* Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) appears to have 23 votes for House Republican Leader, which is more than enough to win the spot. She’s also backed by retiring Leader Jim Durkin…
Eastern Bloc member Rep. Dan Caulkins issued a statement yesterday claiming this was all fake news and then demanded a more open process.
* Meanwhile, Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) is sending canvassers to what appear to be Democrats who are on record as voting by mail to ask them if they really did vote by mail. If they say they didn’t vote by mail, then they’re asked to sign an affidavit attesting to that. Trouble is, if they do sign that affidavit, they or someone in their household might ultimately be subjected to prosecution for voter fraud. As we saw with the David Krupa case, people can be convinced to sign forms that they don’t quite understand…
Mazzochi is currently trailing Democrat Jenn Ladisch Douglass by 174 votes, 21,572 to 21,398. The trend is not her friend, hence the affidavit push.
Check out the third dot point in the instructions excerpt…
A few days ago, Douglass claimed on Facebook that Mazzochi’s supporters were attempting to disrupt the counting process…
I have heard reports that supporters of my opponent are trying to disrupt the DuPage County Clerk’s office while they do their very important work of counting every properly cast vote. I ran for this office because people want rational, common-sense leadership. We do not need local extremists taking a page out of former President Trump’s failed handbook by disrupting and disputing the vote-counting process and need to let the Clerk’s office do their work without interference from protestors or my opponent.
*** UPDATE *** House Speaker Chris Welch’s committee…
Mazzochi Campaign Working to Disenfranchise Voters in Dupage County
Democrats in the Illinois House released the following statement regarding trick tactics on behalf of Republicans to discount votes:
It has come to our attention that Deanne Mazzochi and DuPage County Republicans are taking a page directly from Donald Trump’s election denier playbook by attempting to disenfranchise likely Democratic voters by tricking them into signing an affidavit indicating they did not vote by mail. They are disguising themselves as volunteers who are assessing the effectiveness of vote-by-mail in DuPage County, and have been instructed to not overtly tell the voter that they are working for a Republican candidate. This is a disgusting and despicable attempt by Deanne Mazzochi to disenfranchise voters.
“We want to warn all voters who live in the 45th District to be on the lookout for this scam. If someone comes to your door presenting themselves in this manner, you should immediately call the DuPage County Clerk.
“Democrats for the Illinois House is calling on Representative Mazzochi and DuPage County Republicans to immediately halt their Trumpian tactics to overturn legal votes, and instead commit to accepting the results whatever they may be.
In the meantime, there are voters who had their vote-by-mail ballots rejected, and they will need to sign an affidavit to have those ballots restored and counted. We hope those voters are given an opportunity to have their votes counted.
* In other legislative campaign news…
The Associated Press has called three of the four state House races in southwest Illinois. The AP has not called the Rep. LaToya Greenwood-Kevin Schmidt race. Schmidt, a Republican, was leading Greenwood, the Democratic incumbent, by about 6,000 votes with 71% of the precincts reporting in the House of Representatives 114th District, according to unofficial returns reported by the AP.
Schmidt has claimed the victory based on complete but unofficial results reported by St. Clair County and East St. Louis, according to Travis Akin, the campaign manager for Schmidt. […]
Schmidt had 18,949 votes and Greenwood had 16,627 votes in 111 precincts, according to election results reviewed by the News-Democrat. In 86 precincts in the St. Clair County election results, Schmidt had 18,758 votes and Greenwood had 11,716. In 25 precincts in the East St. Louis election results, Schmidt had 191 votes and Greenwood had 4,911.
One pickup for the House Republicans and it was in the East St. Louis district. You may recall, however, that some Black leaders in that area filed suit against the district’s new map.
Comments Off  
|
* I was told this morning that Rep. McCombie currently has enough votes…
Note the time stamp on Tina’s tweet from last night. Somebody else claimed a scoop on the story this morning, several hours after Sfondeles popped it.
* Also, since I saw it mentioned online today, subscribers were told yesterday that Sen. John Curran has rounded up more than enough votes to depose current Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie.
* Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) announced early this morning that he plans to “resign from the House before the start of the 103rd General Assembly to work full-time with the Illinois Railroad Association.” Flashback…
* Tina Sfondeles with an update on SAFE-T Act negotiations…
So far, the sponsors and supporters are not interested in “massive substantial changes,” another source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told the Sun-Times.
Supporters of the bill are working to clarify provisions they claim have been “willfully misinterpreted,” including some drafting errors.
The working group met for three hours on Wednesday and again on Thursday. Gordon-Booth said the conversations are “robust.”
