Bob Molaro was well known for his jovial spirit, positive attitude and innate ability to bring people together and build consensus. He had a way of making everyone comfortable, even in challenging times and debates. Bob will be greatly missed by all who knew him. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Bob served in both the Senate and then the House before he became a lobbyist. He was diagnosed late last year with pancreatic cancer and passed away Monday evening surrounded by family. Bobby had a lot of friends in this business and they are heartbroken right now.
RIP Bobby - How do you create on homage to a guy like Bob Molaro? Coffee. I hope it doesn’t come off trite, because coffee was everything good about Bobby. He used it for kinship, advice, bonding, listening, laughter and mentorship. No matter his mood, you always got the best of him. When I got the job in 2009, he insisted I understand that it was a blessing, a thing to be cherished and used to advance good things. He gently reminded me that when you get elected, you’re on 3rd base, and don’t forget everyone else who hit the triple to get you there. I’ll miss him beyond words, and am thinking of Barbara, Robyn, Sam, Mike, Miranda, and Alex. Cancer is a thief, and Monday it stole too much.
It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the death of Bob Molaro. He was a true steward of the horseracing industry, which frankly would no longer exist in Illinois were it not for the impassioned, persistent and selfless leadership of Bob. As a legislator, he wrote laws so that Illinois horseracing would have an honest chance to survive and thrive. Though he was personally a fan of racing, he lobbied tirelessly on behalf of the industry because he cared so deeply about people, from the backstretch to the teller line, from the grandstand to the farm. He had genuine empathy for everyone. Especially in the most difficult times, Bob sought to build consensus, to lead with the best possible ideas and to provide relief with humor and humility. Always the optimist and always the storyteller, Bob shared a clear and exciting vision for the future of Illinois horseracing with anyone who would listen. In tribute to his undying spirit, we look forward hopefully to that future, and we pledge to “do all the good we can do” in loving memory of our dear friend.
When I first arrived in Springfield I quickly learned there were few people you could count on to tell you truths. Bob Molaro was one of those people for me. He was my political father figure. In 2007 he asked me to work on this little project with him, which turned out to be the first draft of the Chicago casino and statewide gaming bill. He made me attend countless negotiation sessions and take copious notes and later told me it was all because he wanted me to listen and learn. He saw something in me I hadn’t yet realized. Or he was just messing with me. Either way, it worked. In one of those meetings a legislator asked me to get him a cup of coffee and Bob said, “She’s not your maid. She’s a lawyer. Get your own damn coffee.” Through the years whenever I felt less than or unsure, Bob was there to push me along and be a cheerleader. No one told stories like Bob. I remember sitting listening to him for hours, usually wondering when there would be a punchline or a point. I swear he talked about pensions for 3 hours straight. We frequented the same coffee shop back home and I’d sometimes run in to him accidentally on purpose to hear his stories and get his advice. Bob cared about people. The harsh reality is many never have or will care the way Bob did. When you had has attention, he gave it to you fully. He actually cared about making people’s lives better. And now he’s gone.
I will miss his advice, his stories, and the way he made me laugh. I will miss his love of the horse tracks and perpetually saying “one more thing” before he proceeded to tell me 5 more things. He was an original. And I will miss him so much.
He was indeed an original. And, boy, was it ever hard to shut him up. But just about everyone loved him. He co-announced the House vs. Senate softball games with me the past few years and he was a natural. I mean, the man could’ve been a play-by-play announcer. Who knew? I was always in awe of his gift of gab. And he was so funny and learned things so quickly.
I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Bob Molaro. He was my friend, my mentor in the legislature and one of the smartest people I have ever known. Bob was the “go-to” guy. Someone you could always depend on to look out for your best interests. More than anyone, I trusted him because I knew he would steer me in the right direction. Like a lot of my colleagues through the years, I looked to Bob as a navigator and he never let me down. To this day, in gaming and other areas, we are still building off the work he started as a lawmaker. I’ll miss him more than I can say. I’ll miss our dinners together, I’ll miss his support, his wisdom and his guidance. My heart goes out to his family, we have all lost one of the greats.
Salem Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SALM), owner of AM 560 The Answer, announced that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has invited Salem Media journalist Amy Jacobson back to his press briefings in response to a federal lawsuit filed against him and his press secretary.
Jacobson, a longtime Chicago journalist, sued together with her station AM 560 The Answer after the governor barred her from attending press briefings. Jacobson and the station are represented by attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center, a public interest law firm that won the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME.
In a letter sent on behalf of the governor, Jacobson “is eligible to participate in the Governor’s press access on the same basis as other journalists … Jacobson may participate fully in the Governor’s press access, including but not limited to press briefings and conferences, to the same extent that any other media is allowed to participate.”
Liberty Justice Center President and co-founder Pat Hughes said the governor’s response to the lawsuit represents a major victory for all Illinoisans who seek to hold their elected officials accountable.
