* If you watched the Belleville News-Democrats’ video of Gov. Rauner’s media availability that I posted earlier today, you might’ve noticed there appeared to be a gap in the video after this question…
Governor, you’ve mentioned a lot of your support of the Second Amendment. I’m curious what are your thoughts on counties declaring themselves sanctuary counties when it comes to protecting that right?
Click here for background on this topic if you need it.
* So, I asked Belleville News-Democrat reporter Joe Bustos if he had the full video. He didn’t, but Joe very graciously transcribed this from his own audio recording…
Well, I’m a gun owner, I’m a hunter, I’m a supporter of the Second Amendment. We have had a bipartisan commission working on public safety. What we got to do is find ways to increase (and) improve public safety, especially keep our schools, our school children safer, keep our police officers safer, protect our communities, keep guns out of the hands of criminals and mentally ill, while protecting the Second Amendment. So, we’re coming forward with our proposals on that in the very near future in the coming days.
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* WJBC…
The Democratic candidate for Illinois Governor favors term limits for lawmakers holding leadership positions in the General Assembly like long-time House Speaker Michael Madigan and Bloomington’s Bill Brady, who’s the Senate Minority Leader. […]
Pritzker declared himself the most independent candidate for governor in a long time.
“I’ve run a completely independent campaign,” Pritzker said.
“People don’t go to Mike Madigan because they want to win a popularity contest by having his endorsement. They go to him because he can be helpful to them by raising money. I have not raised any outside dollars,” said the billionaire businessman.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The rest of the quote…
I have my whole life been an independent Democrat and demonstrated those values and the things that I’ve done. Mike Madigan wasn’t around when I expanded the school breakfast program, at least I wasn’t working with Mike Madigan to get that done.
I wasn’t involved with Mike Madigan in any way when we built the Holocaust Museum that teaches those kids from all across the state to fight bigotry and hatred.
And I come in as an independent Democrat who has a set of beliefs and values that I’m going to carry out as governor that I hope that he will help us enact but the truth of the matter is that we’re going to go get a lot done, and I’m going to sit in the room, get a budget done with the guy, and unlike Bruce Rauner, we’re actually going to work together on the things that are good for working families, but I’m going to be truly independent.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Will Allison at the Rauner campaign has his own rating: Thumbs down…
Madigan’s power isn’t fundraising, it’s running a rigged system. The same system Pritzker needed to get through the primary despite spending $70 million. And Pritzker’s commitment to the system is why he hasn’t called out Madigan for blocking terms limits and redistricting reform.
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* Press release…
On the heels of the failure of the General Assembly to advance two major initiatives to help end the culture of corruption in Illinois, Gov. Bruce Rauner and Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) today proposed giving Illinois the toughest public corruption penalties in the country to hold public officials accountable.
“State government needs to earn back the trust of the people,” Rauner said. “This legislation sends a strong message to politicians and public employees who think they are above the law that Illinois is fighting back.”
House Bill 5878, sponsored and introduced by Rep. Wehrli, increases or imposes firm penalties for more than 20 offenses to hold politicians and government accountable.
“Public corruption has eroded Illinois’ economy and morale for far too long,” Wehrli said. “Our citizens deserve honesty and integrity in their leaders and public employees. These penalty increases will impose more serious consequences for those looking to take advantage of our taxpayers and encourage good government for generations to come.”
* Not sure why the governor did this on a Friday afternoon with a brand new bill introduced two weeks after the House’s 3rd Reading deadline, but here are the deets…
Bribery
Increases maximum penalty from a $25,000 fine to a $1 million fine
Receiving contributions on state property
Doubles maximum fine from $5,000 to $10,000
Engaging in prohibited political activities
Increases maximum fine from $2,500 to $10,000
Improperly serving on state boards and commissions
Increases maximum fine from $5,000 to $35,000
Legislators abusing their power for financial gain by:
Accepting honorarium
Upgraded from an ethics violation to a Class A Misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $5,100, plus surrender of honorarium to the state
Lobbying for compensation or unlawful participation in representation cases
Increases maximum fine from $2,500 to $200,000
Accepting other compensation for official duties
Upgrades classification from Petty Offense to Class A Misdemeanor and increases maximum fine from $1,000 to $200,000
Engaging in corrupt activities that violate the Legislator Code of Conduct
Sets minimum penalties for specific violations ranging from $1,000 to $35,000
* More…
Penalties will also increase for any legislator, public official or public employee fraudulently obtaining public moneys reserved for disadvantaged business enterprises and willfully filing false or incomplete financial disclosure statements.