“A lot of areas, we have a consensus,” Gordon-Booth said. “On some other areas, there’s some work left to do.”
The reforms have already been signed into law, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic lawmakers had pledged to look at any “clarifications” they needed to make in the veto session. […]
“Many of the things that were said about the SAFE-T Act were lies. Hard stop. Flat out lies,” Gordon-Booth said. “All the while, we’re still working with law enforcement to strengthen and clarify what is the intent of the original language from January 2021.”
The only way we’d have seen “massive” changes would’ve been if Republicans had swept. Instead, the GOP endlessly flogged the issue (oftentimes untruthfully) and still got thumped almost everywhere except for one seat in the Illinois Senate and one in the House. Also, I wouldn’t expect any floor action next week in either chamber.
…Adding… I was asked by the Conference of Women Legislators to post this flier…
…Adding… DeVore waited far too long to criticize Proft, but here we go…
Let them fight.
* A few more…
* Black voters in North Lawndale scaled mountains of inconvenience and confusion to vote: Article III of the Illinois Constitution pledges that all elections shall be free and equal, and that laws governing voter registration and conduct of elections shall be general and uniform. However, it’s hard for me to fathom that what I experienced as an election judge in the 24th Ward on Tuesday was free or equal. It’s even harder for me to believe that my experience was similar to the experiences of North Side neighborhoods with more wealth and resources.
* Illinois labor groups declare victory in Worker’s Rights Amendment: The bulk of outstanding mail-in ballots come from counties that voted heavily in favor of changing the Illinois Constitution to protect collective bargaining rights
* The suburban prosecutors taking the lead in the legal battle to topple the SAFE-T Act: On Wednesday, they filed a 35-page motion for summary judgment, asking Kankakee County Judge Thomas W. Cunningham to find the law unconstitutional and issue a restraining order preventing the state from implementing it.
* Man in the middle: Departing state House GOP Leader Durkin says Trump so ‘harmful’ to nation that RINO tag is ‘badge of honor’: Many believe a Durkin stay in the House is unlikely. But for now, he said he’s prepared to be a voice for Republicans in their fight against the criminal justice package known as the SAFE-T Act, which will see at least some revisions during a veto session that begins next week.
* Illinois GOP fundraising base has badly eroded over the years: It’s either jump into the far-right political bed with billionaire Richard Uihlein, or deal with the GOP’s stark fiscal reality and scramble every day to raise a few bucks here and there.
* Editorial: Illinois GOP needs to seek middle ground: Somehow, Republicans have to reshape the conversation to acknowledge that good government can exist and it needs involvement from the moderating influences Republicans provide. The alternative is to have no influence at all.
* Democrat Alexi Giannoulias seeking ideas as he announces transition team days after secretary of state win
* Illinois House of Representatives District 104: Mike Marron defeats Cynthia Cunningham
* Sun-Times obituary writer Maureen O’Donnell farewell to daily reporting column: In a way, I’ve been writing goodbyes for 13 years. That’s how long I’ve been the Sun-Times’ obituary writer. But this goodbye — from reporting for the Sun-Times — is hard. I’ve written too many obituaries of people who died in their 20s and 30s or died just days after retirement, their dreams of an African safari — or just the chance to clean out that garage — unrealized. I might contribute to the Sun-Times from time to time, but right now I’m planning to retire and travel.
Comments Off
|
Post-campaign notebook
Thursday, Nov 10, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
In January, a record number of Democrats are set to be sworn in as state representatives in the Illinois House, giving Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch a supermajority not even enjoyed by his notorious predecessor and claiming its first political victim — now-outgoing House Minority Leader Jim Durkin.
Aided by a newly drawn map of district boundaries, Welch’s Democrats say they racked up wins in as many as 77, and possibly 78, of the House’s 118 seats. That would best the modern high-water mark of 74 seats set in 2018 by Democrats led at the time by now-indicted ex-Speaker Michael Madigan, the longest-serving state House speaker in American history. […]
The final tally will likely reduce Harmon’s current Democratic majority from 41 of 59 senators to about 39 or 40, depending on when results are confirmed over the coming days. Democrats will easily exceed the 71 votes needed to control a supermajority in the House and the 36 in the Senate to exercise on issues ranging from borrowing money to overriding a veto to putting proposed constitutional amendments before voters.
Meanwhile, the AP sticks to its outdated numbers and spreads misinformation…
According to vote tabulations by The Associated Press, by Wednesday afternoon, House Democrats had picked up one seat, matching their 2021-22 total of 74 votes
As another example, on election night, the AP was only reporting suburban Cook County numbers in Sen. Bill Cunningham’s race. They finally incorporated the Chicago results, but have since appear to have stopped counting. The AP claims that with “99% of precincts reporting,” Cunningham (D-Chicago) leads Christine Shanahan McGovern 53-47. He’s actually ahead 59-41.
