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*** UPDATED x1 *** Automatic voter registration veto override fails

Tuesday, Nov 29, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As expected…

House fails to override SB250. Would eliminate redundant paperwork, streamline function, clean up voter rolls and save money. #AVRinIL

— IL Senate Democrats (@ILSenDems) November 29, 2016

Illinois House fails to override Gov. Rauner veto of automatic registration bill. Four votes shy of 71 needed.

— Ivan Moreno (@IvanJourno) November 29, 2016

#AVRinIL fails to override the veto. 67 yeas, needed 71. What happened to those 86 yeas from before?

— Rep. Carol Ammons (@StateRepAmmons) November 29, 2016

To answer Rep. Ammons’ question, the rest either didn’t show up to town today or are Republicans who switched sides and voted with the governor.

…Adding… The roll call is here. The previous roll call is here.

*** UPDATE *** Harsh…

Trevor Gervais with the government watchdog group Common Cause Illinois noted that the Republican version has no timeline for the policy’s implementation.

“What we anticipate happening is that it would be delayed until after the governor’s reelection in 2018,” he said. “It’s very clear what his motives are for that.”

As the president-elect considers an Attorney General with a checkered record on voting rights, and Republicans take control of more state legislatures and governor’s mansions across the country, Gervais lamented the Illinois did not opt Tuesday to make voting more accessible.

“We’re stepping into four years of direct attacks on voting rights,” he said. “Here in Illinois we actually had an opportunity to expand voting rights before the attacks began, but instead we’re going to do nothing because of our billionaire governor.”

39 Comments

GOP focusing on three Democratic votes for House Speaker

Tuesday, Nov 29, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Illinois Republican Party has a new website called BossMadigan.com. The party is making no bones about its three top targets for next cycle and is warning them about their vote for House Speaker in January…

* From the site…

Brandon Phelps has taken over $200,000 from Mike Madigan’s political machine and has voted to make Madigan the Speaker seven times. Phelps voted for Madigan’s plan to hold funding for his school district hostage to try to bail out Chicago Public Schools. Phelps also voted for Madigan’s $8 billion unbalanced budget that would force at least $1,000 tax hike on middle-class families. Phelps even voted for the Madigan-Blagojevich pension scheme that increased pension debt by up to $22 billion.

Despite these actions, Phelps can show he’s ready to begin repairing Illinois by opposing Mike Madigan for Speaker in 2017.

Mike Madigan’s funneled over $1.6 million to Sam Yingling’s campaigns, and in return, Yingling has twice voted to make Mike Madigan the Speaker of the House. Yingling sided with Madigan to hold school funding hostage in an effort to bail out Chicago schools. He also voted for the broken Madigan budget that would have increased state debt by $8 billion and forced a massive tax hike without reforms on hard-working families.

In the weeks ahead, Yingling can show he’s ready to put Illinois families ahead of his political patron by opposing Madigan for Speaker in 2017.

Mike Madigan’s given Jerry Costello nearly $200,000, so it’s no surprise that Costello has twice supported Mike Madigan as Illinois Speaker. Like the rest of Madigan’s members, Costello followed orders and held his own school districts hostage to bail out Chicago. And Costello tried to force a $1,000 tax hike on families in his district by voting for Madigan’s phony budget that was nearly $8 billion in the hole.

In January, Jerry Costello can show he’s willing to start fixing Illinois by voting against Mike Madigan as Speaker.

Discuss.

…Adding… I’m told these are just the “first three” targets. “Long time until the vote for speaker to add more.”

…Adding More… From the twitters…

Rep. Phelps, a Dem targeted by new ILGOP site, says attack shows "they want to play more politics more than they want to govern."

— Monique Garcia (@moniquegarcia) November 29, 2016

59 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 - Cullerton hopes to reschedule *** Madigan a no-show for leaders meeting

Tuesday, Nov 29, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Yesterday…

As he has stated for weeks, Madigan said a deal would be reached only if Rauner followed the “framework” for other temporary spending agreements. That’s code meaning Rauner should set aside his economic agenda, as he has done in the past facing other funding emergencies.

Asked why he participates in these meetings if he’s opposed to Rauner’s ideas, Madigan said he attends “at the request of the governor.”

Republicans, meanwhile, said they were unclear with whom they were negotiating, suggesting either a game of “good cop, bad cop” between Cullerton and Madigan or a divide between the Democratic leaders.

“It’s hard to know what’s going on here,” said Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno, of Lemont. “So we’ll see who shows up tomorrow.”

* Today…

Speaker Madigan did not show up to today's meeting. Sources say he tried to change the time yesterday

— Jordan Abudayyeh (@JordanAbudayyeh) November 29, 2016

I told subscribers about this earlier today.

*** UPDATE *** Senate President John Cullerton just told reporters that “hopefully” the leaders can reschedule for this afternoon. “If we can get back today we will. If not we have a time scheduled for tomorrow.” Cullerton met with the other leaders for more than half an hour before he talked to reporters.