The position of Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer is created within the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, a Democrat from south suburban Olympia Fields, will resign her seat to join the Pritzker administration in the $220,000-per-year role of cannabis regulation oversight officer.
In September, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration made a splash by announcing Toi Hutchinson would oversee the implementation of Illinois’ new recreational cannabis program, laid out in landmark legislation the then-state senator played a key role in drafting.
A Pritzker spokeswoman said in a Sept. 26 email that Hutchinson’s salary would be $220,000, and that “the title is in statute so it’s Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer,” a job quickly dubbed “pot czar.”
But when Hutchinson officially started work for the administration Nov. 4, it was as “Senior Adviser to the Governor on Cannabis Control.” […]
The administration said in one statement provided in response to questions from the Tribune that the provision would not apply to the senior adviser position Hutchinson holds, and in another: “Toi Hutchinson was not appointed to the position of Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer,” directly contradicting the September email from Pritzker’s office.
No member of the General Assembly during the term for which he was elected or appointed shall be appointed to a public office which shall have been created… by the General Assembly during that term.
So, the position created by the General Assembly is still open. That could create questions about how she’ll fund her staff because the statute says the funding will come from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Same goes for the requirement that the office conduct a study of discrimination in the industry and make recommendations “for reducing or eliminating any identified barriers to entry in the cannabis market.”
* A Thanksgiving Day email (received about 1 o’clock in the morning) from Cary Capparelli, the son of former Democratic Rep. Ralph Capparelli who is running against appointed Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Rosemont) as a Democrat…
Rich:
Quick Update on my filing (or not filing yet):
My signatures have been complete for some time (1,462 of them) but some unfortunate circumstances kept me from filing.
First, a doctor’s appointment got switched around and wiped out Monday and Tuesday. So, we can blame the doc for cancelling. I did not want to wait til late January to reschedule and comfortable I can stand a challenge should that be necessary.
So, the plan was to file today but I had a double blowout (both fronts) and a bent rim on my car just outside Pontiac (I-55 is loaded with large pot holes). I waited four hours for a tow to Bloomington to get fixed and by that time it was too wait to file in Springfield.
Call it bad luck or whatever but now the plan is Monday.
* Text message exchange today with Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago)…
Delia: Good morning. On my way to Springfield with Nidia Carranza the teacher I’m supporting to replace [former Rep. Luis] Arroyo. It’s a new day in northwest side Chicago politics. We collected over 1500 signatures.
Jessica Gutierrez who ran against Reboyras for alderman is driving us. Young Latinas are building a new political movement in the northwest side and I’m helping build it. Feel free to share that and quote me lol
Me: hope the car is in sound condition!
Delia: Lol
Me: hey. stuff happens.
Delia: I know but don’t speak it into existence!
Me: sorry
* An hour later…
Delia: Lol. We made it!
Me: text me when she turns them in
* Two hours later…
Me: file yet?
Delia: No. On our way to board of elections. We had stopped for lunch.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Carranza filed at 3:37 pm. They were waiting to see if anyone else filed. There are four candidates in the race. Appointed Rep. Eva Dina Delgado, Dave Feller, Joaquin Vazquez and Carranza.
*** UPDATE 2 *** I was wondering if a, shall we say, more mainstream Democratic candidate to run against GOP Rep. Brad Stephens would surface. From a press release…
Chicago firefighter and paramedic Michelle Darbro, D-Chicago, will offer northwest side residents an alternative to dynasty politics as a candidate for state representative in the 20th House District, announcing her campaign Monday.
“I’m not a politician and I’m not from a political family dynasty, but as a firefighter I do know that service means putting others first, and I think that’s what we need in Springfield,” Darbro said. “There’s too much at stake for our families to sit back and let politicians continue prioritizing their political parties, padding their taxpayer-funded paychecks, and cutting deals that only serve their family members and insider allies, so I’m going to hold appointed Representative Stephens accountable for his record. I’m also going to be clear with people about my priorities – from the needs of our first responders, to easing the burden on property taxpayers, to making health care more affordable – because I know that we owe our strong communities to strong middle-class families, not political dynasties.”
An active-duty member of the Chicago Fire Department and member of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Darbro was inspired to serve others by her father, who volunteered for the United States Army and worked as a communications de-coder during the Vietnam War. Darbro graduated from the University of Chicago and was inducted into the school’s sports hall of fame as a three-sport athlete soon after. She and her wife Erika live in Chicago’s 41st Ward.
Darbro filed petitions to run for state representative Monday, after collecting the maximum number of signatures from local residents. The 20th House District is home to nearly 1,000 members of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, while another 500 members of Associated Firefighters of Illinois live in the suburban communities in the district.
* Transportation projects are funded by several things, including the state’s Motor Fuel Tax. But lawmakers also taxed things like parking to fund projects earlier this year. Doug Finke looked at the fine print of some new rules and found that IDOR intends to tax private parking at events like the Illinois State Fair…
(A)ccording to rules filed by the Department of Revenue to flesh out how it plans to collect the tax and who must pay it. The department has filed 23 pages of proposed rules for the tax that include many examples of who is affected. Among the examples is this one:
“Every year a fair comes to a town. The owners of property near the fairground sell parking spaces on their property for $10 per day. If an owner of property makes available for use more than 3 parking spaces, the owner is liable for collecting and remitting the tax.”
This could be pretty difficult to enforce. I mean, these are all-cash “businesses” run out of peoples’ front yards, or school, American Legion, etc. parking lots. It could wind up costing almost as much to enforce as the 6 percent tax would bring in.
