* Wisconsin’s governor has been working hard for a year to snag a big corporation from Illinois. So far, he’s had no luck, and he’s probably been telling lots of fish stories about the big one that got away while he sips white wine next to the Duraflame log.
On Sunday, a fisherman from Wisconsin ventured about 20 miles south of the state line on the Pecatonica River and caught a walleye that tipped the scales at 15.08 pounds.
The record was set to be verified Tuesday afternoon, but Jim Zimmerman of Beloit said he was confident he’d be declared the official state record holder after the weigh-in that was witnessed by conservation police and others.
“The wardens came and met me and we certified it on a scale (and) right then and there it was certified,” he said.
As the old Wisconsin saying goes, “If you want to really be a success in life, you gotta go to Illinois.”
* Things took an ugly turn during a Republican congressional candidates’ forum when Jason Plummer alleged that a major pro-life PAC’s endorsements were for sale to the highest bidder…
Cook, who served as Belleville mayor from 1993-97, said he’d been endorsed by the Family Political Action Committee, in suburban Chicago, which Cook described as the state’s largest pro-life group.
Plummer fired back, alleging that, based on his experience running for lieutenant governor in 2010, the FamPAC endorsement is obtained by paying for it.
“Rodger, I am offended you tried to trick people like that,” Plummer said.
Cook glared at Plummer.
“The truth will set you free,” Cook said. “Rodger Cook didn’t pay anything to Family PAC.”
“To say that i’m not happy about it would be the understated quote of the year,” Family PAC director Paul Caprio said this afternoon. “We have never sold an endorsement to anybody. We’ve never asked for any amount of money in return for an endorsement.”
Caprio also claimed that after the group endorsed someone else for lt. governor two years ago, Plummer called him and said, “I’m going to get you.” Caprio, who called Plummer a “miserable excuse for a candidate,” said the outburst demonstrated Plummer’s immaturity and temper problems, as well as highlighting Plummer’s reputation as “entitled.”
“We’re a giver, we’re not a taker from the candidates,” a “stunned” Caprio explained, adding that we would be hearing more about this soon. “We can’t allow that to stand,” Caprio said, adding that he would be taking “appropriate action” on “this defamation” unless he received an apology from Plummer.
* Meanwhile, there was yet another remote control endorsement of J3 over the weekend…
Gov. Pat Quinn endorsed U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson over primary challenger Debbie Halvorson today, but did so in the way other prominent Democratic leaders have backed the incumbent — through a statement rather than appearing with him in person.
Tammy Duckworth’s congressional campaign raised concerns Friday that supporters of rival Raja Krishnamoorthi have started up a “SuperPac” to raise money to run television commercials in support of his bid for Congress in the northwest suburbs.
Duckworth’s political strategist Pete Giangreco asked in a conference call with reporters Friday whether the SuperPac — “Suburban Voters for Choice” — might solocit money from “Big Oil” or “Wall Street” to run negative ads against Duckworth. That would be “unprecedented” in a Democratic primary in Illinois, Giangreco said.
* From Raja’s campaign…
Duckworth’s campaign made some pretty bold claims about SuperPACs today that amount to blatant lies. Raja has nothing to do with the creation of any SuperPAC and our campaign certainly did not “launch” a SuperPAC. Where is the evidence to support such a claim? There is none, and the claim is a flat-out lie.
Furthermore, Raja offered a pledge to Duckworth to take the influence of SuperPAC money as well as all PAC money out of this election. Duckworth refused to even respond to such a pledge, not surprising since Duckworth received a total of $102,847.96 in Washington special interest PAC money since she has entered race through February 28, 2012.
“It is pretty clear that Duckworth’s campaign is trying to make hay out of nothing in order to throw the spotlight off of all the special interest money backing their campaign,” said Deputy Campaign Manager Mike Murray. “Voters deserve better than the same old Washington political tricks.”
Superpac Treasurer Michael Vainisi, who served as Finance Director of Krishnamoorthi’s run for state comptoller two years ago, laughed at Giangreco’s suggestion.
“This is going to be individual contributors, no corporate money,” Vainisi said. “Some of Raja’s supporters were interested in leveling the playing field since Tammy has outside money coming from Washington.”
* ADDED: Joe Walsh’s cash drying up: The Illinois freshman — and potentially most vulnerable House Republican in the country — raises just $38,300 during the first two months of the year, pre-primary Federal Election Commission reports show. A Democratic sources notes that number is barely enough to cover the $24,015 he still owes in legal fees.
* Bustos Leads Schilling In Fundraising During Last Filing Period
* Kinzinger, Manzullo face off in 16th Congressional District - Republican primary race’s outcome is in question for the first time in two decades.
* Schneider Mailer Featuring Obama Pic Making Waves In 10th District Race: In the mailer, Schneider lists his endorsements, highlighting former congresswoman Melissa Bean and the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald as supporters. Right next to those endorsements is a picture of a smiling President Barack Obama, who has not endorsed Schneider or anyone else in the 10th congressional district race.
* Voter Registration Down, Early Voting Numbers Up: Voter registration is down in Illinois from both the 2008 and 2010 elections, according to the State Board of Elections. As of yesterday, there were 7.28 million registered voters in the state, down from the 7.3 million who were registered for the 2008 election. There were 7.6 million registered voters for the 2010 elections.
