* From a press release
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan on Thursday laid out a plan to increase funding for schools across the state by $1 billion a year with dollars generated by imposing a tax surcharge on millionaires.
“Over the last several years, every area of Illinois has experienced school closures, teacher layoffs and classroom cuts due to reduced education funding that has been forced by a crowding out of state revenues,” Madigan said. “This is not a complete solution to our education funding issues, but it is a fair and equitable way to reverse a decline brought on by the national economic problems and will help address a number of spending pressures that vary among school districts.”
Under Madigan’s proposal, individual income up to $1 million would continue to be taxed at the current personal rate. Any income over $1 million would be charged an additional 3 percent. The additional funding raised for Illinois schools would be distributed on a per pupil basis to every school district. Funding would be based on 2014 income tax liability and distributed to schools in 2015.
“This plan brings long overdue fairness to the state tax structure and provides a needed boost to education funding to help give our children more of the resources they need to succeed,” Madigan said. “Some districts may see a need to use these resources for capital construction, while others will want to offer local property tax relief. Illinois is not a one-size-fits-all state and this increase on millionaires recognizes the need for school districts to set their own priorities when spending state dollars.”
In recent days, the Speaker has briefed legislators on the proposed amendment. He hopes to present his amendment before a committee in the coming days and gain full House and Senate approval in time to place the question on the November general election ballot. Constitutional amendment questions must pass by May 5 in order to be placed on the fall ballot.
Even with the increase, the state tax rate on millionaires would not be out of line with tax rates in surrounding states
I wonder what Americans for Prosperity and Bruce Rauner will think of that idea?
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Quinn campaign releases new Internet video
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Kinda amateurish…
* Script…
“Billionaire Bruce Rauner wants you to know that he’s not just part of the 1%…. He’s part of the .01%”
AUDIO CLIP RAUNER “Oh I’m probably .01%”
“You know who else brags about being in the .01%? This guy!”
AUDIO CLIP MR. BURNS - “Excellent!”
“Billionaire Bruce has 9 homes and took in 53 million dollars in 2012 alone. Do you know how long it would take a middle class Illinoisan to make as much as he made last year? 14 lifetimes. What do you do with that much money?”
VIDEO CLIP MR. BURNS & SMITHERS “Money Fight!”
“Do you want someone like Mr. Burns representing you in Springfield?”
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Rhetoric vs. reality
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Review…
In a press conference following yesterday’s Republican unity event, Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin made it clear that he didn’t appreciate outside groups funding challengers to House incumbents. Durkin told reporters he was outraged at the money spent on primaries and suggested that independent expenditure groups and their freedom to spend money on elections should be reined in.
* Durkin was obviously referring to Dan Proft, who broke the spending caps in two House districts, defeated incumbent Rep. Sandy Pihos and almost defeated Rep. Ron Sandack. Proft’s response…
“It is really quite simple: a Republican Party that rejects accountability is a Republican Party destined to be a super-minority party. A Republican Party that preaches competition but practices political protectionism is a Republican Party destined to be a super-minority party,” Proft said. “A Republican Party that tells talented people to sit and wait to be called upon before they are allowed to seek office or participate in some pre-approved way is destined to be a super-minority party.”
Proft said that by contrast, “a Republican Party that recruits, develops and supports talented people, has mechanisms of discipline to hold them to account for their records both as policy leaders and party builders, and focuses the party’s combined effort on advancing the flag for economic liberty in Illinois can be a super-majority party.”
That response totally ignores the fact that Proft pushed Keith Matune, a guy who’d been arrested three times and never informed his school district about the incidents.
And “mechanisms of discipline to hold them to account for their records”? What about Matune’s arrest record?
The worst thing Proft did though, was that when the truth came out, he didn’t back away. Instead, he doubled down, forcing the House Republicans to spend a fortune to keep the seat. If Proft’s guy had won, the House Democrats would have assuredly jumped in and made the House Republicans spend even more money to defend the seat.
Look, this is a free country. Proft can do whatever he wants. But the Matune race shows his only real priority was defeating a Republican he didn’t like, not winning a Republican seat. It was totally irresponsible to push a supremely flawed candidate so hard.
So, pardon me if I’m not buying what he’s selling.
* And speaking of irresponsible, many thanks to a commenter for linking earlier today to the Chicago Teachers Union’s “Lessons Learned in Primary 2014″…
The only way an incumbent like [Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago)] was able to—possibly—squeak by a relatively unknown community leader like Jay Travis was by pandering to predominantly white wards through scare tactics and misinformation about imaginary tax increases.
The CTU backed a person who some claimed was a former cult leader. Mitchell didn’t use that stuff against her. Maybe he should’ve.
And what’s with the racial stuff? What’s next, making Louis Farrakhan an honorary CTU member?
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* Johnson County voters in deep southern Illinois were faced with a non-binding referendum this week…
Shall the people’s right to local self government be asserted by Johnson County to ban corporate fracking as a violation of their rights to health and safety?
* Some background…
More than 1,000 signatures, twice the required number, were collected on the petition, rural Vienna resident Richard Craig said at a news conference held in front of the county clerk’s office in Vienna Thursday.
The petition effort took place after Johnson County commissioners declined to vote on placing the question on the ballot, he said.
“We felt like the people in the county should have a voice in what’s going on around them,” Craig said. […]
At last count, almost 195 leases have been signed in the county.
* Hopes were high…
McMichael thinks the ballot initiative has a solid chance of passing, especially given the results of an October poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University which found 20 percent of voters undecided on the issue, with the rest evenly divided.
The poll, which surveyed 403 voters in 18 counties, including Johnson, found native southern Illinoisans were more supportive of fracking than non-natives, and women were more opposed than men.
The poll also found very strong support for the region’s coal industry, meaning that even many people who support fossil fuel extraction in general have reservations about fracking.
“That was much stronger support (for limiting fracking) than a lot of people had anticipated – we feel very good about what’s going on,” McMichael said.
