* Earlier today, state Sen. Daniel Biss sent me this statement about Gov. Rauner going to Iowa for a ribbon cutting ceremony at a bridge that spans the Mississippi River…
“Bruce Rauner had to go to Iowa to find a groundbreaking ceremony because there aren’t any ribbons to cut in Illinois.”
The Chris Kennedy campaign and the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association also piled on Rauner for abandoning his post during special session and I think some folks were a bit rankled.
* As it turns out, the leader of Sen. Biss’ own chamber, Senate President John Cullerton, was spotted working out at a Chicago gym at about 9:30 this morning. Special session started at 10 o’clock, so he couldn’t have made it back to Springfield in time.
So, I asked Cullerton’s spokesman what his boss is doing in the city during a special session day…
“He is meeting with a group of concerned constituents who are specifically concerned about school funding and their local public schools in Chicago and that meeting takes priority today.”
…Adding… Senate President Cullerton reportedly approved this statement earlier today, but it’s just now going out. I didn’t know whether to put it here or on the earlier post below, and decided to just post it on this one…
“There is a sad irony in that as we celebrate the start of this tremendous construction project the reality is that the looming downgrade to junk status would make it nearly impossible from a financial aspect to ever do such a substantial project again.
“The lack of a budget will soon hobble a state known for building big dreams into reality. From our bridges and highways to our transit systems to our airports and convention centers, our ability to maintain their structural health and grow our economy is undercut if the financial sector loses confidence in us as a state and we fall into junk status. I don’t want that to happen and I trust that the people of Illinois don’t want that to happen either. The Senate has taken the tough votes and provided the legislative vehicles to end this impasse. We can end this standoff and avoid the downgrade to junk status if the will is there. I would urge all involved to prove that it is.”
At the urging of colleagues, I am writing to share news of a mass layoff at our social service agency, Family Focus.
Family Focus has been providing early childhood development programs in the Chicagoland area for more than 40 years. We currently serve 17,000 people annually in Chicago, Aurora, Cicero, DuPage County, Evanston, and Highland Park/Highwood. We help families make sure their children meet developmental milestones and are ready for school on time. We provide parenting education to DCFS families, drastically reducing the percentage of parents that reengage with the system. Our centers have been a cornerstone of the communities we serve for many years.
We are heartbroken that we have to take this step and we hope that our partner organizations can be saved from this pain. So, we are sharing our story in the hopes that it may move someone in a position to help bring an end to this impasse. I attached a letter from our CEO, Merri Ex, explaining the steps we are taking.
On a personal note, I’ve been reading Capitol Fax since I started working with our state contracts. The information you’ve posted has helped us plan as much as was possible over the past two years, and your work is much appreciated.
According to the CEO, the state owes Family Focus $2.7 million. They’re laying off 100 employees, about 71 percent of their staff. They’ve taken out emergency loans from board members and key donors, but it hasn’t been enough. They’re experiencing an extreme cash flow crisis and have to slash costs.
You can learn more about this group by clicking here and here.
* Rep. Greg Harris, the House Democratic budget point person, told reporters today his caucus would soon present its own budget plan. Leader Durkin said yesterday there would be no point in another leaders’ meeting unless the House Dems had their own budget plan.
“Once [the spending plan] is in place, the question is, can we work together to find the revenue to pay for that spending plan? And that’s where we come up against Gov. Rauner’s demands for an extreme right agenda. This is where, I said a few days ago, that the House Democrats will be fully engaged on every issue brought to us in the special session. Those issues will be property taxes, pensions, government consolidation, workers’ compensation. We’re fully engaged on those issues, we’ve designated members of our caucus to talk to Republicans about all of the issues.
Notice that the House Speaker didn’t mention term limits. That subject matter is also included in the governor’s special session proclamation.
“My prediction of two and a half years ago stands. If Gov. Rauner is reasonable on these issues, then we can finalize an overall agreement. The responsibility will lie upon the Republican leaders. Take the positions that will be negotiated between Democratic designees and the Republicans, take those positions to the governor and persuade the governor to be reasonable. It will be the responsibility of the Republican leaders, persuade the governor to be reasonable on these non-budget issues.
And then he talked about his own non-budget issues, like SB 1, the controversial Medicaid managed care contract and rate regulation on workers’ comp insurance companies.
* When asked about the 30-vote requirement for House Republicans, Madigan said, “That’s the responsibility of legislative leaders,” adding “Mr. Durkin’s predecessors were always able to do their job.”
Asked about a property tax freeze, Madigan said the House Revenue Committee will meet tomorrow morning and hinted that his property tax plan would be unveiled at that time. The hearing is scheduled to start at 8:30.
* With many thanks to Amanda Vinicky, here’s the raw audio…
Even after both the Illinois House and Senate overwhelmingly approved resolutions supporting funding for job creating sections of last year’s Future Energy Jobs Act, a budget proposal by Senate Republicans - and endorsed by Governor Rauner - would sweep every penny of $185 million slated for the landmark Illinois Solar for All Program, which was created by the new law. The law, often called the biggest clean energy breakthrough in state history, won praise for its support of job training and expanding access to solar energy and solar jobs to economically disadvantaged communities.
“Illinois requires a budget that delivers what communities need, including human services, education, and economic and environmental justice. Taking away these funds, from communities most in need, prevents critical jobs, job training, and access to money-saving solar energy,” said Juliana Pino, Policy Director at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. “We must not hollow out the core promise of the Future Energy Jobs Act.”
The funds in the Renewable Energy Resources Fund (RERF) were raised from electric utility bills, not taxes, and are intended to be used for projects that will create jobs and expand access to solar energy.
“The innovative Illinois Solar for All program is a bright spot to accelerate clean energy, create jobs and improve environmental health in Illinois,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “The General Assembly should not divert the negotiated renewable energy funds that are vital to keep Illinois competitive in growing our clean energy economy.”
The Illinois Power Agency is in the process of implementing the Illinois Solar For All Program and has worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the program benefits communities across the state, and that the funds are maximized for the greatest job-creating impact.
“There is incredible statewide excitement about the Solar for All Program,” said Lesley McCain, Executive Director of the Illinois Solar Energy Association. “We’ll fight to make sure the money is there and the program is a success.
Today, 726 days into Bruce Rauner’s manufactured crisis, the Pritzker campaign released new robo calls targeting state Senate districts across the state. The calls aim to expose what Bruce Rauner’s budget compromise actually is: a sham. It’s a plan written solely by Republicans behind closed doors and that’s not compromise. While lawmakers are in Springfield today, Bruce Rauner will be in Iowa, doing nothing to help end this crisis he created.
The robo calls are part of the multimedia Crisis Creatin’ Rauner campaign, holding Bruce Rauner accountable for this crisis of his own making and the families, schools, and social service agencies that continue to pay the price.
“Bruce Rauner kicked off special session with a sham unity address that called on legislators to support a partisan budget written behind closed doors,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “While Bruce Rauner travels to other states and pretends to want compromise, Illinois families, schools, and social service agencies are suffering under his failed leadership. 726 days and counting without a state budget, and Bruce Rauner and Republicans are leading Illinois off of a fiscal cliff – it’s time they’re held accountable for their political games and disingenuous efforts to end the budget crisis. Bruce Rauner needs to focus on doing his job for Illinois families.”
For the third year in a row, Bruce Rauner has failed to produce a fair budget for Illinois families.
It took Bruce Rauner and Republicans over 700 days to introduce a compromise budget, but it wasn’t a compromise at all.
It’s the same special interest agenda that Bruce Rauner has been trying to force on Illinois from the start. Their budget was crafted behind closed doors with Rauner pulling the strings.
That’s not a compromise. That’s a sham.
Our social service agencies are shutting down. Our schools might not be able to open in the fall. Our families are suffering. We don’t have time for Bruce Rauner’s political games.
Tell the governor to do his job and pass a balanced budget now.
“To clarify my position regarding House Republican priorities, it is my intention to designate House Republican members to address consolidation and term limits and I ask the same from the House Democrats.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** After saying again that he was focused on workers’ comp, pension reform and property taxes, Durkin was asked (at about the 15:14 mark on the raw audio) whether he was willing to give up on term limits. Here’s his response…
“I’m talking about three issues right now. I think term limits, uh [long pause] I’m focused on those three. I don’t have a designee on that, but I think that right now I’m focused on the major issues that are going to help the Illinois economy and help the middle class.”
The Durkin people say this isn’t a walk back, but he more than just implied that those other three issues were the big ones.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* House Republican Leader Jim Durkin talked to reporters today. You can click here for the raw audio. Here are some highlights…
Durkin says he is focused on three issues: Pensions, workers' comp and property taxes. Needs those reforms.
* 30 House Republican votes out of the 71 needed for anything with an immediate effective date is a fair deal for Leader Durkin. As I told subscribers this morning, it’s the same basic percentage as Durkin’s 51 out of 118 House members.
And Durkin is right that the more Madigan waters down this stuff the tougher it’s going to be for him (and, don’t kid yourself, the governor) to round up those 30 votes. But, the Republicans have always known that Madigan would water down whatever came out of the Senate, or whatever the Republicans proposed. It’s a balancing act, but that’s what governing is.
* Leader Durkin also said his people have met with the Democrats twice each on property taxes and pension reform within the past 24 hours, so that’s good. There have been multiple meetings on workers’ comp reform, which still has a ways to go.
The most positive part of this press conference was that, while the Republicans expressed concern, the process hasn’t gone off the rails. Both sides will at times be tempted to derail this train. And I figure there will be some high-profile wrecks this week. That’s always to be expected and particularly so in this climate. But everybody should do whatever they can to prevent any problems from becoming fatal.
And it goes without saying that “not focusing” on term limits is good news for those who want a deal because Speaker Madigan is so opposed. But it ain’t such good news for people who’ve believed that Gov. Rauner would finally rid the state of Speaker Madigan (albeit in ten years). A tax hike and Madigan in perpetuity won’t go over well with people like the Illinois Policy Institute’s loyal followers. Their heads are gonna explode.
