Madigan apparently did not learn anything from the pounding he took in 2018
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From 2007…
2008…
* 2018…
Keep in mind that the first conversation was just a few months after Madigan and his operation endured one huge hit after another after another over sexual harassment issues. And yet, there he was. Also, it made me kinda chuckle that Marquez was warning McClain about there being “no secrets” as he was recording the conversation on video for the FBI.
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Afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * SB0855 passed the Senate unanimously today. The bill is a direct response to the horrific revelations at Choate Developmental Center in Anna. The facility has a very real problem with employees covering up for fellow workers acused of abuse. So, if the bill passes the House and is signed into law, “material obstruction of an investigation” will be on the list of reportable conduct, which means the workers will be out of a job and won’t be allowed back into the system..
* Ugh…
* Press release…
* This most definitely is cool…
A photo is here. * Isabel’s roundup… * WTTW | Owner of Bakery Targeted for Hosting Drag Shows Plans to Stay Open in a New Location: The owner of a suburban bakery targeted for hosting drag performances said she’s planning to stay in operation — and find a new home for her business within McHenry County. Earlier this month, UpRising Bakery and Cafe owner Corinna Sac announced she’d close down her Lake in the Hills business after months of harassment, protests and threats. The attacks came after the cafe announced plans last July to hold two family-friendly drag shows as part of an event series. * ABC Chicago | Illinois to vote on Vietnam Veterans Day resolution on 50th anniversary of troops withdrawn: Down in Springfield, the House is expected to vote on a resolution, officially making Wednesday, March 29 “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” in Illinois. […] Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of when the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam in 1973. Nearly 3,000 of those killed in Vietnam were from Illinois. * CNN | Illinois took action after the Highland Park shooting. But the assault weapon ban there still faces legal hurdles: As Nashville police left a news conference Monday, Ashbey Beasley unexpectedly moved in front of the still-live microphones and television cameras. Beasley then told her story: She and her son survived the Fourth of July parade mass shooting in her hometown of Highland Park, Illinois, last year, in which a gunman used an assault-style rifle to kill seven and injure dozens more people. * WCBU | Some Peoria councilmembers call for a moratorium on development of carbon capture pipeline on the South Side: First District councilmember Denise Jackson, whose district includes the South Side, said she’s opposed to the project. “I have some grave concerns. It’s not just the South Side. But a project like this, with the potential for any type of problems could affect not only the South Side, but we’ve got East Peoria, we’ve got we’ve got downtown Peoria. It just depends upon the weather, and things of that nature,” she said. * Shaw Local | What makes a politician ‘do the right thing’?: Does the name Bradley Tusk ring a bell? […] He’s been entirely off my radar, but on Thursday popped up as a guest on Mike Pesca’s “The Gist” podcast to discuss his work supporting anti-hunger advocacy. Tusk presents as someone who knows how government operates while bristling against those conventions, often finding himself at odds with people espousing policy goals because he isn’t a strict doctrinaire or partisan. * Intelligencer | Trustees approve body cams for Glen Carbon police officers: Sometime in the next 12 months or so, Glen Carbon police will receive 28 body cams to equip all of the department’s sworn officers with the devices soon to be required in Illinois. * WSJ | It’s Northwestern vs. Evanston Neighbors Over a New $800 Million Stadium That Will Host Concerts and Serve Booze: “You’ll have people spilling out of concerts drunk at 10:30, 11 o’clock, walking around your neighborhood. There will be crimes of opportunity,” said John Sorensen, who lives across the street from Ryan Field. “We’re usually asleep by then.” * WCIA | ‘Expect delays’, $63.5M IDOT project on I-74 begins next week near Danville: The $63.5 million project includes pavement and shoulder replacement, resurfacing and rehabilitation of multiple structures, pavement patching, drainage improvements, lighting upgrades, guardrail, and collateral work. The project will also require intermittent lane and ramp closures, and traffic flow modifications on I-74 during the project. * Crain’s | These Chicago restaurants are James Beard Award finalists: Obelix, a new French spot in River North, was nominated for Best New Restaurant; Damarr Brown, chef de cuisine at Virtue in Hyde Park was nominated for Emerging Chef; and Sepia, a fine-dining spot in the West Loop neighborhood, was nominated for Outstanding Hospitality. Chicago has two nominees in the Best Chef in Great Lakes Region category: Tim Flores and Genie Kwon at Kasama, and Diana Dávila at Mi Tocaya Antojería. * Vice | The ‘Insanely Broad’ RESTRICT Act Could Ban Much More Than Just TikTok: Digital rights experts told Motherboard the RESTRICT Act, which may be used to ban TikTok, could impact many other types of services too, including VPNs. * Brownfield AG News | Illinois Ag Day celebrated at State Capitol: House Ag Committee Minority Leader and Okawville Farmer Charlie Meier tells Brownfield it’s about celebrating the state’s number one industry. “We’re here to highlight it and let it be the backbone of Illinois the way it’s been the last 200 years.”