* Southern Illinoisans Against Fracking Our Environment gathered the signatures, and the Pennsylvania-based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund assisted in the campaign. Proponents freely admitted that the referendum was dividing the county…
Phyllis Oliver, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Cypress, Ill., on Monday said the fracking debate in Johnson County is like the never-ending story that keeps getting uglier.
“I never thought Johnson County would get so … People get so angry with each other,” she said. […]
Oliver said she would not be surprised either way the majority votes today, and the argument that has turned neighbors against neighbors “will be interesting.”
“If they vote ‘no,’ we’re not going to go away,” she said.
* And it sure was divisive…
The fracking campaign bruised egos and drove a rift in this rural county of about 12,000 people. The Goreville Gazette and The Vienna Times both refused to run advertisements in support of the fracking ban. That lead the editor of the Goreville paper to quit in protest.
* The Pennsylvania group wasn’t the only outside interest involved. Will Reynolds…
The oil industry is trying to buy democracy in Johnson county. Residents have the chance in Tuesday’s election to decide they want control over their own future without more division and destruction by outside oil interests.
* Election day turnout was a very high 49 percent - more than double just about everywhere else in Illinois. And the anti-fracking referendum proponents lost big…
With all 16 precincts and absentee ballots counted, the countywide referendum failed by a vote of 2,223 against to 1,602 for the measure, or 58 percent to 42 percent, respectively.
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* Illinois Review…
The Illinois GOP’s U.S. Senate nominee Jim Oberweis was conspicuously absent from [yesterday’s] ILGOP Unity Luncheon, which featured U.S. Senator Mark Kirk who once implied that Oberweis is the “top anti-gay bigot in the state.”
Oberweis, who is a state senator, was in Springfield today where the senate was in session. When queried if he had been asked “not” to attend the unity luncheon, Oberweis told Illinois Review “Absolutely not. It was a difficult decision for which I knew I would be criticized no matter what I did.”
Asked if he thought Kirk would endorse him, Oberweis said he has a call into Kirk’s office about it. As late as January 28, Kirk refused to say if he would endorse the Republican nominee
Not attending the lunch is probably not a big deal since he had to be in Springfield for session. But not attending after spending a week in Florida does raise eyebrows. More drama. Then again, if he had attended, he might’ve been bombarded with questions by reporters about his unexpectedly close race.
* The Sen. Mark Kirk thing is another story entirely. That’ll be fun to watch. Bask in the “unity.”
*** UPDATE *** Apparently, Oberweis didn’t get the message…
Big hat tip to a commenter.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My buddy Rob, the farmer in Madison County, posted this on his Twitter feed not long ago…
If you click the link you’ll see some interesting stuff, including…
That push away from skilled trades is now haunting manufacturing. Not only are welders older with few younger apprentices, key sectors like oil and gas, which require extensive pipe welding, is booming. Adding to the shortage in welders is reshoring—or the return of lost manufacturing to the U.S. that may require welding.
The average American welder is 54-years-old, and about 45 percent of the workforce is in their 50s or older, said Monica Parr, corporate director of workforce development at the Miami-based American Welding Society.
The U.S. economy includes more than 388,000 welding jobs. The welding society projects the need for 111,000 new welders in five years as industry needs grow and some workers retire.
Welders make good bucks and we’re not training nearly enough of them to meet demand.
* Rob and I had a long talk about the story and the subject of tech careers. Rob isn’t just a farmer. He’s the president of the Illinois Career and Technical Administrators group and runs Madison County’s CTE system. He’s also a former CTE teacher, and a darned good one.
He eventually asked me if he could start a conversation on the blog, so I told him to send me an e-mail. He did…
Rich,
I would like to take a moment to ask a small favor of you and your readers. As a loyal reader myself, I have come to respect the numerous and varied viewpoints that fill the comment pages of your blog. I would like to ask them some questions pertaining to Career and Technical Education
As we are currently fighting a battle against unemployment, it makes sense to look at what jobs are readily available and what jobs will be looking for workers in the future. A four year college degree, while perfect for some, is not the right fit for everyone. When talking with business leaders, unions, and folks outside of education who are employers, I find some common threads. They all want someone who will show up every day, on time and ready to work. They all want somone who can solve problems, can think on their feet, and can get along well with others. These are all skills learned in CTE classes.
1) Should we be guiding our children and students into courses that better prepare them for what employers are needing now and in the future?
2) What is your opinion of CTE (career and technical education-formerly known as vocational education) and its potential impact on preparing students for employment?
3) Do you and/or your readers have any lasting memories from taking a CTE Course (Agriculture, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health Occupations, and Technology Engineering or Industrial Arts) while in high school?
I have included a graph from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that shows the education requirements for future jobs through 2018. [Click here.]
The above is titled “Percent distribution of job openings due to growth and replacement needs by education or training level, projected 2008-18″
Please thank your readers for me and thank you for your time and consideration.
My high schools had shop class, which was mainly a blow-off class for most of us. Rob is attempting to push the state’s tech educational training into the 21st Century. That means forgetting about making ash trays out of a block of wood.
Rob is at the Statehouse today for “CTE Day.” So, how about we talk about what you think the state ought to do to help foster better tech educational training?
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A common sense bill
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not having a driver’s license because the coppers have taken it has become a major problem in the post 9/11 world. It’s happened to me and so either I’ve had to either hope that my FOID card was acceptable identification (it’s not in many places) or carry my passport around. Getting a state ID is an option, I suppose, but I don’t have a lot of time for such things. So, this ought to pass…
* From the bill’s synopsis…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Repeals the Section concerning license as bail. Provides that residents of this State and residents of any other state which is a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact of 1977 who are cited by a police officer for violating a traffic law or ordinance shall have the option of (1) being taken without unnecessary delay before a court of jurisdiction or (2) executing a written promise to comply with the terms of the citation by signing at least one copy of a Uniform Traffic Ticket prepared by the police officer. Provides that the Secretary of State shall suspend the driving privileges of a resident who fails to comply with the executed written promise to comply with the original terms of the citation until the Secretary receives notification by the court of jurisdiction that the person has appeared or otherwise executed the written promise to comply with the terms of the original citation. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Removes a provision allowing the Supreme Court to include deposit of a chauffeur’s or operator’s license in the bail schedule for traffic cases. Makes corresponding changes in other portions of the Code.