* Bruce Rauner was interviewed earlier this month by Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution. A Statehouse reporter just tweeted about it so I took a look. The full video is here and the transcript is here.
Bruce Rauner: Well, there are many factors, but we were taken over in 1983 by some politicians who were really in public service for their own benefit, a lot of self-dealing, a lot of corruption. Government insiders, special interest groups that make their money from government became ascendant and really took power, and as a result, deficit spending, inside deals, corruption, cronyism, patronage. Four out of the prior nine governors to my administration, four of them went to prison. Many members of the General Assembly are engaged in very much self-dealing and selfish behavior, and the system has just broken down.
Gee. I wonder what happened in 1983? Who took over that year? Hmm. Could it be… I dunno… Madigan?!!!
Bruce Rauner: Well, we have the highest property taxes in America, right up there with New Jersey, and we have political leaders, the head of the legislature, the head of the Democratic party, also happens to have a property tax appeal law firm, where he’s become a millionaire by holding up business owners in Cook County for their property tax appeals. We have a very corrupt, self-interested regime running the system. What I said is let’s break that system up. Let’s freeze property taxes by law, and let’s empower local residents, local voters to decide themselves what their property tax levy should be by voter referendum. They want more taxes for their schools, they can vote to do it. They want their property tax levy to come down, they can vote to do that. Give power to the people, and take it away from the politicians.
He got rich by “holding up business owners”? Yikes.
Peter Robinson: We’ll get to what did happen. What did you think would happen? You say to a guy, “Here’s a club, and the moment I get elected I’m going to smack you right between the eyes.” What did you think the legislature would do?
Bruce Rauner: The good news is that many Democrats in the General Assembly know that what we’re advocating for is the right thing for the long term. The issue is getting them to vote the right away against the wishes of their leadership. The speaker is very powerful, been the speaker for 35 years.
Peter Robinson: Speaker Madigan.
Bruce Rauner: That’s correct. The issue is he’s very much focused on self-dealing and maintaining the status quo. We’ve got to convince his caucus members to vote the right way. We’re getting there, but it’s been too slow.
* From a “consensus statement” from the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) Board of Directors on the Republican US Senate healthcare plan…
The Senate bill does formalize several critical administrative and regulatory improvements, such as giving Medicaid Directors a seat at the table in the development of regulations that impact how the program is run, and the pathway to permanency for certain waiver programs.
However, no amount of administrative or regulatory flexibility can compensate for the federal spending reductions that would occur as a result of this bill.
Changes in the federal responsibility for financing the program must be accompanied by clearly articulated statutory changes to Medicaid to enable states to operate effectively under a cap. The Senate bill does not accomplish that. It would be a transfer of risk, responsibility, and cost to the states of historic proportions.
While NAMD does not have consensus on the mandatory conversion of Medicaid financing to a per capita cap or block grant, the per capita cap growth rates for Medicaid in the Senate bill are insufficient and unworkable.
Medicaid - or other forms of comprehensive, accessible and affordable health coverage - in coordination with public health and law enforcement entities, is the most comprehensive and effective way address the opioid epidemic in this country. Earmarking funding for grants for the exclusive purpose of treating addiction, in the absence of preventative medical and behavioral health coverage, is likely to be ineffective in solving the problem and would divert critical resources away from what we know is working today.
Medicaid Directors recommend prioritizing the stabilization of marketplace coverage. Medicaid reform should be undertaken when it can be accomplished thoughtfully and deliberately.
The NAMD is a “professional organization representing leaders of state Medicaid agencies.”
* It would be helpful if the administration was required to fully disclose all the bills it’s sitting on because the comptroller can only estimate the backlog…
The Debt Transparency Act is a good piece of legislation that’s in line with the private sector’s best practices.
That’s why a veto-proof, bipartisan slate of Illinois lawmakers thrust it upon Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk. And that’s why Rauner — facing a potential revolt from his fellow Republicans — should sign it immediately. […]
As Mendoza tells it, on any given Friday, as much as $1 billion in bills might land on her desk from out of the blue. These aren’t new charges, mind you. In some cases, they’ve been festering in executive agency accounting departments for up to 10 months. Then, at the last minute, they get submitted.
Rauner’s primary motto has centered on interjecting business sense into historically wasteful state government. No private entity — at least one designed to last very long — would manage its books the way Illinois does now. Just keeping track of cash flow is impossible when a few hundred million could suddenly appear on the books, just because the executive doesn’t feel like submitting the vouchers.
If Rauner is really about good business, then DTA is a no-brainer.
Cost of Property Tax Freeze to IL Schools? Up to $830 Million
CTBA analysis indicates that a two-year property tax freeze would be devastating for Illinois’ public education system, effectively cutting between $430 million and $830 million from K-12 education per year by the end of 2019.
Late last month, the Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 484, which would freeze property tax collections for school districts across the state for two years. Such a measure has been a central demand of Governor Bruce Rauner, who has insisted that he will not sign a full state budget without a property tax freeze.
CTBA’s projection was derived by applying the property tax freeze in SB484 to property tax collections by school districts in 2014 and 2015, the most recent years for which full property tax data is available from the Illinois Department of Revenue. Because the base of collections has increased since then, a funding gap created by the freeze of the same proportion would be greater in nominal dollars today. The smaller amount, $430 million, assumes that every district will increase its levy by the full Consumer Price Index (CPI), which SB484 would allow only for debt and pension payments. The larger amount, $830 million, is the effect of the freeze if no district has debt payments for which it can increase its levy under these terms.
These cuts would hit all areas of the state. Cook County would see an annual schools funding cut of between roughly $200 million and $360 million; the collar counties, between $76 million and $214 million; and districts in the rest of the state, between $156 million and $250 million. On a per-pupil basis, these cuts amount to as much as $496 for every student in Cook County, $382 for every collar county student, and $375 for every student in the rest of Illinois. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate these cuts.
On Friday, the Cook Political Report released a new analysis of 2018 Gubernatorial races, and it was only bad news from Governor Bruce Rauner. Cook Political Report not only moved the ranking of the race from “Lean R” to “Tossup”, they also singled out Governor Rauner for being the “most vulnerable incumbent seeking re-election next year.”
Cook Political Report:
“The fifth seat is in Illinois where GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner is seeking a second term. Rauner has been under siege for much of his term in a standoff with the Democratic-controlled legislature over the state’s budget – or rather, the lack of one.”
…
“As a Republican in a very blue state, Rauner is the most vulnerable incumbent seeking re-election next year.”
Governor Rauner’s re-election challenges are numerous and self-inflicted, and really boil down to one question – has Illinois moved forward under Governor Rauner? With no budget, skyrocketing debt, job growth stuck in the mud, and an education system on the verge of collapse, it’s hard to see many voters eagerly pulling “Rauner” in 2018.
To complicate matters, Governor Rauner will have an albatross hanging around his neck named President Trump pushing unpopular legislation on health care and the environment. Rauner so far has refused to break with his party’s leader in memorable fashion.
Rauner’s already suffering from punishingly low approval ratings, and with an election strategy that is summed up as “blame someone else,” it looks like 2018 will not be kind to him.
“You don’t get labeled the ‘most vulnerable incumbent’ without compiling an impressive record of failure,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “With no accomplishments to run on, Governor Rauner’s only hope at re-election is to spend tens of millions dodging responsibility and blaming others for his own failed leadership. Illinois voters will see through his cynical re-election strategy and demand accountability for the state’s slide backwards.”
The full report is here. Just keep in mind they do these ratings from far away and it’s really early, so the ratings are always subject to change.
* Meanwhile, from the Rauner campaign…
We’re quickly approaching the end of the quarter.
Normally at this time of year, we’d email you to help us reach our big end of quarter fundraising goal, which directly fuels our team’s efforts across the state.
But this isn’t a normal end of quarter here in Illinois.
Last week, Bruce called legislators back to Springfield for a special session to work towards a Capitol Compromise that brings a balanced budget and real reforms to Illinois.
These legislators have just four more days to come together in a bipartisan fashion to fix our state.
We’re not concerned about our end of quarter fundraising deadline. We’re concerned about our state legislators following Bruce’s lead to change the system and get our state back on track.
So, instead of contributing to our fundraising goal today, we’re asking you to show your support. Will you commit to the budget and reform movement? Sign here.
Let’s show Bruce that we’re behind him as he keeps up the momentum in Springfield.
Our movement is stronger than ever, no matter what career politicians try to get in the way.
* Chris Kennedy’s pink feather boa is great and I don’t think our current governor could pull off that look. But, I’m sorry, the Cub float in the background just ruins the pic for me…
* And I’m not sure all the Democratic candidates can run like this…
…Adding… The Pritzker campaign just posted a new video…
MK and I had such a great time marching with everyone yesterday at Chicago Pride. We will never stop fighting for equality. #Pride2017pic.twitter.com/bMSUUDu578
* I wore my “Missing Budget” t-shirt to the Statehouse yesterday. Click here to order one for yourself. The proceeds benefit charities that have been slammed by the impasse.
* Posted in the order they were received. Pritzker campaign…
Pritzker Campaign Launches New Digital Ads Holding Bruce Rauner Accountable on Health Care
Bruce Rauner Has No Plan for Health Care Bill Jeopardizing Coverage For Millions of Illinoisans
Chicago, IL – Today, the JB for Governor campaign launched new digital ads holding Bruce Rauner accountable for his failure to respond to the GOP health care bill. The ad campaign will run banner ads on local online publications throughout the state.
The bill introduced by Senate Republicans will be nothing short of devastating for Illinois families. It jeopardizes health care coverage for millions of Illinoisans, automatically terminates Medicaid coverage for 650,000 low-income Illinoisans by 2021, and could cost the state $40 billion over 10 years. Premiums could skyrocket across the board, with seniors bearing the brunt of the increased costs.