Finally, the proposed legislation implements a $50 fine for any legislator, public official or public employee who knowingly fails to comply with ethics or sexual harassment prevention training.
“I’m not giving up and neither should the people of Illinois,” Rauner said. “We will continue to propose real reforms that stop politicians and political hires from using the powers of the Illinois government for illegitimate private gain.”
If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that penalty enhancement bills mainly exist to let politicians gloat that they’re being tough on crime.
* But, hey, as I’ve been saying all along, Gov. Rauner’s campaign is gonna be all about taxes, Madigan and corruption. So we can likely expect lots of noise about Madigan increasing the “corruption tax” by not allowing the most fabulous “anti-corruption” bill ever (!) out of Rules Committee.
Such is life.
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Who watches the watchdogs?
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hmm…
* The BGA story’s headline is: “Police Shooting Bill On Fast-track Because It Changes Little”…
After passing the Senate last month 49-0, the Raoul bill is expected to speed through the House without opposition from a powerful police lobby well-known for pushing back hard on new mandates from Springfield.
A likely reason for the restraint is that the bill does not demand independent or civilian oversight, sets forth no parameters for what should be included in the policy reviews, provides no funding to conduct the investigations and leaves it to local police chiefs to decide how to conduct them. […]
“Everything that I have done in law enforcement and criminal justice reform, I’ve done incrementally,” [Sen. Kwame Raoul] said. “I’m open to seeing what would happen with it in whatever capacity I will be serving in the future. I anticipate having a voice in this, and using it.” […]
“If those critics have the revenue source to fund the investigative agency that could police every police department, I’m all ears,” he said. “Things aren’t as easy as flipping a switch.”
* Only one witness slip has so far been filed on this bill and it was from a proponent…
The fact that the Better Government Association was actively lobbying in favor of Raoul’s bill was never mentioned in the BGA’s story about Raoul’s bill.
Odd.
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Question of the day
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTTW…
After recovering its 100th assault weapon this year, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson is renewing his call on Springfield to pass comprehensive gun reforms.
Johnson on Thursday said his department has seized 106 “high-powered assault” weapons so far this year, marking a 34-percent increase over the same time period last year, while also touting 14-straight months of gun violence reductions in the city.
* MM…
* Synopsis…
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Defines “assault weapon”. Provides that a person commits the offense of unlawful sale or delivery of firearms when he or she knowingly delivers any assault weapon without withholding delivery of the assault weapon for at least 72 hours, including to a nonresident of the State while at a firearm showing or display recognized by the Department of State Police. Provides that a violation is a Class 4 felony. Effective immediately.
The definition is here.
* The Question: Should Gov. Rauner sign this bill? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
find bike trails
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Simple solutions are usually neither
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
The foundation that supports the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum indicated Thursday that prestigious memorabilia tied to the home-state 16th president could be sold to help pay back a loan taken out to buy a trove of items more than a decade ago. […]
Officials sounded the alarm bell publicly after meeting with aides to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner this week but “receiving no financial commitments.” The Lincoln officials added that they’ve asked state lawmakers for money three times, to no avail.
A Rauner spokeswoman called the museum “a jewel for the state.”
“We are certainly interested in working with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation as they work through their options,” Patty Schuh said. “We are listening to their business plan.”
* On principle, this “solution” is a horrible idea…
If they set that precedent, then every single time something went wrong they’d be pressured into paying for it out of their own pockets. State Fair grandstand roof unexpectedly collapses? No worries, let JB and Bruce pick up the tab. As wealthy as both men are, they don’t have enough money to fix everything themselves. It’s why we have a government.