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That toddlin’ town roundup
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * This is what happens when your campaign only has enough money to run a single messaging track on broadcast TV…
* CBS 2 had a lightning round during last night’s debate. Candidates were asked several questions and they could answer yes or no. Both candidates said they supported qualified immunity for police, both said they support reparations, both said they support the Anjanette Young Ordinance. Vallas said the thing he loves about Chicago the most is its “diversity.” Johnson said it was, “the way the people of Chicago love one another.” Asked what they hate about Chicago, Johnson said, “I don’t think there’s anything that I hate about the city of Chicago. There are some things that I wish would be better.” Vallas: “The same.” What’s the first issue that you will fix in office? Vallas: “Public safety.” Johnson: “I want to restore confidence in government and the office of the mayor. I’m gonna fix that relationship.” Cubs or Sox: Johnson, after a long pause: “Here’s the thing. We only had WGN growing up. How’s that?” Loud laughter ensued. Vallas wasn’t asked the question. * Paul Vallas used an Illinois Policy Institute talking point during last night’s debate…
* Meanwhile, Brandon Johnson is a delegate to United Working Families, and when you click the “Volunteer” button on his campaign website, it takes you to a UWF page. Johnson’s proposals to reinstate the city’s “Business Head Tax,” his hotel tax, his real estate transfer tax plan, his financial transaction tax, etc. all appear to have come from United Working Families’ Reimagine Chicago proposal. Not to mention that the group really doesn’t like the police…
And it took Johnson four tries to answer a simple question about his past statements and actions on the topic…
* Tribune…
He also said during the debate about that appearance: “I should have done a better job vetting. I did apologize for that. And I won’t make the same mistake twice.” Except that was the second time he spoke at an Awake Illinois event. The first time, in 2021, he said the group’s founder should run for governor. It’s quite amazing that nobody has really called him out on that. * Back to the Tribune…
Oh, please. To the audio…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | In race for mayor, Paul Vallas’ and Brandon Johnson’s campaign donors are as different as the candidates: While well more than half of Johnson’s cash since March 1 has come from CTU, other teacher union organizations or progressive unions, Vallas has received millions of dollars from Chicago and suburban business leaders. Some have ties to groups that back a state-sponsored scholarship program for private schools as well as leaders with interests in charter schools. * Tribune | Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas spar at last televised debate before Election Day: ‘I’m criticizing his leadership ability’: Vallas was again confronted about his connection to Awake Illinois, a right-wing organization that has espoused anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. The candidate said he appeared at a fundraiser with Awake last summer only because he was invited by a pro-school choice friend, Chicago pastor Corey Brooks, and was unaware of the group’s history. “I immediately denounced them, and I criticized them and obviously I condemned them,” Vallas said. “I’ve had a lifelong history. I’ve supported marriage equality when it was called gay marriage in 2000.” * Sun-Times | Dollars vs. decentralization: Johnson’s and Vallas’ vastly different fixes for CPS: Paul Vallas plans drastic changes to CPS’ structure, bolstering principals and local leaders’ power over spending and programming — and even the ability to let a charter school take over their campus. He would prioritize standardized testing and make it easier to hold students back a grade so they don’t graduate without necessary reading and math skills. “We should be running districts of schools, not school districts,” Vallas said. “I really believe in radical decentralization.” * Block Club | Johnson And Vallas Say They’ll ‘Phase Out’ Speed Cameras In Final Televised Debate Before Election: “I’m for phasing them out if the Constitution allows us to,” Johnson said. “And if we can’t, wherever a speed ticket has been accumulated, or acquired, that ZIP code should get the revenue.” […] Vallas agreed Tuesday speed cameras should be eliminated for the most part, but he said he believes they do serve a purpose near schools, at least during school hours. * WGN | Vallas, Johnson faceoff in final debate ahead of Chicago mayoral election: Brandon Johnson, who this week pledged not cut a single penny from the Chicago Police budget, was pressed about his past statements that he supports redirecting police funds. […] The candidates were asked to react to comments made by Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Union President John Catanzara who told the New York Times 800 to 1,000 Chicago officers will leave the force if Johnson is elected mayor. Catanzara is also quoted predicting there would be “blood in the streets.” * ABC Chicago | Chicago mayoral poll shows tie between Paul Vallas, Brandon Johnson 1 week away from Election Day: Vallas also accused Johnson of being “largely funded by the Chicago Teachers Union” as he responded to questions about controversial comments made by Chicago Fraternal Order of Police president John Catanzara in the New York Times. […] “This is a critical moment where the type of fear and trepidation that’s being pushed on the other side, our message has been centered around hopes, and our hopes are turning into votes,” Johnson countered. * Sophia King | Chicago needs collaborative leadership that will comprehensively tackle public safety: As a leader of one