“Gov. Pritzker’s ban on Amy Jacobson was a complete overreach and he’s right to walk it back. The governor may not like when journalists ask tough questions and he may not always agree with their coverage, but Americans have a constitutional right to hold their elected officials accountable. One of the most important ways they do this is through a free and vibrant press,” Hughes said.
I’m told she attended a press conference at the Thompson Center a few days ago.
Up until recently, there were two ways to ask questions of the governor during his daily news media briefings: 1) You could contact one of the pool reporters who were selected by electronic and print reporters and they would ask your question; or 2) You could log in to the state’s Webex page with a password provided by the governor’s press office and submit your question that way. Jacobson was no longer being sent the daily password, which is what the suit was about. But the governor’s press office stopped using the Webex system on June 5th.
*** UPDATE *** I am told that Amy Jacobson is the only reporter at today’s Pritzker press conference. Might wanna click here to watch.
…Adding… It sounds like reporters have texted Jordan Abudayyeh some questions.
In a press conference this morning, the Illinois Republican Party announced they have filed a federal lawsuit against Governor JB Pritzker for his violations of the First Amendment. In recent weeks, the Governor has selectively endorsed and participated in large scale rallies and gatherings of thousands of individuals not practicing social distancing. Meanwhile, his COVID-19 executive orders ban Illinois Republicans, and other groups, from gathering in groups larger than 10 people.
“Governor Pritzker is ruling Illinois like an unaccountable king where only he gets to decide which violations of his executive order have his blessing. The Illinois Republican Party will not sit idly by while the Governor of Illinois applies one rule for himself and his political allies and another rule for everyone else. We agree that peaceful protesters have just cause to exercise their first amendment rights, but they aren’t the only ones. The days of Governor Pritzker picking winners and losers is coming to an end. The hypocrisy has to end. The violation of our First Amendment rights has to end.” - ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider
This past week, the Illinois Republican Party was forced to hold its’ quadrennial convention virtually, eliminating in-person collaboration, networking, and training. The 2020 general election is five months away and the only opposition to Pritzker and Illinois Democrats’ control is indefinitely barred from meeting for normal party functions.
This isn’t the first time Governor Pritzker has played by a different set of rules. When restrictions barred travel to vacation homes and the Governor lectured Illinoisans daily about not crossing state borders, Pritzker’s family was traveling to and from their equestrian estates in Florida and Wisconsin. And now, we see Pritzker continue to restrict funerals, weddings, festivals, youth sports - and political gatherings - at the same time he marches with thousands of protesters on a crowded street.
The lawsuit was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Illinois Republican Party will be represented by the Liberty Justice Center.
Political parties are for political expression what churches are for religious expression: the corporate manifestation of speech and interaction within a community of shared belief. Political parties’ events and rallies are also like protest rallies and marches. And like churches and marches, political parties operate in a world where time matters; the 2020 election is only months away. Also similarly, they operate best in a physical setting; in-person contact is the most persuasive form for communicating ideas.
Yet, unlike churches, political parties are barred from gathering in groups greater than 10 under the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-38. And unlike protestors against police brutality, they have not been given an exemption based on his sympathy, recognition, and participation. This disparate treatment of similar expressive activities violates both the First and 14th Amendments.
“This is about scoring political points and criticizing civil rights protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. The courts have repeatedly upheld the Governor’s executive orders as based on public health guidance. And as the Republicans who attended protests against the public health guidance are well aware, the State has never prevented people from exercising their First Amendment rights” said Jordan Abudayyeh, the Governor’s Press Secretary, in a statement. […]
Mary Morrissey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois:
“We recall large groups of Republicans freely gathering at the Capitol and in downtown Chicago to protest Governor Pritzker’s handling of how to reopen the state without legal ramifications. This lawsuit is a distraction from the real issue — a Republican president who the IL GOP considers the ‘man of our time,’ but has let over a hundred thousand Americans die because of his inaction. We support Governor Pritzker and the exemplary leadership he’s shown throughout this public health crisis,” said a prepared statement, from Mary Morrisey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
* The ILGOP is also fundraising off the issue…
As you can imagine…suing a billionaire governor is expensive. We’re expecting Governor Pritzker will throw whatever he needs at this battle to silence it. But we won’t stop fighting, especially if we have you behind us.
Can you chip in $5, $10, $20 or whatever you can afford to our official Sue JB Pritzker Fund?
We’re relying on donations from supporters throughout the state to break through this case and bring justice to our state.
Don’t sit this one out. This is big time.
The attorney general handles lawsuits like this one.
*** UPDATE *** The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday ruled against a church which wanted to prevent Gov. Pritzker from ever reimposing his 10-person limit on church service attendance. From that opinion…
Feeding the body requires teams of people to work together in physical spaces, but churches can feed the spirit in other ways.