But the state budget is so tight that government money to solve the private foundation’s entire $9.7 million debt problem seems unlikely. And, of course, it is a private, not a government, foundation.
* A better solution might be if both the governor and Pritzker agreed to actively participate in a fundraising drive, and then maybe Gov. Rauner could try to scrounge up a little bit of state cash to help them along, or maybe find a way to give them a state loan.
Whatever the case, Rauner is right. The museum/library is a “jewel” and therefore he shouldn’t allow it to degrade on his watch. The library’s collection draws researchers from all over the world. And since the loan is due in October of 2019, Pritzker has a stake in making sure it doesn’t happen while he might be in charge.
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* Stateline…
Seven months after the #MeToo movement began, state lawmakers across the country are still grappling with how to root out what many say is a longstanding misogynist culture in statehouses. After dozens of sexual harassment accusations against sitting male state lawmakers, at least 16 legislators in a dozen states have resigned or been expelled, according to a Stateline tally.
In many states, accused lawmakers were knocked from leadership posts, or voluntarily relinquished them, while remaining in office. Others apologized and kept their positions, or maintain their innocence.
As many legislative sessions end, many of the substantial policy changes that state lawmakers were hoping for — such as creating a private and safe method for victims to come forward and a nonpartisan way for bad behavior to be punished — remain elusive.
Many female state lawmakers, as well as consultants working to help legislatures prevent harassment, say there is still a long way to go before women feel entirely safe reporting harassment, and before men who engage in harassment or assault are held accountable. […]
State lawmakers this year have mostly focused on “low-hanging fruit,” said Andrea Johnson, senior counsel for state policy at the National Women’s Law Center. At least 11 legislative chambers have updated their harassment policies. At least three of those policies now explain that everyone who works in, or visits, the statehouse is protected from harassment.
In at least a dozen states, legislatures have begun hosting more in-depth or frequent anti-harassment trainings. And at least three states — Delaware, Illinois and Virginia — enacted laws to make this training mandatory. […]
One thing, at least, has changed: Some more senior female state lawmakers say they no longer hesitate to speak out when they see what they perceive to be harassment.
Are you noticing any changes?
* Related…
* Republicans Still Seek Candidate To Challenge Villivalam In November: Niles Township Republican Committeeman Chris Hanusiak said a suitable candidate has not yet been found to run against Ram Villivalam who defeated incumbent State Sen. Ira Silverstein in the March 20 Gubernatorial Primary.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers about this angry floor debate the day after it happened. Here’s the Chicago Reader’s take…
In the statehouse, Democratic and Republican state representatives sit on opposite sides of a narrow aisle, but they might as well be on different sides of an ocean as far as their worldviews go.
The latest evidence is a contentious debate that occurred last month over the voting rights of pretrial detainees—folks who have been arrested and jailed but are awaiting trial so are not technically guilty of a crime.
On one side of the debate were Democrats, all of them black. On the other side were Republicans, all of them white.
Go read the whole thing.
* According to Rep. Litesa Wallace, that divisive debate and several other events helped spark her to introduce HB5877…
Creates the Racial Impact Note Act. Provides that every bill which has or could have a disparate impact on racial and ethnic minorities, upon the request of any member, shall have prepared for it, before second reading in the house of introduction, a brief explanatory statement or note that shall include a reliable estimate of the anticipated impact on those racial and ethnic minorities likely to be impacted by the bill. Specifies the contents, and provides for the preparation, of each racial impact note.
Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Prohibits racial discrimination and harassment by State officers and employees. Provides that each State officer and employee shall annually complete a racial bias, discrimination, and harassment training program approved by the appropriate jurisdictional authority. Expands the jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission to include allegations of racial discrimination and harassment by persons registered under the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that the personnel policies of units of local government shall prohibit racial discrimination and harassment. Defines “racial discrimination and harassment”. Provides for rulemaking, including emergency rulemaking.
