* AP…
Colorado’s top federal prosecutor said his office won’t alter its approach to enforcing marijuana crimes after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions withdrew a policy Thursday that allowed pot markets to emerge in states that legalized the drug.
The statement by U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer came amid bipartisan outrage over Sessions’ decision to end the so-called Cole memorandum, which sharply limited what charges prosecutors could pursue in legal pot states. He will allow federal prosecutors to decide how aggressively to enforce longstanding federal law banning pot.
Troyer said his office will continue to focus on “identifying and prosecuting those who create the greatest safety threats to our communities around the state.” That approach is consistent with Sessions’ guidance, he said.
“Today the Attorney General rescinded the Cole Memo on marijuana prosecutions, and directed that federal marijuana prosecution decisions be governed by the same principles that have long governed all of our prosecution decisions,” Troyer said.
I asked spokespersons for US Attorney John Lausch in Chicago and US Attorney John Childress in central Illinois earlier today what their bosses plan to do and haven’t yet heard back. I’ll let you know if they respond.
*** UPDATE *** US Attorney John Childress…
“For citizens of central Illinois, the Justice Department memo issued today on marijuana enforcement does not change long-established prosecutorial principles to enforce federal law,” stated U.S. Attorney John Childress. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners, to promote the safety and interests of our local communities.”
* From Nancy Rotering’s attorney general campaign…
Following U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescindment of former President Obama Administration’s directives discouraging enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that had legalized the substance, Illinois Attorney General Candidate Mayor Nancy Rotering released the following statement:
“Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump think they’re still fighting the Drug Wars of the 1980s. Instead of working to address the opioid crisis ravaging our country, Sessions and Trump are attacking Americans seeking medical care in the form of clinically-approved cannabis. Illinois, along with 28 other states, passed legislation creating a medical cannabis program permitting patients with debilitating medical conditions to register with the state in order to access marijuana for medical use. As Illinois’ Attorney General, I would defend the state against any federal intrusion, and work to ensure that patients with medical conditions - including people with cancer, those who live with seizures, or veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - can continue to access the care they need.”
* Pritzker campaign…
Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the planned repeal of a commonsense reform that discourages prosecutors from bringing cases involving marijuana in states that legalized the use and sale of it. In response, JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“Marijuana should be legalized in a safe way, and it’s time we do that in Illinois,” said JB Pritzker. “Legalizing marijuana is a key component of reforming our criminal justice system and ending the era of mass incarceration. Instead of modernizing our approach to sentencing and moving our country forward, today’s announcement by the Trump administration directly attacks the black and brown communities most disparately affected by our broken system. As governor, I will stand up to Donald Trump’s attacks on Illinois communities, legalize marijuana, and modernize sentencing guidelines to create a criminal justice system that gives all Illinoisans a chance to reach their full potential.”
…Adding… Biss…
* Related…
* As legalized pot proposals grow, business stakes out its claims, concerns
* Medical marijuana in Illinois sees slow growth
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* Chris Kennedy speaking from prepared remarks yesterday…
Our major city, Chicago, is using a strategy of selective containment where we’re allowing violence to continue as long as it only continues in certain neighborhoods. We have an ‘80-8 Rule,’ where 80 percent of the violence occurs in just 8 percent of our city… We’re cutting off resources to push people of color out of our city and perhaps out of the way of economic development.
We’ve closed 18 public schools in Bronzeville alone. That neighborhood just south of the Loop, there along the beaches of Lake Michigan, is the next great development play in Chicago. It will be a development play, but not for the residents who have lived there for years and years, and who are being pushed out. But instead, for a new wave of gentrification that defines a city which, as it gets smaller, is becoming whiter.
That describes a very deliberate, thought-out strategic plan for monetary gain which even supposedly has a name.
* Today on the Steve Cochran show…
SC: The headlines are blaring, ‘Forced Gentrification by the Mayor.’ And if people don’t read the full story, the headlines make it sound like you’re calling the mayor a racist who’s kicking black folks out of the city. So, let’s start there. I want to give you a chance to clarify those remarks — if they need clarifying.