of the most diverse communities in our city, it is clear to me that we need a mayor who will focus on collaboration. Paul has demonstrated a willingness to soundboard ideas and shift his approach with the counsel of those who have the best interests of our city’s most vulnerable people at heart. * Crain’s | Chicago schools are at a crossroads. The new mayor will determine the district’s next steps.: The Chicago Teachers Union’s current contract expires in 2024. If history is any guide, negotiations will begin this winter under the leadership of the new mayor. Two of the last three contracts were settled only after teachers went on strike, and the next mayor will be under considerable pressure to avoid another one. It’s clear from Johnson’s education platform that he would approach the demands of the teachers union as an ally. * Block Club | Chicago’s Big Spenders: Here’s Who Is Paying Serious Cash To Shape The Next City Council: The analysis found more than $21 million has poured into City Council races, including $18 million in direct donations to candidates’ campaign funds and $3 million more spent independently by outside groups. The money has paid for a series of proxy wars, pitting longtime City Hall insiders or pro-business candidates against independents and progressives. * Crain’s | Vallas: Make ‘the city that works’ work again: In a speech to the City Club of Chicago, Vallas, like rival Brandon Johnson did yesterday, summarized his major campaign themes in a final pitch before an audience of movers and shakers. And, like Johnson, he not only explained his plans, but also ripped his opponent, saying the policies of the two “could not be more dissimilar.” * NBC Chicago | Chicago City Council’s Progressive Reform Caucus Rebukes Ald. Sophia King For Vallas Endorsement: Though King’s endorsement has attracted criticism from fellow Progressive Reform Caucus members, three other members of the caucus, including fellow former mayoral candidate Roderick Sawyer, have endorsed Vallas. * Press release | Brandon Johnson’s Public Schedule for Wednesday: Canvassing with Alderman Hall 12:00pm, Retail Visit: Englewood Branded 1:15pm, Bishop J Drew Sheard Endorsement 2:00pm… * Press release | Martin Luther King III, AFT President Randi Weingarten, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, and Rep. Delia Ramirez to Join Bernie Sanders at Brandon Johnson Rally on Thursday: Civil rights leader Martin Luther King III, AFT President Randi Weingarten, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, and Rep. Delia Ramirez will join Sen. Bernie Sanders and Commissioner Brandon Johnson in speaking at the get out the vote rally at the UIC Forum on Thursday at 7:00 PM. * Block Club | As Outside Groups Spend Big To Back Kim Walz In 46th Ward Election, Campaign Contribution Cap Lifted: The limit on contributions to the campaigns — by individuals and organizations — were lifted after outside groups spent more than $100,000 on the 46th Ward runoff race, the threshold by which contribution limits are removed. By March 21, outside groups had spent at least $102,000 in the runoff that started after the Feb. 28 election — with all of it either in support of Walz or opposing Clay. * Block Club | Dunne, Villegas Campaigns Using Red Boxes As Apparent Signal To Outside Spenders: “Redboxing” is approved messaging and phrasing within a red-outlined box on a campaign website to indirectly suggest wording and dissemination methods to PACs. Some election experts have criticized the practice, but redboxing isn’t illegal in Illinois. * Block Club | 46th Ward Candidates Will Debate Uptown, Lakeview Issues Thursday: The debate is being co-hosted by Uptown United, the Uptown Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of Chicago. It will be recorded and posted to Uptown United’s website by Friday, barring any technical difficulties. * Block Club | Ald. Leslie Hairston Hosts Her Last Ward Meeting Before Leaving City Council: ‘I Will Still Be Around The Neighborhood’: Hairston’s brief sendoff touted the Obama Center, Regal Mile Studios, Local Market in South Shore, the Greater Grand Crossing library and other projects in the 5th Ward during her 24-year tenure. * Sun-Times | Some Discount Mall vendors say extension came too late: ‘The city did us wrong’: About 40 vendors got a six-week extension Monday afternoon, but most already had packed up. “They waited until the last moment to tell us,” said Griselda Estrada, standing in the store where she’s worked nearly 30 years. * WGN | City of Chicago forces suburban couple to pay red light violation that isn’t theirs: The couple appealed the violation, but a judge ruled against them. After that, they sent the Department of Finance proof the car and plate isn’t theirs through the mail, but it was also refused and sent back. * Crain’s | Big TIF requests challenge Lightfoot’s LaSalle Street plan: The scale of taxpayer dollars needed for Lightfoot’s LaSalle Street Reimagined initiative raises key questions about where public resources should be allocated to try to hasten the Loop’s post-pandemic recovery. Lightfoot and her successor must try to restore foot traffic in the central business district with no promise that office users will ever again be enough to keep it healthy. Taxpayers have an interest, too, and a financial role to play to ensure that the heart of downtown isn’t beset by white elephant properties generating little tax revenue and potentially keeping businesses away. * CBS Chicago | More and more migrants are seeking shelter in Chicago Police station lobbies: Police sources tell us as of now, almost every police station across the city at one point has had migrants seeking shelter in its lobby – with no place to sleep. Meanwhile still, Chicago is receiving record numbers of arrivals of migrants – and community groups are bearing the burden of it all.