Amends the Secretary of State Act. Provides the Secretary of State’s Inspector General with jurisdiction to investigate complaints of racial discrimination and harassment by persons registered under the Lobbyist Registration Act.
Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Prohibits racial discrimination and harassment by persons registered under the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that each registered lobbyist shall annually complete a racial bias, discrimination, and harassment training program approved by the Secretary of State. Defines “racial discrimination and harassment”.
Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Requires the Department of Human Rights to establish a racial discrimination and harassment hotline for the anonymous reporting of racial discrimination and harassment in both public and private places of employment, and to provide for reporting by both telephone and Internet. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.
Discuss.
* Other bills…
* ADDED: Bill providing more oversight on grant spending advances at statehouse: The measure also would provide a blackout period before elections to keep the state’s constitutional officers from putting their names on such programs or grants to gain a political advantage, “so they cannot make grant announcements and things that I think the public is suspicious of in the weeks before an election,” he said.
* Illinois lawmakers weigh ban on all formulas of synthetic pot after deaths: Now, a measure that cleared the state Senate this week would ban all types of synthetic cannabinoids instead of just specific formulas. It’s a “catch-all” approach designed to prevent manufacturers from circumventing laws that only ban specific chemical combinations. Drugs that would be prohibited include any synthetic cannabinoids as well as piperazines or synthetic cathinones that are not approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
* Video gambling brings millions to Illinois, but casino cities aren’t seeing the benefits: The Illinois Casino Association sees one area for future casino growth: internet gaming, said Tom Swoik, executive director of the association, which represents five of the state’s 10 casinos and does not cover those in Aurora or Elgin. It could encourage people, especially young people, to return to casinos, he said.
* Lawmakers Seek Change To Graduate Student Employee Contract: After a 12-day strike beginning in February, the University of Illinois and graduate student employees settled on a new contract that includes pay raises and tuition waiver protections. Now lawmakers want to clarify who is eligible for those benefits.
* Edwardsville legislator wants independent study of SIUE-SIUC funding split: “The days of Carbondale serving as the main campus and Edwardsville serving as a satellite campus are distant history,” Stuart said.
* Illinois lawmakers pass on proposal to get slowpokes out of the fast lane: There was little interest from the committee, which didn’t call it for a vote. Oberweis said he considers it a dead issue.
* Lawmakers debate governor’s pension cost shift proposal: “I would rather land on something that members of this body can vote for and the governor can sign than us file a bill, it gets called, it gets voted down and then we’re left with nothing,” Zigmund said.
* Measure requiring schools that are polling places to send kids home on election day heard in committee: State Rep. Margo McDermed’s House Bill 4557 would require – rather than encourage – a school district to close a school or hold a teachers’ institute day if the school is a polling place on election day. “Schools are getting rightly leery of such dangerous strangers as voters coming into their schools and interacting with children who may be there,” McDermed, R-Mokena, said Thursday in a subject matter hearing.
* Debate over driverless car technology continues in Illinois: Wednesday’s discussions also veered into some of the unanswered questions about the technology, including issues of liability. For instance, in case of a crash, who would be liable for injuries or fatalities, the owner or passenger or the manufacturer?
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The hard truth about Illinois’ future
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Back to former Gov. Jim Edgar’s appearance on a panel discussion hosted by AARP Illinois and NPR Illinois…
Though [panelists] all said the situation is slightly better than it was last year, the state is still in a terrible position and that it will take years and fiscal discipline to climb out of, they said.
“There are no silver bullets to these problems,” Edgar said. “There isn’t going to be a one-year solution. Whatever the solutions are going to be, they are going to be very unpleasant to everybody. There’s going to be more taxes, cuts in programs, and, probably the hardest thing, we’re going to have to stay on that dive for many years. It took us 20 years to get into this hole, and it’s going to take us a lot of years to get out of it. But we need to start.”
As we’ve already discussed, this hole took us more than 20 years to dig. That’s why we can’t have an “all or nothing” governor. We simply cannot climb out of this in one year, or two years, or three, or…
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* From a BN-D article about the potential split between SIU’s Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses…
Gov. Bruce Rauner said he was “very supportive of both campuses.”