In Illinois, 42 percent of voters described themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians. Of that group, 42 percent are backing Santorum compared with 26 percent for Romney. Of the 54 percent of voters who do not consider themselves born-again or evangelical Christians, Romney leads Santorum, 43 percent to 22 percent.
Further marginalizing the rest of the field, Illinois Republican primary voters view Romney and Santorum very favorably, while voters are almost evenly divided in their feelings toward former House Speaker Gingrich and more have an unfavorable view of Paul than not.
Romney was viewed favorably by six in 10 GOP primary voters, while 19 percent looked at him unfavorably. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, was considered favorably by 54 percent of primary voters, while 17 percent had an unfavorable view. […]
Fully 61 percent of those preferring Romney say their minds are made up, compared with only 51 percent of Santorum voters. In addition, 52 percent of Downstate voters say they could change their minds.
In Mississippi, Gingrich leads with 33% to Romney’s 31% and Santorum’s 27%, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm based in Raleigh, N.C. The firm’s Alabama survey found the race there to be even closer: Romney has 31%, Gingrich has 30% and Santorum has 29%.
The southern primaries had been viewed as a battle between Gingrich and Santorum for the party’s more conservative wing, but conservatives’ inability to choose between the two has created an opening for Romney.
Get ready to see a lot more of those television commercials slamming Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
The Restore Our Future Superpac — which supports former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president — has purchased nearly $1 million in airtime in Illinois.
Romney’s national staff begins arriving in Illinois this weekend, said State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who chairs Romney’s campaign here. […]
The new ads blast Santorum, who runs to Romney’s right on most issues, as a big-spender who voted for pork while Romney was cutting taxes in Massachusetts and presiding over the Winter Olympics in Utah.
* The Question: If you could use just one word to describe Illinois’ role in the Republican presidential nomination race, what word would that be?
*** UPDATE *** Not much of a surprise. There will be an appeal. From a press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today issued the following statement regarding the state’s efforts to secure federal assistance for people affected by the Feb. 29 tornado.
“Today I spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and informed her that we intend to appeal FEMA’s denial of our request for much-needed individual assistance for the people of Southern Illinois. I urged Secretary Napolitano to reconsider FEMA’s decision. We are doing everything possible at the state level to help these devastated communities, but some of the assistance that our residents need to begin rebuilding their lives is only available through a federal disaster declaration.
“I met with local officials, spent time with residents and saw firsthand the devastation and damage caused by the tornado in Southern Illinois. FEMA underestimated the impact this deadly tornado had on small towns like Harrisburg and Ridgway. We have already begun work on our appeal of this decision in order to secure federal assistance.
“I am grateful to Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Mark Kirk and the Illinois Congressional Delegation for their vigorous support of our efforts to bring assistance to the people whose lives were ripped apart by the Feb. 29 tornado. We are hopeful our joint efforts will help FEMA understand that a full recovery from this disaster cannot happen without their support.”
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* The state applied for a federal disaster declaration after a devastating tornado hit Harrisburg. It was thought to be a routine request, particularly since President Obama himself had expressed his concern about the tragedy. FEMA sent this letter to Illinois on Saturday…
Based on our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that the damage was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the State, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies. Accordingly, we have determined that supplemental Federal assistance is not necessary. Therefore, I must inform you that your request for a major disaster declaration is denied.
Hey, FEMA, I got news for you clowns: Anything that costs more than about $1.85 is beyond Illinois’ capabilities right now. Sheesh.
Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg said he was confused by FEMA’s denial and questioned what criteria the agency used to evaluate the damage.
“How was the decision made, who made the decision and why was it made? I think that’s a fair question that needs to be answered, of course, to those that lost everything. I think there are going to be a lot of discussions in the days ahead,” Gregg told WSIL-TV.
Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk also issued a statement Sunday denouncing the ruling and seeking a meeting with FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate to discuss the decision, which they called “unacceptable.” […]
“I can’t believe this,” Durbin said Sunday in Springfield, according to The State Journal-Register. “I’ve never seen worse tornado damage. We owe it to the people to make sure … everything was accounted for.”
* From a Gov. Pat Quinn press release…
“I am extremely disappointed that FEMA denied our request for federal assistance that is needed to help people in Harrisburg, Ridgway and the other communities devastated by this deadly tornado. After personally surveying the damage and talking to many residents who lost their homes, I firmly believe federal assistance is crucial to help them begin the recovery process.
“I support Senator Dick Durbin’s efforts to encourage federal officials to reconsider their decision. In the meantime, I have directed Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Jonathon Monken to continue working with local officials to ensure that we do everything possible to secure critical assistance.”
* Oy, what a weekend. After a long week of session, a buddy of mine and I drove up to Chicago Friday night for the Alabama Shakes show at Lincoln Hall. Great concert. Just great. Lincoln Hall is nice, but it would be a lot nicer without all those Lincoln Parkers who snag tickets to see bands they aren’t interested in just because they can. There were way too many talkative idiots at that show. But, hey, I got to meet a member of my new favorite band and I also talked with two very charming and witty music bloggers. After that, we took a trip to Joe’s on Weed St., but we just missed the music.
Saturday was politics day. West Side and Out South. Lots of fun stuff that I’ll be sharing with subscribers. Then, back up to a friend’s place in Bucktown for a rooftop gathering, back down to the south suburbs for a party at Balmoral Park Racetrack and then on to my favorite blues bar (Lee’s Unleaded on South Chicago Ave. at 74th St.) for some wild times and excellent music to finish out the night/morning.