* It’s not going over well with local state Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who says the GA will need to take a closer look at this topic, but his alternative may not attract a lot of suburban support…
Butler said some other changes might need to be considered. He thinks parking lots at Regional Transportation Authority facilities that are used by commuters should be taxed.
“That is a potential huge source of income,” he said. “If we’re going to put the tax on mom and pop operations parking cars around the fairgrounds, we certainly need to look at the RTA.”
* I almost forgot that today is the kick-off day for our annual awards. We don’t have a lot of time this year because of a late Thanksgiving, so we may need to double up on some days.
Every day until awards season is completed will include a reminder from me to donate to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. I usually raise money during my annual City Club speech, but I’m not doing that this year so I’m counting on you to help raise money for these fine folks. I’ll match the first $1,000. Please click here to contribute.
Our late, great commenter Wordslinger talked often about his Lutheran upbringing and he was enraged at the way groups like LSSI were stiffed during the impasse. So, I’d ask that you donate not just because of the good works LSSI does, but also in Wordslinger’s memory. Thanks.
* OK, let’s get to our first category…
* Best Springfield political bar
* Best Springfield political restaurant
We usually start with bartenders and waitstaff, but I thought I’d switch it up a bit today.
Remember to explain your nominations because this is more about the intensity of the nominations than the raw numbers. Also, please nominate in both categories. Thanks! And happy holidays!
Providing public transportation services to people with disabilities and mobility-limited seniors has not been a priority in the Chicago area—and it shows.
Stripped of the niceties, that’s the bottom line of a report out today by the Metropolitan Planning Council that proposes a host of solutions to remedy the problem, from appointing a mobility czar of sorts to requiring ride-hailing services to better link their operations to Metra and other train operators.
“Nearly every person in the Chicago region, or someone they care for, will face a disability that will impact on their mobility at some point in their life,” says the report. Yes, despite long-standing federal law, “the experience of getting around using (Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and other operators) ranges from fairly reliable and affordable to maddeningly frustrating and expensive.”
Some of MPC’s solutions will draw widespread nods from policymakers. Others, because of costs or political turf battles, may be a harder sell.
* But this part of the study was pointed out to me by someone who works in this field…
The Rebuild Illinois capital funding bill passed in June 2019 includes significant new dedicated transportation revenues and enables counties to levy an additional motor fuel tax to raise transportation funds. Every effort should be made to ensure that new investments make the system more accessible.
Additionally, other established transportation funding mechanisms are being diverted away from transportation projects such as the 0.25% RTA sales tax in the collar counties. Due to a political compromise, RTA sales tax revenue can also be used for “public safety” purposes. Funds used in this way generally go toward capital projects for law enforcement or other emergency services. As shown below, some counties choose to spend none of the RTA sales tax revenue on transportation. Ending the diversion of transportation revenue already being collected would enable the provision of a minimum level of accessible demand-response service for all residents. Given the scale of revenue invested in transportation annually, counties should appropriate at least some of these funds to dedicated universal mobility programs.
According to the study, Kane County’s spends 75 percent of its RTA sales tax revenue of $18.5 million on transportation. Will County spends 93 percent of its $24.9 million on transportation. Lake County ($32 million) and McHenry County ($10.6 million) spend 100 percent of their RTA tax revenues on transportation.
But DuPage spends none of its $52 million in annual RTA tax receipts on transportation. Zero.
Seeking to alleviate the growing burden of property taxes for Illinois homeowners, a group of legislators is considering a host of options that include consolidating school districts and allowing voters across the state to dissolve units of local government.
The legislative task force, created this summer by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, has a Dec. 31 deadline to deliver its recommendations. Its report is expected to lead to “very multifaceted” — and likely controversial — legislation this spring, said Rep. Sam Yingling, the Grayslake Democrat chairing the panel. […]
Funding for public schools in Illinois is heavily reliant on property tax revenue, and another possibility under discussion within the tax force has been school district consolidation and finding other revenue sources for education.
Also on the table: Reducing the 23-year limit on tax increment financing projects and overhauling the state’s property tax extension limitation law, which places a limit on tax increases that governments can enact. The collar counties became subject to that law in 1991, while Cook County was added in 1994.
The buses keep coming. On a brisk autumn day, one after another pulls up next to the grandstand to let out dozens of students. The kids walk in bunches past the flagpole. A metal sign near the main entrance, glinting in the sun, reads, “Dunlap High School.”
The high school may not look it, but it’s something of an oddity. It’s a typical suburban-style school in a country setting, framed by rolling hills and cornfields. Its enrollment of 1,300 students nearly equals the population of Dunlap, Ill., itself. But the vast majority of its students are not from Dunlap. They’re from Peoria.
The city of Peoria has its own school district, a chronically troubled system with a declining enrollment that serves mostly black students. About 70 percent are low-income. White families have been avoiding the troubles of the inner-city school district by moving to the northern part of town, where they can send their kids to Dunlap instead. As a result, Dunlap’s school system is booming. The number of students enrolled has nearly doubled since the 2002-2003 school year. Nearly two-thirds of Dunlap’s students are white; only 7 percent are black. The Dunlap School District isn’t shy about its enviable position. Until recently, the high school’s website made that clear in bold lettering at the top of its profile page: “The high school graduation rate is 90 percent, and the low-income rate is 10 percent.”
Today, I am announcing that I have terminated Eddie Johnson’s employment with the City of Chicago, effective immediately. Upon a thorough review of the materials of the Inspector General’s ongoing investigation, it has become clear that Mr. Johnson engaged in a series of ethical lapses that are intolerable. Mr. Johnson was intentionally dishonest with me and communicated a narrative replete with false statements regarding material aspects of the incident that happened in the early morning hours of October 17. Had I known all the facts at the time, I would have relieved him of his duties as superintendent then and there.