“There are a lot of discussions underway,” he said. “I want just to make sure SIU in Carbondale and SIU in Edwardsville do exceptional work and continue to get great support … Whether they’re together or separate, I want to make sure they thrive and continue to do an outstanding job.”
J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic nominee challenging Rauner in the coming election, said that under Rauner, many students have left the state or chosen not to attend in Illinois because of “the dysfunction in our higher education system because Bruce Rauner has failed to fund it.”
“One of the reasons we’ve had to look at making changes in the university system is because Bruce Rauner has driven faculty out and driven students out,” Pritzker said. “Again, the principle behind whatever decision gets made here ought to be what’s best for the future of building up our universities, not tearing them down.”
BN-D video of Gov. Rauner’s full remarks is here.
Discuss.
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Dems look to put Rauner in another trick bag
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Public Radio…
Illinois gubernatorial candidates will soon receive a written pledge in the mail asking them to support the new law expanding abortion coverage — and oppose any push to repeal it.
After Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law providing abortion coverage under state health insurance and Medicaid, some — like state Rep. Jeanne Ives who ran against him on the GOP ticket in the primary — said it showed Rauner’s position on the issue is too liberal. According to Ives, the governor’s decision encouraged her to run as his opponent.
Several lawmakers in the General Assembly have filed three different proposals meant to repeal the law, but none were assigned to a committee for further consideration.
* WCIA TV…
Most lawmakers admit a repeal is unrealistic, many republicans are calling the press conference a political hit job on the governor.
“I can’t imagine what the threat could be it’s the law now, we as the minority party don’t have the votes to repeal it so again I just think it’s a political ploy by the democrats to try and draw some attention to it,” says Rep. Tim Butler (R) Springfield. […]
“I think he owes it to the women of this state to sign the pledge and to say that he will never support a repeal of it. That’s not a lot to ask for a person who’s running for the highest office in this state,” says Rep. Feigenholtz (D) Chicago, the chief architect of the legislation.
Rauner campaigned as a pro-choice candidate. When HB40 came to his desk he told republicans he’d veto it but later changed his mind. Democrats say they need to know he won’t go back on his word, again.
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* Tribune…
An attorney for an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican State Central Committee says his client may go to court to try to reverse a decision by the Illinois State Board of Elections — a move that could affect who becomes the next state GOP chairman.
State Board officials said they had no choice under law Thursday but to certify the results of county conventions held previously across the state that elected a member of the state central committee from each of the state’s 18 congressional districts. Those 18 will decide — by a weighted vote of GOP ballots cast in the March primary — whether to keep Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s handpicked chairman, Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider, or opt for challenger Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw. […]
John Fogarty, the legal counsel for the state GOP, dismissed Boulton’s criticism that vote tallying at the county conventions lacked safeguards.
“These are political elections. They are not any type of election that the state can come in and force, order with election judges and the like. These are county conventions and the counties are perfectly able to conduct these elections in the manner that they see fit,” Fogarty said.
* WCIA TV…
The results showed State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) won. He could be the deciding vote, but critics say the process was rigged.
According to Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections, ISBE has no legal authority over the party rules.
“All we are able to do under state statute is accept the results when the party gives them to us from their county conventions and certify those results, which are then used to elect the state chairman,” Dietrich said. […]
“Sen. Rose and the 17 other members of the State Central Committee will be seated at the upcoming meeting and will cast their votes for party chairman,” ILGOP spokesman Aaron DeGroot stated. “We look forward to completing this important party business and focusing our efforts to defeat JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan in the upcoming November election.”
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* I went over these comments by former Gov. Jim Edgar with subscribers this morning, so I’ll just let you debate them in comments…
The former governor said factors making it easier are that the income tax increase was taken care of last year, a slew of legislators are retiring at the end of this year and there’s intense pressure on lawmakers from voters to get something done. Edgar thinks it is especially crucial for Rauner to have a budget done ahead of his re-election campaign.