Despite the devastating impact this will have on our families, Bruce Rauner has yet to produce a plan to mitigate its impacts on the people he is supposed to represent. The new digital ads aim to hold Bruce Rauner accountable for failing to protect Illinoisans from this damaging legislation.
“This health care legislation will jeopardize coverage for millions of Illinoisans, financially devastate our families, and cost people their lives. There is no excuse for Bruce Rauner failing to produce a plan,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is a time for courage and leadership in Springfield to guide our state through the crisis this legislation will deliver to our doorstep. Instead Bruce Rauner is telling Illinoisans they will have to go it alone as Donald Trump’s agenda devastates our state. Rauner’s silence is cowardly and his failure to act will do long term damage to Illinois families.”
* From the ILGOP…
Pritzker and Madigan Sync Up Talking Points – Again!
Use Liberal Dog Whistles to Attack Reform
J.B. Pritzker and Mike Madigan are syncing up their talking points yet again.
Both oppose efforts to reform Illinois – but refuse to actually explain why outside of name calling.
Just yesterday, Madigan called Republican efforts to get lasting property tax relief an “extreme right-wing agenda.”
Likewise, J.B. Pritzker regularly refers to good government reforms like term limits, fair maps, and property tax relief as a “right wing Koch brother agenda.”
Here’s a question for Madigan, Pritzker, and the other candidates for Governor who oppose reform – what about helping the middle class is extreme?
What about an honest political system that works for the people, not the politicians, is extreme?
Democrats need to stop the liberal dog whistles and provide real solutions for Illinois.
A massive tax increase with no reform just won’t cut it.
Who won?
*** UPDATE *** Galia Slayen of the Pritzker campaign…
“After two and a half years as governor, Bruce Rauner is still unable to articulate how his turnaround agenda will help the middle class. That’s because this agenda has always been about shaking the foundation of working class families as he uses them as leverage to achieve his personal, special interest agenda. Workers’ compensation reform that funnels more money into insurance company coffers isn’t real reform and undermining collective bargaining is an attack on working families. Illinois GOP arguing that these proposals help middle class Illinoisans is as much a joke as Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership. The fact that Rauner cannot seem to focus on the task at hand — passing a budget — further proves that he is incapable of providing the leadership our state needs. Focus, Bruce, focus.”
* Stephen Moore, an economic consultant at Freedom Works and senior economic analyst at CNN, writing in the Washington Times…
The media has hyper-obsessed over the Kansas tax hike this year and has sold this as a repudiation of “supply side economics.” But the real story in the states has been the catastrophic effects of “tax and spend” fiscal policy in Illinois. […]
Back in 2013 the previous governor, Democrat Pat Quinn, followed the advice of economists like Paul Krugman of The New York Times, and raised taxes on the very wealthiest residents of the Land of Lincoln. He argued that the super rich in Illinois could easily afford to pay a bigger share of the tax load and no one would leave.
The more Mr. Quinn raised taxes, the deeper the budget hole got. Whole resort towns in Florida and Arizona have become high-income refugee camps of former affluent residents of Chicagoland. […]
So what is the lesson for the rest of America? Soak the rich economics almost never works. As tax receipts keep sinking in Illinois, the safety net is tattered, the roads are in disrepair, crime is out of control in Chicago, and the state is home to some of the worst schools in the nation.
When you try to soak the rich, they leave, the state goes bankrupt and it’s the middle class that gets all wet. How’s that for tax fairness?
Why is the national media ignoring this story?
The national media isn’t “ignoring” this particular story because Moore has his facts completely wrong. Illinois has a flat income tax. It didn’t jack up tax rates solely on the rich, it jacked up tax rates on everybody, rich and poor, and it looks like it’s about to do it again.
Also, Quinn raised taxes once, and the bill payment cycle was reduced to under 30 days. That income tax hike was allowed to partially expire on January 1st of 2015 and it hasn’t since been restored. The government is running mostly on auto-pilot due to court orders and state statutes and the comptroller is struggling to pay state invoices from last September.
…Adding… As a commenter also points out, the tax hike was passed in 2011, not 2013, as Mr. Moore claims.
After years of railing against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner for making several “non-budget” items a prerequisite to a spending agreement, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan announced Sunday he’s come up with his own demands if there’s to be a deal.
Madigan says he expects three things from Rauner: signing the Democrats’ big education funding overhaul, letting Illinois regulate workers’ compensation insurance rates, and slowing down a big change in the Medicaid program, so it can go through the normal state procurement process.
“This is a governmental negotiation. This is a situation where nobody gets 100 percent,” Madigan said. “I asked the Republican leaders: Please go down to the governor and explain — in a governmental negotiation, nobody gets 100 percent. Please do that.” […]
“Remember, there’s been a lot of complaints about the governor ‘moving the goalposts’ — we just saw that today from the Democrats,” [House GOP Leader Jim Durkin] said. “But you know, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We’ll work it out.”
“I think the fact that they’re willing to negotiate, to me, is a little more movement than we’ve seen in the past,” he said.
Madigan said House Democrats are working on a bill to freeze property taxes, although he did not say for how long. Madigan said the length of a freeze is an “open question.” […]
Although Durkin said there were some positives from the meeting, he said there won’t be another one until the House Democrats produce their own balanced budget plan.
“The fact is, we’re not going to meet until we actually get a plan out of the House Democrats,” Durkin said. “We’ve got five days left.”
“That’s forthcoming very shortly,” said Madigan who added that he wants to meet with the leaders again on Tuesday.
“Only because the governor wants to impose that on people who depend upon public schools to education children, OK? It’s part of the extreme right agenda,” Madigan said of Rauner insistence on a property tax freeze.
Local property taxes are the primary funding source for schools.
“That is the furthest from the truth. And that’s really disappointing at this stage, after two and a half years that it has now become part of some right wing conspiracy. That doesn’t help,” House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said of Madigan’s comment. “Our property taxes are the worst … in the United States. Not a good statement to make.”
Will Madigan agree to Rauner’s term limits proposal? “I strongly believe in the wisdom of the people of Illinois and how they vote,” Madigan said before referring to his own reelection. “We had a term limits question on the Southwest Side of Chicago about a year and a half ago. There was a million dollars spent against me — and the people voted for me.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner regularly attempts to “go over the heads” of the news media and talk directly to the public without any journalistic filters.
Usually for people in his particular position, that’s just not possible. Governors aren’t presidents, after all.
They can’t deliver Oval Office addresses that are carried live by television networks or give stump speeches that cable news networks regularly broadcast. They don’t have millions of Twitter followers or Facebook video watchers.
But that hasn’t stopped Rauner from trying. It’s what his prolific television advertising is really about. He has spent millions even in non-election years attempting to frame his issues his own way without any filters — mainly to avoid taking any blame for his state grinding to a halt without a budget and to shift all blame to House Speaker Michael Madigan and the Democrats instead.
Aside from those ads, most of his Facebook videos have fewer than 10,000 or so views, a tiny fraction of Illinois’ population. He only has about 20,000 Twitter followers, which is fewer than I have.
So, last week’s Old State Capitol speech about the need for “unity” was a true rarity. Rauner’s 3-minute, 15-second address was carried live by several television stations, including the one with the largest news audience in the Chicago region, Channel 7.
He didn’t break much ground with what he said.
What was new was the platform he used. Because he inserted himself into TV news broadcasts, tons of people got a chance to hear him speak live on the topic of his choosing for the very first time without interruption — which has simply never happened before in this state.
The extreme drama of more than two years with no budget, a state teetering on fiscal collapse and a crucial special legislative session starting the following day was just too juicy to resist for the stations. Toss in the location of the Old State Capitol, which was used by both Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama for major speeches and the setup was nearly perfect.
The governor used lots of buzz words like “compromise,” “bipartisan” and “unity.” He got in his pitches for a property tax freeze, school funding and term limits, all hugely popular out there in Voter Land.
Not once did he utter the phrase “tax increase,” even though he supports a plan to increase the income tax rate by about a third. And he called the impasse “unnecessary” even though the Statehouse war was basically his idea from the get-go.
It was all too much for the Democrats, who mostly reacted harshly.
Chris Kennedy labeled it as “a few minutes of empty remarks in an empty room.”
Sen. Daniel Biss called it “the worst infomercial in our state’s fiscal history.”
JB Pritzker said: “Rauner has decided he wants to make people think that he’d like to work together to get something done.”
Ameya Pawar called Rauner a “liar, a fraud and a flake.”
And the House Democrats’ official response accused the governor of “talking out of both sides of his mouth.”
To the people who watched the speech, that reaction may have been seen as an overreaction, if they even bothered to look up the react. Rauner’s specialty is winning the news cycle, and he most certainly won the week with that little address of his.
Rauner’s speech wasn’t about getting a budget deal. It was about portraying himself as the good guy and the person who is not to blame and then letting the other side take its nastiest shots to prove how they’re not so good.
“Why are they picking on this man who only wants bipartisan unity?” would be the preferred message received.
On the other hand, Rauner was poorly lit, his face and head were distractingly shiny, the empty room had lousy acoustics and he had what appeared to be a cold sore on his upper lip.
Television is all about the visuals, which is why the best way to effectively rate a TV ad is to turn off the sound. People see way more than they hear.
What they probably heard last week were the poll-tested, tried-and-true buzz words.
What they saw may not have been so great.
Still, the fact that Rauner pulled it off is quite an accomplishment.
I used to tell Rod Blagojevich to stop trying to go over our heads and learn to deal with the news media’s filter.
Rauner figured out how to do what Blagojevich never could.
What: Governor Rauner Joins Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to Break Ground at the I-74 Bridge Project
Where: Leach Park
100 12th St., Bettendorf, Iowa
Date: Monday, June 26, 2017
Time: 1:45 p.m.
Note: No additional media availability.
