantime. […]
The National League of Cities program director for community and economic development, Michael Wallace, said rural residents who are using federal loans to purchase homes have not been able to close on their new properties because the Department of Agriculture is closed, creating unexpected hardship.
If the shutdown extends into February, he said, cities are going to have to transfer money from other programs and services to make sure their residents are fed and sheltered.
I’m told the shutdown’s impact has been a focus of the Pritzker transition team while working with the Rauner administration.
And thank goodness Medicaid is funded or there would be far more serious state issues. Those vendors endured way too many payment delays during our own state impasse.
* Speaking of the impasse, here’s Scott Reeder…
Am I the only Illinoisan who is experiencing déjà vu, when it comes to the latest antics in Washington?
It seems a petulant chief executive is at loggerheads with a Speaker of the House and is allowing a portion of the government to go unfunded unless he gets what he wants.
It could be Gov. Bruce Rauner circa 2015 or President Donald Trump in 2019.
The parallels are frightening.
Both Rauner and Trump are wealthy men accustomed to getting what they want. It is also worth noting that neither held any other public office before being elected to head an executive branch.
Rauner entered office with a 44-point program to reform Illinois.
He precipitated a crisis by using his veto pen and legislative allies to keep Illinois from having a budget for 736 days. He’d hoped to harness the discontent caused by the emergency to shove his key reforms through the House.
Sound familiar?
* From USA Today…
The agencies affected by the shutdown include Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, State, Transportation and Treasury.
A longer list with explanations of what’s happening at each agency is here.
* Local impact…
The City of Evanston may have to dip deeper into its general assistance funds next month if agreement isn’t reached to end the partial shutdown of the federal government.
The city’s human services manager, Indira Perkins, told the city’s Human Services Committee Monday night that money for the federal government’s food stamp, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is expected to run out in February if the shutdown continues.
She said that in addition to trying to boost cash benefits to general assistance recipients the city will also try to make more use of local food pantries to serve the clients.
(Late Tuesday the Trump administration said it would fund food stamps for February, but had no solution to fund the program for March, if the shutdown continues.)
She said the WIC program, which provides supplemental food to Women, Infants and Children, is also expected to run out of funds next month.
* Brenden Moore at the SJ-R…
The National Park Service is considering an offer from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to operate the Lincoln Home National Historic Site for the remaining duration of the partial federal government shutdown.
The historic site, which sees more than 200,000 visitors annually, has been closed for more than two weeks as President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats spar over the president’s insistence on including funding for a southern border wall in an appropriation bill that would reopen government.
Under the tentative plan offered last week by ALPLM officials, the museum’s management would oversee a team of volunteers that would offer tours of Lincoln’s home and pay for security guards and janitors on the site. The site’s visitor’s center would likely remain closed. The National Park Service is considering the plan, spokeswoman Alex Picavet said Tuesday.
* Sun-Times…
So far, Chicago’s airports haven’t experienced the long lines that travelers reported at LaGuardia last weekend. TSA has acknowledged more screeners are calling in sick, but they say the effect has been “minimal.”
* According to Governing Magazine, 9,703 federal government jobs in Illinois are in agencies currently without enacted appropriations. Another 31,152 work for agencies with enacted appropriations.
Peoria Journal Star…
In a study conducted by Wallethub, a personal finance website, Illinois was the 11th least affected by the government shutdown given its smaller share of federal jobs and relatively few number of national parks and monuments. […]
Citing estimates from the Center for American Progress, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s office said more than 8,300 federal workers in Illinois are being furloughed or forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
Durbin’s office said other problems created by the shutdown include the freezing of loans and grants from the Small Business Administration, Federal Housing Administration and Community Development Board; public housing agencies facing delayed payments, delaying maintenance and emergency repairs; and the closure of USDA farm service agency offices.
And, the longer the shutdown persists, the more that services could be affected and harm could be done, especially in fiscally-challenged states left picking up the tab for social services once covered by the federal government.
This is a federal topic with state implications. As always, do your very best to avoid copy-and-paste DC talking points in comments, please. If you saw some talking head yakking about something on your favorite cable teevee station, don’t repeat it here.