Sunday morning began early with a phone call from a friend who we were out with the night before…
Me: [Rough voice, just waking up.] “Hello?”
Friend: “So, you’re alive. Good.”
Then it was down to the South Side Irish Parade with old and very dear friends. The event was attended by lots of exceedingly polite and mostly sober people. After a post-parade party, it was up to the Lakefront, back to the West Side (Note to self: Next time, make sure to fill the tank so you don’t end up driving aimlessly around the West Side looking for a gas station as the gauge drops below “E”) and way up the North Shore for a drive in the gorgeous weather and some dinner. We arrived back in Springfield sometime around 1:30 this morning.
Anyway, as you might imagine I had a blast, but I’m moving a little slow today. Living in Springfield has got me too accustomed to a more sedate pace of life.
The point of all this is to tell you a friend snapped a pic at Balmoral which I thought you might get a kick out of…
* Cutting Medicaid eligibility isn’t going to be easy, or perhaps even possible in some cases…
Medicaid paid for 89,621 Illinois deliveries in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available. That was nearly 54 percent of all births, according to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The total cost was $890 million. Medicaid plays an even bigger role in births to teen mothers, paying for nearly 94 percent of teen deliveries in 2009.
Since 1989, the federal government has required states to cover pregnant women whose income is at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s the equivalent of about $14,800 annually for a single-person household. That’s the minimum states must do.
Illinois goes beyond that, covering pregnant women who make up to 200 percent of federal poverty, or about $22,300 for a single person’s annual household income. Teens who are pregnant are covered up to 300 percent of federal poverty, or about $33,500 for a one-person household.
And a newer federal requirement has tied Illinois to those higher eligibility levels.
The federal health care overhaul, President Barack Obama’s landmark legislation, requires states to keep their Medicaid eligibility stable, barring Illinois and other states from saving money by lowering income ceilings for pregnant women and other groups.
So, eligibility cuts to this particular progam are off the table, according to the AP.
Not only does Gov. Pat Quinn’s state budget proposal call for shoehorning more inmates into fewer prisons, it also would reduce drug counseling and job training programs for prisoners.
Critics say that combination of cuts could make the state’s overcrowded penal system more dangerous and could result in more inmates returning to prison because they lack job skills and still suffer from substance abuse problems.
“If you remove those programs, you’re essentially adding more people to the prison system,” said John Maki, executive director of the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group.
Quinn defended his call for statewide officers to cut their budgets by at least 9 percent, despite opposition from fellow Democrats Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Secretary of State Jesse White.
Madigan has said cutting her budget any further will make it harder to keep qualified attorneys and peruse legal action that actually brings in money for the state.
White has said such cuts would force him to close several driver’s license facilities, where he has long worked to cut waiting times.
Quinn took specific aim at Republicans Treasurer Dan Rutherford and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, saying they should be on board after traveling “up and down Illinois saying we need to cut spending.”
“It’s not easy, I know that,” Quinn said. “It’s very hard. But if we don’t do it, we’ll never get our budget back in the shape that we want it to be. We’ve got to have a better budget and everybody’s got to participate.”
Despite a long Illinois tradition of supporting them, it’s not exactly news that Republican members of the General Assembly no longer like voting for taxes of any kind. And that attitude created a couple of somewhat absurd positions last week.
Let’s start with the “roll your own” bill. Legislation has been proposed to tax a growing practice of allowing people to use commercial machines to roll their own cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations.
The stores sell their customers loose, bulk tobacco and then the customers dump the product into special rolling machines, which cost several thousand dollars each. The result is a per carton sale price that is about half the price of a pre-rolled carton of brand-name cigarettes, mainly because the taxes on loose tobacco are much lower than on commercial cigarettes.
Several states are confronting the issue after the machines started appearing in stores throughout the country. Legislatures in Indiana and Virginia are considering bills to up the tax on loose tobacco used in the machines, for instance. Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue told the stores in October to start paying taxes on the tobacco as if they were selling actual cigarettes.
Critics say these stores with the machines are little more than cigarette factories set up to avoid high cigarette taxes. Defenders say they’re not doing anything different than coffee shops that allow customers to pick specific blends, grinds and brands.
Tobacco giant Philip Morris is just one of the companies backing the Illinois bill. The company is worried that the roll your own machines will eventually eat into its profits. The tobacco company’s lobbying team is also warning that if the bill doesn’t pass, Philip Morris and other tobacco companies likely will jump into the machine-rolling business themselves, which could potentially cost the state hundreds of millions of tax dollars a year.
But the Republicans on the Senate Executive Committee balked at backing the measure, and it was “shelled out” last week by an amendment and moved to the Senate floor as basically an empty bill. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan), said last week that he doubted he could come to an agreement with the opponents and likely would propose similar language in the next few weeks.
Republicans admitted privately that they backed away from voting for anything that might look like a tax increase. They also say they’ll probably support the bill after the primary ends because of the negative revenue consequences for the state.
Then there’s state Sen. Toi Hutchinson’s (D-Olympia Fields) proposal to charge a $5 per head entrance fee tax on strip clubs that sell alcohol. The money generated would be sent to the state’s Sexual Assault Prevention Fund. The proposal sailed out of the Senate Public Health Committee last week on a unanimous vote, but there was a catch. Actually, there were two catches.
The bill has generated a bit of controversy, but it apparently presented a unique dilemma for a couple of Republicans who sit on the Public Health Committee. Possibly harming the business interests of “immoral establishments” might be a plus. But voting to tax those establishment still meant voting for a tax.
