ISRA still pushing court case
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WUIS…
Illinois lawmakers thought they were in the clear after meeting a federal court’s deadline to pass a concealed carry law by Tuesday. But the Illinois State Rifle Association says that’s not good enough.
The Rifle Association believes lawmakers did not meet their deadline because the state’s ban on carrying guns outside the home remains in effect.
While concealed carry is officially the law in Illinois, it could be mid-March before a gun owner would actually and legally be able to carry their weapon in public. The new law gives state police six months to setup a permit system, then there’s a 90-day application process.
The Rifle Association says that delay continues to deprive lawful gun owners of their constitutional rights.
The ISRA’s motion is here.
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Topinka wants legal review of veto
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Comptroller Topinka…
This morning the Governor notified my office of his intention to eliminate the salaries and stipends of members of the General Assembly.
While I understand and appreciate the Governor’s focus on pension reform, real questions have been raised about the legality of his action.
Specifically, Section 11 of our State Constitution states that ‘changes in the salary of a member shall not take effect during the term for which he has been elected.’
Therefore, I have requested a legal review which should be completed before lawmakers are scheduled to receive their next paychecks on August 1, 2013.”
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* Here is House Speaker Michael Madigan’s full react to Gov. Pat Quinn’s line-item veto of legislative salaries and benefits…
“I have been working for many months to pass real, comprehensive pension reform. During the first Democratic Caucus of this General Assembly, I admonished our members that doing nothing or passing only a half measure on pension reform was not an option. This issue must be solved in order to put Illinois on a more secure financial path.
“I, along with Representative Nekritz, Leader Cross and the members who supported House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1, have been the only lawmakers willing to take a difficult vote that would lead to solvency in our pension systems. The Governor’s decision follows my efforts and I understand his frustration.
“I am hopeful his strategy works.”
Translation: Unless something drastic happens, there ain’t gonna be an override vote until pension reform passes.
This is a House Bill, sponsored by Madigan himself, so he alone controls what happens next.
* Senate President John Cullerton’s full react…
Lawmakers have worked hard this session. That work included passing a balanced budget, paying off hundreds of millions of dollars in old bills, cutting their own pay and numerous, serious bipartisan efforts to enact comprehensive pension reform.
The governor’s actions today are as unproductive as yesterday’s arbitrary deadline. Responsible leaders know that unworkable demands will only delay progress.
Our efforts on pensions will continue until we’ve reached our goal. In the meantime, the work of the pensions conference committee shouldn’t be undermined or deterred by today’s or future political grandstanding.
Cullerton can complain all he wants. The sponsor in the originating chamber controls the override motion’s fate. If MJM is with Quinn, then there won’t be an override.
…Adding… Commenter 47th Ward is again spot on…
Madigan must believe Quinn’s “strategy” will soften up the Senate more than causing a ruckus in the House. The pension debate is still Cullerton v. Madigan, and neither is yet willing to blink.
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Daley changes his stance on contributions
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Now we know why Bill Daley traveled to Springfield on a hot news day. Yeah, he wanted to get himself into the stories, but I think mainly he wanted to bury a position change…
Days after Bill Daley proposed strict campaign fundraising guidelines and promised to limit his own donations while a gubernatorial candidate, the former White House chief of staff reversed his stance Tuesday and said he would take in money this year while lawmakers are in session.
The Chicago Democrat rolled out his proposal to limit political fundraising last week, after he’d announced about $800,000 in political fundraising during the initial weeks since forming his 2014 exploratory committee.
Playing up Illinois’ dark history of political corruption, he called for reforms. He said once elected governor, he’d move to ban political contributions during the time that lawmakers meet in Springfield. That would apply to state lawmakers, statewide officeholders and candidates seeking those offices.
Then he vowed to extend that principle to himself this year, saying he would not take any political donations while lawmakers meet in Springfield — including sessions in July and later this fall.
But Daley pulled back from that idea Tuesday while addressing reporters outside the Illinois Capitol, where lawmakers were gathered inside. He explained the discrepancy by saying he was “correcting” his statements and that he wasn’t elected yet.
“I have no power to affect anything,” he said, adding that refusing to take donations on those days would “be just political grandstanding.”
I don’t disagree with this. Glenn Poshard killed his campaign by imposing his own campaign contribution caps. Sheila Simon lost what was believed to be a sure thing Carbondale mayoral race by doing the same. Get elected, then change the system.