CK: Well, I’d say this: I don’t know what’s in the mayor’s heart. I don’t know what he’s thinking on this issue. What I do know are the results.
The results are Chicago is becoming smaller and as it becomes smaller, it’s becoming whiter. In neighborhoods predominately lived in by African-Americans, we’re closing schools, we’re closing mental health clinics. We’re forcing people to live in food deserts, forcing them to live in pharmacy deserts, allowing crime to skyrocket. And, the combination of those forces would push anybody out of the city.
Whether it’s an act of omission or an act of commission, it doesn’t really matter. There is only one mayor and he sets the tone at the top. This is occurring under his watch so, one way or another, he needs to be held responsible.
…Adding… I still think he sounded like he was backing away, but the Kennedy folks just called to hotly dispute this notion. He fully and completely stands by what he said yesterday, I was told.
* Meanwhile, Cochran also asked Kennedy today why he thought JB Pritzker wasn’t saying much about the controversy surrounding Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, who is also the county party chairman…
Well, I think it would be a little hypocritical to do that given the notion that he [Pritzker] used Joe Berrios’ offices at the Cook County Democratic Party to make so many of his campaign phone calls. He operated out of that office. Joe’s office.
* From the Berrios campaign…
Isn’t this the same guy who stated that JB gave to Scott Walker?
Kennedy’s claim is completely false.
* The Pritzker campaign also said the claim was false and then added…
Chris Kennedy’s commitment to telling the truth is starting to resemble Bruce Rauner’s willingness to take responsibility for his failed leadership.
The Kennedy campaign claims it has a good source on the story and stands by the candidate’s remarks.
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* Press release…
The following is a statement from Just Democracy Illinois, a nonpartisan voting rights coalition, on President Trump’s decision to disband the Presidential Advisory Commission on Voter Integrity:
“Just Democracy Illinois is pleased to see this presidentially-sanctioned witch hunt come to an end. This commission was flawed from the start. It was premised on a baseless claim that ‘millions’ of people illegally voted in the November 2016 election. It sought to obtain sensitive personal information about Illinois voters and threatened to expose that data to numerous privacy and security risks. Just Democracy will remain vigilant as federal officials and advisors continue to threaten the rights of our communities, including immigrant citizens, and other eligible voters.
“When the Commission issued overly broad demands for personal data of voters in 2017, Just Democracy Illinois immediately urged the Illinois State Board of Elections to deny the intrusive requests and debunk harmful myths of widespread voter fraud. After evaluating the requests and analyzing the facts, the bipartisan State Board denied the Commission’s requests and concluded the following about voter fraud: ‘The suspected instances we found equate to a fraud level of a couple thousandths of a single percent of the votes cast in the state.’
“As a nation, we still have a lot of work to do to protect our democracy and secure access to the ballot box. Across the country, states are passing laws that create unnecessary barriers to the ballot, which have negatively impacted turnout and intimidated voters from exercising their constitutional rights. Some of these policies intentionally disenfranchise communities through acts like purging eligible citizens from the voter rolls, while other states are stubbornly maintaining outdated registration systems that must be modernized.
“Just Democracy Illinois is proud that Illinois is taking the opposite approach and improving fairness of our elections. In recent years, the Land of Lincoln has passed laws to expand early voting, and to allow voters to register online or even at the polls. In August, Illinois unanimously passed a bipartisan Automatic Voter Registration law, which, once implemented, could add more than one million eligible Illinoisans to the voter rolls.
“To keep our election systems secure, prevent potential fraud and mis-registration, and reduce the barriers that decrease voter turnout, Just Democracy Illinois encourages states to instead follow Illinois’ bipartisan leadership on voting rights by passing legislation like Automatic Voter Registration.”