Perhaps worst of all, Mr. Johnson has misled the people of Chicago. The 13,400 sworn and civilian members of the Chicago Police Department who work hard every day deserve a leader who they can believe in. In public life, we must be accountable for our actions and strive to do better every day. And to achieve the reform and accountability in the department that we know is urgently needed, we require a leader whose actions reflect the integrity and legitimacy of what it means to be a Chicago Police Officer. I am confident that incoming Interim Superintendent Beck is such a leader, and that both he and the eventual permanent superintendent will serve with honor.
Lightfoot cited an incident in October in which Johnson was found asleep in his car near his Bridgeport home. He said he neglected to take a prescribed medication and became lightheaded before he decided to pull over, but Lightfoot said he told her that he also had “a couple of drinks” at dinner before driving home. […]
Johnson’s firing is just the start of a high-level shakeup of the department, a source told the Sun-Times.
Had Lightfoot known all of the facts, she wouldn’t have participated in a celebratory press conference with Johnson announcing his retirement, she said.
Firing Johnson is an indication she will demand “The old Chicago way must give way to new way” of ethical leadership. Supervisors in the police department will not get away with ethical lapses, she said.
In a message the mayor sent to Chicago police officers, she wrote: “While I recognize this news comes as a surprise to most of you, this was a decision I felt was absolutely necessary to preserve the legitimacy and honor of the Chicago Police Department. I deeply respect the work that each of you undertake every day and you deserve a Superintendent who lives up to the ideals that I expect each of you to exemplify.”
* Uh-oh…
Mayor Lightfoot said there is additional information about Johnson’s conduct that she is not revealing “out of deference to his wife and children.” https://t.co/KuTbA2meuZ
NEW: Chicago Inspector General's office confirms its probe of Eddie Johnson's October incident is not yet complete. It's unclear whether she was given a heads-up on early findings leading to today's firing.
The New York political consulting firm, MACIAS PR, has released the first political poll for Illinois’ Seventh Congressional District, revealing more than half of all Democratic voters believe Rep. Danny Davis should be fired. The poll also found 77 percent of registered Democratic voters are concerned over the source of Rep. Davis’ campaign funds.
The phone poll was conducted November 11th-21st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percent. The Seventh Congressional District encompasses all of downtown Chicago going south to West Englewood, north to Old Town, east to the lake, and west through Garfield Park, Austin, Oak Park, and extending to Hillside.
A poll taken over eleven days of 236 registered Democratic voters? And check out the questions…
1. What is the most important issue to you? Press, 1) Healthcare [49%] 2) Criminal Justice Reform [24%] 3) Education [27%]
2. Your Congressman has missed a vote, every other week - should he be fired? Press, 1) Yes [52%] 2) No [47%]?
3. Your Congressman has received the super majority of his campaign funding from special interest groups. Does this concern you? “Yes” [77%] or “No” [22%].
Wait. No mention of Danny Davis’ name? This isn’t exactly an open seat. Davis was elected to Congress in 1996. He’s a well-known entity.
Also, I couldn’t get a definitive response about how many landlines and mobile phones they called. And no racial demographics were provided.
The most recent FEC filing report also found Davis was having a difficult time raising money against a first-time Congressional candidate, Kristine Schanbacher, who outraised Davis approximately 3-1 and raised more money than all of the reported candidates combined. Schanbacher raised $166,172.34 in the most recent amended FEC filing report compared to $57,125 raised by Davis.
$166K isn’t exactly a ton of money in an expensive media market like Chicago and I’m pretty sure Davis can raise more cash.
Do better.
…Adding… As a commenter points out, as of 11:28 this morning Schanbacher still hadn’t filed her petitions.
* Art Jones, a perennial candidate who was a leader of the American Nazi Party, filed this morning to run as a Republican in the 3rd Congressional District. Jones won 26.5 percent of the vote against Democratic incumbent Dan Lipinski last year.
Also filing again today is 9/11 "truther" and general conspiracy theorist Bill Fawell, again seeking the IL-17 GOP nomination.
He was disavowed by local GOP'ers in the district after he won the nomination by default in 2018 and people looked at his past writings. https://t.co/sW7OWpigcr
The Illinois Republican Party vehemently condemns Arthur Jones’ candidacy. His racism and bigotry have no place in our party or American politics. As we did in 2016 and 2018, we will oppose his candidacy in every way possible.
* “Considering” is probably putting it mildly. Press release…
State Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) announced on Sunday night she is considering running in the special election for the 11th District State Senate seat vacated last week by Sen. Martin Sandoval.
“It is long past time for ethical, principled, progressive leadership to fight for the working families of the 11th District,” said Rep. Villanueva. “I’ve spent my career as a community organizer, as an advocate for immigrant communities, and now as a progressive state representative standing up for the families of the Southwest Side–and I’m ready to step up and lead the way forward as we bring needed change to this seat.”
“This isn’t a decision I can make alone,” said Rep. Villanueva. “I’ve spent the last several days talking with leaders and constituents. If I hear from community voices that they will support my run, then we’ll take the leap together.”
To ensure she can qualify for the ballot if she does decide to run, Villanueva said, she will need “all hands on deck” to gather the needed 1000-3000 signatures by the December 9 deadline, and said she will need supporters to join in the effort.
The sudden resignation of Sen. Sandoval, embroiled in a federal investigation into corruption allegations, triggered the special succession process that will lead to a March 17 special election to fulfill the remaining two years of Sen. Sandoval’s term.
