* Press release…
Staff members of elected officials would be granted the right to file sexual harassment claims under a measure from Senator Melinda Bush that advanced out of the Senate Executive Committee today.
“The claims that have come out over the past several months have made it clear that we need to change the way we handle sexual harassment and make sure everyone knows where to go to seek justice,” Bush (D-Grayslake) said. “The fact that staff of elected officials aren’t considered employees and therefore aren’t protected under the Human Rights Act is egregious.”
Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, immediate personal staff of elected officials are exempt from the definition of employee and are therefore unable to report human rights violations, including sexual harassment, to the Department of Human Rights. Senate Bill 576 would delete this exemption.
“It’s clear that the system was set up to protect perpetrators and leave victims with nowhere to turn,” Bush said. “Legislative staffers should’ve never been excluded from the Human Rights Act. This measure will give them the same rights as every other employee in the state.”
Hard to argue with that.
* Meanwhile, the story setup…
The pressure continues to mount on House Speaker Mike Madigan after the dismissal of a second high-ranking operative from his political organization. Now the state lawmaker who was the victim of what Madigan called “inappropriate behavior” is speaking out.
* But the story itself is not quite as advertised…
Just last week, Representative Deborah Conroy (D-Villa Park) told Madigan about incidents that happened during her 2016 campaign. Madigan quickly cut ties with lobbyist Shaw DeCremer, one of his top lieutenants. […]
Last week, Madigan fired another top campaign worker, Kevin Quinn, for sending inappropriate text messages to Alaina Hampton, who worked under him. Now there are renewed calls for Madigan to step aside. […]
But Conroy said those calls are about making political headlines. She defends how Madigan is handling things and does not believe he should step aside.
“How can you disqualify somebody from leading a charge to bring for a change when we’re just in it now? I believe it’s changing now. I believe standing up, and what Alaina Hampton said and what’s being done now are all a part of changing your culture, so you can’t condemn someone’s attempt to change something when it’s just starting,” Conroy said.
Your thoughts on this? Remember, Conroy herself was an alleged victim.
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Deb Conroy via text…
Hi Rich, I just wanted to point out that while I am working very hard to change an entrenched culture others are seeking political headlines. Interesting that none of those have taken the time to reach out to me.
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Injured Kennedy can’t attend tonight’s debate
Wednesday, Feb 21, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oh, man…
Chris Kennedy will be unable to travel to Springfield for tonight’s debate.
Kennedy spokeswoman Rebecca Evans released the following statement:
“During routine exercise this morning, Chris Kennedy injured his back. Under instructions from his doctor, Chris will be unable to travel to Springfield to participate in tonight’s debate. He has spoken to the organizers of the debate who have worked so hard to put together this important forum and sent his regrets. He also sends his regrets to campaign volunteers who helped organize more than a dozen debate viewing parties throughout the state. Chris will return to the campaign trail very soon and looks forward to next week’s debate on ABC 7 Chicago.”
Dr. Joseph Alleva, Chief, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at NorthShore University Health System, issued the following statement:
“During exercise this morning, Chris injured his back. In order to fully recover, he cannot travel to this evening’s debate. The travel would only cause the condition to worsen. With our treatment strategy, I am confident Chris will be able to resume a full campaign schedule in the next few days.”
Dude finally gets a couple of boosts today from the Pritzker poll and the Trib nod and he injures himself. Oy.
…Adding… Kennedy reportedly believes he will be back on his feet and campaigning by tomorrow, but his doctor thinks it could be a couple of days. Bernie Sanders is having a rally tomorrow and there’s been a rumor going around that Chuy Garcia (who has endorsed Kennedy) could bring him on stage even though Sen. Daniel Biss was endorsed by Sanders’ group Our Revolution Illinois.
…Adding… Seems reasonable…
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* Press release…
“Get them out of that home NOW,” Jeanne Ives, a conservative reform Republican for Governor, demanded in a press conference todaycalling for executive action in the legionella crisis that has continued unabated in a Quincy veterans home.
Since July 2015, 13 have died from Legionnaires’ disease. Eleven families have sued the state for negligence.
In July 2016, Governor Rauner said his administration was “really on top” of the situation at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.
After that pronouncement, 3 more people got sick. A Korean war veteran died.
Recently, after his January PR stunt of staying at the home, Rauner told the Crain’s editorial board in response to a question as to whether he would’ve done anything differently in handling the crisis, “We handled it exceptionally well and we would not do anything different.”
Since that pronouncement, 4 more people have gotten sick.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), yesterday, reported the fourth laboratory-confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy (IVHQ).
“What the hell is wrong with this Governor,” asked Ives, who has used her platform as a candidate to bring attention to the crisis. “Veterans and their families are getting sick and dying, Governor. Get them out of that home NOW.
“This is as uncomplicated as it is preventable and tragic. All the talk from politicians like Rauner about how much they value our veterans, about keeping our promises to our veterans, about respecting their service, about helping them when they’re in need whatever they need…all that talk.