But, obviously, Daley should’ve figured that out before he rolled out his initial announcement the other day. Not a good sign.
* More coverage…
Former White House Chief of Staff William Daley criticized Gov. Pat Quinn Tuesday for snubbing a hearing this week before a legislative panel the governor himself prescribed as the venue for solving the state’s nearly $100 billion pension crisis.
“It’s unfortunate the fiscal crisis, driven by the pension issue, doesn’t seem to be any further than it was the last time the Legislature was here,” Daley told reporters outside the Statehouse. “It’s unfortunate the governor didn’t meet with the conference [committee] members [Monday], have the opportunity to lay out exactly what he’s for, what the parameters of what he would accept [in a] deal.” […]
“He called for the conference [committee], and I don’t know what’s exactly happened in the last two-and-a-half weeks since the conference was created, how many times the governor has met with the members or other legislators to try to develop a plan and a solution to this crisis,” Daley continued. “But it’s unfortunate: It looks as though once again, there will be failure here today on the fiscal situation.”
* More…
Bill Daley, the former White House chief of staff and gun-control advocate who has launched a primary challenge to Quinn, slammed him for touting his proposed gun restrictions at high-profile community events rather than behind closed doors with lawmakers.
“I know he’s gone to churches and he’s prayed, but hope and praying are not a strategy,” Daley told reporters outside the Statehouse on Tuesday as the override vote loomed. “There wasn’t a concerted effort driven by the governor” to get the restrictions into the bill earlier.
“One would have to raise the question,” Daley added. “Was this a political statement or a real attempt to have a solution to a problem that plagues our state and nation?”
Quinn, in remarks to later to reporters, testily denied he’d been disengaged from the legislative process . “I spoke about this to members of the Legislature over and over again,” he said.
* Daley press conference audio in three parts…
Click to listen Part 1
Click to listen Part 2
Click to listen Part 3
Discuss.
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Dillard to announce Monday
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Another one makes the expected jump…
State Sen. Kirk Dillard told the Sun-Times today he will announce his bid for governor on Monday, in a two-day fly-around that will kick-off that morning outside of his Northwest Side childhood home.
Dillard (R-Hinsdale) will become the fourth Republican to compete in the gubernatorial primary. After the Chicago announcement, Dillard will head to Decatur, Peoria, Carbondale, Rockford, Rock Island and will conclude with a rally back on Dillard’s home turf in DuPage County.
* Meanwhile, a reader pointed out something to me the other day. James Liautaud, the Jimmy John’s founder who’s threatened repeatedly to move out of state, contributed $1,000 to Bruce Rauner’s campaign late last month.
Liautaud has been a supporter of both Bill Brady and Dan Rutherford in the past.
Treasurer Rutherford regularly touts his friendship with the submarine sandwich kingpin, but so far Rauner has been the sole recipient of Liautaud’s cash this year.
* And speaking of money…
Don’t count out Gov. Pat Quinn in the Dem primary race that reads like a dust-up with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley.
† To wit: Sneed hears that Quinn out-raised both potential opponents this last quarter.
† The numbers game: Sneed is told Quinn raised more than $1 million, while Madigan raised more than $600,000 and Daley raised more than $790,000.
Quinn also outraised Rauner in the second quarter.
So far, only Sneed and myself have highlighted this fact. The governor is truly getting no respect, perhaps deservingly so.
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Worst day ever?
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s hard to disagree with Dave McKinney’s analysis of yesterday’s drubbing…
Hoarse and unusually agitated, Gov. Pat Quinn went before cameras Tuesday to explain his resounding defeat on concealed-carry legislation and to tell voters one more time why he couldn’t exert his will over a Democratic-led state Legislature.
“Today was a bad day for public safety in Illinois,” the governor said.
But in fact, it was Quinn himself who had the bad day, perhaps one of the worst of his one-and-a-half terms as governor.
The Democratic governor was resoundingly mowed down by lawmakers in his effort to rewrite portions of the gun bill – even on something as basic as requiring a concealed-carry licensee to tell a cop if he or she is armed and to strengthen the state’s hand in keeping concealed weapons out of the hands of a gun owner who presents a “clear and present danger.” […]
One could argue Quinn has set out on a path to seek his second full term by running against the Legislature, whose members consistently rate lower in popularity than even the chronically unpopular Quinn.