Villanueva was sworn into the House of Representatives in July 2018. In her tenure as state representative, she has championed cannabis legalization, the Reproductive Health Act, legislation to protect immigrant rights, and the bill that creates a pathway to a fair income tax, which would require the very wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes.
And Edgar Gonzalez Jr., a constituency services liaison for Congressman Chuy Garcia, is already knocking on doors for signatures to replace Villanueva.
“I’ve spent the last several days talking with leaders and constituents. If I hear from community voices that they will support my run, then we’ll take the leap together,” Villanueva said in a release Sunday expressing her interest in the Senate seat.
Villanueva and Gonzalez are backed by [US Rep. Chuy Garcia] and House Speaker Mike Madigan. That support is important because candidates only have one week — a special filing period from Dec. 3 through 9 — to turn in the 1,000 required petition signatures (or about 3,000, for a cushion). That’s a big lift for any candidate. Money doesn’t get signatures, organizations do.
Of course, Garcia and Madigan know this so it’s no coincidence they were ready with candidates to jump in upon Sandoval’s exit announcement.
…Adding… As noted in comments and as I told subscribers earlier today, Edgar Gonzales has to turn in his petitions by the end of today to get onto the ballot. The special filing period is only for the Senate seat.
As we’ve already discussed, Sandoval’s resignation takes effect on January 1, so the district’s committeepersons will have 30 days to replace him. Madigan’s 13th Ward and former Ald. Mike Zalewski’s 23rd Ward organization have enough weighted votes to do it on their own.
* Good question in comments…
(F)ormer Chicago Ald. Michael Zalewski, whose home was raided by the feds earlier this year, is on the committee to replace Sandoval. Will the Speaker demand that Zalewski recuse himself to make sure the selection process is not tainted?
* The Question: Should 23rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson Mike Zalewski recuse himself from the Sandoval replacement process? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Mike Zalewski, the committeeperson’s son, just texted me that his father “is recusing himself from the Sandoval pick. Won’t attend a slating, won’t execute a proxy.” So, the question is now moot. Thoughts?
In his first 11 months in office, Gov. JB Pritzker has made 324 appointments to key posts within his administration and to state boards and commissions — a diverse group that’s 50 percent female and approximately 40 percent people of color.
As part of an occasional series on the diversity of Pritzker’s picks for these positions, The Daily Line has been tracking racial and gender diversity of those the governor has appointed to head up state agencies and serve on state boards and task forces. […]
Illinois is one of the nation’s most diverse states. According to the latest stats available from the U.S. Census Bureau, the people of Illinois were 61.3 percent white, 17.3 percent Hispanic, 14.6 percent black and 5.7 percent Asian. […]
Pritzker has mostly met those diversity goals, with 163 women named to director posts for state agencies and to state boards and commissions, and 130 people of color appointed by the governor since January. Pritzker’s hires in the governor’s office are also a diverse group, though The Daily Line’s analysis does not extend to those who report directly to Pritzker.
I couldn’t possibly count the number of times House Speaker Michael Madigan’s most trusted adviser and I went out together in Springfield, mostly with other people but sometimes just us. Yes, he was a useful conduit into Madigan’s mind, but we were also friends, even though we regularly argued about almost everything having to do with Madigan. I didn’t write “nice” things about Madigan because of him, but I felt that I did write informed things.
I respected him, but I now know that he lied to me.
McClain told several folks and me that he wasn’t being paid by Commonwealth Edison after he officially “retired” from lobbying in late 2016. He regularly joked about being on a tight budget whenever he came to Springfield to meet with Madigan.
But he wasn’t telling the truth. WBEZ reported Nov. 13 that ComEd paid McClain $361,000 for “legal services” in 2017 and 2018. The company claimed the designation was an error after reporters pointed out that he’d deactivated his law license. He was actually paid for “political consulting services,” a company spokesperson said.
Why he felt the need to lie about something as inconsequential as getting paid by ComEd simply baffles me. But more importantly, it’s totally natural to feel that if he would lie about that, you gotta wonder what else he did.
The Democratic political world in this state is freaked out about McClain being in the crosshairs. First they learned that the insider’s house was raided in mid-May, and then they found out that the government was listening to his phone conversations.
And then it was revealed that McClain foolishly overshared information in emails to a group of campaign bundlers and a presumably smaller group of lobbyists. We also discovered along the way that he recruited a handful of pals to make secret payments to Kevin Quinn, the brother of Madigan’s alderman who was fired for sexually harassing Alaina Hampton. McClain warned Quinn by email not to divulge that secret to anyone.
But some of the panic is a little overblown. For instance
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s campaign operation is striking back against a group of former workers who’re suing for racial discrimination.
Lawyers for Pritzker’s campaign say eight of the 12 defendants have blown deadlines, provided incomplete answers to questions, and ignored obligations to sit for depositions.
Because of that, they’re asking a federal judge to dismiss those plaintiffs from the case.
1. After weeks of attempting to schedule Plaintiffs’ depositions, eight Plaintiffs still have not provided available dates for their depositions to occur by the extended December 10 deadline.
2. In addition, none of the Plaintiffs have supplemented the information they withheld from their interrogatory responses based on untimely objections that the Court ruled they had waived. They have taken the position that the Court ordered them only to supplement their document productions.
Defendants request that the Court enter an order (1) dismissing with prejudice the claims of the eight Plaintiffs whom counsel have refused to provide dates for depositions to occur by December 10, (2) compelling the remaining four Plaintiffs to supplement their interrogatory responses with information withheld on the basis of untimely and waived objections and ordering Plaintiffs and their counsel to pay Defendants’ reasonable fees and costs associated with retaking any deposition based on late supplementation, and (3) granting Defendants’ reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs in bringing this motion. […]
Plaintiffs’ consistent position has been that their counsel are simply too busy to complete discovery in the time period ordered by the Court. Defendants cannot effectively defend this case unless they take Plaintiffs’ depositions, and the only way to do so now is to again extend discovery–which would effectively reward Plaintiffs’ misconduct. In these circumstances, while dismissal is a serious sanction, Defendants respectfully submit it is the right one here.
