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*** UPDATED x1 *** McCann pleads to judge: Without taxpayer resources “I can no longer effectively perform my duties”

Friday, May 4, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Kinda dramatic, but whatevs…

A federal judge set a hearing for the case of @McCann_Sam vs @Bill_Brady for next Friday. Today, McCann files a sworn affidavit that says without "taxpayer funded resources," he can "no longer effectively perform my duties as the Senator serving the 50th district." pic.twitter.com/JfVyasV88e

— Mark Maxwell (@WCIA3Mark) May 4, 2018

The judge had earlier refused McCann’s request that the Senate Republicans be ordered to immediately restore his access to resources.

* Good point…

McCann's conundrum here is that if/when a judge denies his request to be restored access to bill analysis and communications staff, he will be on record saying he's not able to do his job effectively, opening the door for Senate GOP to demand his resignation. https://t.co/yeJ4BtiWms

— Mark Maxwell (@WCIA3Mark) May 4, 2018

* If he loses this case, he has indeed admitted on the record that he can’t do his job. That might open the possibility of caucusing with the Democrats…

Interesting twist: two ranking @ILSenDems say they would welcome McCann into their caucus with open arms. No indication from McCann if he would try to go that route, or if Sen President Cullerton would allow it. https://t.co/2goj7XROXv

— Mark Maxwell (@WCIA3Mark) May 2, 2018

I’ve asked the SDems for comment.

…Adding… John Patterson said he’s not aware of McCann even wanting to caucus with the Dems.

* Also, remember yesterday when we talked about how McCann had called WCIA TV’s Mark Maxwell a “yellow journalist” and all sorts of other names?

Well, that wasn’t the first time he’s done that. WCIA’s former Statehouse guy Matt Porter interviewed him in March of 2016…

PORTER: The thing… that got a little bit of notoriety is that there were some campaign finance issues, there was a board [of elections] meeting on Monday, and there’s going to be a public hearing about the mileage reimbursements being unclear. There was a significant amount, $38,000, and also some expenditures that could’ve been more detailed, about $46,000 there. Do you have any regrets about how your campaign finance worked out the past year and that that became a weak point for you?

McCANN: You know, I think really what’s terrible is that you’ve brought me here to the Statehouse to interview me today and you’ve decided to go into this yellow journalism.

He then claimed he was owed “far more” than he’s taken in reimbursement, and then he threw out the “yellow journalism” epithet again.

Porter kept his cool throughout.

Sam may not be so lucky the next time he pulls that stunt.

*** UPDATE *** Dave Dahl at WTAX radio got the treatment on April 19th when he asked McCann a question…

“Did they send you over here, are you working for them, Dave?

22 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** Twenty-one percent of legislative incumbents have left or are leaving

Friday, May 4, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The [again] updated retirement, lost a primary, etc. list…

*CORRECTED x2*

Here's the updated list of IL General Assembly departures after the March primary

(Added Sen. Trotter, added Sen. Elgie Sims Jr. who resigned his State Rep. seat but was appointed to the State Senate)#twill pic.twitter.com/OjPuaZwya3

— Illinois Working Together (@IllinoisWorking) May 4, 2018

* So, that’s 13 House Democrats, or 19 percent of the total caucus; 14 House Republicans, or 27 percent of the total; 5 Senate Democrats, which is 13.5 percent of the total and 5 Senate Republicans, which is 23 percent of their total. Grand total so far: 37. Whew.

And we’ll likely be adding Rep. Silvana Tabares (D-Chicago) if and when she is appointed to the Chicago city council in the coming weeks. That’ll push the grand total percentage to 21.5.

*** UPDATE *** Retired Sen. Donne Trotter isn’t on that list, so I adjusted the numbers, including the headline.

Former Rep. Elgie Sims took Trotter’s place, but I don’t know what to do about him, so I left that count alone.

Also, there are some good points in these text messages, which I’ve cleaned up a bit…

The thing is - 13 house Ds are leaving/left, but 3 have already been replaced, 1 is running for Senate + 1 for lt guv, so only 8 are actually lame ducks. Only 1 House R is running for Senate, so the other 13 are lame ducks…going to take a lot more wrangling on R side.

Easy to imagine more than a few of those R’s dumping Rauner on a budget vote, etc…probably explains why Rauner has basically zero demands on the budget this time.

McAuliffe, Durkin, Sommer, [Dan] Brady and Hammond will be the only people left [in the House next January] who took office before 2011.

lol only 5 House Republicans will have served under more than Quinn and Rauner [by the end of this term, assuming no one else loses]. Kinda nuts!

Only 15 will have served under more than JUST RAUNER…compared to 22 who have ONLY served under Rauner. That’s nuts.

So basically a pretty large majority of the non-lame duck House Republican caucus has never dealt with a governor who isn’t Bruce Rauner.