So two Republicans in hotly contested GOP primaries, Sen. Shane Cultra (R-Onarga) and Sen. Christine Johnson (R-Shabbona), discreetly left the hearing room just before the committee began voting on what some wisecrackers have called the “pole tax.” The bill passed unanimously, but without those two votes.
Johnson’s primary opponent Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) also sits on the Public Health Committee, but he voted for the bill. Johnson has been running television ads blasting Syverson for favoring tax hikes and touting herself as the true social and fiscal conservative in the race.
The other walkout, Sen. Cultra, is also the more socially conservative candidate in his Republican primary race against state Rep. Jason Barickman (R-Champaign).
As I mentioned earlier, things are expected to calm down a bit after the March 20 primary. The Republicans still will oppose most taxes, but the mere mention of the word probably won’t spook them so badly once they get past their elections. Maybe then everybody can grow up and start acting like adults.
* I may be posting some campaign stuff this weekend. Sorry about no question of the day today. I got sidetracked and completely forgot.
* Anyway, I managed to score a ticket to the hottest sold out show in Chicago, so I’ll be watching Alabama Shakes in total bliss tonight. Have a great weekend, kids. I know I will…
Well, you know she’s the one
You got to run, baby, run
* From the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s new poll of southern Illinoisans, we find 62.8 percent of southerners agree with this statement…
The state takes in plenty of money to pay for public services, but wastes it on unnecessary programs. We can fix the problem by cutting waste and inefficiency in government.
Another proposal to save money for the state is to close state facilities such as mental health centers, state prisons, and juvenile facilities that are under-used or too expensive to maintain.
A whopping 70.3 percent of southerners said they opposed closing “under-used” government facilities or facilities that are “too expensive to maintain.” Just 21.3 percent said they supported such a plan.
79 percent opposed closing the Tamms “super max” prison, while 70 percent were against closing Murphysboro’s Illinois Youth Center.
* The southerners weren’t so duplicitous when it came to consolidating schools. About 49 percent favored saving money by “consolidating school districts in lightly populated areas.” And 48 percent favored “consolidating the school district you live in with a neighboring district.”
* On pension reform, 58 percent favored replacing “future state workers’ defined-benefit plan with a 401(k)-style, defined-contribution plan, similar to what many private businesses have for their employees.” 25 percent opposed.
45 percent favored increasing pension contributions by employees, while 42 percent were opposed.
47.5 percent wanted retirees to contribute to the cost of their state health insurance plan, while 46.5 percent were opposed.
And 54 percent of southerners opposed to “having local school districts make their teachers’ pension contributions,” while 31 percent favored it.
The poll of 400 registered voters covered the 18 southernmost counties in Illinois: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, Washington, White, and Williamson. Live phone interviews were conducted February 23-28. The sample of 400 has a margin of error of 4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the result would be within plus or minus 4.9 percentage points from the results obtained here. We also included a special sample of cell phone users to ensure greater accuracy.
* Traditionally, the last week to get substantive bills out of committee is hugely busy. Staff and lobbyists scurry everywhere at once, making sure they have sponsors to the hearings on time, that there are enough people in the committee to vote, that out of town testifiers are in place, that innumerable last-minute objections are dealt with, etc. This is often all accomplished despite little sleep and, in some cases, strong hangovers.
Lots and lots of bills are introduced every year and a large number of them make it out of committee, despite obvious problems with the legislation. This is why I tend to play down the importance of legislation advanced during 1st Reading in the original chamber. It ain’t soup yet.
Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan) explained this all pretty well to Phil Kadner when Kadner called this week about one of Link’s bills that had just cleared a committee. Kadner was tipped off by an outraged local mayor who couldn’t believe the committee would unanimously approve the proposal. Here’s Link…
“Do you understand how legislation gets passed in Springfield?” [Link] said. “This is just language. It is not the final language. It is a starting point.
“In order to get it passed out of committee, I agreed to have both sides sit down and work out their differences before this is ever brought up for a third reading. It will never get passed if we don’t work out language that everyone can agree to.
“This is not the final bill. I don’t expect the bill to pass in this form, and it may not even pass this spring. We may not pass it until the (autumn) veto session.”
Officials in a small Southern Illinois county could get some power to control raucous events that bring thousands of partiers — and some major problems — to the region each summer.
In action Thursday, an Illinois House committee gave tentative approval to legislation designed to give Hardin County officials the ability to levy a tax on people who attend events such as the Hog Rock biker rally and the Gathering of the Juggalos.
Money raised from the tax could go toward law enforcement, cleanup costs and other expenses associated with the gatherings. The proposal also could give counties the ability to deny promoters the ability to hold the events.
“When they have these gatherings, a lot of crazy things happen,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, who sponsored the measure. […]
Phelps said he remained in talks with supporters and opponents and hopes to have a final draft in front of the full House later this spring.
Builders in Illinois who want to construct a commercial building in 2013 or after would have to use at least some brick, mortar, concrete or stone under a bill that cleared a House committee on Thursday.
House Bill 5852, the “Vertical Construction Masonry Composition Act,” sponsored by state Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, would require buildings that are 15 feet or taller to be composed of at least 15 percent of those masonry materials. Single-family homes and apartments for four or fewer families would be exempt.
Arroyo said he is open to adjusting the percentage and the legislation allows for exceptions when an architect or structural engineer certifies that a building would be structurally deficient if it had to meet the requirement.