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* Mark Brown’s column today is about the coming election will go beyond politics and strike a major internal, personal chord…
This election is going to be worse because it’s going to get personal, and not just between the candidates.
Before it’s over, regular people are going to see that this race hits them where they live, either directly or by impacting their belief system, much as in a presidential campaign. […]
Mark my words: Long before November rolls around, you are not going to want to talk Illinois gubernatorial politics in a social setting unless you are prepared to deal with some strong opinions.
I predict two competing crusades will emerge, each righteous in its faith in its cause, if not necessarily in its candidate.
In making his Republican primary campaign into an assault on public employee unions and “union bosses,” Rauner has turned this into a life-and-death struggle for organized labor and the working men and women it represents. […]
Likewise, ousting Quinn from power has taken on a crusade-like aura of its own for those who equate the Illinois Democratic Party with public corruption and blame it for the state’s poor business climate. Frustrated that they can’t get a direct vote on the fate of House Speaker Mike Madigan — or another shot at President Barack Obama — they see dumping Quinn as the next best thing.
He’s right that this gubernatorial election could divide Illinoisans like no other we’ve seen.
Go read the whole thing.
* The Tribune, no surprise, does not like Quinn’s rhetoric…
No matter how much a class warrior wants voters to focus on somebody’s nine homes, many Illinoisans desperately wish they had one home — one home they could afford to buy, to improve, to keep. Except many of those Illinoisans today cannot securely own a home of their own. They lost their jobs, if they ever had decent jobs. They see employers avoiding Illinois. They send endless streams of employment applications into the aloof online void but don’t hear anyone answer, “Congrats, you’re hired.”
Instead they hear a governor who wants to raise the minimum wage here to $10. That would be the nation’s highest state minimum wage, eclipsing Washington ($9.32) and Oregon ($9.10), according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Let’s see: Would that attract more employers to Illinois? Or would that mean even fewer starter jobs in Illinois as employers grow their hiring in any of 49 less expensive states?
* Meanwhile, here’s today’s AP story…
The Democratic Governors Association and organized labor also say a Quinn victory will be a top priority, as unions try to avoid the kinds of blows they’ve felt under GOP governors in places like Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. Organized labor spent millions on ads during the primary that attacked Rauner, who has called Walker and former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels his role models.
“The last thing Illinois needs is a governor who looks out for the wealthiest among us while turning his back on the middle-class, and we plan to hold Rauner accountable every step of the way,” said Michael Murray, spokesman for the union coalition.
That group Murray works for never actually did a positive ad for Quinn. It focused solely on negative ads against Rauner. And it’s not clear what the group will do from now on.
* Also, this…
Public sector unions won’t necessarily give their full support and endorsement to Governor Pat Quinn in the general election… but they will definitely mobilize to oppose Republican nominee Bruce Rauner.
The deputy director of the largest state employees’ union, AFSCME Council 31, says Rauner poses a threat to organized labor, retirees, and working class people around Illinois.
But Roberta Lynch says that’s no guarantee that the union will provide financial help or manpower to Quinn’s re-election effort.
It could be a while before Quinn and the public employee unions are on the same page. Still, if they’re spending money bashing Rauner, that’s money Quinn doesn’t need to spend.
* And then there’s this…
Unofficial election night results from Christian County showed that Hardiman got 956 votes to 818 for Quinn. In Cass County, Hardiman’s edge over the incumbent was 496 to 455. In Macoupin, it was 2,887 to 2,437, and in Greene, 236 to 231.
In all, as of results midday Wednesday, Hardiman, who spent little money but did complain that Quinn would not debate him, won 30 of the state’s 102 counties.
The governor most definitely has some problems with his Democratic base south of the Chicago metro region. But counties don’t vote. And he got 79 percent in Chicago
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Matune concedes to Rep. Sandack
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I told subscribers this morning, Republican challenger Keith Matune conceded defeat to Rep. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) yesterday. Sandack won by 153 votes. Matune’s concession…
This has been a particularly tough and public race. Both sides were passionate about supporting their candidate and that’s a good thing, because we need people to become reengaged with their government and the democratic process. But this current race has come to an end and I want to congratulate Representative Sandack and his supporters for their dedication. Further, I encourage all of us to come together to ensure that Mr. Sandack holds onto this seat for the Republican Party in November.
* Not everyone is ready to shake hands and call it a day, though. From former GOP Chairman Pat Brady’s Facebook page…
* Illinois Review has Smith’s response…
“While Brady’s candidates may have won, the Republican Party lost, as it slid further leftward, and became even more indistinguishable from the Democrats and more irrelevant.”
One of Smith’s anti-Sandack mailers featured two men kissing. Smith’s political organization has not yet registered with the Illinois State Board of Elections. But if it’s advocacy only and not political in nature, it doesn’t have to.
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* Bruce Rauner’s campaign unveiled a list of “Democrats and Independents for Rauner” today. Thursday was also an unveiling of Rauner’s Democratic wife…
* Most, but not all of the people on Rauner’s list are corporate types. And, as I told you Tuesday night, Rev. James Meeks is on board…
Wendy Abrams – Environmental activist, founder of the international public art exhibition “Cool Globes.”
Anthony Anderson – Retired Vice Chair and Midwest Area Managing Partner of Ernst & Young, serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Urban League and the Boards of AAR Corp., Avery Dennison Corporation, Exelon Corporation, and First American Financial Corporation, Chairman of Perspectives Charter Schools and Board Member of World Business Chicago.