Just Democracy Illinois is led by a steering committee that includes Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, CHANGE Illinois, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Chicago Votes, Common Cause Illinois, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and Illinois PIRG.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
IL Attorney General Candidate Sen. Kwame Raoul issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s order to disband his voter fraud commission:
Now that Donald Trump has decided to stop wasting taxpayer dollars on his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, Bruce Rauner and his handpicked appointees need to stop wasting Illinois taxpayer dollars on Crosscheck.
Illinois has some of the strongest voter protections in the country thanks to the work of Sen. Raoul. Raoul was a leader in the passage of the Illinois Voting Rights Act as well as a constitutional amendment to protect the rights of all voters from having their voice and their rights taken away by discriminatory requirements.
Raoul has introduced legislation (Senate Bill 2273) to end the state’s use of Crosscheck, which was pioneered by Trump Appointee and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Senator Raoul has made his opposition to the flawed system clear while citing data security issues and potential racial bias.
Yesterday, Raoul and 13 other legislators submitted a letter to the State Board of Elections on Crosscheck which can be found here: https://twitter.com/endcrosscheck/status/948702111101005824
* Related…
* Trump dissolves controversial voter fraud commission, says states fought information requests
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* More from Gov. Rauner’s interview with the Joliet Herald-News editorial board…
Herald-News: We wanted to ask you about something in the news recently about the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. Your opponents were coming down on you not taking responsibility in their eyes. Do you want to respond to that?
Rauner: It’s so false. First of all, it’s heartbreaking. I take care for our residents, all our residents, especially our veterans very seriously. We go above and beyond to take care of our veterans. We had an outbreak of Legionella at that facility. Our team took immediate, strong action. We brought in national experts, brought in the CDC, spent $6.5 million on a new filtration system, changed the protocols, did everything possible to improve the situation and keep people safe there. We got rave reviews and appropriate support from the national experts.
Since then we’ve had a few incidences of Legionella infection and we’ve checked and made sure we’re doing all the protocols, etc. The reality is, and this is what’s not getting into the reports, the Legionella bacteria is in most water systems in Illinois. There were just two infections of Legionnaires at Northwestern Hospital, which is not even an old facility and I think is regarded as a really well-run facility. These things happen.
With our veterans, many of them are in their late 80s and 90s (and are) vulnerable to getting sick. They don’t have a strong immune system. So the reality is that there’s some risk but in all facilities there’s risk. We’re getting criticized. We went the extra step. Normally for years, these issues have been going on in Illinois. We actually wanted to find out what was causing it.
* Pritzker campaign…
Bruce Rauner once again refused to take responsibility for his fatal mismanagement of the Legionnaires crisis in Quincy, boasting of the “rave reviews” his response got, despite the fact that 13 lives were lost on his watch.
While Rauner claims he took “immediate, strong action,” WBEZ reported that his administration waited 6 days to alert the public that the outbreak looked like the “beginning of an epidemic.” Explaining the recent outbreaks in 2016 and 2017 — the latter killing a Korean War Veteran — Rauner deflected, saying, “these things happen.”
“Thirteen Illinoisans lost their lives to the Legionnaires crisis and Bruce Rauner is bragging about his response from one side of his mouth and deflecting responsibility from the other,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “‘These things happen’ when a governor entirely fails to take charge of the state he is supposed to lead and leaves the most vulnerable to pay the ultimate price.”
* DGA…
“Illinois veterans died under state supervision and all Bruce Rauner can muster are excuses why his administration should not be blamed,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s consistent knee-jerk rejection of responsibility for any of his failures shows exactly where his priorities lie. Rauner seems more interested in washing away this scandal than actually addressing any of the outstanding questions surrounding his administration’s botched response to the Quincy Veterans’ Home.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Sun-Times…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday night checked himself into the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy — and plans to stay there for several nights as a show of support for the home whose management came under fire amid outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease.
“I believe he arrived around 9:3o p.m or 10 p.m.,” State Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, said on Thursday morning, noting his plan is to spend several nights there.
“Obviously the word is getting out with the residents and staff,” Tracy said.
The governor, she said, “wanted to show his support for the veteran’s home and for the safety of the residents.”