* From the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association…
While Democrats Work to End His Crisis, Rauner Attends Out-Of State Photo-Op
Rauner to campaign in Iowa instead of meeting with legislative leaders in Springfield
Springfield, IL – On Monday, June 26th, Governor Bruce Rauner is attending a political photo-op in Bettendorf, IA at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Interstate 74 bridge over the Mississippi River. This project is expected to cost taxpayers up to one billion dollars. While Rauner is in Iowa attending the event, Democrats are in Springfield trying to find a way out of the budget crisis that Bruce Rauner created.
Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association President Doug House issued the following statement ahead of Bruce Rauner’s photo-op:
“It takes a special kind of arrogance to call a $40,000 per day Special Legislative Session and then attend a photo-op out of state to promote a one-billion-dollar construction project that cannot start because of the budget crisis he created. I echo what other Democrats have said. Bruce Rauner should meet with legislative leaders every day until a compromise is reached on the state budget. He shouldn’t be leaving the Illinois for photo-ops while the state burns down.”
House further added:
“Democrats have attempted to meet the Governor halfway on his demands. We want to end the Rauner crisis and start to put the pieces of our state back together, but the governor simply refuses to compromise. Voters are starting to wise up to Rauner. Rauner needs to stop pointing fingers, stop the political attacks, and end this crisis immediately. ”
Fair hit or not? I’m kinda torn. Yeah, he should be in Springfield, but he hasn’t called out individual Democratic legislators for skipping special session days (which would be an easy hit) and he’s not directly involved in the leaders’ meetings. Frankly, it’s probably better that he leaves town for a while, considering what he did to the Senate’s grand bargain.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Sen. Daniel Biss…
“Bruce Rauner had to go to Iowa to find a groundbreaking ceremony because there aren’t any ribbons to cut in Illinois. Due to the budget crisis Rauner has created, the Illinois Department of Transportation will be forced to shut down all construction work in the state in just four days.
“What Illinoisans have learned about Bruce Rauner over the last three years is that while he loves endlessly campaigning to keep his job, he won’t actually do his job.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Chris Kennedy campaign…
Governor Rauner is failing to lead once again. Instead of focusing on our budget impasse, he has fled Springfield to cut a ribbon for a bridge we can’t pay for without a budget. This bridge is a productive capital project that creates jobs and strengthens infrastructure in the region but without a budget, it will become a bridge to nowhere. Inevitably, Iowa will need to collect Illinois’ share of the I-74 bridge project. When they do, we will need a functioning budget in place to deliver on our commitment. After more than 725 days without a budget, there is little to no faith that Governor Rauner will follow through. It’s time for the governor to start building bridges in our state legislature and not dodging his responsibility to the people of Illinois.
Emerging from the first legislative leaders meeting in months, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said his fellow leaders recognize the urgency of reaching a budget deal and that Sunday’s meeting should fuel new optimism that it will happen soon.
Asked by reporters if the people of Illinois should be more or less optimistic after the meeting, the Senate President replied: “I would say more.”
When asked why he felt that way, he said, “Because we couldn’t even get a meeting a couple days ago.”
Indeed, Sunday’s afternoon meeting of the Republican and Democratic leaders from the Senate and House was the first of its kind this year. Governor Bruce Rauner pulled the plug on budget meetings with the legislative leaders back in December, arguing that he didn’t think Democrats were serious about a budget deal.
Just weeks later, the Senate leaders unveiled a sweeping set of financial and governmental reforms dubbed the Grand Bargain in an effort to shake loose a state budget after a nearly two-year impasse. The Senate Democrats went on to pass a balanced budget plan. Even the House Republican leader has acknowledged that the Senate has “done their work.”
Senate President Cullerton told reporters Sunday that the meeting was civil and he would be briefing Senate Democrats on developments in advance of another leaders meeting being scheduled.
Asked if the governor would attend future leaders meetings, Cullerton said: “That’s up to the governor. He’s the one that calls those meetings.”
The Senate President again noted that the Illinois Senate had already approved all the issues the governor cited in convening Special Sessions of the General Assembly.
* But…
After meeting, Durkin says GOP will not meet with Democrats again until Madigan unveils his own budget plan.
* House Speaker Michael Madigan emerged from a meeting with the other legislative leaders this afternoon to say he has responded to the governor’s non-budget demands with his own list.
Madigan wants SB 1, the education funding reform bill which passed both chambers, signed into law. He did say, however, that he was open to changing the legislation.
The House Speaker also said he wants regulations on workers compensation insurance rates and he wants the governor to follow procurement rules on his attempt to vastly expand Medicaid managed care programs.
Madigan said the leaders will meet again on Tuesday.
…Adding… I forgot to tell you that Madigan said he would be open to a property tax freeze proposal in return, but didn’t say how long he wants the freeze to be. He didn’t sound at all like he would be open to a term limits proposal, but that’s no surprise.
More in a bit, including audio.
…Adding… Click here for the raw audio of Senate President Cullerton. He didn’t say much of anything.
…Adding More… You can click here to listen to the Madigan audio. I hope it works because I’m having a little trouble with it because I can’t easily upload to SoundCloud at the Statehouse.
*** UPDATE *** House Republican Leader Jim Durkin criticized Madigan to reporters for saying that property tax relief is “part of some right-wing conspiracy.”
“That doesn’t help,” Durkin said, pointing out how high property taxes are in the state.
However, when asked whether Madigan’s addition of new demands was helpful, Durkin said, “They added new things to the mix, but the fact is we’ll manage it.”
* I’m hanging around outside the leaders’ meeting and figured I’d check my e-mail. This press release was in it…
Statement from Mayor Emanuel on State Budget
“As President Kennedy said, to govern is to choose. In the coming days will the governor choose to lead the state down the path to progress, or will he choose to drag the state further into financial demise? Will he continue his obstinance, opposing his own proposals, threatening vetoes of bills that meet 90% of his goals, promising vetoes of overwhelmingly bipartisan bills, and undercutting bipartisan budget agreements? Or will he chose to lead, to truly compromise, by making progress the goal instead of perfection? Will he put the interests of the people ahead of his own personal politics? Governor, it’s your choice. In five days we’ll all have your answer.”
Across Illinois - social service providers are having to make cuts. The head of one shelter says without a state budget, its future is bleak.
Sojourn Shelter in Springfield oversees five counties in central Illinois. It provides care for domestic abuse victims, mostly women and children. There are 32 beds, often full, and the goal is to help survivors become independent. It helps with court advocacy, education and employment.
Angela Bertoni is the CEO. She says the shelter is supposed to get $400,000 annually from the state through the Department of Human Services. Without that money, employees have been laid off and other cost saving measures have been taken. “You get to a certain point where there’s nothing left to eliminate. I mean, we already worked on a very streamlined budget for the entire time we’ve existed (since 1975). There’s no more fluff to cut.”
Bertoni says as things stand, its unclear whether the shelter will be able to keep up with its around-the-clock care. “We have to be here 24/7, 365 - we’re a lot like the police and fire departments. People need us when it’s (a) crisis.” Many such agencies are waiting to see what sacrifices will have to be made if the legislature can’t approve a budget that the governor would sign off on by the time the new fiscal year starts in July.
Asked what his version of a tax plan would involve, Madigan replied that “a House Democratic revenue plan would be items that you’ve seen before and you’re probably written about and others in the Legislature have talked about.”
A commenter on the CapitolFax website parodied Madigan’s reply by suggesting the speaker’s response would have been just as clear as it he had said the Democrats’ bill would “contain ideas, expressed in a text format, that, if passed by both chambers and signed into law, would become public acts.”
It’s that kind of he-who-says-the-least-has-the-most-power approach that has all eyes on the 75-year-old veteran Chicago politician.
After three days of a 10-day special session, nothing was happening in Springfield that was visible to the naked eye. Whatever does happen in between today and July 1, the first day of the state’s 2017-18 fiscal year, probably won’t happen until the last minute.
At least that’s what Bloomington GOP state Sen. Jason Barickman predicts.
“The question will be, ‘Is this a classic Madigan 11th-12th hour negotiating ploy?’” he said.
Madigan loves to wait until the last second to jam big things through. It’s usually tough to see it coming, and then it’s too late because it already happened. He keeps me up at night wondering what he’s gonna pull at times like these.
The only question now is whether it happens by June 30th, or July 31st or…
* Sneed asked Gov. Rauner what he does to handle stress…
“Well, I take long walks with our dog and ride my motorcycle,” Rauner said. “I head out alone and explore roads or find a little park to sit and think. Or a brew pub to strike up conversations.
“It’s really wonderful when people describing themselves as Democrats tell me to stay the course. That I’m doing the right thing,” he said.
“That energizes me and I know it sounds strange, but my wife tells me she hasn’t seen me this happy in 20 years. I feel totally honored and humbled to get the opportunity to improve the future of 13 million people.”
He’s said this several times before, of course. But even now? After two and a half years without a budget? During the lead-up to junk bond status, the loss of college accreditations and the other massive crises that are only going to become worse? He’s still the happiest he’s been in 20 years?
“Glad he’s happy. But he shouldn’t be,” Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said when asked about Rauner’s comments.
“This is really an embarrassment,” Cullerton said. “We owe $15 billion. We’ve been downgraded. People are not being paid. People are not being served. There’s people who aren’t getting breast cancer screenings because of this. … It’s just sad. It’s totally avoidable. That’s why I’ve been working with Republicans this session in a bipartisan fashion, and I give credit to those Republicans who did all the work with us and just weren’t allowed to vote.”
Cullerton blames the lack of GOP votes on bills agreed to by Senate Democrats and Republicans on the governor. Rauner has expressed concerns about the legislation, but has denied peeling off GOP support.
“It’s disastrous, and totally avoidable,” Cullerton said of the effects of the impasse.