Alfonso Barrera– Founder of HispanicPro, an organization for connecting Latino professionals via social media and face-to-face business networking.
Eleni Bousis – Board Chair for the Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre, Entrepreneur of Frontida (CARE) Institution supporting and assisting women and families in need and Board Member for Leadership 100 and the Little City Foundation.
Hugo Chaviano – Partner at Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP, one of the nation’s largest certified minority owned law firms, a member of the Chicago Bar Association where previously served as Chair of Judicial Evaluation Appellate Review Committee and Board of Managers, member of the American Bar Association where previously served in its House of Delegates and Commission on Race and Ethnic Justice, member of the Hispanic National Bar Association where previously served as President and member of the Inter American Bar Association where previously served as Secretary General.
Ramon Cepeda - Managing Director of the Investor Real Estate Group within Wealth Management at The Northern Trust Company and a Board Trustee at the Illinois Facilities Fund and the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Wheeler Coleman – Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, health insurance industry, formerly Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at health care service corporation, member of the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees and MBA graduate of Notre Dame.
James Crown - President of Henry Crown and Company, and serves on the Board of Directors of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and General Dynamics and sits on the Board of Trustees at the University of Chicago.
Rev. Ruben Cruz – Pastor at First Spanish Christian Church of Chicago.
Lula Ford – Former Chicago public school teacher, principal and administrator, public school reform activist, and the first African American appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission in its 95-year history.
Laurence Geller – Chairman of Geller Investment Co., founder and former CEO of Strategic Hotels and Resorts.
Sue Gin - Founder and CEO of Chicago-based Flying Food Group LLC, serves on the boards of Exelon and Servair, as well as board memberships at DePaul University, The Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Gardens and Rush University Medical Center.
Robert King – Former Executive Director of the Booker Washington Community Center in Rockford and current Associate/Recruiter at World Financial Group.
Dag Kittlaus – Co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Siri, Inc. and ran Siri and Speech Recognition at Apple Inc., formerly served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Stanford Research Institute and General Manager at Motorola.
Phyllis Lockett - Founding President and CEO of New Schools for Chicago, former Executive Director of the Civic Consulting Alliance, and previously held marketing, sales and business development roles with IBM, Kraft Foods and General Mills.
Rev. James Meeks - Founder and Senior Pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and former Illinois State Senator.
Myles Mendoza– Executive Director of Ed Choice Illinois, a newly formed bipartisan advocacy organization, formerly a Senior Partner with Democrats for Education Reform and leader in the “Done Waiting” coalition, which with 200 groups, represents the largest collective effort of education reformers in national history.
Lee Miller – Global Co-Chairman of DLA Piper, member of DLA Piper’s Executive Committee as well as a member of the Legal Service Corporation Board of Directors’ Pro Bono Task Force.
Newton Minow – Senior Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and Partner with the firm from 1965-1991, U.S. Army Sergeant in the China-Burma India Theater in World War II, Law Clerk to the Honorable Fred M. Vinson, Chief Justice of the United States, Assistant Counsel to Governor Adlai E. Stevenson and Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission under President John F. Kennedy.
Timothy Ray – Partner in a large law firm in Chicago, former member of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and a member of the Board of Directors at the University of Iowa.
Manny Sanchez - Founding Partner of Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP, one of the nation’s largest certified minority-owned law firms, led numerous federal, state and local Democratic races, served as a member of the Democratic National Finance Committee, and sits on numerous Boards including The Executives Club of Chicago, The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Northstar Lottery Advisory Board and GEMS World Academy Chicago Advisory Board.
Donna Simpson Leak – Former school superintendent and national education consultant.
Glen Tullman – Entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at 7wire Ventures, an investment firm focused on healthcare, education, and energy, and former CEO of Allscripts, the leading global provider of Electronic Health Records.
* Meanwhile, Rauner also released a Spanish language TV ad…
…Adding… The text on the screen is pretty much the same as the voice-over. Here’s a rough translation of the text from a friend…
5 years of Pat Quinn. 90,000 jobs lost. Massive tax increases. Thousands of children in schools that fail. The worst pension debt.
Illinois can do better. Bruce Rauner is not a politician. He’s a community leader. Bruce Rauner gets results
4 Goals of Bruce Rauner: More Jobs, less Spending, better schools and term limits
Shake up Springfield, bring back Illinois
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* Tribune…
The Illinois Supreme Court this morning struck down the state’s eavesdropping law, one of the strictest in the nation that made audio recording of any person, even in public, illegal unless that person gave their consent.
The high court’s ruling comes two years after a federal appeals court in Chicago found unconstitutional the law’s ban on recording police officers in public. The court prohibited enforcement of that part of the law shortly before Chicago hosted the NATO summit.
During arguments before the state Supreme Court in January, Justice Robert Thomas referred to the “overbreadth of the statute” and said it seemed to make it a crime to record a “shouting match at a baseball game” and post it on YouTube.
* Via the American Civil LIberties Union of Illinois, here’s a press release sent out by Ms. Melongo’s lawyers….
In a ruling that protects citizen’s ability to gather and disseminate information about governmental activity, the Illinois Supreme Court held today that the state’s Eavesdropping Statute is unconstitutional. In two unanimous decisions, People v. Melongo and People v. Clark, the Supreme Court held that the controversial statute violated the free speech and due process protections of the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions.
The Illinois Eavesdropping Statute was enacted to protect private conversations from being recorded without consent. But the Supreme Court held that the statute, as written, was far too broad, making criminals out of people who recorded conversations that were undeniably public, or that nobody intended to be private. For example, the statute made it a felony for someone to record on his iPhone a shouting match between two passionate fans in the stands at a baseball game, or to record police officers interacting with protesters in a public plaza in front of City Hall and posting the exchange on YouTube.