* Related…
* Government shutdown affects southern Illinois: Another area affected by the shutdown is HUD. The agency let 1,150 contracts expire with private landlords who rented to people receiving Section 8 housing voucher, and even though a HUD spokesman says those landlords will be paid eventually, housing advocates like Adrianne Todman, CEO of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, worry it could lead to evictions. “We have to rely on the goodwill of owners to sort of ride this wave with us,” Todman said.
* TSA Workers Fear They Will Not Get Paid Friday
* Federal shutdown hurting southern Illinois farmers
* Shutdown stalls Trump farm bailout created in response to trade war
* UI mostly unaffected by government shutdown — for now
* US Chamber calls for end to shutdown as businesses struggle
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* Tina Sfondeles…
The governor, who has railed against political corruption for the entirety of his term, said [Chicago Ald. Ed Burke’s] arrest was “long overdue.”
“Unfortunately there are others — other elected officials who do exactly the same type of thing, using their political position and political power to exert pressure on businesses and property owners to enrich themselves,” Rauner said. “This is not a one person thing. I am ecstatic that they finally indicted him. …There are others that do the same and worse. They haven’t been indicted yet. I hope they are.”
Burke has not actually yet been indicted by a grand jury, but has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of attempted extortion for allegedly trying to use his position on the City Council to win business for his private law firm.
Rauner, a former venture capitalist, too said Burke’s “behavior is relatively common knowledge in the business community in Chicago.”
“A lot of the business community has remained silent out of fear of retribution, and it’s wrong. It is fundamentally wrong and I’m glad they finally got him, and I hope they get some of the others who are doing it. And it’s some of the most powerful people in the state.”
Gee, I wonder who he could be talking about?
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Bye, Bruce
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Maxwell has written one of the most blistering exit stories about Gov. Bruce Rauner I’ve yet seen…
When Bruce Rauner exited stage left after delivering his final public remarks as governor, he had made two things abundantly clear: he couldn’t change the state, and it couldn’t change him.
“Change is hard. Change takes time,” Rauner said Tuesday afternoon as he bemoaned a list of accomplishments that was much shorter than he had hoped.
“The folks that created the massive problems in our state certainly are resistive to change,” he said in a nod to his arch nemesis Michael Madigan, the Democratic Speaker of the House. Rauner defiantly declared, “That does not mean that our recommendations or somehow wrong or flawed or incorrect at all.
After suffering a 15-point defeat in November, the one-term Republican maintained that his positions were popular in the state.
“Virtually everything that we have recommended is supported by a majority of the people of Illinois,” he said.
His office did not respond to a request for examples of public opinion polls to reinforce that claim. If they exist, the election results bore out that he wasn’t nearly as popular a politician as the policy positions he championed.
The governor’s unwavering grip on the withering corpse of his now-infamous ‘turnaround agenda’ was cemented by a swarm of issue-specific polls conducted over several years. Meticulous scientific data regularly supplied him with talking points and campaign prods, though he never liked to admit his reliance on polls much in public.
However, in the only poll that matters, Rauner was on the ballot, and he was saddled with his own record. And no amount of sure-footed stances, electrifying speeches, heartfelt apologies, or vulgar campaign ads could blot out the stain of the historic two-year budget impasse.
Go read the rest. Oof.
* Scott Reeder is a close second…
Rauner is the first governor in my lifetime to use government as a weapon. He essentially told the Legislature: “Pass my reforms or I’ll use my veto pen along with my legislative allies to keep the state from having a budget.”
We went 736 days without a budget, and not one of his key reforms became reality.
This is not how a democratic government should operate. It should be a process of unifying, of seeking input, of finding compromise that benefits everyone, of careful and well-considered positions and negotiations.
Governing properly is the art of calming the waters, not throwing hand grenades into them.
Then Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno tried to save Rauner — and the state of Illinois — by quietly negotiating with Senate President John Cullerton. The compromise package covered much of Rauner’s wish list — but not all of it.
Instead of embracing a partial win, the governor turned up his nose and walked away, leaving himself and the state of Illinois in worse shape.
And then, there is the lying. Rauner lied about big things and little things. No, his grandparents weren’t immigrants from Sweden. They were born in Wisconsin. It was a fib he told over and over — even after being called out on it by reporters.
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Dana Heupel
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My old buddy Kevin McDermott wrote a fitting tribute to our friend Dana Heupel…
My friend and former editor Dana Heupel died the morning after Christmas. I’d heard about his health problems. “I need to give him a call,” I’d said, a few times.