* Sometimes, the sausage-making process can get a bit ugly…
A police sensitivity task force has been recommended by an Illinois House committee to investigate instances of racial insensitivity in traffic stops.
There was some interesting debate on this between state Representatives Jim Sacia of Freeport and Mary Flowers of Chicago.
“Are there prejudiced people out there? Of course there are,” said Sacia. He continued, “But the belief I have is that the vast, vast majority that wear a badge are very aware of sensitivity. I can see by the shaking of your head that you totally disagree with me.”
Flowers responded, “I am an African-American woman and you are a white male. I don’t expect you to see what I see. You don’t live in my community. You have never been a black man stopped by a white police officer. Your rights have never been violated. You have never seen your child shot down! Shot in the back!”
When the roll was called, it was 6 to 3 to recommend a police sensitivity task force.
* And sometimes legislators introduce bills just to spark a debate…
Drug awareness advocates say a proposed amendment to a new law giving immunity to drug users who report an overdose would defeat the purpose of the bill.
Rep. Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, wants to add a condition to the law that would require those seeking medical help to enter drug treatment within 14 days or face prosecution.
“This is about beginning the dialogue of how we are going to be proactive about getting individuals to help themselves,” said Durkin, a former prosecutor in the Cook County state’s attorney’s narcotics unit. […]
Durkin calls his proposed additions to the law a “work in progress” and says he is “open to negotiation.”
The bill is still stuck in Rules Committee, so the only way he’ll move it now is if he attaches it as a floor amendment to a House bill or a committee amendment to a Senate bill. Neither looks at all likely, however, and therefore much newsprint space may have been wasted in the reportage.
* You just knew this bill would pass ASAP once it was revealed that Gov. Pat Quinn funded executive and legislative pay raises in his proposed budget…
Illinois lawmakers are taking steps to cut their salaries again as the state’s huge budget problems drag on.
The state Senate approved legislation Thursday that requires legislators to give up 12 days’ worth of pay, or about $3,100 each.
The measure would also freeze pay for a variety of state officials. In all, it’s supposed to save about $330,000.
Democratic Sen. Dan Kotowski of Park Ridge is sponsoring the bill, which passed 52-0 and now goes to the House.
* A close vote in one chamber could spell trouble in another chamber. But it may not. We’ve all seen bills pass unanimously in one chamber and then get absolutely slaughtered in the other…
In a new crackdown on distracted driving, the Illinois House voted Thursday to ban motorists from using hand-held cellphones in most instances while they’re driving.
“The time has come. We need to get serious about this and try to continue to make the roads in Illinois as safe as possible,” said Rep. John D’Amico (D-Chicago), the chief sponsor of the legislation.
His measure, which passed 62-53 and now moves to the Senate, would permit cellphones to be used while driving only if they’re in hands-free or voice-activated mode or if used with a headset.
* This one zoomed out of the House and, by all accounts, will zoom out of the Senate, but we’ll see…
Illinois lawmakers are closing in on a shark fin ban after the state House easily passed a bill prohibiting the sale and distribution of fins on Thursday.
With virtually no floor debate, House Bill 4119 sailed through the chamber by a tally of 81-33.
“I think (the vote) was decisive, I would consider that a mandate,” said Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D–Chicago), the bill’s chief sponsor. “I’m delighted.”
The bill is an effort to curtail the finning of sharks – extracting the animal’s fin and throwing it back in the ocean. Shark fin soup has also long been considered an Asian delicacy.
Passenger traffic increased 15 percent in 2011 and March of 2012 is estimated to be 12 percent higher than March of last year.
This increase in demand cuts into the supply of parking spots and the lots are already consistently 90 percent full.
Still, it does seem like quite a trip to build a few hundred parking spaces.
…Adding… The governor’s office says that Quinn was in Rockford for a “business meeting.” The parking lot announcement was not the only reason for the visit, they claim.
* Photo from the event…
Caption?
* The governor also worked in a nice little shot at Wisconsin during his visit…
Heh.
* Dave Bakke interviewed Toronto Star travel editor Jim Byers, who wrote a favorable column about Gov. Quinn’s visit to that city the other day…
[Byers] described Quinn as “playing it up pretty good in a goofy, folksy sort of way. He said, ‘Did I mention the birds!!?? We’ve got birds!!!’ ” That was a segue into telling our friends in the Great White North that Illinois is home to more bald eagles than any other state other than Alaska. […]
And Byers loved Quinn’s Ronald Reagan joke, too. I’m not sure we’ve heard that one before here in the darker corners of the state — not enough so that it’s stale anyway. The governor was reminding the Canadians that President Reagan was from Illinois. He used a joke about Reagan being a lifeguard in Dixon and saving 87 lives.
“They were all women,” Quinn said. “Mostly the same one over and over.”
* And let’s wrap this up with an official Quinn administration video. The governor begins by having some fun cutting a cable in half. Then he goes on to ramble a bit…
* Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has finally gone after his Democratic primary opponent Debbie Halvorson on the gun issue.
The ad features Pam Bosley, whose son died before church before choir rehearsal. Bosley slams Halvorson for voting with the Republicans and the NRA “against the very laws that might have kept my son alive.” Bosley claims that Jackson fought Halvorson “every step of the way.”