“The fact that Bruce Rauner can talk about his own happiness as our economy spirals down the drain and Illinois stumbles towards junk status is appalling,” said JB Pritzker. “Rauner’s comments are an absurd insult to the millions of families struggling under his failed leadership. This is confirmation of what we’ve known all along: Bruce Rauner manufactured this crisis to force his agenda on our state and he does not care how many Illinoisans pay the price.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Chris Kennedy campaign…
Sounds like what’s making most people in Illinois miserable is making Bruce Rauner happy. During his two years as Governor, over a million people have been pushed out of social services that provide basic human rights like food and health care. Our state universities are on the brink of losing accreditation and job growth is below the national average. People are voting with their feet and leaving Illinois in record numbers. The voters are ready for radical change in Illinois, starting with a new governor and state leadership that will put Illinois back to work.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Sen. Daniel Biss…
I’ve been trying to figure out how Bruce Rauner can sleep at night but now we know: hurting people across Illinois apparently makes him happy.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Pawar campaign…
That Bruce Rauner has never been happier as public schools, universities, and social services across State of Illinois are collapsing is embarrassing.
This is what happens when we elect out of touch business men to government who make their fortune destroying companies and gutting jobs for personal profit.
We can - and must - do better than another four years of Bruce Rauner.
Republicans have called Senate Bill 1, which was crafted by Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, a bailout for the Chicago school system. They are behind Senate Bill 1124 which they said will provide more money to the neediest school districts while also not giving the Chicago schools benefits that other districts do not receive.
Manar and other Democrats have denied that Chicago gets special treatment under SB1 and that the bill will guarantee that any new money allocated to K-12 education will be directed to the neediest school districts. No school district will get less money under SB1 than it does now.
During a committee of the whole meeting Saturday in the House, a number of school superintendents testified in favor of SB1, including Don Cox, superintendent of the Staunton School District. Cox said he believes SB1 is the most equitable way to achieve adequate school funding.
“We do not suffer from a spending problem in our district,” Cox said. “We suffer from a revenue problem.”
* The Senate Democrats sent out these bullet points about the Republican funding reform proposal…
· It would result in the loss of federal funding for special education and free/reduced lunch programs in school districts statewide.
· It represents a redistribution of dollars from poor school districts to wealthy school districts.
· It creates winning and losing school districts.
· There is no Republican-sponsored revenue bill to pay for school funding.
· There are no known proponents for Senate Bill 1124, which is sponsored by Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington).
· The Republicans’ full court press for Senate Bill 1124 began three weeks after May 31, the final day of the legislative session.
· Barickman and Rauner education secretary Beth Purvis directly contradicted each other about details of the proposal while answering questions throughout this afternoon’s hearing.
All Illinois school districts would benefit from a more equitable distribution of state education dollars under a compromise proposal introduced by State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) to fix the state’s broken school aid formula and end the budget stalemate, according to data released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
“This is a true compromise that embraces the priorities of lawmakers from both parties and both legislative chambers, and reflects the recommendations of the Governor’s bipartisan, bicameral Illinois School Funding Reform Commission,” Sen. Barickman said.
“Our legislation focuses on agreed-to principles and best practices to create real equity by treating all districts and students fairly under one system, regardless of zip code,” Barickman continued. “Now the data from ISBE clearly demonstrates that this is the most equitable plan for all students.”
The ISBE data show how schools would fare under Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1124 as part of a compromise package of budget and reform measures that Sen. Barickman says would be signed by the Governor.
*** UPDATE 2 *** That meeting above is the governor’s meeting with the two Republican leaders. Following that meeting, the four legislative leaders will sit down at 1:30.
We’re attempting to reschedule the meeting that was canceled by Gov. Rauner. We’ve suggested tomorrow at one o’clock. And my office has spoken with the other three leadership offices to reschedule the meeting of the four leaders that Gov. Rauner canceled one or two days ago.
I’ve reached out to the press people for the two Republican leaders to see what their response to this invitation is, but haven’t yet heard back. I’ll let you know.
*** UPDATE *** From Leader Durkin…
“With 6 days remaining in this fiscal year, I once again call upon Speaker Madigan to meet with me immediately to negotiate a resolution to the budget impasse. We are making good progress with workers compensation reform as a result of our Wednesday meeting. I believe we can resolve the unfinished areas in a collective manner. The work needs to be in the House and we should mirror the collaborative efforts performed in the Senate. As Senate President Cullerton told Rick Pearson on WGN Radio last Sunday, ‘Madigan and Durkin should do what Radogno and Cullerton did. Sit down and come up with a plan.’
We are past the point of having these Committees of the Whole. We just need to finish the job.”
* This is raw audio from Madigan’s availability and it doesn’t get going until about the 1:30 mark, so skip ahead. Many thanks to our buddy Dave Dahl for the file.
Madigan starts by sparring with the Illinois News Network’s Statehouse correspondent because the INN is a project of the Illinois Policy Institute…
Just for the record, I have lots of beefs with the Illinois Policy Institute, but their Statehouse guy Greg Bishop works hard and asks tough questions. He’s not a Republican Party operative, as Madigan more than just implied today. If he was, he’d be actively supporting or downplaying the governor’s proposed tax hikes. Instead, he’s one of the only Statehouse reporters who has written some in-depth stories on the governor’s actual proposals. You’d barely know the governor was backing a 33 percent income tax hike by reading most of the stories filed from Springfield this week.
Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Saturday:
“At the request of Leader Durkin, House Democrats have agreed to postpone a vote on workers’ compensation legislation in the House Labor Committee and will continue working with our Republican colleagues to craft a bipartisan agreement.
“Throughout this budget crisis, Democrats have worked to find common ground and accommodate the requests of Republicans whenever possible. We’ve worked to move discussions forward by advancing legislation addressing the governor’s requests, including measures cutting property taxes, holding workers’ compensation insurers accountable to businesses, helping small and medium-sized employers succeed, reforming state procurement, selling the Thompson Center and improving the management of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. We’ve also continually urged an ongoing dialogue on the budget and governor’s agenda. We will continue to do so in the hope that our good faith will facilitate the cooperation needed to pass a bipartisan budget.”
Also at risk is accreditation for some state universities after the Higher Learning Commission issued a letter warning that a continued lack of funding “places the higher education system of Illinois at considerable risk and is injurious to the very students the system purports to serve.”
* Here’s the letter…
June 22, 2017
To: The Honorable Governor Rauner Illinois Senate President Cullerton
Illinois House Speaker Madigan
Illinois Senate Leader Radogno
Illinois House Leader Durkin
Members of the Illinois General Assembly
I am writing to you on behalf of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the regional accrediting agency responsible for assuring the quality of colleges and universities for students in nineteen states, including Illinois. In this role, HLC also serves as a federally-recognized gatekeeper for student financial aid, including the more than $4 billion distributed to students in Illinois in 2016-17. I am contacting you because of HLC’s preeminent role in protecting students.
In February of 2016, I wrote to you with many of the same concerns about the lack of a state budget that I am going to reiterate today; however, these concerns have grown exponentially since that time. Sixteen months after my initial memo there remains no sustainable funding for higher education in Illinois. The continued lack of such funding places the higher education system of Illinois at considerable risk and is injurious to the very students the system purports to serve. As the accrediting agency tasked with assuring quality, I must warn you about the accreditation consequences of the failure to provide sustainable funding for Illinois higher education.
HLC has closely monitored Illinois institutions of higher education over the past two-and-a-half years and has observed the increasingly dire effects of this budget crisis. These include but are not limited to the following:
• Increased tuition and fees for students and loss of MAP money for needy students;
• Significantly declining student enrollments;
• Loss of faculty and staff and elimination of academic programs and services;
• Canceled capital projects and cuts to plant operations, further diminishing jobs; and,
• Depleted or diminished cash reserves and loss of grant and charitable donation income.
Institutions exhibiting these problems, regardless of cause, are still subject to HLC standards that require the availability of appropriate financial, physical, and human resources. When institutions no longer meet, or are at risk of not meeting these standards, HLC is obligated to implement its system of sanctions and public information to alert the public about the impact on educational quality; some institutions may ultimately face withdrawal of accreditation. Students attending institutions that do not have status with an accrediting agency recognized by the federal government cannot access federal financial aid.
You have the power to stop this spiral of diminishing quality of higher education in Illinois and the resulting accreditation consequences. I urge you to act immediately to fund higher education in Illinois. You have the future of thousands of Illinois college students in your hands. Do what is needed to ensure that they have a strong education in Illinois.
As you deliberate this most consequential decision, please contact me with any questions or concerns. Sincerely,
Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D. President, Higher Learning Commission
“He handles it with . . . experience,” said Steve Brown, Madigan’s spokesman.
“Sure, there’s stress. But he always handles the rigors of the day by exercising on a regular basis. He keeps a stationary bike in his apartment in Springfield, just like he does at home. He has always had a very health-oriented diet. Chicken and fish. That sort of thing.
“Besides that, he does not go into a panic when someone on television lobs criticism at him!”
* The Question: How do you think Speaker Madigan “really” handles stress? Be creative, but follow the rules.
To some extent, what’s unfolding at the Capitol is following the same script as in years past. The governor and legislative leaders spend a few days both calling for compromise and accusing the other side of not being interested in negotiating one. Political messages are sent, daily news cycles tended to and pressure has to build before they sit down and reach a deal, even a temporary one. […]
Rauner put the blame on Democrats, declaring the majority party is operating in “bad faith.” Democrats, meanwhile, said it’s Rauner who’s playing games, contending that summoning lawmakers back to Springfield was a stunt designed to “deflect from his efforts to really not work on reaching an agreement.”
I don’t know, but it’s not my job to untangle this mess and the people responsible for undoing the monstrosity aren’t doing it.
* And Bernie talked to some Statehouse tourists. I particularly enjoyed this take…
[Marvin Williamson] said he’s Republican, and wasn’t expecting a budget deal would get done this week.
Why?
“Because I don’t think they’re willing to get together,” he said. He didn’t think House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, wants a compromise – which Madigan and Rauner both say they want.
“He’s had plenty of chances to get something done,” Williamson said.
But he also didn’t think anti-Madigan TV ads being run by Rauner’s campaign are helpful.