“I think he needs a budget as much as anyone in the state,” Edgar said. “I’m not sure he understands that, but I can tell him — and I’ve told him in the past — nothing’s more important for a governor than having a good budget because that allows you to manage the state to do your job. And if you do your job, it’s going to be a lot easier to get re-elected.” […]
But given that the governor is tasked with implementing the budget, Edgar said the process works better when the governor is involved. For instance, Edgar said the Department of Corrections would not have faced problems as simple as finding gas money if he had been involved in last year’s budget. […]
“To be able to win the state, you need more than just Republican votes,” Edgar said. “Democrats can win with just Democratic votes. But a Republican needs independents and, as I always said, thoughtful Democrats. And so, that’s why the budget is so important to him as well as it is to the entire state.”
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* RGA…
The Belleville News Democrat is taking Illinois Democrat gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker and his top ally, House Speaker Mike Madigan, to task for opposing political reforms and proposing massive tax hikes on already overtaxed families.
Madigan, without a word of opposition from Pritzker, killed efforts to allow Illinoisans to vote on reforms backed by GOP Governor Bruce Rauner, such as term limits. Rauner has made supporting term limits one of his signature issues, and newly released footage shows Pritzker making clear that he opposes term limits.
Instead, Pritzker and Madigan are pushing massive tax hikes but “refuse to offer specifics.” The Belleville News Democrat editorial board calls the Pritzker-Madigan tax hike plan a “cause for more worry.”
“They want more money,” writes the paper.
The contrast in the Illinois governor’s race could not be more clear: GOP Governor Bruce Rauner is committed to reforms to fix Illinois’ broken political system and lower taxes, while J.B. Pritzker and Mike Madigan want no reform and much higher taxes.
Taxes, Madigan, corruption. Rinse and repeat through November.
* From that editorial…
On Tuesday, after some budget progress between Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislative leaders, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said this: “We have a general understanding, I think, about how much money we have coming in and there’s some variables in terms of — we have a general idea of I think how much we need to spend.”
“Need to spend.” Right there is the problem.
You know how much money your family has, and must adjust your spending. Springfield figures out how much money you can produce, and must adjust how much less money you will have.
Illinoisans just were forced to give another $5 billion when lawmakers overrode a veto to increase the state income tax rate to 4.95 percent. It still isn’t enough, so there is a push for a progressive tax. They keep saying it is a “soak the rich” tax — funny coming from rich guys like Madigan and Pritzker — but they continue to refuse to offer specifics so we can see who really gets soaked.
They want more money. They don’t push taxation that doesn’t produce more money.
Thoughts?
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* Tribune yesterday afternoon at 4:32…
With more money come more problems. Illinois is scheduled to get $108 million as part of the Volkswagen diesel scandal settlement, but critics of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, who are preparing to disburse the funds, say Illinoisans are not getting enough input on how to apply the funds.
“They purported for over a year on their website that they were going to have public meetings, public hearings to decide the best way to spend this money,” said John Walton, chair of Chicago Area Clean Cities, a group of government and corporate organizations that works toward reducing pollution. “There have been zero public meetings. There have been zero public hearings.”
Alec Messina, director of the IEPA, said the IEPA met with many agencies and advocacy groups over the feedback period from Feb. 28 to April 20, that the IEPA never turned down a meeting request, and that the public was also welcome to submit comments by mail.
“I would not agree that there have not been public sessions for people to weigh in. We’ve hosted a number of targeted meetings with people since this information has become available,” said Messina, who added that what the IEPA does with the feedback or whether it will be made public has yet to be determined.
* 33 minutes later…
Amid mounting pressure from critics, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is reversing course and agreeing to hold three public meetings on how $109 million in settlement cash from the Volkswagen air-emissions scandal should be spent.
The decision follows complaints by environmentalists, health groups, advocates for alternative fuels and some state lawmakers who said Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Alec Messina was cutting backroom deals with big-business representatives on how to spend the windfall. The outrage followed reporting by the Better Government Association.
The meetings will be held May 23 in Springfield, May 24 in East St. Louis and May 30 in Chicago. Each meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will include public comment, according to the state agency.