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Hold Uber Accountable. Support HB 2231.
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] ![]()
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * A little preview from Brenden Moore…
* Rep. Bob Morgan…
* Capitol News Illinois…
* WBEZ…
* Rep. Stephanie Kifowit…
* Senate Bill 1543 passed the Senate and awaits further action in the House. Beverly Review…
* Sen. Robert Peters…
* Senate Bill 505 passed the Senate Health and Human Services committee and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration…
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*** UPDATED x5 *** Caption contest!
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I saw this on Twitter, but a legislator also snapped a pic this morning outside the Capitol Building… ![]() *** UPDATE 1 *** From comments…
And here it is… ![]() *** UPDATE 2 *** It’s been moved again… ![]() *** UPDATE 3 *** On the move… ![]() *** UPDATE 4 *** Landed… ![]() *** UPDATE 5 *** Tucked in for the night… ![]()
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Keep Uber Affordable. Stop Lawsuit Abuse. Oppose HB 2231
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] ![]()
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ComEd 4 trial coverage roundup
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * You can follow along with the trial all day by clicking here. Those ComEd folks would apparently do almost anything to keep Madigan happy…
That’s quite a constituent service operation. /s * Sun-Times…
* Jay Doherty gives Fidel Marquez the history of his involvement with ComEd. It’s a really interesting video… * Mike McClain and Marquez meet at Saputo’s… * Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it with those guys’: Jurors see undercover videos of Michael Madigan associates in ‘ComEd Four’ trial: The FBI had instructed Marquez to ask Madigan’s associate, Michael McClain, what he should tell ComEd’s new CEO about their scheme to funnel payments to a roster of Madigan-approved allies through a consulting company owned by Jay Doherty, a longtime ComEd contract lobbyist. Marquez’s hidden recorder was rolling as McClain munched on pizza at Saputo’s, a popular restaurant in Springfield frequented by the political crowd — including Madigan himself. * Crain’s | Government mole’s undercover videos star in ‘ComEd Four’ proceedings: In between large bites of pizza, McClain advised Marquez, “I would say to you, don’t do anything in writing.” McClain offered to meet with Dominguez himself to explain how these payments were important to keeping in Madigan’s good graces. Marquez said he’d prefer to do it himself. Last up was Doherty on Feb. 13 in a clip showing that, at the very least, Marquez had mastered the wire technology the FBI had given him. Doherty went through his long history with ComEd, saying at one point, “This is just you and me talking. This (approach with the no-work lobbying subcontractors) all came from McClain, Hooker and Frank.” * ABC Chicago | Secret recordings of utility exec, Springfield operative played in court: “Do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No,” Jay Doherty said during a February 13th meeting. “My bottom line advice would be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ with those guys.”Doherty went on to tell Marquez to remind the new CEO that their money comes from Springfield. By March, the subcontractor budget had been approved. * Hannah Meisel | ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’: Secretly recorded videos show ComEd lobbyists discussing alleged bribery scheme: “John Hooker calls and said, ‘Jay, I got a sub(contractor) for you…Olivo,” Doherty recalled. “‘We’re going to pay him every month and you just —’ Doherty held up four fingers to indicate the $4,000 monthly stipend Olivo would be paid out of what would eventually become Doherty’s $37,000 per month lobbying contract with ComEd. Doherty would eventually add two of Madigan’s top precinct captains from the speaker’s 13th Ward political base on Chicago’s southwest side: Ray Nice and Ed Moody, at $5,000 and $4,500 monthly, respectively. Zalewski was the last addition after his retirement from the Chicago City Council in the summer of 2018, at $4,000 per month. * NBC Chicago | Jurors See Bodycam Video for State’s Star Witness in ‘ComEd 4′ Trial: As a new CEO was about to take over, government wiretaps played for the jury Monday showed a level of concern about the costs of the program even as Mike McClain and Anne Pramaggiore discussed the hiring for former Chicago Ald. Mike Zalewski. “We got a lot of people hanging out there,” Pramaggiore said. “Is there anybody who, you know, we could sort of take off the roster?” According to Marquez, the so-called “contract lobbyists” did little to no work but were requested by Madigan’s office. * In-person conversation between Michael McClain and Fidel Marquez | ComEd Exhibit 123-T: Michael McClain speaks in-person with Fidel Marquez: “Don’t put anything in writing.”