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to comment on the stay. Rauner has not had a public event since Dec. 20.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the governor’s office…
Hi Rich,
The Governor is in Quincy staying at the Illinois Veterans Home. He plans to spend several days there with the residents and staff. He wants to gain a more thorough understanding of the clinical, water-treatment, and residential operations of the home.
Rachel Bold
Press Secretary
Office of Governor Bruce Rauner
*** UPDATE 3 *** Tribune…
Rauner’s stay comes as the Illinois House and Senate veterans affairs committees are scheduled to hold an investigatory hearing on Tuesday in Chicago. In preparation, several lawmakers toured the home on Wednesday, including Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, a Democrat from Oswego.
The Marine Corps veteran described the visit as an “introductory tour” in which lawmakers visited one residential facility, met with some survivors who contracted the disease, and learned about the new water treatment facility.
Kifowit said officials must provide more answers about why outbreaks continued after a new water treatment system was installed and provide more details about procedures and protocols for checking on patients. She said the facility’s ventilation system should also be looked at, questioning if it’s possible that Legionella bacteria was being transmitted through the air on warm, humid days.
“He should have been visiting the home constantly in 2015 and 2016 to make sure the veterans were safe and taken care of,” Kifowit said, calling the Rauner stay “symbolic.” “He’s a day late and a dollar short.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Another one piles on…
*** UPDATE 5 *** Pritzker campaign…
Last night, instead of showing up with solutions, Bruce Rauner visited the Quincy Veterans’ home for a political stunt. Rauner’s last visit was a year and a half ago.
With the Legionnaires crisis in its third year, Rauner has suddenly found an urgent need to “gain a more thorough understanding of the clinical, water-treatment and residential operations of the home.” The visit conveniently coincides with a General Assembly investigatory hearing on Bruce Rauner’s gross mismanagement of the Legionnaires crisis set for next week.
“Three years into a devastating crisis that took the lives of thirteen veterans and spouses and Bruce Rauner is conducting a political stunt complete with no solutions and a firm commitment to evading responsibility,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Families who lost loved ones and heroes who are still at risk don’t need a photo op with their failed governor, they need someone willing to take charge of this state.”
*** UPDATE 6 *** DGA…
Last night, Governor Bruce Rauner checked into the Quincy Veterans’ Home in an attempt to quiet growing questions about his administration’s botched response to Legionnaires’ outbreaks there. In three years, 13 veterans’ home residents have died from the disease and two WBEZ reports have called into question how Rauner’s administration responded to the first outbreak in 2015.
While Rauner stays in Quincy, perhaps he can answer these questions:
Why did the Rauner administration wait six days before telling the public or families of residents about the outbreak, which one infectious disease expert called “mind-boggling”?
When did Governor Rauner learn of the outbreak? What did he talk about with IDVA Director Erica Jeffries when they attended an event together during the middle of the outbreak?
Why were some sick residents, who later died, not getting tested or treated for Legionnaires’ disease even though your administration confirmed the outbreak to the CDC?
Why did Rauner say in 2016 that his administration was “really on top of the situation” if he is just now getting a “more thorough understanding” of the problem?
At least one family claims that Rauner’s administration never tried contacting them after the death of their father. Why has Rauner not reached out to the families of the deceased?
Has anyone in the administration been held accountable for the outbreak response?
In an editorial board meeting yesterday, Rauner deflected blame for the 13 deaths by pointing out the veterans’ home residents had weak immune systems, claiming “rave reviews” for his response, and arguing that “these things happen.”
“Bruce Rauner’s stunt does not hide the fact that he has not addressed hard questions about his administration’s botched response to the Legionnaires’ outbreak,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Thirteen families lost loved ones and deserve to know what happened. They need more than what Governor Rauner is offering.”
*** UPDATE 7 *** Governor’s office…
Hey Rich,
I wanted to make sure you were aware that Governor Rauner has made several visits to the Quincy Veterans Home throughout his time in office. The Governor visited on October 14, 2015, July 27, 2016, and recently as December 8, 2017.