Finally, on September 19, Defendants received a CD containing the discovery responses and document productions. The discovery letter accompanying the materials was dated September 16–three days after Plaintiffs said they mailed the materials–and neither of the two separately mailed packages had any postmarks indicating when they had been sent. Despite finally responding more than six weeks late, Plaintiffs nevertheless raised several objections, confirming during a subsequent meet and confer on October 1 that they withheld documents based on those untimely objections. The verification pages that Plaintiffs submitted with their interrogatory responses further showed that several Plaintiffs did not complete their responses until September–well after the August 2 deadline.
…Adding… Some context…
Among the 8 is the plaintiff who made claims about #Peoria hotel accommodations.
A former campaign worker has reached a $275,000 settlement with four of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political committees over allegations of sexual harassment by one of his top lieutenants and allegations the speaker’s Democratic team had blackballed her, the Tribune has learned.
Alaina Hampton filed a federal lawsuit in 2018 accusing Madigan’s political operations of retaliation after she reported inappropriate behavior by Kevin Quinn, a veteran aide whom the speaker has ousted.
The settlement comes a little more than a week after the Tribune reported that Madigan’s longtime confidant Michael McClain, an ex-lobbyist for ComEd, had orchestrated for other current and former ComEd lobbyists to give Quinn contracts after Madigan fired him amid the scandal. The more than $30,000 in payments to Quinn and emails about the work are part of a sweeping federal investigation into ComEd lobbying activities, the Tribune has reported. […]
Of the settlement, Hampton will receive $75,000, according to Shelly Kulwin, her attorney. Kulwin said his law firm would receive the bulk of the rest of the funds, but a portion also will go to Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, an organization that has helped women impacted by sexual harassment cases since the beginning of the national #MeToo movement.
* Press release…
Following is a statement from Alaina Hampton regarding the settlement she and her attorneys have reached with the Democratic Party of Illinois, the Democratic Majority, the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and Friends of Michael J. Madigan:
“My case against the Democratic Party of Illinois, the Democratic Majority, the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and Friends of Michael J. Madigan has been resolved. Going public with my story and pursuing a cause of action against some of the most powerful people in this State, and people I cared about, has not been easy. The past three years have taken a toll on me, so I am relieved to move forward with my life and put these events behind me.
“Since speaking out publicly nearly two years ago, we have seen positive changes in this State. The legislature has passed sweeping legislation to deal with sexual harassment, which achieves important gains–although there is still more to be done. Others have come forward as well, leading to multiple firings and resignations of abusive men. Lastly, a space has been created for an open and honest dialogue about sexism and abuse in the workplace that I’m confident will continue.
“Now more than ever, I know how important it is for women and others in the workplace to live in a society where we address these issues head on without fear of retribution and have in place resources to help victims and survivors heal. I am committed to continuing to advocate for and work on behalf of those fighting for justice and those working to move forward with their lives after trauma. On December 3, I am convening a #MeToo Meetup so that others who share this commitment can connect, exchange ideas and work together to make sure we can one day live in a world where no one has to face sexual harassment and violence at work or anywhere.
“I would like to thank my legal team at Kulwin, Masciopinto & Kulwin, LLP, the Times Up Legal Defense Fund, Joanna Klonsky Communication Strategies, and everyone else who has supported me throughout this process. No one can go through this alone, and no one should have to. I hope to be a source of support for others who experience sexual harassment and abuse.”
* Madigan spokesperson…
We are pleased with the agreement to resolve the lawsuit. Speaker Madigan remains committed to protecting employees, volunteers and candidates who care about working families and the rights of women, minorities and others whose voices are often silenced. Creating a fair and welcoming workplace is a priority for Speaker Madigan and the Democratic Party of Illinois. Over the last two years, the Speaker and the party have made significant changes to strengthen training, policies and reporting procedures for staff and volunteers to ensure their rights are protected.
*** UPDATE *** Good for her…
A National Democratic consulting firm hired me to be their 501c3 and 501c4 Director working with nonprofits & cause campaigns beginning in January.
I will be starting their Chicago office & still able to work with political candidates. https://t.co/EGSbI74sx8
Another relic of Tim Mapes’ days as House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff has passed into history.
Mapes could be a kind and generous man to his friends and family. He was often the delightful life of the party when he chose to go out.
But the dude also had a wide and nasty mean streak and was a control freak beyond anything I’ve ever seen at the Statehouse. Outside of the aforementioned friends and family, only a few eyes watered up when he was ousted from his chief of staff job and executive directorship of the Democratic Party of Illinois after being accused of sexual harassment last year.
Every two years, Mapes would head over to the Illinois State Board of Elections’ office on the Friday before the candidate petition filing period officially opened on Monday and stake out the House Democrats’ first place in line.
The House Democrats have built a huge and efficient petition-gathering process. After tens of thousands of signatures are gathered, a specialized team goes over them with a fine-tooth comb to make sure the signatures are valid. And then the forms are checked by lawyers to make sure the required information is properly filled out.
Two years ago, Mapes had copies made of every petition submitted by every candidate, regardless of party. The organization entered all the names of every petition circulator into a database so that the union behind Sam McCann’s third party gubernatorial bid could avoid breaking the law by unknowingly using a circulator who’d also gathered signatures for a Democratic or Republican candidate.