The Supreme Court also held that the statute infringed on the free speech rights of citizens by making it a crime to audio record conversations with public officials, who have no privacy interest in the statements they make while interacting with the public, including recording police officers making public arrests. In fact, as it turns out, the only prosecutions ever brought under the statute charged citizens with felonies for recording and reporting on conversations with police officers or public officials performing their official duties, in violation of their First Amendment rights.
The case against Annabel Melongo was one such example. Ms. Melongo was charged in Cook County in 2009 with six counts of felony eavesdropping. Her crime was recording telephone conversations she had with a representative of the Circuit Court of Cook County, who was explaining to her the official procedure for correcting an inaccurate court transcript, and then posting those conversations on a blog aimed at exposing public corruption. Ms. Melongo served almost two years in jail before a Circuit Court judge concluded that it was unconstitutional to charge her with eavesdropping.
The State’s Attorney appealed the trial court’s decision directly to the Illinois Supreme Court, arguing that the broad statute was properly applied to her conduct. The Supreme Court disagreed, writing that the Eavesdropping Statute “burdens substantially more speech than is necessary to serve a legitimate interest in protecting conversational privacy” and is thus “unconstitutional on its face.”
The Court went on: “The statute criminalizes the recording of conversations that cannot be deemed private: a loud argument on the street, a political debate on a college quad, yelling fans at an athletic event, or any conversation loud enough that the speakers should expect to be heard by others. None of these examples implicate privacy interests, yet the statute makes it a felony to record each one. Judged in terms of the legislative purpose of protecting conversational privacy, the statute’s scope is simply too broad.” [Emphasis added.]
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, overall, we have a very good Supreme Court in this state. The statute in question is ridiculously unconstitutional. And the fact that Ms. Melongo served almost two years behind bars because of an over-zealous Cook County State’s Attorney is totally unconscionable. And State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s appeal defied all standards of decency and common sense.
The decisions are here and here.
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Democrats vs. the unions
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Scott Cisek, the executive director of the Cook County Democratic Party, was none too pleased with the Chicago Teachers Union this week…
The CTU was, of course, involved in the race to defeat several party-slated candidates, including Rep. Toni Berrios, the daughter of the county party chairman.
* Jerry Morrison handles campaigns for SEIU, which also worked to defeat Rep. Berrios. Morrison fired back…
* Cisek’s retort…
Obviously, this split is gonna take a while to heal, particularly if Berrios remains chairman.
But I’d have to agree with Morrison that publicly criticizing a major and influential union after the election is over is probably not the best way to go here.
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* The new AFP Illinois ad targets the progressive tax and Gov. Pat Quinn. Have a look…
* And here are the buy details…
Americans For Prosperity
Targeting IL Gubernatorial / Progressive tax
Agency: Mentzer Media, DC
3/20/14 – 3/26/14
Chicago $ Total: $111,622
Central IL $ Total: $8,165
Networks: AEN, AMC, CNN, HALL, NGC, TWC
Dayparts: All dayparts purchased
Zones / syscodes / $ total by zone
Chicago Interconnect / 5170 / $111,622
Sterling Rock Falls Kewanee / 6805 / $1,970
Galesburg / 6872 / $1,141
Champaign Interconnect / 7800 / $5,054
Total Order All Comcast markets : $119,787
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* The Secretary of State’s office just notified me that Rep. Keith Farnham (D-Elgin) has resigned his House seat. I’ll post the letter when I get it, but there isn’t much there.
As you already know, federal ICE agents served search warrants on Farnham’s home and district office last week.
…Adding… The resignation letter is here.
* The Daily Herald ran this earlier today when Farnham didn’t show up for session…
Illinois House lawmakers milled around the chamber Wednesday, the day after a busy primary election, but when attendance was taken, Farnham didn’t answer the roll.
A photo of him that once hung outside his office in the Illinois Capitol Complex has been taken down, but his nameplate remains.
Farnham’s Elgin office was dark Tuesday, and a woman answering an intercom at his home apartment said he was unavailable.
Many messages left for him have gone unreturned.
*** UPDATE *** The press release provides zero details…
State Rep. Keith Farnham: Resigning from Office
ELGIN, Ill. – The following is a statement from state Rep. Keith Farnham of Elgin.
“It is with great regret today that I announce my resignation from the office of state representative, effective immediately.
“I have been battling serious health issues for a number of years and the coming months will require my full attention. The right thing to do for the people of the 43rd District is to make sure they have a dedicated, qualified and full-time advocate in our communities and in the State Capitol to represent their needs and concerns every day without distraction or interruption. They deserve nothing less.”
Farnham’s resignation from the office of state representative will take effect immediately. He will withdraw as a nominee for state representative in the November election as soon as is legally allowed.
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And off we go…
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the twitters…
* From the RGA…
Republican Governors Association Chairman Chris Christie issued the following statement regarding the outcome of tonight’s Illinois gubernatorial primary election:
“It’s time to leave behind the days of high unemployment and job losses, skyrocketing taxes, unaccountable spending and failing schools that have blighted the last five years in Illinois under Pat Quinn. Illinois is ready for a real leader: someone who can’t be bought or intimidated. Illinois is ready for a governor who is willing to solve the toughest of problems, not avoid them; for a governor who works to foster economic growth, not stifle it; for a governor who can balance a budget without saddling the taxpayers time and time again; for a governor who refuses to endure the persistent failure of government that has racked Illinois for years.”
“Illinois is ready for Bruce Rauner. He is focused, willing and prepared to do what it takes to bring back Illinois. The Republican Governors Association congratulates Bruce Rauner on his victory tonight and proudly supports his campaign to defeat Governor Quinn.”
Past success elsewhere means the RGA is playing defense a lot this year. They want badly to go on offense, and Illinois is the spot. Plus, taking away a governor’s job in President Obama’s home state would be icing on the cake.
* Also, follow that link in Kurt’s tweet and you’ll see an $18k in-kind contribution from billionaire Ken Griffin. The guy loaned Rauner his private plane.