Rachel Bold
Press Secretary
Office of Governor Bruce Rauner
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* Gov. Rauner was asked yesterday for his thoughts on the new federal tax changes, particularly the limitation on deductibility for state and local taxes…
That’s gonna hurt a lot of middle class families and higher income families. That’s gonna push more employers out of the state. That’s gonna hurt job creation. That’s gonna increase the cost of living for the people. So, it’s punishing in that regard.
The governor was asked repeatedly over the past few months to weigh in on the tax bill and refused to take any real public stance. If he truly believes the SALT provisions are “punishing,” maybe he should’ve said something earlier?
* Tribune…
The governor also repeated his belief that the state and local tax deduction limit could give a boost to his call for freezing property taxes and rolling back a state income tax hike.
“It’s punishing in that regard,” Rauner said of the tax limitation. “That’s why it’s so critical that we get the reforms done that I’ve been advocating.”
Rauner said in the interview that he was in Joliet on Wednesday, but the governor’s office listed no events on his public schedule. He has not been out in public since the week before Christmas.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Response…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
You know what they say: even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Yesterday, in a radio interview, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said what vulnerable House Republicans Reps. Peter Roskam, Randy Hultgren, Mike Bost, and Rodney Davis have been unable to admit: the GOP tax scam is going to hike taxes on middle class families and homeowners across Illinois.
Let’s go to the transcript […]
But it’s not like Rauner broke news. Over the holidays Illinois families across the state were scrambling to prepay their property taxes to avoid getting slammed when the GOP tax bill goes into effect next year.
The GOP Tax Scam guts the deduction for State and Local Taxes, which nearly a third of Illinoisans take advantage of for an average deduction of over $12,000.
Bruce Rauner finally got something right: the GOP tax scam is going to hammer middle class families and homeowners in Illinois. The only thing he left out: this November, voters are going to take it out on Reps. Peter Roskam, Randy Hultgren, Mike Bost, and Rodney Davis.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Ives campaign…
On Wednesday, Governor Rauner called the new federal tax law “punishing,” criticizing a $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes. State Representative Jeanne Ives, a Republican Candidate for Governor released the following statement in response:
“The reason Illinois families are ‘punished’ by the $10,000 cap on State and Local Tax Deductions is because the guy who ran on reform in 2014 didn’t do anything about Illinois’ tax burden. He actually made it worse.
“Families in this state pay the highest property taxes in the nation. Governor Rauner did nothing about it. If Illinois put hard cap on property taxes, like Indiana, then more Illinois families would qualify to keep more of their income under House Republicans tax reform plan. Further, more of those same Illinois families could afford more home and expect a real rate of return on their investment. This prospect is virtually eliminated in Illinois where the median property tax rates as a percentage of home value is nearly 2.5 times that of Indiana.
“Governor Rauner is talking about freezing property taxes. Well, again, Illinoisans pay the highest property taxes in the nation. Why would you want to lock that in by freezing them? We need to lower property taxes. I am advocating a property tax cap that will force state government to remove itself “from initiatives it has proven poor at managing, and to properly fund K-12 education.
“According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, 80% of American families will see federal tax relief from the GOP tax cuts. Rauner is simply trying to out-#NeverTrump J.B. Pritzker. In substance and in rhetoric, Rauner is once again allied with Rahm, Pelosi and Schumer and against the Illinois GOP congressional delegation and Illinois GOP families. Another betrayal.
“The truth is, Governor Rauner failed to hold the Illinois Republican caucus together, and 15 Republicans voted to inflict a massive income tax hike on the already struggling families and businesses of this state. In Washington D.C., President Trump unified the Congressional Republican caucus to pass tax reform that will provide relief to most Americans. I may not agree with everything President Trump does, but I want to see him succeed. And can recognize it when he does. Bruce Rauner is out trying to sell a success as failure, and failure as success. It is little wonder Illinois Republicans can feel they can no longer trust the man they elected in 2014.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Hmm…
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