They take this petition stuff super-seriously, in other words.
Anyway, Mapes would stick around for a half an hour or so on those Friday afternoons and then “volunteers” from his House staff would take turns camping out in front of the board’s office throughout the weekend without pay. Mapes would return on Monday morning before the election board’s office opened and triumphantly stand at the front of the line with all the House Democratic candidate petitions in tow.
The ritual was seen as a rite of passage for young staffers and it was supposed to promote unity and project an image of power and toughness to the Republican Party and everyone else.
”We’re so determined to win we’ll even camp out for days in the freezing cold just to secure the first place in line,” was the thinking.
Mapes also clearly used the exercise to find out who would endure whatever he commanded and, more importantly, who wouldn’t.
But it was downright cruel and unnecessary. I always felt so sorry for those folks. It gets cold in November and expecting young people to risk their health to satisfy the demands of an older man’s ego was a bit much.
Plus, it didn’t actually accomplish anything. All anyone has to do to qualify for the first ballot position is make sure they join the line with their petitions at the board’s office before 8 o’clock on the first Monday morning of candidate filing.
Madigan’s new issues staff director Craig Willert decided to abandon the practice this year. There was no “volunteer” campout the weekend before the first day of filing on November 25th.
The old-timers may mutter about how these kids today just don’t have the gumption that they did back in their day, but old-timers are gonna old-timer. Not every tradition is a good one.
This change tracks with some others made to Madigan’s operation in the past few months or so.
State staff are now required to submit applications to work on campaigns, for instance. In the past, it was just assumed that staff would work campaigns, paid or unpaid, whenever their participation was deemed necessary.
And, to be clear, lots of people prefer working campaigns to Statehouse government work. The Issues Staff is basically the campaign staff who have state jobs during session months. Many or even most of those staffers signed up for the campaign experience more than the policy work.
But not everyone is so gung-ho. Secretaries and others are often roped in to work at phone banks. Some members of the legal staff do legal work for campaigns.
From now on, though, only those who have submitted applications will be asked to work on campaigns. And all staff were told that their state jobs did not rely on their decision to submit or not submit campaign applications.
”This is how it ends,” declared one morose House Democratic old-timer the other day when speaking of the new application requirement. Maybe, but it’s also how new things begin.
* I’ll be back Monday. Thanks so much for everything this year. And thanks to the skeleton crew of commenters who stuck it out all day today. I’ll talk at y’all on the flip side. Meanwhile, here is our traditional sign-off…
* According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, embattled state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) has submitted his resignation effective January 1, 2020 at 12:01 pm.
That resignation date will trigger a special nominating petition filing period which, according to the Board, will run from December 3-9. The usual signature requirement will apply in order to qualify for the spring primary ballot.
The committeepersons in the district will also have 30 days after the resignation date to choose a replacement. That person will then serve until December 7, 2020, according to the board.
…Adding… The 13th and 23rd Wards have enough weighted vote combined to make the appointment on their own.
…Adding… More…
Sandoval’s offices and home were raided by the feds in Sept. 24. He hasn’t been seen since. But he’ll have gotten to collect four months’ worth of pay by the time he finally resigns. (By resigning on Nov. 1, Rep Luis Arroyo also got to be paid for November). https://t.co/1K2BGfRSrW
* There had been rumors that Senate President John Cullerton would also submit a similar resignation this week and therefore trigger the special nominating petition filing period. But Board spokesperson Matt Dietrich said they’ve been told this won’t happen.
If Cullerton waits until after the filing period ends, Cullerton’s replacement will effectively be the party’s nominee and won’t face the voters until November of 2020. The district is overwhelming Democratic, however, so the appointment is the replacement, barring some divine intervention.
* I am a devotee of Rick Pearson’s Sunday Spin show on WGN Radio, but I’ve never once listened to it live. I mean, 7-9 on Sunday mornings? Nope. Hard pass. I need my beauty rest (desperately, even). Instead I listen to it online at my leisure.
Maybe I’ll get my first chance at listening to it live now, except if the Bears are playing the afternoon game…
The music of Ol’ Blue Eyes will air exclusively from 6:30 to 9 a.m. Sundays on WGN 720-AM, the Nexstar Media news/talk station announced Tuesday.
Starting December 8, David Plier will host the locally-produced showcase devoted solely to the classic tunes of Frank Sinatra, leading into “Dean Richards’ Sunday Morning” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. […]
To accommodate the new addition, WGN will move “Steve Dale’s Pet World” to 5:30 a.m. Sundays and “The Sunday Spin: Politics with Rick Pearson” to 5 p.m. Sundays.
JUST IN: According to a court filing made public today, federal prosecutors say they were unable to bring criminal charges against Dorothy Brown because of lies told by two of Brown's employees to a federal grand jury investigating bribes-for-jobs scheme in the clerk's office.
Federal prosecutors want a judge to send a longtime Dorothy Brown worker to prison for more than two years after they said she lied to a grand jury, “threw a wrench in the wheels of justice and ground them to a halt.”
They also said the lies Beena Patel told the grand jury investigating job-selling allegations in the office of Brown, the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, “directly impacted the government’s ability to charge those most culpable in the illegal activity.” […]
The feds’ investigation centered in part around a $15,000 payment by Sivasubramani Rajaram allegedly to land a job at the clerk’s office. The feds say Rajaram made a $5,000 cash payment at a meeting at the Corner Bakery across from the Daley Center. But when prosecutors asked Patel about that meeting in front of the grand jury, they said Patel gave misleading answers.
“She attempted to minimize her own involvement by stating that Rajaram slid the envelope containing $5,000 in cash directly to the Clerk,” McShain wrote in Tuesday’s memo.
