Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

*** UPDATED x1 *** Unclear on the details, but not on the concepts

Monday, Aug 25, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today…

“Now I see that the court’s ruled that the Libertarian candidate can be on the ticket but the Green Party can’t. Another interesting development. I told some people this morning: ‘You people in Illinois make New Jersey people blush, it’s unbelievable, right?’ Every obstacle that can be placed in front of Bruce by the establishment in this state will be placed in front of him. The great news is he’s strong enough to overcome those.”

The court didn’t rule on the Libertarians, the State Board of Elections ruled that the party had collected enough valid signatures. The Green Party didn’t have enough valid signatures and lost a ballot access lawsuit. But the Libertarians clearly demonstrated that they didn’t need that lawsuit to get onto the ballot.

As subscribers know, the Libertarians were aided by a union during their fight to stay on the ballot. The Republicans, we all know, worked hard against the Libertarians.

As far as I know, the GOP didn’t help out the Green Party, which is probably a mistake on its part. The Democrats did work against the Greens.

But there was no grand judicial conspiracy here. Both parties did what they did, and the GOP came up short fair and square - or as fair and square as you can get in this state, anyway.

Even so, he’s most likely right about the Democratic establishment. It will do whatever it can to stop Rauner.

* More Chris Christie…

“He will try every trick in the book,” Christie said of Quinn. “I see the stuff that’s going on. Same-day registration all of a sudden this year comes to Illinois. Shocking,” he added sarcastically. “I’m sure it was all based upon public policy, good public policy to get same-day registration here in Illinois just this year, when the governor is in the toilet and needs as much help as he can get.”

Christie made that statement at Bruce Rauner’s campaign headquarters. Rauner wasn’t there, but he is on record supporting the new law…

The bill would allow same-day voter registration and more days for in-person early voting - which Republicans in the General Assembly say is a ploy to bring more Democratic voters to the polls.

Rauner said he’s not familiar with the finer points of the bill, but he’s OK with the idea. “I’m a believer that our democratic process is critical to our prosperity as a state and as a nation. I think having voters engaged and involved and everybody voting, all registered voters voting, is a great thing, and the more folks that vote, the better, and to the degree we help that process, I’m supportive of that,” he said. […]

Rauner said he’s not afraid of Democratic constituencies casting more votes, because he’s campaigning to them. “We’re not doing what most Republicans do, and that is go to a few country clubs and go to a few farm events. We are in every neighborhood in every community,” he said.

But Christie is right about one thing. Notice that same-day registration and the law’s other reforms weren’t extended through next year’s Chicago mayoral race. Considering the likelihood that Mayor Emanuel could face a challenge from CTU’s president (and, back during spring session, the Cook County Board President), he probably didn’t want those reforms in place.

*** UPDATE *** From the union- and DGA-backed Illinois Freedom PAC…

Standing in Bruce Rauner’s headquarters today, scandal-plagued Governor Chris Christie suggested that allowing Illinois citizens to register to vote on Election Day is wrong because it is an “obstacle” to Bruce Rauner’s election efforts. Neal Waltmire, Communications Director for Illinois Freedom PAC, released the following statement in response to the remarks of Rauner’s ally:

If allowing legally eligible citizens to register to vote is an obstacle to Bruce Rauner’s election, it speaks only to the billionaire’s deeply unpopular Wall Street values, not the merit of Illinois’ voting laws.

In Rauner and Christie’s world, the opinions of Wall Street bankers and corporate CEOs rule, which means middle class families pay the price.

That’s why Rauner and Christie have fought tax fairness and opposed upping the minimum wage.

We call on Bruce Rauner to stand with Illinoisans against Christie’s attack on their right to vote.

30 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 - Wrong dates *** IEA pushing early voting

Monday, Aug 25, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* IEA President Cinda Klickna recently did a robocall to her members telling them they are about to receive mailers about the union’s recommended candidates. “To protect our students, our schools and our pensions we must stop Bruce Rauner,” Klickna says, adding an encouragement to vote absentee…

Click to listen

* Today, a mailer touting early voting was received by IEA members. Click the pics for larger images…

*** UPDATE *** A county clerk pal of mine texts to say that the IEA got some of its dates wrong…

The IEA flier has some incorrect dates. 8/4 - absentee voting begins. 8/4 is first day for absentee ballot requests, not first day for voting. There’s going to be so much confusion this election. Absentee voting doesn’t begin until 9/25. Ballots aren’t ready yet in most jurisdictions, so there’s no way voting can being 8/4.

Also, Early Voting ends this election on Sunday, November 2, not November 1, as the flier states.

Oops.

28 Comments

Rauner bids farewell to Downstate

Monday, Aug 25, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I explained this to subscribers as a “smart move” several days ago…

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus had words of warning for Edgar County Republicans: Don’t expect to see gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner in downstate Illinois after Labor Day.

“He’s been all over southern and central Illinois,” Shimkus, the longtime congressman from Colinsville, told about 75 members of the GOP in Paris last week. “But we’re advising him that after he’s through with this massive swing (through 38 downstate counties after the Illinois State Fair), you know where he needs to be? He needs to be in the suburbs and he needs to be in Cook County to win this for us. […]

“We’ve got to campaign hard around Chicago,” [Rauner] said. “It’s critical. If we just take the mindset that Cook County is just, you know, another country, that allows Cook County to be consolidated under the machine. And it’s so big that Cook County runs the rest of the state. No more. No more. That ain’t right.” […]

“I don’t have a specific goal but I really want to do well” in Cook County, he said. “We’re already leading in the polls by a good margin in the Cook County suburbs. We’re losing in Chicago and I don’t think I can win in Chicago. That’s not going to happen. But I think I can do decently well in Chicago. I think the polls showed us at about 20 percent in Chicago. I think if we’re in the low 20s we’ll be good.”