…Adding… I don’t know if this is the same plane, but this is from a 2009 Bloomberg profile of Griffin…
He spent $80 million on a Jasper Johns painting, donated $19 million for a new wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, married French-born hedge fund manager Anne Dias in the garden of the Palace of Versailles near Paris and bought a Bombardier Global Express private jet — worth about $50 million today, according to the aircraft maker — which he had outfitted with a crib for his 2-year-old son.
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A “MacGuyver campaign”
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bert Miller’s ties to - and his campaign contributions to - Democrats became a major issue in the closing days of the 11th Congressional District GOP primary. State Rep. Darlene Senger didn’t raise a lot of money, but she cobbled together a few bucks then spent it wisely, knocking the previous frontrunner out of contention.
Sound like a familiar idea? Yeah. Senger did what some other folks shoulda done against a certain Republican with lots of Dem ties.
* Daily Herald…
With 408 of the 417 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Senger with 37.7 percent of the vote. Chris Balkema of Channahon, Bert Miller of Hinsdale and Ian Bayne of Aurora had 32.4 percent, 26.4 percent and 3.5 percent of the vote, respectively.
Senger said the outcome of the race sent a message that voters in the district want her to repeal Obamacare, find a solution to the nation’s budget and deficit problems and change regulations that are killing job creation.
“I ran for this race because every day I wake up I’m represented by someone that believes in bigger government, Obamacare and more regulation,” she said. “We’re going to change that in November.”
Senger, who decided not to seek re-election at the state level to make a bid for the congressional seat, said during the campaign that the Affordable Care Act is “totally destructive and broken” in its current form.
Senger faces incumbent Bill Foster.
* Meanwhile, speaking of MacGuyver candidates, how about that Doug Truax against Jim Oberweis? Yeah, he lost, but he was supposed to get creamed…
In a closer-than-expected GOP primary race Tuesday, Oberweis emerged the victor, capturing 56 percent of the vote to Doug Truax’s 44 percent, with 98 percent of the state’s precincts reporting, according to unofficial returns.
Truax called Oberweis to concede, and later the victor declared that “it’s safe to say” he had captured the nomination.
“I believe that if I win this Senate seat, it means that the Republicans will be taking control of the U.S. Senate and that will change the direction of this country,” Oberweis told supporters.
The man loves his drama, heading to Florida for a week-long break right before the primary, then literally running away from reporters when he finally returned. Rauner is gonna have to figure out how to keep his distance.
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Every little bit helps
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Equality Illinois…
Illinoisans who believe in fairness and equality secured a decisive victory in Tuesday’s primary with a substantial boost by the efforts of Equality Illinois.
Not a single lawmaker - Republican or Democrat - who voted for the freedom to marry lost due to support of the marriage bill. […]
In races like state Rep. Ron Sandack’s, who won with a margin of 150 votes and whose primary challenger made Sandack’s vote for the marriage bill the focus in the race, Equality Illinois phone banks made over 3,000 dials to constituents and turned out more than 300 votes.
Victory has many fathers, the old saying goes. This was a combined effort. No single factor won that race for Sandack.
* Dan Proft was on the other side of the battle. Matune hasn’t yet conceded, but it’s doubtful that he can overcome his deficit in a recount. Proft did win or help candidates win several other races. Here is Proft’s list…
- State Rep. John Anthony (incumbent) WIN
- Mark Batinick (open seat) WIN
- Peter Breen (challenger to incumbent) WIN
- Charlene Foss-Eggemann for Maine Township GOP Committeeman (open seat) WIN
- Randy Freese (open seat) WIN
- State Rep. Jeanne Ives (incumbent) WIN
- Keith Matune (challenger to incumbent) PENDING
- Margo McDermed (open seat) WIN
- Reggie Phillips (open seat) WIN
- Keith Wheeler (open seat) WIN
Breen is the big one there. Proft was decisive in helping Phillips over the top, but the other races either weren’t close or were handled more by others.
Breen, a pro-life attorney with the Thomas More Society beat Rep. Sandy Pihos by a huge margin. Pihos, however, voted against the gay marriage bill. Rep. Ed Sullivan, who voted yes on that bill, won by a gigantic margin over his far-right primary opponent.
* More from Rep. Sandack…
Noting the near 50-50 split of voters, Sandack said he is now focusing on reaching out to the residents that sided against him.
“My next step is to shore up different constituencies to make sure they know that their voice will be heard and that I will listen to them,” he said. “I think it is about focusing on the issues that matter to all, like the financial future of the state.”
* Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union’s top legislative target this year was Rep. Christian Mitchell. The freshman won 53-47 but challenger Jay Travis is not conceding…
I am not conceding.
Throughout Election Day, we constantly received reports of voter suppression and intimidation, judges tampering with ballots, wrong ballots, ballots missing my name, and illegal electioneering. I personally was turned away from the polls at 6 a.m. due to alleged problems with the voting machine, along with a group of elderly senior citizens who had been waiting in line to vote (I returned over an hour later and was able to cast my ballot at that time).
We have received these kinds of reports from precincts across at least five different wards in the 26th District. This scale is significant in a race separated by just several hundred votes. We will be at the Board of Elections with our attorney tomorrow.
In the meantime, I want to thank those of you who did incredible work in the streets today and packed our Election Night party tonight. You inspire me to continue fighting for a more just and democratic world.
If you look more closely at the numbers, you’ll see that Travis beat Mitchell in Toni Preckwinkle’s 4th Ward. She actually won half of the district’s ten wards. But the 42nd Ward, commanded by Loop Ald. Brendan Reilly, racked up big numbers for Rep. Mitchell, who won the ward 78-22.
* This one wasn’t even close…
The headline race in Chicago was Berrios versus Guzzardi, who lost to her by 125 votes two years ago. He once again attacked the bossism image of her father, the Cook party chair who stuffed his county assessor office with relatives.
In addition to Madigan, Berrios got backing from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago.