Messina had previously balked at holding open meetings, arguing they weren’t necessary and wouldn’t draw enough attendees.
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Ineffective, untimely and non-transparent
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The AP’s write-up on the latest WBEZ story about the Quincy veterans’ home…
The Illinois Department of Labor reproach focused on emails that Illinois Veterans Home administrators sent to state workers, WBEZ Chicago reported Thursday. State labor officials said the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs “failed to effectively notify all employees” about the outbreak. Labor officials also said the veterans’ agency didn’t instruct workers about “proper precautions to avoid or eliminate exposure in a timely manner.” […]
Illinois Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries, who will step down from that post next week, said Quincy employees were kept informed about the outbreak through emails, meetings and informational material posted at nursing stations.
“We communicated effectively to our staff and to our residents and certainly to the family members of each resident that was exhibiting signs and symptoms of pneumonia,” she said in a statement.
Her spokesman, Dave MacDonna, said the veterans’ affairs department “has been transparent concerning its response to the outbreak in 2015 and has provided thousands of documents to both members of the media and the General Assembly.”
Um, Rauner’s own Department of Labor directly disputes the notion that IDVA “communicated effectively” to staff. Labor specifically reported that the agency “failed to effectively notify all employees,” and didn’t explain matters to workers “in a timely manner.”
And transparent? Hardly. Remember all the redactions in the Legislature’s FOIA?…
A WBEZ analysis of nearly 450 pages of emails found that government lawyers blacked out portions of more than half the documents recently turned over to a legislative panel investigating the state’s inability to contain the waterborne illness.
* DGA…
Yesterday, WBEZ reported that the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs “failed to effectively notify all employees” at the Quincy Veterans Home about the 2015 deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak and had been “formally rebuked” by another one of Governor Bruce Rauner’s agencies. Since 2015, eight staff members fell ill to Legionnaires’ and 13 residents died.
Rauner has yet to hold anyone accountable for his administration’s failed response at Quincy. IDVA Director Erica Jeffries, who repeatedly claimed her agency was “very clear” with staff despite the formal finding, is being allowed to resign in May, leaving taxpayers on the hook for thousands of dollars in salary, benefits and potential vacation payouts. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirah Shah has been asked to step down by a Republicans lawmaker, but not by Rauner.
“Why hasn’t Bruce Rauner held anyone accountable for his administration’s botched response to the deadly Quincy Legionnaires’ outbreak?” asked DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Governor ‘I’m not in charge’ is really living up to his nickname as he spends more time focused on deflecting blame than running a responsive government.”
* Meanwhile, on to the Tribune…
Gov. Rauner will soon get a say on whether state-run veterans homes should be required to more quickly disclose information about the presence of infectious diseases, a key issue lawmakers have used to criticize his administration’s handling of deadly Legionnaires’ outbreaks in Quincy.
CDC report on Quincy veterans home
The Senate passed a bill by a 52-0 vote Thursday that would require veterans homes to write letters to all residents, post warning signs in common areas and regularly update the state’s veterans affairs and public health departments within a day of an outbreak being found. Lawmakers have repeatedly questioned if Rauner’s appointed directors were swift enough in those actions. Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold did not answer questions about if and when the governor would sign the bill, saying in an emailed statement that the administration “is clearly in favor of transparency and supported this legislation as it moved through the legislative process.”
The proposal would apply specifically to diseases known to be of higher health concern for the elderly — including Legionnaires’ — and kick in whenever two residents fall ill within a one-month period. Since 2015, 13 residents have died and dozens more have been sickened after several waves of Legionnaires’ passed through the home. The most recent cases of sickness surfaced in February. […]
The bill, which the House approved 110-0, is the first of several legislative measures inspired by the Quincy situation to clear both chambers so far. Lawmakers are also considering a development project with a price tag between $202 million and $245 million.
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*** LIVE COVERAGE ***
Friday, May 11, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Both the House and Senate canceled today’s session, but you can still see instant updates on everything else with ScribbleLive…
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