Prosecutors said it was Patel who accepted the cash.
…Adding… Mike Cabonargi, candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County…
The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County should be held to the highest ethical standards in order to foster access to justice. It should not be an office where Federal investigators spend years combing through allegations of corruption and lies, ultimately eroding the trust that should exist between the people of Cook County and the court system. It is time to usher in a new era of justice and credibility, and as a former Federal prosecutor, I’m the only candidate with a Reform Plan to do so.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is generating revenue of $50,000,000 a year through selling drivers’ personal information, according to a DMV document obtained by Motherboard.
DMVs across the country are selling data that drivers are required to provide to the organization in order to obtain a license. This information includes names, physical addresses, and car registration information. California’s sales come from a state which generally scrutinizes privacy to a higher degree than the rest of the country. […]
The document doesn’t name the commercial requesters, but some specific companies appeared frequently in Motherboard’s earlier investigation that looked at DMVs across the country. They included data broker LexisNexis and consumer credit reporting agency Experian. Motherboard also found DMVs sold information to private investigators, including those who are hired to find out if a spouse is cheating. It is unclear if the California DMV has recently sold data to these sorts of entities. […]
In an email to Motherboard, the California DMV said that requesters may also include insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, and prospective employers.
Asked if the sale of this data was essential to the DMV, Marty Greenstein, public information officer at the California DMV, wrote that its sale furthers objectives related to highway and public safety, “including availability of insurance, risk assessment, vehicle safety recalls, traffic studies, emissions research, background checks, and for pre- and existing employment purposes.”
* I asked Secretary of State Jesse White’s spokesperson Dave Druker if Illinois does this. His response…
We provide information to eligible groups in accordance with the national Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and state law. Such sources include law enforcement, courts, government agencies, insurance companies and employers hiring people, especially for driving positions. All agreements are signed off by our legal department and must meet the highest standards for privacy protection, and cannot be used for commercial solicitation. The money generated goes to the state’s general revenue.
I followed up with a question of how much money this brings in…
It has generated $41 million this year, and it is expected to reach $44 million for the calendar year.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** From Druker…
Hi Rich.
Just wanted to mention on the sale of driving records, social security numbers are not made available. Having driving records allows insurance companies to know the driving history of the person seeking insurance, and in the case of trucking companies, they are required to see an official driving record before they hire someone. Enjoy the weekend.
* As I’ve said before, the high point in Illinois government was around Fiscal Year 2001. After that, it’s been all downhill due to two recessions (post 9/11 and the international financial collapse) and vastly increased pension payments. Here’s Ted Cox at One Illinois..
“Protecting the Illinois EPA’s Health, so That It Can Protect Ours” was written by Mark Templeton, heading a team from the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, as well as former IEPA and U.S. EPA staffers Mary Gade, Doug Scott, and Bharat Mathur — all of whom took part in a media conference call Tuesday.
Templeton said the report stemmed from “mutual shared concern about Illinois EPA” and its role “to protect public health and the environment.” They cited dwindling staff and resources at the agency dating back to 2003. According to Templeton, staffing last year was down to 639, almost half of the 1,265 EPA workers on staff in 2003. IEPA staffing and budget were cut every year going back to 2003, and stood at $382 million in the current budget for the 2020 fiscal year. down from $522 million in 2003. He pointed out that all came from a fee system that hadn’t been readjusted since 2003. Gade added that Illinois is the only state in the Great Lakes Region 5 area of the U.S. EPA that doesn’t fund its state EPA through general appropriations.
Gade, who headed IEPA throughout the ‘90s, added that statewide inspections had dropped from a couple thousand a year to a few hundred. Citing the “cumulative impact of years of declining IEPA budgets,” she said the “slow, gradual decline … needs to be reversed and reversed quickly.” She said failure to adequately test emissions of ethylene oxide at Sterigenics in Willowbrook as well as firms in Lake County were one thing that had attracted much attention, but perhaps the greater danger was the smaller, unobserved “accumulating” problems in air and water statewide “that isn’t as clean as it needs to be.”
The report also cited that IEPA referrals to the Office of the Attorney General had declined from 212 under Gov. Pat Quinn in 2014 to just 78 under Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2016 before rebounding a little to 116 in 2017.
According to Mathur, there are now just four engineers in IEPA’s Chicago office, where previously there were more than a dozen, and the staffing situation was even more dire in central and southern Illinois.
* As we’ve discussed twice before this month, the legal definition of when a contribution is received is the day it is deposited in the bank. So, we don’t know exactly when these contributions were actually made without checking with the respective campaigns or ComEd’s PAC…
Since the Oct. 15 bombshell of Anne Pramaggiore's retirement from @Exelon, its @ComEd subsidiary has donated to the campaigns of five state pols. Of the five, state Sen. Lightford, lead contender for Senate president, got the most #twillpic.twitter.com/fcfJRyRsBj
* The Question: Should ComEd’s political action committee stop contributing to legislators’ campaign funds for a while? If so, for how long? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
*** UPDATE *** From Kimberly Lightford’s campaign…
Both checks mentioned by Steve Daniels were written on Sept 11, well before Anne Pramaggiore’s retirement.
A poll of Illinois residents found many think Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal will have a negative effect on the state’s businesses, leading to layoffs or relocation in response to the higher rates.
The Illinois Business Association, a nonprofit business advocacy group, commissioned a poll by Chicago-based Ogden & Fry asking Illinois residents about how businesses will fare under Pritzker’s proposed graduated income rates, which are dependent on voters passing a ballot initiative in 2020.