Guzzardi was heavily backed by the unions, but the CTU didn’t spend much money there, focusing instead on Mitchell. Labor lost a big one when Rep. Jaime Andrade, Jr won his primary by a large margin. However, the CTU backed Carol Ammons in her upset victory over the Madigan supported candidate…
In what will be perceived statewide as an upset and a stunning defeat for House Speaker Michael Madigan, Urbana City Council member Carol Ammons soundly defeated Champaign attorney Sam Rosenberg, 57 percent to 43 percent, in the Illinois House district that includes most of Champaign-Urbana.
In the closing weeks of the campaign, Ammons hit Rosenberg for his connections to the longtime Speaker of the House. […]
Ammons’ biggest contributions were $5,000 — from both the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union.
More on that race here.
* Madigan had problems fending off another African-American woman in the Springfield area…
Incumbent Democrat Sue Scherer squeaked out a narrow victory Tuesday over challenger Gina Lathan in the 96th House District race.
In November, she will face Republican Mike Bell of Edinburg, who coasted to an easy victory over Landon Laubhan of Springfield.
Scherer, running for her second term from Decatur, needed a strong showing in her hometown to overcome Lathan, a small-business owner from Springfield.
Unofficial results showed Scherer getting 2,695 votes to Lathan’s 2,507 with all of the vote counted.
Scherer was soundly thumped by Lathan in Sangamon County, getting only 34 percent of the vote to Lathan’s 66 percent. However, Scherer was able to close the gap by carrying large margins in both Macon and Christian counties.
The Speaker had an opportunity to support a pretty well-organized black candidate two years ago and went with Scherer instead. That was a mistake. They’ll be carrying her on their backs for years to come.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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The great clash begins in earnest
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* John Kass…
“It’s going to be ugly, and by Labor Day people won’t even want to turn on their TVs because of all the ads,” said a senior Illinois Democrat, who thinks Pat Quinn has only one route to re-election. “He’s got to turn it into a class war. What else does he have to talk about?”
* That effort began in earnest last night when Quinn launched his first TV ad blasting Rauner on the minimum wage. And it has continued all morning…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for a traditional post-election breakfast at the Billy Goat tavern Wednesday — with the mayor telling voters they now have a clear choice for the general election.
“The public in Illinois is going to have a choice between an agenda that looks out and works on behalf of middle class families who are trying to make it from paycheck to paycheck … and those who are trying to pull the rug from beneath the middle class,” Emanuel said, standing beside Durbin and Quinn.
The governor wasted no time blasting his Republican opponent, calling him a billionaire with nine homes who has a lot of explaining to do to voters — particularly when it comes to his position on Illinois’ minimum wage.
“People want to see the real Bruce Rauner,” Quinn said.
The governor also said Rauner’s closer-than-expected race in the primary means “money isn’t all there is to politics.”
* Gov. Quinn later spoke to reporters about Rauner and the minimum wage…
* My inbox is jammed with attacks on Rauner today. Here’s the summary of a YouTube video put up by the American Bridge 21st Century PAC…
Republican Bruce Rauner - owner of nine homes, earner of $53 million last year, and self proclaimed member of the “.01%” wealthiest Americans - eeked out a meager victory tonight to become the GOP nominee for Illinois governor. With his staunch opposition to raising the minimum wage, out-of-touch billionaire Rauner is the latest face in the “rebranded” Republican Party, which continues to appear anti-middle class, anti-woman, anti-immigrant, and anti-gay.
The video…
* From the Illinois AFL-CIO…
Statement by Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan on Tuesday’s election results
“The labor movement worked hard to make sure voters knew what billionaire candidate Bruce Rauner is all about. He is the guy that championed cutting the minimum wage and pensions while demonizing teachers, nurses, correctional officers and other employees that serve the public. His kind of divisive leadership is not welcome in Illinois.
“We know that competing against his stacks of money will be difficult, but we continue today what we started months ago - making sure the working families of Illinois understand the Rauner in his TV commercials is fiction. The facts show a mega-wealthy CEO who thinks he can buy an office and trample on workers, yet has no idea - or any ideas - on how to lead.”
* Illinois Freedom PAC…
Bruce Rauner spent millions of his own personal fortune, and despite leading by double-digits in every single public poll, he barely eked out a win to become the Republican nominee for Governor. Needless to say, it was not the victory Rauner thought he had paid for.
“Bruce Rauner dramatically underachieved in yesterday¹s primary because a majority of Illinois Republicans had trouble trusting a political insider whose companies made billions at the expense of regular folks,” says Michael Murray, spokesman for Illinois Freedom. “Now Bruce Rauner will take his out-of-touch agenda to a much bigger audience. While Rauner may be proud that he¹s a billionaire in the top .01%, his plans to cut the minimum wage and slash funding for our schools simply won¹t fly with families in our state. The last thing Illinois needs is a Governor who looks out for the wealthiest among us, while turning his back on the middle-class, and we plan to hold Rauner accountable every step of the way.”
* The DGA…
Last night, the majority of the most hardcore Illinois Republicans rejected billionaire Bruce Rauner. Even with public polling that showed Rauner would win by double digits, actual primary voters decided that his anti-middle class record is not what Illinois needs.
Despite the pre-election punditry, these results shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The past few months have shined a bright light on the real Rauner: a typical, uber-rich GOP politician who wants to slash the minimum wage, gut education and public safety, and cut taxes for the wealthiest so those at the very top can benefit.
That stands in stark contrast to Governor Pat Quinn.
When Governor Quinn took office, Illinois was in trouble – two governors in jail, high unemployment, and the worst recession since the Great Depression. Now, he’s righting the ship with a steadfast focus on creating more good-paying, middle-class jobs.
There’s a clear difference in the race ahead – hurting working people in the name of profit for himself and his wealthy pals has been what’s defined Bruce Rauner’s entire corporate career.