“Please, don’t let my son die in vain,” Bosley says at the end. Watch…
Halvorson’s old state Senate and congressional districts included a lot of Downstate turf, so she was a big NRA supporter. Jackson’s district is not exactly NRA territory. I’ve been wondering for weeks why he hasn’t gone after her on this issue. It seemed perfect.
* For those of you who can’t watch videos at work, here’s the full script…
Discuss.
* In other TV ad news, Democrat Matt Goetten has a new spot…
Illinois fired Bruce Weber Friday, one day after the Illini lost to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, the coach told ESPN.com.
Weber will not coach in the NIT — if the Illini (17-15 overall, 6-12 Big Ten) were to be selected — or in any other postseason tournament.
Weber said recently that the buyout on his contract is $3.9 million.
Weber coached the Illini to the Sweet 16 and NCAA championship game in his first two years in Champaign, losing to North Carolina in the 2005 national final.
But Illinois hasn’t advanced past the second round since, and did not reach the NCAA tournament three times in Weber’s nine-year tenure.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was in Peoria earlier this week talking about how Chicago and Downstate politicians need to stop fighting so much.
“The politics of the past where we used to play Chicago versus downstate is over. It doesn’t serve the people of Illinois,” Emanuel said, adding, “It’s not working anymore.”
I’ve lived in Chicago, but I was born Downstate. I have good friends and close family members in just about every part of Illinois. So, I’ve always been bothered by this divisive regionalism that has plagued our state since Chicago became a real city and the two regions began fighting over the spoils.
I don’t actually think that Downstaters really hate Chicago, or vice versa. It’s just an ingrained part of our state’s politics. The regions have fought each other for control for more than 150 years, and those battles have been handed down from generation to generation, always reignited by politicians hoping to win elections.
Mayor Emanuel’s call for a truce contained some nice words, and he seemed like he meant them. But he showed not long ago that he has problems understanding how to go about bringing the peace he says he wants.
One of the biggest issues in downstate politics is guns. Downstate legislators in both parties use the issue to whip up their constituents so they’ll ignore their other shortcomings. The same thing is done by Chicago politicians, only in the opposite direction.
The basic caricature is that Downstate politicians love guns and want one in every citizen’s hands, while Chicago politicians are afraid of guns and want to ban them entirely. It’s a tried-and true-issue they’ve used for years to distract voters from the many failures of this government.
Last year, Downstate legislators came closer than ever before to passing a bill allowing people to carry concealed, loaded handguns. At one point, they even thought they had enough votes to pass it. So, the pro-gun frenzy has been whipped up like crazy. The mood was elevated even further when Wisconsin legalized concealed carry, which makes Illinois the last state in the union without some sort of concealed-carry permitting.
Emanuel got along great with Downstate legislators last year. He courted them, flattered them and worked with them every chance he got, and many of them supported his legislative agenda. But then a few weeks ago the mayor announced that he wanted a new law to register all the handguns in Illinois. The mayor scored some routine political points with his gun-hating Chicago constituents, but he infuriated Downstaters, and the resulting explosion was cataclysmic.
Downstaters who had worked with Emanuel just days before began publicly ripping into him as if he were some sort of evil dictator bent on grabbing all their guns. Most are now using their opposition to Emanuel in their campaigns. Ironically enough, Emanuel helped boost Downstate legislators politically while simultaneously alienating them from his legislative agenda.
On the other side of the equation, though, is the Downstate ignorance about how deeply so many Chicagoans hate guns. Many Chicagoans are as insulted and infuriated by Downstate demands that people be able to legally carry loaded handguns on the city’s streets as downstaters are that they’ll have to pay $20 to register every handgun they own.
So, if the mayor really wants to work toward peace, he’ll first have to find a way to get past these gun issues. And if he can do that, he’s a better man than most.
“The politics of the past where we used to play Chicago versus downstate is over. It doesn’t serve the people of Illinois, who we all work for,” he said.
“We can’t let the regionalism or the differences of party pull us apart,” he added. “It’s not working anymore.”
In his lunchtime speech, Emanuel, a Democrat, offered up a list of his plans and achievements as mayor. And he emphasized that Illinois needs to work together and overcome partisan divisions, as he had done when working with LaHood, a Republican and former Illinois congressman.
He said he’ll need to work with downstate politicians to achieve much of what he hopes to do, particularly in the area of improving public schools.
* The House convenes at 10 this morning. The Senate has adjourned until March 21st. BlackBerry users click here. Everybody else can just kick back and watch today’s events unfold…
* Yesterday, I asked you to vote on which optional Medicaid services you would eliminate. Just one of those optional services received more than 50 percent “support”: Group Psychotherapy for Nursing Home Residents. But eliminating that program saves only $13 million out of a total of $1.8 billion in cuts I presented to you.
Not so easy, is it? That won’t even make a dent in Gov. Pat Quinn’s demand for $2.7 billion in Medicaid reductions.
* Today, let’s look at possible cuts to Medicaid eligibility. Rep. Greg Harris posted the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ 14 ways to cut eligibility which totaled about $196 million. I can only put 10 at a time on my polling app, so I took most of the top ten.
What we have here is the program name, followed by the number of human beings that will be cut off the rolls and then the total savings. “FPL” means federal poverty level. You can vote for as many cuts as you can stomach. Have at it, but make sure to explain your cuts in comments, please…
Potential conflicts of interest and other flaws created “serious deficiencies” in the state’s decision last year to award $7 billion in contracts for state employee health insurance, according to an audit released Wednesday. […]
The audit also questions the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ estimate that the contracts would save the state about $100 million a year.