I’ve tried to determine when we last spoke. I know it was more than two years ago, because I don’t remember ever having a conversation with him about our current political era — and had we talked, we’d have talked about that.
Heck, snippets of it would still be echoing over Springfield, Illinois, in language I won’t use here.
Dana was normally a calm and unassuming guy, but he was also the quintessential watchdog journalist; get him going about abuse of power, governmental incompetence or attacks against the free press, and his rhetoric would peel the paint from the walls.
He was an editor at the State Journal-Register in Springfield in the early 1990s, when I was a reporter there. He’d worked in California before coming to this stodgy old Midwestern local newspaper — Lincoln’s favorite, they would never let you forget. He brought with him an ambitious plan to apply new oversight to Illinois’ famously crooked politicians, using the then-edgy concept of “computer-assisted reporting.”
It sounds funny now, like bragging about driving a “horseless carriage.” But at the time, for a paper like ours, it was a journalistic moon shot.
Go read the whole thing.
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* Former Rep. Jim Watson (R-Jacksonville) penned a recent op-ed for the Daily Herald about what happened when he decided to reenlist in the Marines back in 2007 and deployed to Iraq…
What I did not expect, however, was the criticism I received from some in my own political party.
I was told that I needed to resign my House seat because Speaker Madigan would certainly target my district during my absence.
Naturally, I met with Speaker Madigan and, upon hearing my situation, he could not have been more helpful. We discussed the nature of my unit and our duty in Iraq’s Anbar province. He listened and noted that this had not happened with a legislator since World War II. In the end, he assured me that my seat would not be targeted and, further, that his office was there to help me and my district however possible.
And help he did. The speaker’s staff provided input as our unit advised the Anbar Provincial Council on a host of constitutional and legislative issues.
Equally important, Speaker Madigan created an environment which allowed two Democrat legislators to service my district. Dan Beiser, a Democrat from Alton, toured Grafton during a flood and assured my constituents that their needs would be met even though I was in Iraq. To this day, I still have a picture in my office where our two districts meet near Grafton and Alton, along the Mississippi River. The photo was a gift from Rep. Beiser honoring my service and our friendship. For me, it serves as a reminder of his statesmanship. […]
People often ask about lessons learned from my time in Iraq and in the Illinois General Assembly. Without hesitation, I point to the bipartisan help I received from my colleagues and specifically, House Speaker Madigan. My experience is a paradigm of what politics can be.
I share this story because millions of dollars were spent during the last campaign cycle vilifying a man in a manner hitherto unheard of. I worked with and against that man on various legislative issues. I found him to be tough but fair. Our disagreements were never personal. Rather, they were restricted to the merits of the issue. And in my time of need, a time of war, that man, Speaker Michael J. Madigan, extended a hand because it was the right thing to do.
The elections are over, and our state faces a mountain of issues. We need a true statesman who can work together to make difficult decisions. I hope this story serves as an example of what can be done.
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* Illinois News Network…
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Tuesday that he sought out other people to replace him at the top of the ticket because he wanted to see his reform platform succeed.
Rauner talked about the decision during a news conference where he issued a summary of his term in office.
“It was all a function of me being all in to win for the team for reform,” he said. “This has never been about me. This job has never been something that I’ve particularly sought in and of itself. All I care is that we save our state for our children and our grandchildren … me and my personal situation is irrelevant. All that matters is that the team win and that we get major reforms done and that’s what I’ve been 100 percent committed to every day.”
In an interview with ABC 7 in December, Rauner said he sought out others to take his place. It was later revealed that he asked former state Sen. Karen McConnaughay, Chicago Cubs part-owner Todd Ricketts, and attorney general candidate Erika Harold to take his place under the Republican ticket for governor. They all turned him down.
Rauner went on to lose to Pritzker by 16 points.
The revelation that Rauner wanted someone else to replace him caused an uproar among Republicans across the state, some shocked that he would have stepped aside, others outraged that he fought a long primary battle against conservative Republican lawmaker Rep. Jeanne Ives, only to win by a couple percentage points.
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Lots of new faces out there
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
About 30 percent of the lawmakers who take the oath will be different from the person who sat in the same seat two years ago.
Several Republicans who voted to raise income taxes in 2017 didn’t run for re-election again, and some big names left for other reasons — with several departures robbing the General Assembly of some of its most influential women.