Discuss.

…Adding… Rauner appeared via live video feed during Marion’s Ronald Reagan dinner…

Jim Patrick of Crainville was there too and he said the GOP is the party for him.

“The democrats platform is pro abortion, pro homosexual and has an anti-American tone in it,” he said. “I’m pro life and I won’t vote for anybody who is not pro life. I don’t care what they call themselves!”

Um, Rauner calls himself “pro-choice.”

32 Comments

*** UPDATED x6 *** Quinn vetoes ridesharing bill

Monday, Aug 25, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The taxi companies were expecting an AV. Nope. Full-on veto. From a press release…

Governor Pat Quinn today vetoed House Bill 4075, also known as the “Uber bill.” The bill would have imposed statewide regulations on commercial ridesharing and prevented local governments across Illinois from adopting rules that fit their respective communities. Today’s action is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to protect consumers, create jobs and drive Illinois’ economy forward.

“The principle of home rule is an important one,” Governor Quinn said. “I am vetoing this legislation because it would have mandated a one-size-fits-all approach to a service that is best regulated at the local level.”

While transportation services are traditionally regulated at the local government level, House Bill 4075 would have limited the ability of home rule units of government to adopt alternative approaches that best fit local needs.

For example, the city of Chicago passed an ordinance that will go into effect Aug. 26, 2014 which establishes a comprehensive set of regulations to ensure ridesharing companies maintain public safety including regulations on licensure, insurance, background checks, vehicle inspections and operating hours for drivers. The ordinance – which is in the process of being implemented – will help ensure these transportation services maintain public safety while keeping the regulation at the appropriate and traditional level of government.

Commercial ridesharing services are provided by drivers who use their personal automobiles to provide transportation services to the public. Customers use an application on their smart phones to order rides offered through these companies such as Uber X, Lyft, Sidecar and others.

Governor Quinn today also vetoed House Bill 5331, which contained related ridesharing regulations.

*** UPDATE 1 *** An hour before this press release was issued, the taxi drivers sent out a media advisory saying “hundreds” of taxi drivers would be demonstrating at the Thompson Center at 11:15 this morning to demand that Quinn sign the bill. Too late, it turns out.

…Adding… And, of course, Bruce Rauner has been urging Quinn to veto the bill for the past month.

The veto message is here. It uses the line “stifle innovation,” which is similar to Rauner’s claim that the bill would stifle competition.

*** UPDATE 2 *** The House sponsor, Rep. Mike Zalewski, responds…

“I’m disappointed that the two bills I worked on this spring to put consumer safety first and provide a fair marketplace for the ridesharing services were vetoed. I disagree with the contention that this should be decided only locally, as these services stretch across city and county lines and the bills would provide important baseline protections that local governments could build upon. Both the main bill and trailer bill received overwhelming support in the House and Senate in the spring. I will now talk with my colleagues and evaluate the best path for moving forward. It is clear to me we need to provide consumers with the assurances they will get to their destinations safely when they use these services.”

*** UPDATE 3 *** Rauner response…

Bruce Rauner campaign spokesman Mike Schrimpf issued the following statement regarding Pat Quinn’s decision to veto the anti-ridesharing bill:

“One month after Bruce urged Governor Quinn to veto the anti-ridesharing legislation Pat Quinn finally did the right thing. It’s too bad that Pat Quinn refused to follow Bruce’s lead on term limits and getting rid of the Quinn-Madigan tax hike.”

*** UPDATE 4 *** Mayor Rahm Emanuel…

“I want to thank Governor Quinn for his thoughtful approach to regulating an emerging industry so that new transportation options can flourish in Chicago while consumers are ensured a safe and reliable experience. Beginning next week, the City will implement the commonsense ordinance that passed City Council in May so that rideshare is no longer operating in a regulatory vacuum.”

*** UPDATE 5 *** Lyft…

By vetoing HB 4075 and HB 5551, Governor Quinn has sent a strong message in support of Illinois residents who want access to the convenient and safe transportation options that ridesharing provides. Lyft’s peer-to-peer model enables communities to enjoy affordable and reliable transportation alternatives while creating new economic opportunities for residents.

The legislation – designed to protect entrenched industries and maintain the status quo – would have stifled innovation and reduced consumer choice. We applaud Governor Quinn’s leadership in standing up for consumers’ right to choose ridesharing, which has forged a path for other governors across the country to follow. We look forward to seeing Lyft grow and thrive in Illinois.

*** UPDATE 6 *** Uber…

The veto of anti-ridesharing legislation today by Governor Quinn shows not only his commitment to affordable transportation choices for Illinois consumers, but his commitment to the thousands of drivers who rely on ridesharing to pay their bills and invest in their communities.

The people of Illinois overwhelmingly support ridesharing – this veto is a victory for them against the influence of Big Taxi. It’s a victory for the more than 85,000 Illinois residents who signed the petition to save ridesharing. It’s a victory for those in underserved neighborhoods who can finally get a ride. And it’s a victory for the teachers, military veterans, college students and thousands of other driver partners who use the Uber platform.

HB 4075 was intended to limit competition and protect the profits of taxi company owners. It would have done nothing to improve the safety of Illinois’ streets and would have limited the growth of transportation alternatives across the state.

Governor Quinn’s embrace of innovation adds to a growing chorus of leaders who understand the benefits of this new industry: higher incomes for drivers, choices for residents and visitors who need a ride, lower DUI rates, service in neighborhoods that have been ignored by taxi companies for decades, and economic opportunities in cities of all sizes.

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