“It is difficult to know how Mercer calculations show the state saves money …,” the audit states. “No one from the department validated the figures Mercer provided.”
* The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which oversaw the process, came in for some harsh criticism…
• Failed to include all relevant information, including scoring evaluation criteria, in the RFPs.
• Utilized a consulting firm to have a major participation role in the procurements even though the firm had business relationships with all the firms that proposed on the two State procurement opportunities.
• Failed to ensure that all members of the evaluation team had all needed materials to score the proposals.
• Failed to comply with policy by not having the evaluation teams meet during the evaluation process.
• Allowed 10 of 12 evaluators to violate the evaluation procedures by not providing appropriate comments.
• Failed to address major differences in scoring by evaluators, a violation of evaluation procedures.
• Within the period of one month, March 7, 2011 to April 6, 2011, had developed and the Director had signed two different recommendations to award the State healthcare contracts. • The Department awarded [Blue Cross Blue Shield] 20 counties it did not even bid on. Also, network documentation showed that BCBS had zero primary care physicians in 24 counties that it was awarded. [Emphasis added.]
The Department took the first recommendation to a meeting with officials from the Governor’s Office and the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget in late March 2011. Sometime after that meeting and the date the awards were announced on April 6, 2011, the recommendation was changed. While the Department indicated that the Chief Procurement Officer (Matt Brown) could not support the initial recommendation, documentation did not support that position.
Given the serious deficiencies in the procurement activities, including the disregard for following evaluation procedures and lack of documentation to support how the recommendation to award changed, we are unable to conclude whether the State’s best interests were achieved by the Department for the awards for the State health insurance procurements. Additionally, oversight of these procurements by the Commission lacked adequate review prior to approving the award of the contracts. These are serious problems given that this involved over 400,000 enrollees and eligible dependents and $7 billion in taxpayer monies.
“The technical issues identified in the audit did not affect the outcome of the procurement process, and the Department continues to believe that the overall procurement was executed in a fair and competitive manner,” said department spokesman Mike Claffey. “This was both a complex procurement and the first use of the state’s new procurement law for the group health insurance program. We will take into consideration the (auditor general’s) input in future Department procurements, including finalizing long-term health insurance options for state employees and retirees.”
The contracts resulted in one losing bidder, Urbana-based Health Alliance, filing a lawsuit in Sangamon County Circuit Court that cited many of the same deficiencies documented in the audit.
HFS has decided to settle the lawsuit by allowing companies such as Health Alliance and Humana to bid on a supplemental long-term contract for managed-care coverage that could begin July 1.
* We have two new congressional TV ads to rate today. First up, Jesse Jackson, Jr…
Among other things, the spot features a woman doing all the talking, probably because of the congressman’s problems in that regard. It also showcases a photo of President Obama and claims Debbie Halvorson “sat on the sidelines” during the healthcare debate.
The first time I heard the ad, it almost sounded like Kinzinger had something in his past he was trying to dismiss. Not sure it’s the greatest line, although it does make sense in the context of Don Manzullo’s long congressional tenure
* Ward Room interviewed House Speaker Michael Madigan’s Democratic primary opponent Michele Piszczor…
Ward Room: How would you vote on the conceal carry bill?
Piszczor: I don’t know. I’m out there canvassing. Ultimately, it’s not my ideas. It’s the people of my district’s. That’s why I’m out there canvassing, talking to the people of my district, hearing how they want me to vote in Springfield. Politicians too quickly put their own two cents in it, get paid by contributions that they get from people like Michael Madigan to vote certain ways. I’m out here for the people. However they wish for me to vote on these issues, that’s how I’m going to vote?
Ward Room: Has that come up yet?
Piszczor: It hasn’t. Their issue right now is the DREAM Act, which I am in favor of. The income tax increase, from 3 to 5 percent has been a big issue. […]
Ward Room: What does the state have to do to balance its budget, if not a tax increase?
Piszczor: If we have corporations to come back into Illinois and invest and want to do investment, then that gets people to get hired. When they get hired, they get taxed, federally and state, and then they turn around and buy homes, which you then purchase a mortgage, which you get taxed on, and those people purchase products in this state, which they get taxed on.
Ward Room: So what would you to bring jobs to Illinois?
Piszczor: The taxes are incredible, overcharging these people. The environment is not conducive for corporation investment in Illinois, is the best way I can put it. I’m talking to business owners, and they’re saying, ‘The taxes are killing us. At this point, it’s better for us to just close our doors.’
* The margin of error on this poll is so high that anybody who reports these numbers as fact should be put under heavy sedation in order to keep them away from a computer…
Republican primary voters in Southern Illinois favor former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 29 percent to 21 percent, according to a new poll conducted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The survey, conducted last week, also shows former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich as the choice of 11 percent of GOP primary voters, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul drew 6 percent.
The “front-runner” among area voters is “undecided.” A plurality of Southern Illinois Republicans — 30 percent — said they were undecided, and 4 percent chose “other.”
Yes, 400 registered voters were surveyed. But 17 percent of them said they probably weren’t voting and another 17 percent said they weren’t sure if they were voting. Also, just 32 percent of those 400 registered voters are taking Republican ballots, meaning that a mere 128 people were polled on the presidential primary. That gives us a MoE of 8.66 percent. So, Santorum’s 29-21 lead over Romney is actually within the margin of error.
If you live in Chicago and you don’t know where your precinct polling place is, the Board of Elections says there’s now an easy new way to find out.