If you’re gonna set yourself up as the ultimate factual authority, then, please, put the work in, or at least run a disclaimer.
* Yep…
The AP still has Sheehan ahead by 68 votes.
* Speaking of mail, what DeVore fails to mention is that Donald Trump has actively discouraged mail-in ballots for years. The Illinois Republican Party pioneered mail-in voting years ago. It was jettisoned because rank-and-file voters now hate it. It’s truly hurting their party’s candidates and they need to get over themselves…
Also, with or without mail-in ballots, DeVore woulda got clobbered. I mean, c’mon.
* Politico on the scramble to replace retiring House GOP Leader Jim Durkin…
State Rep. Tim Ozinga, who was elected in 2020 and has been angling for the position for months, has already caused concern among some Republicans. Ozinga committed to helping the House Republican Majority)this cycle as finance chair and said he would personally give $2 million to the fund, according to a person familiar with the arrangement.
But Ozinga didn’t end up committing anything after all. He gave more to the Senate Republicans than he did to the House Republicans.
Ozinga, whose family runs a well-known concrete company, sat on the sidelines at a time when Republican candidates could have used the financial help. But he did create something he calls the “Big Tent Coalition,” which provides candidates with services on the campaign trail. Ozinga charged a 15 percent fee for the work.
The day before the election, Ozinga also deposited $1 million into his political account, maybe in an effort to show members he has money to share. But some saw it as an insult because it wasn’t used to help any candidates win office.
Another potential candidate for GOP House leader is state Rep. Martin McLaughin. He’s also been in the House since 2020 and before that was a Barrington Village president. Away from his public job, he runs a pension firm, a position that could put him under some scrutiny. He has opposed pension consolidation legislation and has employed a lobbyist in Springfield for his business in order to influence legislation for his firm’s benefit.
Yikes.
* Golden Horsehoe winner Candy Dogood in comments…
Speaking of 2024 speculation, it’d be nice if reporters would recognize that JB cannot state his intention to run for president without triggering an immediate requirement to file with the FEC and to comply with quite a few laws regarding what he can do, how he can do it, and how he spends money.
So, he can’t answer in the affirmative. There’s also no legal difference between an “exploratory committee” and a regular presidential campaign committee, they just call it exploratory so it’s less embarrassing when the candidate decides not to run.
JB benefits from others talking about the possibility both in Illinois and nationally, but it’s not hard hitting journalism to ask him a question that he can’t legally answer in the affirmative at this time.
If he is ever planning on running for President a random reporter at a political event is not getting the scoop by pressing him on the issue and a state governor giving a non answer about running for president isn’t news and isn’t important. It’s also lazy to keep asking him about it.
If a journalist wants to have fun with this topic, the questions should tie back into his administration, “Do you think that the staffing difficulties and contempt of court charges at your Department of Children and Family services could detract from your national image if it was reported on nationwide?”
Asking him a yes or no question solely about running for president is a waste of everyone’s time.
It is also very unlikely that Biden would ditch his VP, and if Biden decides not to run we probably won’t hear about that affirmatively for at least another 12 months.
The Governor has a lot that needs to he addressed that his administration is directly responsible for, let’s press him on those issues and why they seem to be lingering with no one being held accountable for the failure to address them.
* Last February, Lake County Clerk Robin O’Connor, elected four years ago as a Democrat, announced she was switching parties to run as a Republican. She’s losing 54-46 to Democrat Anthony Vega. All countywide Democrats are winning. And only 5 of 19 seemingly victorious county board candidates are Republicans. JB Pritzker won the county with 51 percent in 2018. He’s winning the county this year with 59 percent.
Pritzker won DuPage County four years ago by two points, with 48 percent. He’s winning it this year by 15 points, 56-41.
Pritzker lost McHenry County four years ago by 10 points and he’s cutting his losing margin this year in half.
One potential kinda/sorta bright spot for Bailey is Will County, which Pritzker won 50-44 four years ago. Pritzker’s winning by a lesser amount so far this year, 50-47.
* Sen. Darren Bailey is currently leading in one Chicago ward, the 41st, way up on the city’s Northwest Side. The ward is the home to a lot of first responders. But the lead is small, 9,022-8,964, so that could get wiped out when more mail-in/provisional ballots are counted. Pritzker won the 41st Ward four years ago 51-43.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* ADDED: Rep. Theresa Mah | Asian Americans are making a big mark in Illinois politics: With these numbers, Asian Americans come closer to equitable representation for the state’s fastest-growing population. We’ll be able to advocate for our communities so that it will not be possible to make policies “about us without us” and we will more effectively fight for resources our constituents need.