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Rate the new Vallas ad
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Here you go…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Good morning! Anyone else counting down the few last days before spring break? Anyways, what’s going on in Illinois today?
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go!…
* Tribune | Out-of-state PAC backing conservative school board candidates hasn’t disclosed spending: While the 1776 Project is registered with the Federal Election Commission, Illinois campaign finance law requires independent expenditure committees that spend money on races in the state to register with the state. * Bears owe it to their fans to consider Arlington Park stadium : Exploring the construction of a stadium in Arlington Heights is something the Bears “owe to their fans,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the conclusion of the league’s annual meetings. The Bears closed on the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property last month and will decide whether to pursue building a stadium — in addition to hotels, shops and restaurants — on the property. * Crain’s | Chicago parks look for outside help to put sex abuse scandal and maybe the Bears in the rearview: In a somewhat unusual step, the Chicago Park District announced that it’s seeking one or more consultants to help it “develop and support a new strategic plan.”"Chicago parks are critical to the overall health and vitality of our city and millions of families, residents and visitors (and) look to provide vital services and experiences that improve their quality of life,” parks CEO Rosa Escareño said in a statement. “This strategic plan will ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of our patrons well into the future.” * Beverly Review | Gill selected as new state representative: Mary Gill, the current executive director of the Mt. Greenwood Community and Business Association (MGCBA), has been appointed as the new state representative She will succeed Fran Hurley, who resigned Feb. 28 to take a position with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. * Illinois Newsroom | Danville could soon have an abortion provider, but opponents are pushing back: Abortion rights opponents said the clinic’s location in an Illinois city bordering Indiana could be used to provide abortions to people in both states. “She’s interested in drawing women from Indiana,” Mary Kate Zander, the executive director of Illinois Right to Life, said of the abortion provider planning to open in Danville. “She is disinterested in serving the people of this area.” * WBEZ | Illinois Democratic lawmakers want to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’: Megan Jeyifo says she often works with patients coming from CPCs. She is the executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, a nonprofit that connects individuals seeking abortion care with resources like travel and lodging accommodations. She recalled one mother from Wisconsin who was looking for an abortion clinic for her 15-year-old daughter, when they walked into a CPC instead. “When her child was in the room, they showed her pictures of the ultrasound that she didn’t want to see. They told her information about the pregnancy that she didn’t want,” Jeyifo said. “They prayed over her, they got her phone number, her email address and they were harassing the family for weeks after this happened.” * Tim Drea | Training ex-offenders for green jobs is essential for economic equity: Under the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, work force hubs will work with local nonprofits to identify and train candidates, including returning residents, for training in clean energy jobs. * Capitol News Illinois | Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses: To receive one, the individual must provide their U.S. immigration documentation or, if they don’t have that, a passport or consular card. They must also prove they have automobile insurance. According to the secretary of state’s office, more than 300,000 people currently have a TVDL. Under the bill, these would remain valid driver’s licenses but the secretary of state would no longer issue new ones. * Sun-Times | Young people in Chicago aren’t voting. Here’s why: “Without knowing Chicago, it’s obvious to me that young people in that city don’t feel empowered by their governance,” said Della Volpe, whose book, “Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America,” came out last year. To turn out young voters, Della Volpe said the first part of the equation is “they need to have trust or faith in the political system, that their vote could actually make a difference, changing their lives and changing the lives of those who they care about.”
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*** ComEd 4 trial live coverage ***
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go…
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Follow along with ScribbleLive…
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