What you have to do is text the board at (312) 361-8846. In the message space, put the simple version of your home registration address, e.g., 1000 W. Washington — no ZIP code, unit number or city. The board’s computer then will text you back with the address of your polling place for the March 20 primary.
Board Chairman Langdon Neal says “Where do I vote?” is the top question every Election Day. If enough people use the new system — and it works — it will be fully in place for the busier November general election, Mr. Neal adds.
* 8th Congressional District: Competing democrats focus on ousting Walsh - Democrats Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi avoid attacking each other in run up to primary
* Illinois GOP primary seen as increasingly relevant in presidential race
Rod Blagojevich plans to make a public statement in person before he reports to federal prison for his 14-year sentence on corruption charges, his spokesman said Wednesday.
The 55-year-old impeached governor won’t slip out of Chicago and will speak before cameras here days before he reports to a federal prison March 15, Glenn Selig told the Associated Press. He declined to offer details, including what Blagojevich might say or on what day.
Since his December sentencing for corruption, Blagojevich hasn’t granted interviews. His lawyers have said he wants to enter prison in a dignified way, without any media frenzy. That’s fueled speculation he could try to leave Chicago days in advance without comment. But Selig says Blagojevich never intended to do that.
“The governor has always taken things head on and never tried to circumvent anything,” he said.
* The Illinois Policy Institute will unveil its annual budget proposals today. I watched their preview video early this morning and noticed that the group’s plan includes pushing $800 million in state payments to the Teachers Retirement System off on local school districts. Chicago has its own teachers retirement system, but the state picks up the tab for suburban and downstate employers’ costs in TRS.
The idea of moving the costs down the governmental food chain was proposed last year by Senate President John Cullerton. Gov. Pat Quinn has since said it was an idea worth considering, as has House Speaker Michael Madigan. However, the proposal has run into a buzzsaw of opposition from suburban and downstate legislators, teachers unions, media and local pols.
* The group also wants to eliminate the Personal Property Replacement Tax, which would wipe out the Local Government Distributive Fund. The Illinois Policy Institute claims killing off the LGDF would “save” the state $1.6 billion, but it won’t really save the state any money at all. This is basically just a pass-through account. Brain freeze. Nevermind.
The group also favors cutting state employee paychecks by 10 percent, saying it would save $500 million.
* In other budget-related news, Attorney General Lisa Madigan is objecting to the governor’s proposed 9.4 percent cut to her appropriation. Madigan claims her office generated $908 million last year, 30 times its taxpayer funding. She’s also saying that it’s tough to retain lawyers on her payroll as it is…
“We’re bringing in revenue for the state. We want to continue bringing in revenue,” Madigan said. “I can’t do that if I don’t have lawyers.”
The office gets less money today from taxpayers than it did in 1998, she said. Her lawyers haven’t had raises since 2006. One-third of them have retired or left for better jobs, often with other state agencies, in just the past two years.
“Morale is terribly low in the office, and people are voting with their feet,” said Madigan, a Chicago Democrat. […]
Sen. Pamela Althoff, the top Republican on one of the Senate’s appropriations committees, pointed out that the attorney general’s budget was cut deeply several years ago and has never recovered. “She’s not even coming from a level playing field,” said Althoff, of McHenry.
The starting salary for an attorney in Madigan’s office is just $50,500. That’s really pathetic. Most of her folks work there because they want to do public service. But that emotion only lasts so long for most people. Eventually, you gotta pay your bills and feed your family.
* Secretary of State Jesse White issued his own warning yesterday…
Illinois’ license plate czar said he may have to close as many as five driver’s license facilities because of Gov. Pat Quinn’s call for deep spending cuts.
Secretary of State Jesse White told a House panel Wednesday that he may be able to avoid layoffs and closures under his budget plan, which calls for an overall 2 percent reduction in spending from the current fiscal year.
But, Gov. Pat Quinn has called on the state’s agency chiefs and constitutional officers to trim 9.4 percent in the budget that begins July 1. White said such a cut would be “devastating.”
“It would be tough to do business,” White said.
* Indeed, just one statewide officer proposed a 9.4 percent cut in line with the governor’s wishes, Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon. The rest argued for less…
Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka also outlined her budget plan to the committee, a proposal that calls for a 2 percent reduction from the current year.
“We’ve been cutting right along since day one,” Topinka said. “We’re down to what the office was in 1998.”
Topinka said headcount in her office will remain at 257, down from more than 300 10 years ago. The office will be negotiating new contracts with its unions, but Topinka warned employees not to get their hopes up.
“One of the things we will continue to put forward at this point is no raises,” Topinka said. “If we’re not taking in more than we’re spending, we have to stop it. Nobody is above it, which includes our managerial staff, our union staff, me. We’re all going to cut.”
Treasurer Dan Rutherford said his budget continues a 2 percent reduction that he requested in his current spending plan.
* Related…
* Press Release: Lawmakers vote to cut their own pay
* Budget battle begins between IL gov, lawmakers: Radogno warned that the $33.7 billion is not a spending cap. She urged the General Assembly to spend less than the projected revenue to start remedying the state’s longtime cash flow conundrum, something not even a 67 percent individual income tax increase has fixed.
* Lawmakers decide how much Illinois will have for budget
* The House convenes at 2 this afternoon and the Senate convenes at noon. BlackBerry users click here. Everybody else can just kick back and watch today’s events unfold…