But that strategy, as his concealed-carry and pension defeats show, leaves Quinn looking weak, which the governor strained to explain away Tuesday during his news conference.
“With respect to working and getting the job done, I think the people of Illinois know I work every day for their common good,” Quinn said.
Working every day for the common good is a fine thing. But you gotta show accomplishments in order to do good things. Doing ain’t exactly his strong suit.
* The Tribune editorial board was on point as well…
It wasn’t a good day for the governor. His veto was swiftly and summarily dismissed by an overwhelming number of lawmakers. His rhetoric — slapping this bill as some National Rifle Association diktat — didn’t ring true. It was the product of a difficult but balanced negotiation, compelled by the ruling of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
That’s exactly right. If Quinn wanted to be in the negotiations, he could’ve been. He chose to sit them out so he could do what he eventually did. Showmanship instead of leadership. But, hey, throwing rocks at the process has long been his thing.
* I tried twice to get Quinn to answer a simple question yesterday about why he or his staff weren’t in the room when the Legislature negotiated the concealed carry bill. He wouldn’t move off his talking points, then left after I pressed him a second time…
* This ain’t the end, however. Not by any means…
But the legislature’s decision to override Quinn and stick to its agreed-upon compromise may represent only a short-lived truce between gun rights advocates and gun control supporters in a state where there is a vast divergence over how firearms are viewed, dependent largely upon cultural and regional differences.
Even a late effort by lawmakers to amend another bill to reflect three mostly minor changes that the governor had proposed ended up falling short of the votes needed in the House after first passing the Senate. […]
Sen. Christine Radogno of Lemont, the Senate Republican leader, told colleagues that “I don’t think this is the last time we’re going to be discussing this issue.” And Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, a gun control supporter, said “it is a very safe bet that we will be back” fighting over changes in the new law. […]
Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said lawmakers “can and should add more protections to when and how people can carry guns in public places. I believe in give-and-take and compromise, but we can’t bargain away the safety of our families.”
Richard Pearson, who heads the Illinois State Rifle Association, cheered the vote of legislators to overcome Quinn’s efforts to make the legislation more restrictive. But he also said that the new law was “not perfect” and that it would be reviewed and fine-tuned when necessary.
The trailer bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate and got 62 House votes. It died in the House because it needed a super-majority due to its immediate effective date. That bill, and others, will likely pass next spring if they’re allowed to the floor.
* Related…
* How gun law works: Likely 2014 before permits issued
* New law gives suburbs 10 days to ban assault weapons
* Attorney General Lisa Madigan: Appealing federal court’s concealed-carry ruling now moot after override effort
* Concealed-carry legal in Illinois after Senate joins House in blocking Quinn’s amendatory veto
* Illinois lawmakers school governor with concealed carry override
* Despite Chicago bloodshed, Illinois will allow concealed carry
* 9 Illinois lawmakers skip historic concealed carry vote
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Here come the “consequences”
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC SCHEDULE
**Wednesday, July 10, 2013**
CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn will make a major budgetary announcement.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: James R. Thompson Center
Blue Room – 15th Floor
100 W. Randolph Street
Chicago, 60601
I’ll try to have live coverage. It’ll be on a separate post. ADDING: The live coverage post is here.
* AP…
Quinn hasn’t yet signed a key part of the Illinois budget that gives the state comptroller the ability to issue paychecks to tens of thousands of state employees.
The measure also provides money for agencies in charge of things like state campgrounds and running two state fairs. It contains a 250-page spending plan for state agencies.
The governor has until July 15 to sign House Bill 214. The fiscal year began July 1.
Any predictions?
…Adding… Here’s some advance coverage…
* ‘Arbitrary’ pension date passes: “The pension crisis will get dealt with,” state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, said. “It won’t be by some arbitrary date set by an irrelevant governor.”
* Quinn: Inaction on pensions ‘let down taxpayers’: “We don’t need any more excuses,” he said. We don’t need any more alibis.” He warned of consequences but declined to say exactly what he’d do. However, when asked, he didn’t deny the possibility of cutting legislative salaries from a pending budget bill.