“I know he’s spending his own money, which is his right,” Williamson said. “But it seems to me that instead of spending money belittling the other side,” he could have spent “a lot more of his effort trying to get together with the other side rather than being obstinate to it.”
“They need to get their act together – start listening to each other,” he said.
* Republicans propose new school funding plan: “The spring legislative session ended more than three weeks ago. Senator Barickman missed the deadline,” Manar said. “If his latest proposal was a final project, he’d earn an F because not only did he turn it in late, he showed up looking for his teacher after everyone had gone home and the school doors were locked for the summer.”
* JB Pritzker isn’t just on TV now, he’s also sending campaign mailers. This one is apparently being targeted at women, according to people who’ve received it. Click the pics for larger images…
With junk-rated Chicago Public Schools now paying the state’s legal maximum of 9 percent interest on a portion of the borrowing it has relied on to keep the doors open, the school system’s options for further fiscal juggling keep shrinking.
Sadly, that’s always been what this fight was about: whether Rauner could leverage the worsening financial problems of the city’s schools to win political concessions from the Democrats who control the Legislature before the state’s own problems caught up with him.
The resulting impasse has wreaked havoc on the state’s universities and social service delivery system. But, as bad as things have been, they’re on the verge of getting even worse. […]
The state’s falling bond rating, coupled with its long-running structural deficit, are causing problems for governments across Illinois.
“This negative contagion means all cities, counties, school districts and universities throughout the state see lower ratings and higher borrowing costs,” John Miller, managing director of Nuveen Asset Management, told a legislative committee last month.
This so-called “Illinois penalty” is costing those governments an estimated $930 million a year in added debt service, Miller said.
And it’s only going to get much worse if the state falls further.
An updated “doomsday” picture offered by Comptroller Susana Mendoza warns that without a budget in place soon, come August she won’t be able to write checks to pay for the most basic of services, including state employee payroll, school funding and requirement debt service.
Illinois is already $15 billion behind on paying its bills, as payments for other services have been pushed aside for those and other core priorities as established by law and court orders.
“This has never happened before,” Mendoza said Friday after she privately briefed legislators on the scenario. “The situation couldn’t be more critical.”
[Comptroller Susana Mendoza] said Friday that in a “best-case scenario,” the state will fall $185 million short of what it needs to meet payments required by various court orders, consent decrees and state laws that have been responsible for the state to continue paying some bills in the absence of a full state budget [in August].
“We will no longer be able to fully comply with all of the court orders that determine payments in our core priority sectors,” Mendoza said. “This has never happened before.” […]
“In August, I will have zero flexibility,” Mendoza said. “I guarantee you nursing homes will close. I won’t be able to help them. I won’t even have enough money to make the core priorities that are mandated by the courts.”
Courts have ordered continued payments for some human services programs and for the state employee payroll. State law requires payments to pension systems and debt service. The state has also managed to keep current with state aid payments to schools, although reimbursements for things like transportation costs have fallen behind.
However, Mendoza said that in August, if nothing is done to resolve the budget stalemate, even school aid payments could be in jeopardy, not to mention what might happen if the state can’t make payments decreed by the courts.
* Mendoza distributed this to House Democrats yesterday. That squiggly red line represents mandated core expenditures…
So: Has state government’s fiscal condition worsened under Rauner? Yes, it has, largely because he won’t go along with budget gimmicks and because he wants reforms that would give employers confidence in Illinois’ economic climate and future governance.
He won’t go along with budget gimmicks?
C’mon.
* For crying out loud, go back to his very first proposed budget. This is from the spring of 2015…
In a scathing report being released this morning, the Civic Federation, a Chicago watchdog group largely funded with corporate cash, says the new governor’s $31.5 billion operating budget does not add up and asserts that it could leave the state in worse shape than it was under former Gov. Pat Quinn. […]
For instance, it says Rauner’s budget assumes $2.2 billion in immediate pension savings from changes that have not yet even been introduced to the General Assembly, much less approved or run through a gantlet of probable legal challenges. “It is unlikely that the governor’s new reform proposal could be implemented in FY 2016, and the state’s fiscal condition would worsen if the savings were budgeted but not achieved,” it says. And passage of a possible constitutional amendment to clear the legal path is “not feasible” next year.
Also “unrealistic,” the report says, is a projected $655 million cut in spending on group health insurance for state workers—a reduction of about one-third. Similarly, cuts of hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid and other social welfare programs will require the approval of federal officials or federal judges. For instance, it says, a proposed $167 million reduction in support for young adults who were in the foster care system could run afoul of a 1991 consent decree requiring the state to provide such coverage.
And then, year after year, it only got worse. And his current budget proposal is full of things like magical pension savings and one-time fund transfers.
* Rep. Greg Harris talks for about the first four minutes, then Speaker Madigan takes questions. Many thanks again to Greg Bishop for the video…
Madigan expressed his disappointment that this morning’s scheduled meeting with the other three legislative leaders was canceled and said he would still try to make it happen. He said he would meet with the governor if asked.
We met once a few days ago. Once a few days ago. He was scheduled to join the other leaders this morning, he should’ve done that.
* Madigan was then asked if, when he meets with Leader Durkin, is he meeting with Durkin or is he meeting with Durkin on behalf of the governor. Madigan laughed and said..
* In case you’ve been wondering, the ol’ blog is staying open every day of special session.
I may close comments during the weekend evenings, however. Back in the day, when I couldn’t shut down comments, some commenters would have a few cocktails on a Saturday night and write some things that they normally wouldn’t have said during the sober light of a weekday. I’d rather avoid that.
I’m not quite sure yet how much I’ll be posting this weekend. But the House just announced two more committees of the whole…
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan is offering stakeholders an opportunity to take part in the discussion on education funding reform and pension reform at two committee of the whole hearings this Saturday and Sunday.
Educators and advocates will address legislators at the committee hearing on Saturday about Senate Bill 1—an education funding reform measure that provides fair funding for all schools—which passed the General Assembly in May, and a recently introduced Republican funding bill which creates winning districts and losing districts.
Legislators will discuss pension legislation currently before the House with stakeholders at a committee hearing on Sunday.
Both hearings will convene at 2 p.m. in the House chamber.
Committee of the Whole on Education Funding Reform
When: Saturday, May 24
When: 2 p.m.
Where: Illinois House of Representatives
Springfield, Ill.
Committee of the Whole on Pension Reform
When: Sunday, May 25
When: 2 p.m.
Where: Illinois House of Representatives
Springfield, Ill.
Emphasis added because if the Democrats can prove that, it’s gonna leave a mark.
* There will also be a Capitol Fax published every day for subscribers, although it might not be posted until later in the morning because, well, I’d like to get a little rest, too. Dragging myself out of bed at 6 o’clock on Saturday and Sunday mornings is not my idea of “rest.”
[Gubernatorial candidate Tio Hardiman] said he blames both sides in the state’s two-year budget dispute. The Democrat said he blames House Speaker Michael Madigan for the budget impasse as much as Republican Governor Bruce Rauner.
“You have a clash of the titans right now, Bruce Rauner and Mike Madigan must take the blame for not passing the budget. Everybody points fingers at Bruce Rauner and I do believe Bruce Rauner is one of the worst governors that state of Illinois has ever witnessed; but at the same time Mike Madigan is really the unofficial governor. People don’t want to say that, he’s like the Godfather down there in Springfield and both those guys are stepping on the poor and working class people.”
But, what would he do in Rauner’s shoes?
He said the Govenor should just sit down with Madigan and work out a compromise, because “people are hurting out here.”
If it was that easy, they would’ve already done it.
WJBC: Well we have taken some calls in the last couple of days, actually over the weeks. But in the last couple of days, one of the calls that came in was one that you know, might be, it’s tough for me to ask and it’s probably going to be tough for you to hear. That maybe there’s an answer to it is someone had asked ‘Why do you think that our speaker, who has worked with other governors, Gov. Thompson, Edgar, Gov. Ryan, what is it about you that he has not wanted to work with you?”
Despite the gentle nature of the question, it took the governor a beat or two to get back onto his talking points…
RAUNER: Um, I really don’t know the answer to that.
Um, he has been very very focused on avoiding a balanced budget. If, if you look back over the years, uh, you can see that this isn’t inconsistent with, uh, the behavior with his majority.
He’s been in power for 35 years and when I’ve looked at the numbers Illinois has never had a true balanced budget during those 35 years. We have always just delayed pension payments, or not paid our bills, or borrowed in the bond markets to come up with what was then called about. The reality is the budgets have not been balanced for decades and it’s the reason that we have over $200 billion in debt today. This didn’t get accrued in the last year or two. This, this has been accrued for decades. And unfortunately, we’ve had failure within the government in multiple ways by multiple parties led by the speaker. He had control of the spending through the General Assembly majority for 35 of the years and there’s never been a balanced budget. And I have said, it’s critical for the people of Illinois that we have balanced budgets, that we stop the deficit spending, that we stop the borrowing. There’s a reason that we have fewer jobs today than we had 17 years ago in Illinois. Businesses see the deficit spending and it scares them away. There’s a reason that we have a brutally high unemployment rate, one of the highest in America. And there’s a reason we have the highest unemployment in America for African American families it’s because our jobs are leaving the state. Businesses won’t stay where they don’t have confidence in the fiscal responsibility of a government.
He went on and on for a while longer. There was no follow-up to try to get him to actually answer the question.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday accused Gov. Bruce Rauner of government by anger for opposing a 28.2 percent telephone tax hike that will free up money the city hopes to use to shore up the Laborers Pension Fund “well into the next decade.”
The mayor noted that the tax was tucked into a statewide telecommunications bill that got 51 votes in the Illinois Senate and 81 votes in the House.
“It affects downstate communities [and] the whole state. That’s why it received overwhelming, bi-partisan votes across urban, suburban [and] rural areas,” the mayor said.