“13 dead. And people keeping getting sick. And the governor who says he’s not in charge is living down to that description.
“There’s nothing left to say. On March 20, Illinois families will have their say.”
* DGA…
Nearly a month ago, Rauner infamously declared that he “would not do anything different” in the aftermath of a Legionnaires’ outbreak at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. Since then four residents have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ and new reports keep raising questions about Rauner’s response to the crisis.
Yesterday, Rauner’s administration dodged a legislative committee who wanted to know why the state never acted on a recommendation to replace water pipes back in 2016. After a WBEZ investigative report into the home, which prompted a Rauner stay at the home, his team requested an updated report. And they asked for the plumbing replacement as an “emergency project” since “frail, elderly residents at the home (are) still becoming sickened.”
Rauner told Crain’s Chicago this month, “We’ve handled it exceptionally well and we would not do anything different.”
Does that still hold true?
“Bruce Rauner’s team sat on a report for 18 months, but he still praises the state’s response to the Quincy Legionnaires’ outbreak,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s refusal to admit mistakes shows his failure to lead. Rauner owes the public an explanation why his administration failed to act on a water pipe replacement recommendation a year and a half ago. Instead, his team continues to play blocking games as more residents get sick.”
* Gov. Rauner was asked about this earlier today…
Gov. Rauner: It’s heartbreaking. We need to keep our veterans safe. We have done everything that the National experts from the CDC have recommended. They are baffled as we are why we’ve had a few more cases. We will be relentless. We are going to protect our veterans. We’ll be taking additional action. We’ll be announcing additional steps here in the very near future.
Reporter: Governor, there are increasing calls for the veterans to move out of that facility… Is it time, I know you’ve expressed concerns about their age, to move them, but is it finally time to take that step?
Gov. Rauner: Well, we will be evaluating every option, every day. Moving the veterans is an option that we’ve evaluated in the past. We will begin evaluating it again now and at all times. We are evaluating every possible opportunity to keep our veterans safe. Here’s the issue: Our veterans are very vulnerable. They’re very susceptible to injury, to illness. They’re very fragile. Moving them increases significant risk for infections and other physical ailments. Whatever we do we need to be very thoughtful and very careful about it. We don’t want to increase their risk of damage to their health.
* He makes some very good points. The state can’t move everyone. But veterans and their families should be allowed to make an informed medical choice. If they decide they want to leave, the state should pay to move them. Period.
It’s time to stop worrying about losing votes because of lost jobs or to avoid the political horrors of admitting that mistakes were made.
The residents of that veterans’ home are the reason the home is there, after all. They did their duty for us, we need to do our duty for them. /rant
…Adding… An Ives supporter, but he’s right about this one…
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The ideas that refuse to die
Wednesday, Feb 21, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Feb. 17, 2018…
Now, as [in 2015], Rauner argues the state can save more than $700 million from the insurance changes he wants to make. That includes $470 million by forcing state workers to pay more of their health insurance costs, $125 million by eliminating a subsidy for the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program and $4.4 million from eliminating the same subsidy to an insurance program for retired community college employees.
Rauner said another $105 million can be saved by shifting some group health insurance costs to universities.
He couched the changes in a populist message meant to appeal to non-public workers.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for government health insurance policies that are richer than ones they can afford for themselves,” Rauner said. “It’s not fair.”
* Feb. 22, 2015…
Health insurance for active state workers and retirees is being targeted for big savings in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget plan.
Rauner wants to save $700 million by negotiating new insurance plans for active workers.
His budget also calls for an end to state subsidies to the health insurance programs for retired downstate teachers and community college workers.
“By bringing health care benefits more in line with those received by the taxpayers who pay for them, we save an additional $700 million,” Rauner said Wednesday in his budget speech.
* May 11, 2012…
Retired state workers stand to pay more for health insurance that thousands of them now get for little or nothing under legislation the Senate approved Thursday and Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign.
The 31-20 vote represented the first major test of whether lawmakers trying to put together a new state budget can make deep cuts that will anger a large segment of voters in an election year.
“I am encouraged that legislators have taken this step toward restoring fiscal stability to Illinois,” Quinn said, adding that he will sign the bill into law. “This legislation will help ensure that our retirees continue to have access to quality health care while also lowering the cost to taxpayers.” […]
In urging colleagues to scale back retiree insurance, sponsoring Sen. Jeff Schoenberg said the escalating costs of the program could hit $1 billion in the budget year that starts July 1 if nothing is done now. The Democratic senator from Evanston said the costs are approaching $880 million this year alone, and the goal is to save $300 million or more.
…Adding… I didn’t notice this before, but the Pritzker people pointed to a weekend press release which includes this link from May 9, 2012…
The Illinois House voted Wednesday to pull free, taxpayer-funded health insurance from nearly 80,000 state retirees and retired suburban and downstate teachers, lawmakers and judges, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
SB 1313 was approved by a 74-43 vote. It takes aim at an $876 million annual subsidy that had been one of the most lucrative perks of public employment. See how the House members voted in the interactive graphic below, sorting by district, party and how they voted. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Rep. Daniel Biss voted “Yes” on that bill.