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Morning video
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After Gov. Quinn’s repudiation yesterday over concealed carry, this Blackberry Smoke tune seems appropriate. I’ve been listening to it all morning while writing the Capitol Fax. Check it out…
Lyrics…
Well my fall from grace was a sight to see
Good turned to bad and bad turned to misery
I found out what it is and what it’s not
And all I ask for sure ain’t what I got
Well I’ve been rained on, rode hard and put up wet
Danced with the Devil ’til I’m in debt
Took all I got and there ain’t much left of me
I’ve been knocked down, drug out and left for dead
Barely held together by a few old threads
And I’m still here, there ain’t much left to see, no
Well I’m still holding on and there ain’t much left of me
Thought that I hit bottom but I ain’t there yet
‘Cause you’d be surprised of how low a man can get
I watched stolen dreams slip through my hands
And now I’m getting out of here still while I still can
Well I’ve been rained on, rode hard and put up wet
Danced with the devil ’til I’m in debt
Took all I got and there ain’t much left of me
I’ve been knocked down, drug out and left for dead
Barely held together by a few old threads
And I’m still here, there ain’t much left to see,no
Well I’m still holding on and there ain’t much left of me
That’s right
Well my fall from grace was a sight to see
Nobody even cared what became of me
Do I have to get down on my knees
And ask the Lord, Lord have mercy on me
Well I’ve been rained on, rode hard and put up wet
Danced with the Devil ’til I’m in debt
Took all I got and there ain’t much left of me
I’ve been knocked down, drug out and left for dead
Barely held together by a few old threads
And I’m still here, there ain’t much left to see, no
Well I’m still holding on and there ain’t much left of me
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Amanda Vinicky…
At least one of those ideas, I’m told, is to call out the National Guard. You may recall that Rod Blagojevich offered to do that several years ago.
* The Question: Should Gov. Pat Quinn call out the National Guard to patrol the most violent Chicago neighborhoods? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey tools
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The expectations game
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As subscribers already know, I have a much different take on this topic…
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s campaign reported Monday taking in nearly $530,000 in new contributions, according to campaign records. Add another $100k since April 1 and the fund-raising surge puts Lisa Madigan in striking distance of $5 million in total cash-on-hand when the reporting period ends. The total outpaces two other Democratic gubernatorial potential candidates: Gov. Pat Quinn and William Daley, however Quinn held his own in larger donations over the last few weeks. […]
Insiders have said the attorney general was working to close out the second period in commanding fashion, hoping to reach $5 million. The filing deadline for the second period is July 15th.
The newest campaign disclosures include a $52,600 boost from DRIVE Teamsters Political Action Committee, another $10,600 from SEIU and tens of thousands more from teachers unions and other employee unions.
Lisa Madigan would have to do little more than sign her name to be reelected once again as Illinois Attorney General. So if not for a gubernatorial campaign, where will the $5 million go?
She was outraised this past quarter by Gov. Quinn, Bill Daley and Bruce Rauner. She raised a lot less money in the second quarter than she raised in the first quarter. The spin out of her campaign yesterday was that she reached her $5 million goal, but that wasn’t a quarter of somebody gearing up extremely hard for a major statewide race. Her first quarter was. I don’t know if this means she’s not running or just didn’t put in enough time and effort, but either way, she didn’t beat expectations.
* And, eventually, she’s gonna have to talk about this stuff…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan- still undecided about running for Governor- would not divulge her positions on concealed carry or pension reform.
“We’ll see what’s happening in Springfield. This is now in the hands of the Legislature,” said Madigan.
I get why she’s trying to avoid answering questions, but she can’t continue this for much longer if she wants to run for governor.
* Meanwhile, there has been no talk outside of this one Tribune article about a Downstate Democrat running for governor. I’m not even sure who it would be…
“Right now, (Downstate Democrats) see the choices and it’s two Chicago guys,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, the Harrisburg Democrat who helped negotiate the legislature’s compromise bill from the gun-owner rights perspective. “I think there might be some other people who will get into this race.” […]
As for a potential Downstate Democratic contender for governor who has the credibility and gravitas to run, Phelps said he believes some possible candidates are waiting to see if Madigan enters the contest. “A lot of us (Downstate Democrats) will get together. I think there’s some people looking at horses to ride,” he said.
Can you think of anybody?