“Somebody needs to give the governor crib notes on how that works. But he clearly, as a rookie governor, doesn’t get it….Even when something that is essential for downstate, for every community as it relates to public safety and an overwhelming bi-partisan vote, he’s gonna veto it.” […]
“This is a person [who] has to understand that you do not negotiate with people who agree with you, as Shimon Peres used to say. You negotiate and work with people who don’t agree with you. And he has to understand, as a leader, he should actually start governing on building and pushing Illinois forward—not through his anger at everybody else….It’s hard to make somebody happy who will never take ‘yes’ for an answer.”
* Senate President John Cullerton just told reporters that the four legislative leaders were supposed to meet today without the governor. Cullerton claimed all of them agreed to show up.
“The governor pulled the plug on that,” Cullerton said. “He told the Republicans not to go.”
Cullerton said he would “urge the governor to get serious about a compromise, and at minimum don’t prevent your Republican leaders from joining the negotiations.”
* Moments later, Speaker Madigan issued this statement…
“President Cullerton and I met earlier this morning to discuss a way to end the Rauner budget crisis. We were scheduled to meet together with Leaders Radogno and Durkin. We were deeply disappointed that both Republican leaders chose to cancel their participation in our meeting, rather than sit down with us and work to advance a balanced budget. It is difficult to move forward on a bipartisan budget when both Republican leaders refuse to meet.”
* But Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno’s office issued this statement…
“In deference to Leader Durkin, he needs the opportunity to negotiate with Speaker Madigan in the House chamber, just as Leader Radogno and the Senate President do in the Senate. We continue to focus on making progress toward a comprehensive solution. We hope we see progress in the House. Leader Radogno has always believed engagement from the House Speaker is what’s been missing all along.”
* And this is from House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“The focus on the budget is rightfully before the House. I believe the model initiated by the Senate leaders was positive and where we need to be. A four leaders meeting is premature in light of progress being made in the House.”
That’s fine and all, but the question I asked was “did the governor ask/tell the GOP leaders not to attend a meeting with Cullerton and Madigan?”
*** UPDATE 1 *** In a follow up chat, Durkin’s spokesperson made it clear that Durkin chose to opt out of the meeting on his own.
Also, notice in Radogno’s release that she said she deferred to Durkin.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Statement provided on background from “a top GOP official”…
This is an absolute fabrication, an obvious attempt to create an alternative universe to deflect from doing nothing with seven days left to get a budget to the governor’s desk. Leader Durkin is meeting with Speaker Madigan now to negotiate on his compromise — perhaps the Democratic leaders are afraid that the Speaker is finally in the hot seat to do a deal or let the state collapse.
Let’s hope this isn’t the start of a March 1 repeat.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Illinois will never lift itself out of the state budget crisis if the governor and legislative leaders can’t get in a room and talk to each other about their differences, Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) said Friday.
“Gov. Rauner has made it clear that he is the only one with the authority to convene meetings of the governor and the four legislative leaders. He has not called one since Dec. 6,” Manar said. “These five leaders who control the budget negotiations have not been in a room together in nearly 200 days. It’s no wonder we haven’t resolved the budget crisis.”
Manar called on Gov. Rauner to meet with the four leaders every day for the remaining days of the legislative session until a budget deal is complete. He added that the best place to start discussions is with the balanced budget and reform package the Senate already passed. Those bills all are in the House awaiting action.
Rauner called a 10-day special session of the General Assembly, which costs taxpayers roughly $48,000 per day. The special session began Wednesday and ends June 30, the final day of the current fiscal year.
“Gov. Rauner used his power to get lawmakers back to Springfield to work on a budget. With seven days left until June 30, the best way to finalize a budget now is to work with the balanced budget and reform package that the Senate passed and sent to the House in May,” Manar said. “I’m urging the governor convene leaders’ meetings – every day for as long as it takes for the next week – so that they can begin negotiations and together steer our state out of this mess.”
Cullerton told reporters Friday that special sessions are a “political stunt” to offer the governor political cover. Cullerton says the budget the Democrat-controlled Senate approved draws on Rauner’s ideas.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Gov. Rauner was asked by reporters about Cullerton’s claim that he pulled Republicans out of the scheduled leaders’ meeting. “That’s not true,” Rauner said.
Leader Durkin then chimed in and said it was his idea not to attend the meeting, claiming he and Speaker Madigan have achieved a “break-through” on workers’ comp reform.
A live Asian carp has been discovered in a Chicago waterway about nine miles from Lake Michigan — well beyond an electric barrier network designed to prevent the invasive fish that have infested the Mississippi River system from reaching the Great Lakes, officials said Friday.
The silver carp was 28 inches long and weighed about 8 pounds, officials with the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee told The Associated Press. It was caught by a commercial fisherman below the T.J. O’Brien Lock and Dam.
* From Henry Henderson, Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Midwest Program…
“Asian carp are like cockroaches, when you see one, you know it’s accompanied by many more you don’t see. This is a nightmare scenario for anyone concerned about the health of the Great Lakes and its economy.”
“We have had fifteen years to deal with this slow motion tragedy. Perhaps this finding, along with the discovery of another species of Asian carp in the Illinois River, will convey the urgency of threat to the Great Lakes.
The Trump Administration cannot delay for one minute more the release of a taxpayer funded study detailing how to deter the carp invasion. Illinois and Indiana, which have been blamed for obstructing action to address the issue, must join Great Lakes states to push for faster, stronger and more aggressive action. Giant jumping fish at Oak Street Beach will not help Illinois’ tourism economy.”
Just this week, members of Congress introduced legislation to force the Trump administration to release a plan outlining technologies to be employed at a key choke point in the Asian carps’ path towards Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes ecosystem. That plan would likely take decades to deploy, while Great Lakes conservation groups have called for faster solutions that would address movement of invasive species from both the Great Lakes and Mississippi River system through Chicago’s waterways.
* The Question: Do you think JB Pritzker could be independent of Speaker Madigan if he’s elected? Click here to take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
We’ve compromised relentlessly for two years. And we’ve backed off on so many things.
Right now there’s a proposal put forth by lawmakers. It’s a reasonable compromise. It moves on every regard. None of it is exactly where I think it should be. But it’s a good step in the right direction. It’s being criticized by the left, it’s being criticized by the right. That’s by definition a compromise. By definition it’s somewhere in the middle.
And what we’ve gotta do is get a balanced budget to my desk. These guys have gotta do their jobs. A balanced budget proposal is on the table. If somebody doesn’t like that, so be it. Put a balanced budget on my desk so I can sign it.
He’s obviously still having trouble with the concept of “compromise.” Backing off demands like “right to work” that can in no way ever become reality isn’t compromising, it’s recognizing harsh reality. And a Republican budget plan isn’t “by definition” a compromise.
Also, putting a balanced budget on his desk is about the easiest thing the House could do. It’s all the other stuff he wants before he’ll sign the budget that is the main holdup here.
The “Get Along” Shirt is an oversized t-shirt that is meant to be worn by bickering children as a disciplinary method. The humorous concept gained much of its momentum after a photograph of two children strapped together by a t-shirt reading “The ‘We Will Get Along’ Shirt” was posted to Reddit in November 2012.
Yesterday, JB joined protests against the GOP Senate health care bill that would strip insurance coverage from millions of Illinoisans. The protest was organized by Indivisible Chicago, a grassroots movement that formed after the 2016 election to resist Donald Trump.
While a handful of U.S. senators were huddling in secret this week in Washington to draft legislation repealing Obamacare, grassroots activists across the Chicago region and Illinois were working hard to bring as much public attention – and public outrage – to the issue as possible.
That includes shining a light on the inaction of Governor Bruce Rauner – who has not spoken out as other Republican governors have – and on Republican members of Congress who have avoided public engagement on the issue.
The Senate Republicans released their health care insurance draft bill on Thursday — the House version to overhaul Obamacare passed in May — and once again, GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner isn’t doing much to make sure the final measure is good for Illinois. […]
Rauner is abdicating his responsibilities to the people of the State of Illinois by his silence…
“Bruce Rauner has no principles and no courage in his spineless failure to protect Illinoisans from TrumpCare,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “In maintaining his cowardly silence, Rauner is siding with Trump and radical Republican Senators over the people of Illinois. Millions of Illinoisans could lose their health care if this bill passes. It is imperative that the governor of this state stand up for them, but Bruce Rauner is once again nowhere to be found.”
A core element to GOP proposals is to shift to states the authority to reshape health insurance rules: for those who get it through employers; via Medicaid, the state/public plan for the low-income medically needy; or through the exchanges established under former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
Governors become far more important in the GOP vision of how health insurance should be delivered in this nation.
In Illinois, the politically explosive issue of rising premiums will become the fault of the governor and Illinois General Assembly — not Washington, if the GOP state-centric Obamacare overhaul plans become law. […]
Obamacare requires coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, with caps on how much they could be charged. The Senate bill would allow a state to limit the benefits allowed for someone with a pre-existing condition.
Would Rauner want to change current rules concerning capping coverage costs and for people with pre-existing conditions? Should any benefits be reduced?
At present, Obamacare mandates coverage for 10 essential benefits. The Senate bill allows for states to apply for a waiver so an insurance plan could offer less. That may impact the price.
What is the Rauner view when it comes to the essential benefit current package? Should it be cut? Stay the same?
* From Adam Collins in Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s press office…
Five simple questions for Gov. No
As near as I can tell it’s been about two weeks since the Governor has taken a single question from the press. With the state of Illinois now one week away from entering a third consecutive year without a budget there are, of course, many questions for the Governor. In that spirit, here are five fairly fundamental questions the Governor has not answered - and perhaps cannot answer.
2) Your office said yesterday the Mayor’s offer - to meet your original request on the Thompson Center as long as you agreed to sign the city’s pension reform plan - wasn’t a fair deal. While you might not favor the City of Chicago’s plan, it would have no cost - $0 - to the state of Illinois. Given that the state could desperately use $300 million, why would you say no to that offer?
3) You previously said that in order to get the most money from selling the Thompson Center, you needed the city to guarantee maximum density for the site - something they were reluctant to do. Their offer meets your original request. How can anyone believe you have the ability to reach a budget agreement when you can’t even say “yes” to your own plan?