Of 615 randomly sampled likely 2020 General Election voters on Nov. 15, 68 percent agreed with the statement that “Businesses will cut jobs, or relocate jobs out of state, and Illinois’ economy will suffer” under the proposed rates rather than create more jobs to grow the state’s economy.
Fifty-seven percent said they didn’t trust Illinois politicians, saying they though lawmakers would raise rates in the future beyond what was initially proposed.
Um, OK. First of all, if a pollster doesn’t disclose the percentage of landlines and mobile phone contacts, that raises a red flag, and this pollster does not do so. Robopolls can only legally contact landlines.
Q1: Governor Pritzker has proposed a new tax increase, the Fair Tax, that changes Illinois’ flat income tax to a progressive income tax that taxes higher levels of income at higher rates. It also increases taxes on corporations and small businesses. The governor says the tax increase is needed to help stabilize Illinois’ budget and grow the state economy. Opponents of the Fair Tax say that raising taxes on the wealthy and businesses will lead to job losses, jobs moving out of state, and economic stagnation.
No indication that the tax increase would be shouldered by just three percent of individual taxpayers. Big problem.
Q4: Over the last decade, states with progressive income tax rates have seen slower growth in jobs and wages compared to states with flat tax rates or no state income taxes. In the most recent state to switch to a progressive income tax, middle class families have seen their taxes go up thirteen percent since it was enacted and the state lost 362,000 jobs. Knowing this, do you support or oppose adopting a progressive income tax?
Support 23.3%
Oppose 62.6%
Undecided 14.0%
I’m surprised the support is as high as it is after all that.
* What this poll means is that if the opponents’ message has unfettered access to voters, their argument likely wins. But that won’t happen. The governor has almost unlimited money he can spend on his own arguments.
Kate Schott, State Journal-Register editorial page editor turned interim editor after her predecessor was walked out of the building and a successor had second thoughts about accepting the job, has left the newspaper. Informed sources say she’s gone to work at the University of Illinois Springfield in the campus advancement office, which concerns itself with alumni affairs and raising money. […]
It’s unclear just who’s running the SJ-R since Schott departed this week. At last check, there is no editor, interim or otherwise, listed on the opinion page masthead where folks in charge are listed.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.
This time, gumshoes figured out that Alan Lowe, erstwhile executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, wasn’t up to snuff. The investigation, according to an IG report released last Friday, was sparked by a tipster who blew the whistle three weeks after I wrote a column detailing the sordid journey of the Gettysburg Address to Texas, where right-wing huckster Glenn Beck displayed it along with an exploding rat and other scrapings from his collection of stuff that includes a Darth Vader mask and a fake pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. If Elvis had run a thrift store, I’m guessing it would have looked a lot like the storage room at Mercury One, the Texas nonprofit headed by Beck.
Pretty much, the IG’s report parallels my January column that questioned why the ALPLM ignored protocols and entrusted the Gettysburg Address to an unaccredited museum holding its first exhibition under the supervision of a curator months removed from employment as a server at Pluckers Wing Bar. Labeling the Mercury One loan “reckless,” the IG called for Lowe’s head and said we’re fortunate that artifacts came back intact. Instead of being displayed in a gallery, the Gettysburg Address was hung in Beck’s office. To compare Beck to Ralphie unwrapping his Red Ryder BB gun doesn’t go far enough.
“It’s Christmas, come on!” Beck exclaims as the Gettysburg Address and other relics are taken from a crate. “Let’s open presents!” Lowe was absent in the video that was live-streamed while gawkers watched in person, contrary to recommendations from pros who say the arrival of valuables should be kept low key to minimize security risks. Lowe told the inspector general he was “off doing other things” when the speech and other artifacts were unpacked, and he was also busy elsewhere when relics were repacked for the return trip to Springfield. Beck, who at one point questions the need for gloves, helps carry the document valued at $20 million to a table in his office. “Come see it for yourself,” he tells his online audience. “Tickets are available at the door.”
Even after the inspector general received a complaint, Lowe played footsie with Beck, whose outfit asked to borrow more artifacts, including a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation.
* Sherri Garrett, you will recall, accused Tim Mapes last year of alleged sexual harassment and that led to his immediate ouster as House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff. Garrett approached Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) with her story after Cassidy had spoken out about Mapes.
Garrett sent this to Rep. Cassidy last night and Cassidy forwarded it to me with permission…
Kristen McQueary’s column was upsetting for me as someone who came forward to try to stop my harassment. Making the decision to speak out was incredibly difficult–but I just wanted the harassment to stop, and I felt I had no protection. I know how terrifying it is to decide to come forward, and I fear that columns like that of Ms. McQueary may have a chilling effect for those who are afraid that they won’t be believed, that their harasser or assaulter will be proclaimed to be deserving of redemption without having actually done anything to deserve said redemption.
This has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life. The truth is, nearly a year and a half since coming forward, I am still not fine. Mr. Mapes’ abuse has left a lasting effect on my soul. An apology never came my way from Mr. Mapes or the Speaker.
I wish for complete recovery for myself. I also wish that the person who harassed me would realize his wrongs and account for them. I would then love to see him go forward in life and be a better person to everyone. I don’t believe that can be accomplished when you do not recognize your wrongs.
That so many people are spending so much time and energy worrying about the well-being of the perpetrators and if they are okay is confusing to me. I believe we should all have a chance to rebound–but you must be willing to do what is right to earn that rebound.
Garrett is right, by the way. John Anthony denied being a sexual harasser and disputed accounts of the allegations that led to his firing at IDOC, even though some of it was caught on videotape. He only admitted to unspecified “mistakes,” and offered no public apology. Mapes has flatly denied wrongdoing.