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A complete farce
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pat Quinn again threatened unspecified “consequences” if the General Assembly doesn’t approve pension reform today…
“It’s time for them to do their job. If they don’t do their job by tomorrow, there will be consequences,” said Gov. Pat Quinn. […]
“They’ve refused to act. We’re not going to take it any longer,” said Gov. Quinn.
We’ve already discussed what one of those consequences might be.
* Meanwhile, yesterday’s testimony by Quinn budget director Jerry Stermer was a complete farce…
During the hearing, members of both parties were stymied by Quinn’s budget chief, Jerry Stermer, who would only offer vague answers when asked about what new plan the governor was prepared to offer up. Stermer also wouldn’t say why the governor rebuffed the committee’s invitation to personally testify at Monday’s meeting.
“Part of the difficulty in our discussion today is you’re answering in a lot of generalities. If the governor were here, it would be difficult for him to just answer in generalities,” state Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), the committee’s chairman, told Stermer.
“So I’m just curious, where is the governor? What’s more important for him today? He was invited to be here,” Raoul said.
Stermer responded that in the letter Raoul sent the administration seeking testimony before the committee, he invited either “the governor or his designee” to appear.
“My letter was to him, so I assume he declined,” Raoul pressed.
“He sent his designee, as requested,” Stermer shot back.
More…
Stermer would not get specific about what sort of plan the governor would like the see come out of the committee process. “The governor’s proposal has been and continues to be: We need a comprehensive solution that stabilizes these systems and enables the systems to actually pay the pensions of the people who have earned them, will erase the unfunded ability, get to 100 percent funding and end the squeeze on the major obligations of state government,” he said. He parroted these components as a response to questions from the committee so many times that his repetition eventually drew laughter from the public audience.
Sheesh.
* An extremely important point…
Publicly, Quinn said he wants lawmakers to act on pension reform by July 9. He’s warned of consequences if the deadline isn’t met, but hasn’t specified what those consequences are.
Raoul, though, said Quinn’s office asked pension actuaries to analyze savings on some reform ideas and was told the numbers wouldn’t be available until July 12 at the earliest, three days after the deadline he set for lawmakers to act.
The governor’s people have been negotiating behind the scenes and have come up with their own reform outline (subscribe for more info). which they submitted for actuarial review late last month. And even though the analysis of their own plan won’t be finished until July 12th, Quinn is still sticking to his “consequences” line.
It’s a total spin job, but most of the media hasn’t yet challenged Quinn on it.
More…
Raoul said the group is getting two different messages from Quinn: the sound bites for the media and their own interactions with Stermer. Quinn’s office made some suggestions that actuaries are also working on. The estimates on Quinn’s proposals will not be complete until July 12.
“The reason that I invited the governor was because there was a bit of an inconsistency as to what was being said from his office publicly and the work that Mr. Stermer, the representative of his office, was doing privately. So you want to know which is which. Am I wasting my time with Mr. Stermer and having these discussions? Should I be listening to … Brooke Anderson? Who’s telling the truth here? The only person who could resolve that — you know, the buck stops at the governor.”
* Related…
* Quinn budget chief scolds pension panel, gets payment in kind
* Pension committee hears higher ed testimony
* Lawmakers continue hunt for pension crisis fix
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*** UPDATE *** Twitters…
*** UPDATE 2 *** No vote in Senate Exec. Caucuses will now meet to discuss what to do about the amendment, or any amendment. Then a vote on the override.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Quinn’s legislative office has been making calls, but they haven’t succeeded in stopping an override of the concealed carry bill yet. If this is gonna be a “showdown,” then the governor will lose the battle…
“There will be a showdown in Springfield,” Quinn told the crowd gathered in Chicago for a bill signing on anti-gang legislation. Afterward he told reporters that lawmakers should examine his changes carefully.
“I don’t think they should override common sense. I don’t think they should compromise with public safety,” he said.
The political war, however, is already “won,” in Cook County, at least. The governor’s AV was a purely political document. It got him just what he wanted: Tons of publicity portraying him as an anti-gun, crime-fighting white knight.
* This is crud…
“The legislature thinks that bill that they put on my desk is acceptable– having guns in bars. I don’t. I think the people of Illinois agree with me,” Gov. Quinn said.
Taverns make more than half their revenues off of liquor, so concealed carry was already prohibited in the original bill. The media really needs to do some basic fact checking here.