This certainly appears designed to gin up Chicago reporters ahead of the governor’s 3 o’clock bill signing, where he’s expected to take some questions.
Republican lawmakers Thursday put forward a new plan to overhaul the state’s education funding system and send less money to Chicago Public Schools than a competing proposal from Democrats, who are unlikely to approve it. […]
Sen. Jason Barickman, a Bloomington Republican, on Thursday laid out what Rauner’s side would consider a satisfying compromise on the education funding issue. The proposal would provide about $323 million less to Chicago Public Schools compared to a competing proposal that was passed by Democrats in late May and has yet to be sent to Rauner’s desk.
Barickman said the Republicans had picked up where negotiations had stalled in late May.
“We looked at where we were then and we asked ourselves, how can we close the gap here to reach a meaningful compromise with the Democrat majority that allows us to produce a fair and equitable funding formula,” Barickman said.
But the proposal eliminates hundreds of millions of dollars that Democrats had insisted on providing for CPS, including $215 million for the district’s teacher pension fund — CPS is the only district in the state that pays for its own teacher pension system — and $202 million in special grants that the district has historically received from the state.
All Chicago Democrats are needed for any tax hike floor vote, and this school funding reform bill will require new revenues, meaning a tax hike is necessary. You can’t ask Chicago legislators to raise taxes and whack their public schools and expect them to merrily comply.
* One of the easiest gotcha stories to do during high-profile legislative sessions is to cruise around town looking for legislative license plates outside of taverns, golf courses, etc…
Badge of Honor: "I just heard the Sen Dem chief of staff sent out blast email warning sens to avoid golf courses becuz Chic media looking"
During a debate on a resolution, which called for Congress not to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, State Rep. Peter Breen, R-Lombard, stood up and shared his frustration.
“We are 700 days without a budget. What the hell are we doing voting on these resolutions? Why are we not doing the budget?” Breen yelled, before sitting down so the resolution votes could continue.
David Daleiden, the antiabortion activist who mounted a hidden-camera investigation targeting Planned Parenthood, turned himself in to authorities in Texas on Thursday morning, a week after he was indicted by a Harris County grand jury.
Allow me to give you one example of where the Illinois Act helped small business. A few years back, disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich, our fourth governor in prison, issued a rule that every pharmacy in the state had to give out pills that may cause early abortions. This was considered by some people of faith as a direct participation in abortion, ordered by the governor.
* So, yeah, while Rep. Breen made a very good point about doing non-budget stuff yesterday (and, in my own opinion, he’s turned out to be a pretty good legislator), it was likely no accident that the gentleman spoke up during that particular resolution about Planned Parenthood.
* The Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles is reporting this morning that Gov. Rauner will sign the Chicago-backed gun crimes bill today at 3 o’clock. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson will attend the signing ceremony in Springfield.
The bill got caught in the middle of the ongoing war between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Rauner, which spiked up yesterday over the sale of the Thompson Center in exchange for the governor signing some city-backed pension bills. From Crain’s yesterday…
Rauner aides are now actively pushing the argument that Emanuel ought to lean on Democrats to send to him a bill boosting penalties for certain repeat gun offenders if he wants a Thompson Center deal. But the measure was one of Emanuel’s top priorities, and Springfield sources say it’s a case of needed paperwork still being done and that no one has a hold on the bill.
“The mayor doesn’t want the gun crimes bill sent to the governor because it would disprove his argument that the governor can’t get bipartisan deals done,” Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said.
The Senate tends to wait the full 30 days it has after approval before sending the bill. Sponsoring Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, said he wasn’t asked by the governor’s office to make an exception, but he’ll speed up the process now.
Rauner aides had argued Thursday evening that Emanuel didn’t want the gun bill sent to the governor because it would disprove the mayor’s argument that the governor can’t get bipartisan deals done.
State Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, sent the bill to the governor’s office Thursday, saying he wasn’t interested in having it caught up in a political game.
“I want it done not for politics sake, not for anybody claiming a win, not even for me,” Raoul said. “Because, as far as the crime is concerned, this is only a piece of the puzzle. And so I don’t even claim it as a win. We have a lot more work to do on that front.”
…Adding… Media advisory…
What: Governor Rauner Signs Compromise Legislation to Increase Penalties for Repeat Gun Offenders
Who: Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and State Sen. Kwame Raoul
If Madigan calls [Rauner’s] bluff, he’s in a real trick back. Because if he signs what Republicans have proposed as their compromise budget with those massive tax increases, he’s done and so are Republicans for another generation. […]
Rauner’s focus is wrong, it continues to be wrong. He’s playing the inside game with the political ruling class and the elites which prop them up… The play is for the 95 percent of families that are not in the public sector, that are financing all of this… and receiving very little in return. That is his universe. He should speak to that universe. Yesterday he spoke to the political class.
My goal is to stop this massive tax hike and I’m going to try to get as many Republicans to come along with me as possible. It depends on what Speaker Madigan wants to do. I’m gonna argue that he needs to put every single Democrat vote on this budget before any Republican should get on it. If he takes his targets and says, ‘Oh, I don’t want them voting for a tax hike,’ I don’t think any Republican should vote for it.
Yeah, that’ll be the structured roll call split. Right.
Madigan, Cullerton Continue to Stall
When will they debate, vote on compromise budget and reform plan?
It’s day three, and all signs point to another day of stalling from Mike Madigan and John Cullerton.
With the eyes of the state on them, Madigan and Cullerton have so far let down the public, choosing to hold sham hearings and barely show up.
Madigan’s House convened special session for just minutes yesterday, while Cullerton’s Senate adjourned in 10.
Instead of working on a budget, Madigan’s House voted on a series of “trivial matters”, and rehashed a well-worn workers compensation debate.
And in the Senate, lawmakers barely showed up.
The Chicago Tribune editorial board called it a “sorry little spectacle”.
It’s time Madigan and Cullerton get to work and hold votes on a detailed compromise budget and reform plan.
Otherwise, Madigan and Cullerton will continue to receive headlines like these:
Chicago Tribune: Editorial: Madigan and the Do-Littles
Here’s the remarkable part: Madigan’s Democratic members — all of whom, unless they retire to Pensionville, have to ask voters to re-elect them next year — don’t seem to mind.
You would think if they genuinely were frustrated by the lack of a state budget, as they ceaselessly pretend, they would protest. You would think these lawmakers, whose role as public servants is to put the interests of the state ahead of their own and their party’s, would confront Madigan for snubbing every budget proposal out there, including the one from their Senate colleagues. You’d think they would be staging a coup, determined to put a stop to the nonsense and the inaction that threatens their political futures and, more important, Illinois’ future.
They’re not. No urgency. They go along with the silliness and the cynicism. They went along, again, on Thursday.
… What a sorry little spectacle in Springfield.
WSIL: Instead of budget, Illinois lawmakers vote on trivial matters
Instead of voting on a budget, lawmakers in the Illinois House renamed a road, talked about the importance of the upcoming bicentennial and designated June as “Immigrant Heritage Month.”
The series of votes on resolutions, which are ceremonial, caused tempers to flare.
During a debate on a resolution, which called for Congress not to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, State Rep. Peter Breen, R-Lombard, stood up and shared his frustration.
“We are 700 days without a budget. What the hell are we doing voting on these resolutions? Why are we not doing the budget?” Breen yelled, before sitting down so the resolution votes could continue.
The Illinois Senate seemed even less productive than the House.
Fewer than 20 of the 59 state senators even bothered to show up to the chamber on Thursday.
The Senate adjourned after just 10 minutes.
The complaint, in part, requested (1) defendant, Lisa Madigan, in her official capacity as Attorney General of the State of Illinois, be enjoined from representing CMS before the Workers’ Compensation Commission (Commission) on cases involving “personal assistants,” based on her refusal to defend CMS’s determination that a personal assistant was not a State employee for purposes of the Workers’ Compensation Act, and (2) a special assistant Attorney General be appointed to represent CMS. That same month, the Attorney General filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to section 2-615 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Code), alleging the complaint failed to state a legally valid cause of action. In May 2016, the trial court granted the motion to dismiss with prejudice.
CMS appeals, arguing the trial court erred by dismissing its complaint for failure to state a cause of action. We affirm. […]
The motion to dismiss alleged (1) the Attorney General had the exclusive constitutional authority to represent the State, including its officers, employees, and agencies, when the State is the real party in interest in litigation and allowing CMS to choose private counsel would cause “chaos”; (2) the Attorney General was “vigorously defending” these workers’ compensation cases; and (3) the Commission had repeatedly rejected the very argument CMS sought to raise and ruled that personal assistants are employed by the State.
Like it or not, and the Rauner administration clearly does not, the attorney general is the state’s chief legal officer.
Is there room for another heel in the Illinois governor’s race?
Former pro wrestler Jon “The Illustrious One” Stewart says yes — and he’s looking to put his rivals for the Libertarian Party nomination in a half nelson, then body-slam Bruce Rauner and whoever the Democrats select in the general election.
“Politics is wrestling with suits and ties on,” Stewart, 50, told Chicago Inc. “I’m comfortable on a mic, and I’m not afraid to tell the truth.”
It isn’t The Illustrious One’s first run for elected office. Back in 1997, he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for the state House on the North Shore — with a little help from President Donald Trump’s counselor Kellyanne Conway.
“I was her first political client,” said Stewart, who lives in Deerfield and now runs his family’s used-car dealership. “She’s probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever met so I’m not surprised she has got to where she is.
* Let’s welcome him to the race with a caption contest, shall we?…
Also, click here for a wrestling promo video where he describes himself as a “son of a millionaire.”
Stewart is pro-Trump. The governor has spent the better part of two years running as far away from Trump as he possibly can. So, it’s possible that Stewart could give him some troubles with the base. Remember how some trade unions (particularly Local 150) backed the 2014 Libertarian Party candidate? Hmm.