In the primary campaign, voters began to learn about Billionaire Bruce’s Romney-esque career in the private sector, which included a “corporate fraud” that resulted in the deaths of nursing home patients and shady financial ties to an imprisoned Blagojevich associate:
* SEIU Healthcare…
“The contrast between the competing visions for Illinois’ future between right-wing billionaires like Bruce Rauner and low-wage homecare workers, nursing home attendants, hospital workers, and child care providers has never been starker.
“Bruce Rauner brags about being in the top 1 percent of the 1 percent of Americans, owns nine luxury homes which are worth millions of dollars each, and made $53 million last year alone – yet Rauner wants to cut the minimum wage from $8.25 back to $7.25 an hour for hard-working Illinoisans who are struggling just to survive.”
* The IFT…
Tonight’s results also demonstrated that Illinois is a much different state than some would like to paint us.
We are not Wisconsin, we are not Michigan, we are not Indiana, and we are not Ohio.
We are Illinois — a state with challenges, no doubt, but one that values fairness and rejects extremism.
We have shown that we are willing to work with decision makers who, like us, want to truly improve Illinois. We want the same. Heading into November, we have some serious considerations to make, but one thing is certain: we won’t back down against Bruce “.01%” Rauner’s hateful and hypocritical attacks. We will continue to advocate for our future and make sure that voters know he would cut the minimum wage and eliminate our rights.
* The Quinn campaign’s email today…
We’re going to learn a lot more about my opponent, Bruce Rauner, in the coming weeks.
What we know right now is that he’s got a lot of ideas — like cutting the minimum wage and cutting education and public safety investments to dangerous levels. They’re the same anti-middle-class policies that got Illinois and the country into a mess in the first place.
* The DNC, however, is sticking to social issues…
Exactly a year ago, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus spoke at the National Press Club and laid out a plan to “rebrand” the Republican Party, and reach out to constituencies who they rightly failed to appeal to during the 2012 elections. But a year later, all the Republican Party has gotten is a year older. No amount of outreach, staff hires, or changes to their primary calendar will change the fact that the GOP’s policy and rhetoric are just as out of step with the majority of American voters as ever.
In fact, a few examples of this failed Republican Party rebrand can be found right here in Illinois.
Careful with that link because there’s some profanity.
* Other stuff…
* Clash of economic visions to mark race for governor
* Illinois’ race for governor: A populism and proxy war
* Quinn vs. Rauner: Who wins the fight for the little guy?
* Will Pat Quinn’s Luck Run Out Against Bruce Rauner?
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Rauner’s labor pivot begins
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last night, US Sen. Mark Kirk was interviewed by WGN TV’s Tom Negovan at the Bruce Rauner campaign headquarters. Watch…
* Transcript…
Kirk: I came over here thinking pretty much a Rauner blowout was coming, and it’s a little tighter than we expected.
Negovan: It certainly is tighter than a lot of people expected. What do you attribute that to, Senator?
Kirk: I would say tactical voting has finally worked of the big public sector unions turning out the vote for their man.
Negovan: I was just talking to the folks back at the studio about that just a second ago. You know, when Bruce Rauner talks about Scott Walker and Mitch Daniels as mentors and examples he wants to follow … could that be a tactical error?
Kirk: It turns out that the big unions are stronger than we all expected here in Illinois.
* Early this morning, AFSCME’s Henry Bayer forwarded me a Bruce Rauner fundraising e-mail that the candidate sent out late last night. Bayer prefaced it with this comment…
It’s early in the morning, so I may have missed the word “union” in this attack.
* From Rauner’s e-mail…
Thank you!
Tonight’s victory is an extraordinary first step towards transforming Illinois.
Pat Quinn and his special interest allies spent $6 million trying to defeat us in the primary and you stopped them.
We are so humbled by your extraordinary support. We won because we stayed true to our core beliefs: we must shake up the system to bring back Illinois.
We are united in a desire to bring back jobs, reverse the Quinn-Madigan 67% tax hike, cut wasteful spending, reform our broken school system, and pass term limits to get rid of the career politicians.
We never deviated from a simple truth: our government is run by lobbyists, for special interests, and the career politicians in both parties let it happen.
Yep. Not a word about unions.
* Indeed, Rauner’s campaign manager told WGN last night that his candidate is “very pro union.”
…Adding… Rauner’s victory speech last night was loud, proud and more than a bit Howard Deanish. But during his speech he said his campaign was about “the working families of our state. This is about the truck driver in Rockford who’s looking for more work. This is about the factory worker in Decatur who lost his job who’s looking for another job. This is about the school teacher in Chicago who’s working hard to inspire children to learn and deserves our support and respect and reward.”
Watch…
A more subdued Rauner repeated the line this morning on WLS Radio.
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Today’s number: $42.97
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner spent about $14 million to win yesterday’s Republican gubernatorial primary. With 99.4 percent of the vote counted, Rauner has tallied 325,792 votes. That’s $42.97 a vote.
…Adding… To be fair, this e-mail was just sent by the Rauner campaign. It’s called “Primary Campaign By The Numbers”…
Since taking the first steps of a campaign for governor a little over a year ago, Bruce Rauner has been committed to running a comprehensive, grassroots-oriented campaign that enabled him to overcome nearly $6 million spent by Democrats and special interests attempting to defeat Bruce in the primary.
Democrat/Special Interest Money Spent to Defeat Bruce: $5,800,000+
Votes for Bruce Rauner: 325,972
Votes for Pat Quinn: 314, 085
Volunteer Phone Calls: 250,000+
Illinois Miles Traveled: 50,000+
Donations: 5750+
Volunteers: 2,300+
Campaign & Community Events: 550+
72 Hour Program Volunteers: 500+
Media Interviews: 200+
Years Since GOP Nominee Received More Primary Votes Than Democrat Nominee: 16
Years Since GOP Nominee Received More Votes Than Rauner: 12
Debates/Forums: 8
Campaign Field Offices: 3
Bruce Rauner Name ID One Year Ago: 0
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