* A somewhat incomplete quote…
“I was in five parades on the fourth of July. I didn’t hear one person complain about what I did,” says Governor Pat Quinn while speaking to a Chicago crowd. “I heard many people agree with what I did for common-sense gun safety laws.”
Those parades were all in the Chicago area. But here’s something else he said…
“I’ve been all across, uh, talking to a lot of people since last Tuesday, and the people of Illinois understand common sense.”
He couldn’t say he’s been all across Illinois, so he stopped himself short. Listen to his full presser…
* Another quote…
“I would say to legislators tomorrow, ‘Do not genuflect before the National Rifle Association.’ They do not understand public safety in the Land of Lincoln.”
Quinn also said it was “total baloney” that he wasn’t involved with the concealed carry bill. As far as doing the hard work of crafting a bill, he definitely was not involved. Quinn didn’t want any sort of ownership of this legislation, so that’s why he stayed out of the negotiations and issued an AV.
* But…
Senate President John Cullerton said issues raised by Quinn’s changes were worth discussing and could come up again down the road.
“Even though the Senate president will be supporting the override so that we don’t waste any time getting reasonable regulations on the books, he did think that there are a lot of issues raised in the amendatory veto that are worth further discussion,” Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said.
That’s why you should keep an eye on the Senate Exec Committee today.
* The other side…
“Here’s the deal, we have a compromised bill and both sides of the aisle, both chambers have agreed to this. We’ve got a lot of votes in both chambers, I don’t think anybody wants to go back on their word, on the compromise,” explains bill sponsor Representative Brandon Phelps.
Phelps says lawmakers will attempt to override the governor’s changes in a special session on Tuesday, and he and other downstate lawmakers are confident they can do it.
“I imagine, based upon the votes that took place previously on the concealed carry legislation, that it will be overridden tomorrow, and that southern Illinois will lead the way,” says Representative John Bradley.
If lawmakers are successful in the override vote, the law would give State Police 180 days to implement the new program. Once that time is up, FOID card holders can apply for the $150 dollar, 5-year permit. State Police would be required to issue that permit within 90 days.
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* After the Supreme Court’s DOMA ruling, state Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) said she was much more inclined to vote for the gay marriage bill. No more…
But the South Side lawmaker made a clear retreat from that stance Monday, the day a new automated phone call campaign against the issue was announced. The calls into several minority-majority House districts feature the voice of the Rev. James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist Church and a former South Side state senator opposed to same-sex marriage.
“My statement [late last month] was that we really don’t want to deny certain people their rights to Social Security or pension benefits because some states have marriage equality and others do not. However, I, Monique Davis, have no intention of voting for the bill,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I really wish them the very best,” she said, referring to advocates for the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. “They have 70 people they can go to and drum up some more votes.”
* She’s not the only one being targeted by the new round of robocalls…
Other legislators being targeted in the new wave of phone calls are Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood), Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago), Rep. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago), Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan), Rep. Esther Golar (D-Chicago) and Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria), said Sean Howard, a spokesman for the African American Clergy Coalition.
Howard said the 60-second phone call featuring Meeks cost “multiple thousands of dollars” and was underwritten by Family PAC, a conservative Republican political-action committee led by activist Paul Caprio.
* Meanwhile, pro gay marriage forces are running ads on black-oriented radio stations featuring President and Mrs. Obama. Listen…
* Script…
VO1: You know what? It’s not fair that in some states, gay couples can get married and have all the rights that go along with it – but not in Illinois.
VO2: Not in Illinois? That’s not fair.
VO1: Nope. And that means gay couples don’t get treated equally when it comes to taxes, Social Security, or Medicare. Listen to what President Obama had to say about it:
President Barack Obama: Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. For if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.
VO2: So our President’s out there for marriage equality?
VO1: And Michelle, too. Here’s what she said:
First Lady Michelle Obama: In a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn’t right. So, it’s as simple as that.
Announcer: Join President and Mrs. Obama and folks across our community who believe in fairness. Tell your legislators to pass the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.
Paid for by Illinois Unites for Marriage.
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Bill Daley coming to Springfield
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Twitters…
Daley plans to speak to reporters at 10:30 11 o’clock (he changed the time). He’s criticized Quinn for failing to get involved in the concealed carry negotiations, and has expressed outrage over the failure to pass pension reform. So, he’ll have plenty to talk about.
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