* NBC 5 | ‘Ok Then’: Pritzker Details What Was Said in His Election Night Call With Bailey: “I got on the phone… I said, ‘Senator Bailey,’ he said, ‘Governor, I want to congratulate you.’ And I said, ‘Well, thank you very much. That’s very kind of you.’ And he said, ‘Okay, then.’”
* Daily Herald | No red wave here: Democratic congressional candidates won big in the suburbs: Despite projections of a red wave that would push Republicans into office in Illinois and across the country, Democrats — nearly all of them incumbents — swept all eight suburban congressional seats in Tuesday’s election.
* Daily Herald | Syed’s defeat of Bos in 51st House District bucked trend of incumbent victories in Northwest suburbs : “I’m feeling very, very grateful,” she said Wednesday. “I think we laid it all out there. We communicated our message. We wanted to let constituents in this district know what exactly I would fight for in the state legislature, in our suburban district and the place that I’ve called home, and a place that I was born and raised in, and I have a lot of care for this community.”
* WTTW | South Side Voters Speak Up for Trees in Jackson Park and South Shore. Is Anyone Listening?: Should the city of Chicago stop cutting down trees in Jackson Park and the area surrounding the South Shore Cultural Center? […] An overwhelming number of ballots — 82% — were cast in the affirmative, according to unofficial totals from the Chicago Board of Elections.
* Tribune | Progressive challenger Brandon Johnson lands another big union endorsement: An influential labor group with ties to the Chicago Teachers Union announced its endorsement of Brandon Johnson for mayor on Wednesday, adding to the list of labor organizations opting to back the Cook County commissioner over other progressives, including U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García.
* Jerusalem Post | Alarming rise in American Jewish children’s complaints of antisemitism at schools: The Israeli-American Council’s (IAC) School Watch initiative reported a rise of hundreds of percent of complaints on behalf of Jewish children on antisemitism in schools, one year after the watchdog’s founding. School Watch was designed to “contribute to a safe school environment and reduce incidents of antisemitism, anti-Zionism, national origin discrimination and hate,” according to its mission statement.
* The Daily Beast | The Six Biggest Takeaways From Musk’s Groveling Call With Twitter Advertisers:Amid a mass exodus of advertisers, “Chief Twit” Elon Musk took to his newly purchased social media platform on Wednesday to assure companies that Twitter will remain a safe space for their brands. In an hour-long livestream, known as a “Twitter Space,” Musk cajoled advertisers with promises of robust content moderation and account verification practices. The billionaire faces a formidable challenge: shoring up Twitter’s revenues without alienating the highly vocal band of right-wing users who initially celebrated the acquisition.
* Politico | Crypto kingpin bet a fortune on Democrats. Now he’s lost it all.: Crypto megadonor Sam Bankman-Fried helped bankroll Democrats’ overperformance in the midterms. But any friends he may have had in Washington won’t be there for him as his crumbling business empire threatens to torpedo the entire digital currency market.
* FiveThirtyEight | Abortion Rights Are Reshaping American Politics: Results are still pending in some key states like Arizona, but Democrats won many contests that will shape abortion access for the next few years — and in some cases, much longer. Abortion-rights supporters managed to enshrine the right to abortion in three state constitutions, including the crucial state of Michigan, where a near-total ban on abortion from 1931 has been tangled up in court battles for months. And supporters notched another consequential win in Kentucky, where a majority of the state’s voters opposed a ballot measure that would have explicitly clarified that abortion rights was not protected under the state constitution.
33 Comments
|
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced that $8.75 million in Direct Forgivable Loans fully financed by the State will be made available to all conditionally-approved social equity loan applicants in order to provide immediate access to capital. Pending the completion of a simplified documentation process, forgivable loan amounts between $50,000-$500,000 will be released immediately.
“Equity has always been at the core of our cannabis legalization process. It’s why we expunged hundreds of thousands low-level cannabis charges and instituted the Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program. But I know that if we want to create a truly equitable cannabis industry in Illinois, we must give our business owners the resources they need to grow—both figuratively and literally,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “That’s why we are launching this Direct Forgivable Loan Program to provide a much-needed jumpstart for social equity applicants who’ve faced hurdles in pursuit of capital funding. This $8.75 million will help our social equity licensees open their doors for business—a major step towards creating a prosperous cannabis industry here in Illinois.”
The Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program is a first-of-its-kind program that launched in the summer of 2021 with the goal of providing low-interest loans to social equity licensees through a partnership with lending institutions. Program participants have encountered significant delays in receiving capital through financial institutions due to the complexities of navigating a new industry that remains illegal under federal law, as well as institutions’ fiduciary, regulatory responsibilities and underwriting standards that are set independent of the program.
In response to feedback from participants, and out of an unwavering commitment to increasing equity in the cannabis industry, DCEO’s new Direct Forgivable Loan Program will make funding from the state available to all eligible program participants regardless of their original loan application status with a lending partner. Interested participants can continue to pursue funding through the original loan program, while also receiving the new Direct Forgivable Loan.
“In Illinois, we are striving to create an ecosystem for cannabis entrepreneurs that prioritizes those who have been adversely impacted by the war on drugs,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “The creation of the Direct Forgivable Loan Program is a critical step in that mission. We are forging ahead to support social equity licensees’ businesses so that Illinoisans can thrive alongside this growing industry.”
“Creating a more equitable cannabis industry in Illinois is the driving force behind the State’s loan programs and today’s announcement will accelerate our vision by making immediate capital available to social equity licensees,” said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia. “Looking ahead we will continue working closely with licensees as we implement the new Direct Forgivable Loan Program and incorporate program improvements for future rounds of funding.”
A total of $8.75 million will be available through the new Direct Forgivable Loan Program. The following loan amounts are available per participant based on the business type:
• Craft Growers: $500,000
• Infusers: $250,000
• Transporters: $50,000
Because DCEO has already received significant documentation from program participants, the additional documentation requirements for a direct forgivable loan are minimal to allow for prompt disbursal of funds. The forgivable loan has an 18-month grace period with no payments or interest accrued to provide businesses with flexibility.
Loan forgiveness will be provided to recipients upon receiving documentation of a broad array of eligible expenses currently accrued or accrued during the loan period, including rent, payroll, utilities, inventory, debt, regulatory expenses, legal fees, equipment and much more. The main differences between the programs are as follows:
Looking Ahead: Continued Collaboration with Licensees
Through the original loan program, social equity applicants were conditionally approved to pursue loan funding directly with lender partners. While conditional approval did not guarantee funding through the financial institutions, the program was designed to incentivize lending to social equity licensees to the greatest extent possible. As part of the structure, DCEO committed to funding a portion of each loan– thereby assuming a portion of the risk and making lending more attractive to lenders.
With many applicants still in the process of seeking loans through the original program, DCEO will continue to work closely with partners in an effort to secure loan funding for applicants who wish to complete the loan application process. Any loan funding provided through the original program would be in addition to the Direct Forgivable Loan funded by the State. In addition to providing additional capital, securing a loan from a financial institution can help add to the legitimacy of the social equity applicant’s business model and help attract capital from additional investors.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced today it has issued the first full adult use cannabis dispensing organization licenses to social equity applicants. IDFPR issued a social equity applicant license to Ivy Hall, located at 1720 N. Damen Ave. in Chicago in Cook County, which is 61% African American owned. IDFPR issued a second social equity applicant license to Green Rose, located at 612 North Wells Street in Chicago, which is 15% Latino-owned and 2.5% African American owned.
“In the coming months, Illinois is set to more than double the number of cannabis dispensaries, with every single new license holder being a social equity applicant,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With equity as our north star, today marks the first step for retail cannabis operations to begin repairing the devastating harm caused by the failed War on Drugs on communities of color. Congratulations to Green Rose and Ivy Hall – and we look forward to welcoming many more social equity-owned dispensaries to our great state.”
“This is but the first two of almost 200 new full dispensary licenses IDFPR anticipates issuing in the coming months, and we’re proud to welcome Green Rose and Ivy Hall to the most equitable cannabis market of any state in the country,” said Mario Treto, Jr., Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “IDFPR is committed to ensuring a diverse and well-regulated cannabis industry in Illinois, and we look forward to welcoming even more entrepreneurs in the time ahead.”
To date, IDFPR has issued 192 conditional adult use cannabis dispensing organization licenses from a series of lotteries in 2021 and 2022. Full licenses will be issued as the Department receives and reviews the applications for the full licenses, before completing the mandatory on-site inspection as required by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Of the businesses selected through the lottery process, 41% are majority Black-owned, 7% are majority White-owned, and 4% are majority Latino-owned, while 38% of awardees did not disclose the race of their owners. To open, applicants still need to receive agent and agent-in-charge badges, create an account with the state traceability system, and place their first order for cannabis products.
15 Comments
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