Former Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno stepped aside just before the budget stalemate was resolved. House Speaker Michael Madigan’s top deputy, Barbara Flynn Currie, didn’t run for re-election. Juliana Stratton will be sworn in as lieutenant governor in less than a week. And state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton won’t return after her narrow loss in the Republican gubernatorial primary to Gov. Bruce Rauner. […]
The turnover comes on top of a lot of turnover two years ago, too, as lawmakers departed during the first half of the state’s two-year budget impasse. That means even the sophomore lawmakers in Springfield haven’t had as much experience putting together state budgets as they otherwise would have.
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Three questions for the Franklin Center
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember the post earlier this week about Speaker Madigan and his spokesman once again needling an Illinois News Network reporter for working for the Illinois Policy Institute? Well, INN is out with a statement…
Chris Krug, publisher of Illinois News Network and president of Franklin Center, called Madigan’s and Brown’s conduct abusive and unacceptable.
“Speaker Madigan and spokesman Steve Brown repeatedly have harassed, belittled and attempted to provoke and intimidate INN reporter Greg Bishop now for nearly two years,” Krug said. “The pattern of unprovoked abuse and playground bullying is unprofessional. It’s unbecoming of anyone in a position of authority, let alone one of the highest offices in Illinois.
“The tolerance for abuse of media in the statehouse is unacceptable, just as it is for any other worker in the capitol. This incident – and the pattern of relentless abuse – should be immediately referred to the inspector general’s office and investigated.”
* More from the INN’s story…
In about a dozen such exchanges, Madigan’s longtime spokesman Steve Brown has pointed to Illinois News Network reporter Greg Bishop. The nonprofit Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity acquired Illinois News Network in October 2017. Before that, the network had been an independent project of the Illinois Policy Institute, a free market think tank that has been critical of Madigan’s policies and leadership.
* So, I reached out to Mr. Krug with three questions. Here are my questions and his responses…
1) The Policy Institute’s 2017 tax return (attached) shows that the [Illinois Policy] Institute was a “direct controlling entity” of the Franklin Center. Is that no longer the case?
I previously had not reviewed IPI’s 990. I believe the question you are asking is about ownership. When Franklin was taken on, it was in poor financial health, and I believe what you see there is IPI’s commitment to helping the organization financially sustain the end of that 990 reporting period. I should also be represented within the Franklin 990 for 2017.
2) The 2017 return also shows the Institute gave almost a quarter of a million dollars to the Franklin Center in 2017. Have those contributions stopped since the handover?
We don’t, as a practice, disclose donors, as their privacy is relevant.
A fair amount of what I am sharing here has been previously shared, but when it hasn’t fit with the narrative of a reporter, it’s been excluded.
Franklin received sustaining grants and borrowed money from IPI (I believe most of which we have paid back) to make it through 2017’s 990 reporting period. It would be great if every business could begin at “0″ on the number line, but we both know that isn’t the case. We’ve had a lot of rebuilding to do with Franklin, but it’s been good work – both here in Illinois and across the U.S.
Franklin, though a viable brand with equity, was quite nearly a complete scrape-off. It came with a fair amount of debt to service, which was inherited.
Currently, Franklin has its own development team and is steadfastly focused to independently raise money and to utilize our for-profit entities as means to provide revenue for the purpose of accomplishing our nonprofit mission. We’re performing nicely in that regard. We continue to solicit tax-deductible contributions here in Illinois and quite literally across the count – with an aim to be self-sustaining and financially viable long into the future.
John Tillman became the chairman of Franklin. I was appointed president. I am grateful for the financial support as we’ve worked to reconstitute Franklin, because it was critical at the start. IPI, foundations and concerned citizens across a full spectrum of giving have seen the value of our work and mission, which is truly heartwarming. I spent a fair amount of 2018 meeting with prospective donors across the country who believe in our mission to support legacy media with taxpayer-focused reporting. But as far ongoing support from IPI – if it were necessary– that would be a decision IPI would make.
3) You were listed on the 2017 return as an Institute employee. Is that no longer the case?
I am no longer an employee of IPI. I oversaw INN and IRN for IPI from May 2016 to October 2017.
So, if Tillman is chairman of the parent company and runs the Illinois Policy Institute, the entities are pretty darned close.
I still say that Madigan ought to knock off the bashing of a reporter just trying to do his job, but what do you think?
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