* May 3, 2012…
Tens of thousands of retired state employees could be stripped of their free health insurance benefit under legislation pending in the Illinois House.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and House Minority Leader Tom Cross said the $876 million cost is unsustainable at a time when the state budget is billions of dollars out of whack because of rising Medicare costs and employee pension problems.
On a unanimous vote, the House Executive Committee forwarded the proposal to the full House for further debate. It would allow a state benefits administrator to set the health insurance premium rate for 78,000 retired judges, lawmakers, prison guards, university workers and others.
* Feb. 25, 2012…
Gov. Pat Quinn wants to eliminate state funding for two health insurance programs that provide coverage for retired schoolteachers and community college instructors across Illinois.
The idea, part of the new spending plan the governor unveiled last week, would cut roughly $92 million from the Teachers Retirement Insurance Program and the Community College Insurance Program. […]
Senate Republicans say state law requires the teacher retirement insurance money to be paid. Unless there’s a vote to change that law, they argue, Quinn’s proposed cut is artificial and won’t reduce spending.
* March 18, 2009…
State workers and public school teachers could face smaller paychecks under the budget proposal presented by Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday. […]
Increasing employee health-care contributions would bring in $200 million into state coffers. This would cost employees an average of $1,300 more annually, according to AFSCME.
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* The Tribune writes about more Madigan “#MeToo” fallout…
The harassment issue comes at a time of a surging progressive movement within the Democratic Party that threatens the stability of a party establishment that has ruled for decades. Those battles are playing out across the Democratic primary ballot, including contests for governor, Congress and even Cook County assessor.
There is no better example of the fight between the new-guard progressives and the old-guard, Madigan-led establishment than the speaker’s backyard — the Southwest Side and suburban 3rd Congressional District, home of Madigan’s 13th Ward organization.
On Tuesday, Democratic challenger Marie Newman added her name to the list of those calling for the speaker to give up his party chairmanship. Newman is taking on 13-year Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, who succeeded his father, William, a 22-year congressman.
“It is time for Michael Madigan to resign as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Anything less would put the Democrats’ political prospects at risk in November — and more importantly, would send a signal to all victims that their voices don’t matter, and that the status quo will never be disrupted,” she said.
* Sun-Times…
Lipinski, however, said Madigan has taken responsibility and admitted he must do better: “He appears to have taken a number of steps to ensure that women are better protected in the statehouse and on the campaign trail and that action will be taken against perpetrators,” Lipinski said. “I have confidence that Mike Madigan in his roles as Democratic Party Chairman and Speaker of the House will be a powerful force for change for women.”
* Meanwhile…
Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) showed his face at City Hall Wednesday for the first time since his brother was fired, but refused to answer questions about the sexual harassment scandal swirling around his ward committeeman and powerful political mentor, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
With Curtis Franklin, the City Council’s burly assistant sergeant-at-arms as lead blocker, Quinn blew past reporters on his way into and out of a meeting of the City Council’s License Committee.
Quinn twice said, “good morning, everybody,” but otherwise remained silent and stared straight ahead as reporters asked him to comment about the sexual harassment allegations made against his brother and about the burgeoning scandal surrounding Madigan, the alderman’s political patron.
The alderman spoke during the hearing, but only to explain his proposal to declare yet another precinct of his Southwest Side ward off limits to new listings on Airbnb. Five other precincts are proceeding with the painstaking petition process, the alderman said.
Quinn has been under fire for the go-between role he played in the sex scandal surrounding Madigan’s vaunted and once impenetrable political organization.
* Video…
Whew.
…Adding… He did the same thing on the way out…
* In other news…
A first-time candidate for state representative in an Illinois House district west of Champaign is calling for an independent investigation of sexual harassment in the Democratic Party in Illinois and for Michael Madigan to step down as head of the state party.
But Jen McMillin of Decatur, the only Democratic candidate in the 101st House District, said she isn’t calling for Madigan to step down as Speaker of the House “at this time.” […]
“I believe that we need to have an independent investigation and while that happens Chairman Madigan should step down only from the Democratic Party of Illinois,” McMillin, 32, said Wednesday. “We need to encourage more people to come to the Democratic Party of Illinois and know that we are open and inclusive. And I’m afraid that during this investigation that openness is called into question if Madigan continues as the chairman.”
She cited the appointment of three top Democratic elected officials — U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline, State Comptroller Susana Mendoza and state Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana — as leaders of a statewide discussion about the role of women in the party “a wonderful step in the right direction.
Trump won that district by 31 points and Rauner won it by 39. The only statewide Democrat to have won the 101st since 2012 was Secretary White in 2014.
So, basically, McMillin can freely speak her mind because she has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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