Oak Lawn resident Rob Cruz is expected to formally announce his candidacy for the 6th Illinois Congressional District at a political fundraiser set for Friday, Dec. 3, at Cork and Kerry, 10614 S. Western Ave., in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. Cruz is running for the Republican nomination in the new IL-06 in the upcoming gubernatorial primary June 28, 2022.
“Join us, on December 3, as we hold the line with Sheriff David Clarke and our men and women in blue,” the invitation said. “Now, more than ever, we need to show our support for those who work tirelessly to keep us safe. It’s time for us to show them how we can support them! And we can do this by pushing through the right candidates who will get the right policies passed.”
He just got some bigtime local publicity for that campaign.
The Oak Lawn High School District 229 Board voted Wednesday to remove Robert Cruz from the board, claiming he violating his oath of office and board policy by twice filing a lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker objecting to the statewide mask mandate in schools.
The lawsuits cost the district $25,000 and Cruz sought to recoup his own legal fees from the district, said Burt Odelson, the board’s attorney. […]
Former school board member Joseph Amado spoke on behalf of Cruz.
“If you don’t wake up, you’ll all be in the camps together,” Amado told the audience.
Cruz had come under fire by his peers on the board and District 229 administrators for filing a lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state schools Superintendent Carmen Ayala in August over the state’s mask order. The suit, filed in Cook County circuit court, noted Cruz was acting “in his official capacity as a Member of the Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 School Board.”
Under state law, school board members cannot take action on their own or on behalf of the board or district. The school board has formally said it doesn’t support litigation against Pritzker or Ayala and that District 229 will follow directives from the state.
The first lawsuit was dismissed. Cruz filed a second lawsuit in early September that added District 229 as a defendant. That case, filed in Sangamon County, has cost the district more than $25,000 to defend, documents indicate.
The second suit [which was dismissed] also violated a state law that states board members should protect their districts from lawsuits, District 229 officials said. The lawsuit created a conflict of interest for Cruz, too, officials alleged.
…Adding… From Cruz…
On Wednesday, January 12th, at a special meeting was called for the censure of
Robert Cruz. A resolution to have Cruz removed from the board for filing a lawsuit against
Governor Pritzker, on August 19th, 2021, was passed.
“I want to thank the all of the people who came out in support of me last night, your kind
words did not go unnoticed”, said Rob Cruz, after the vote.
“I am saddened that my right to due process was circumvented by the members of district 229
resolution to declare my seat vacant. I will be pursuing my rights as an elected official under
the Illinois constitution for due process”. he continued.
“Removing elected officials because you disagree with their methods is simply an act of cancel
culture and has no place in American government. All options including appeal of my lawsuit
are now on the table”. he said. “This is not twitter, this is a dulv elected position on a school
board, if we allow abuse of power at this level, we have breeched our democracy “, he said
during a Fox tv segment this morning.
“The lawsuit has been about retrieving local control as the Legislature has failed to pass laws,
during this time of emergency, to quide the people of IL through this time. Instead we have
allowed unchecked executive authority, by the office of the governor, to advance a one-size.
fits-all approach”, stated Cruz.
“Across the state, we have had more children die of suicide than Covid-19!”, claimed Cruz.
“let us tell the truth on what is going on here… I am being cancelled because I refuse to accept
government overreach in America, especially in our state of Illinois.” said Cruz.
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its sweeping vaccine-or-test requirements for large private companies, but allowed a vaccine mandate to stand for medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments.
The rulings came three days after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency measure started to take effect.
That mandate required that workers at businesses with 100 or more employees must get vaccinated or submit a negative Covid test weekly to enter the workplace. It also required unvaccinated workers to wear masks indoors at work.
“Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly,” the court wrote in an unsigned opinion. […]
In a separate, simultaneously released ruling on the administration’s vaccination rules for health-care workers, a 5-4 majority sided with the Biden administration.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday against the Biden administration’s vaccine or testing mandate on employers of more than 100 employees, it’s expected the Illinois Department of Labor’s COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandate will be withdrawn.
According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), as of December 31, 2021, 458 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty in 2021. This is an increase of 55% from the 295 officers killed during the same period last year, and is the highest total line-of-duty officer deaths since 1930 when there were 312 fatalities. […]
Preliminary data shows that some 301 officer fatalities have been identified as caused by Covid this year, and this number appears to increase almost daily. Covid-19 related fatalities continue to be the single highest cause of law enforcement deaths occurring in 2021.
New cases of COVID-19 reached 37,048 Thursday with 142 more people dying from the respiratory disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported.
Patients in the hospital with COVID-19 came to 7,380 as of Wednesday night, the highest count since the pandemic began.
On Wednesday, 58,899 more COVID-19 shots were administered. The seven-day average is 51,776.
The state’s positivity rate for COVID-19 cases is 11.5% based on a seven-day average.
Today’s report brings the 7-day rolling average hospitalization increase number to 0.57 percent, slightly up from yesterday’s 0.24 percent. The 14-day rolling average hospitalization increase is now 1.71 percent, slightly down from 1.9 percent yesterday.
…Adding… Press release…
Out of an abundance of caution and due to the continued high numbers of new COVID-19 cases statewide, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is announcing that all Secretary of State departments – including Driver Services facilities – will resume conducting in-person transactions Monday, Jan. 24. The Secretary of State offices and facilities first closed on Jan. 3, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases statewide. Driver Services facilities operating on a Tuesday – Saturday schedule will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
“The Supreme Court confirmed today what we have known all along - that the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate was a massive and unconstitutional government overreach. I am proud to have led the charge with Job Creators Network fighting this unconstitutional dictate through the lower courts and ultimately to a resounding victory today in the United States Supreme Court.”
“As your next governor and a freedom loving American, I will work tirelessly for the people of Illinois to make sure that the government doesn’t step on your freedom to make a living, raise your children or make health care decisions. It’s time for big-government liberals like failed Governor JB Pritzker to be voted out of office and replaced with new leadership that respects the basic and fundamental rights of all citizens of Illinois. We need to put an end to top down, big brother knows best government.”
With Republicans hammering the statewide spike in crime as their top election year issue, Democratic state legislators are being forced to defend last year’s sweeping criminal justice legislation and have opened the door to adding crime-fighting proposals to the agenda of this year’s condensed session in Springfield.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch was vague about what measures could be under consideration, but acknowledged a need to address increases in crimes like carjackings and organized retail theft.
“I can’t talk to you about specifics 11 days into session. But I can tell you that conversations are already taking place on, you know, a possible crime package, anti-crime package,” the Hillside Democrat said in a telephone interview this week to mark his first year as the General Assembly’s first Black House speaker.
“It’s being done with all stakeholders involved. And we’re just getting started. But that’s certainly something that’s high on our priority list,” Welch said.
I took a really quick look around Twitter this morning to see what some of Welch’s caucus members are saying.
* Strong ally of the governor…
The uptick in violent crime is unsettling and IL safety is my top priority. I’m supportive of legislation to restrict those charged with egregious violent crimes from being released on electronic monitoring. It’s a commonsense step in the right direction to help curb violence.
…Adding… Rep. Croke introduced this bill yesterday…
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Adds as “excluded offenses” attempted first degree murder, reckless homicide, aggravated vehicular hijacking in which the defendant was armed with a firearm or other dangerous weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, and any offense that requires the defendant to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Act. Effective immediately.
Co-sponsors so far include Democratic Reps. Ann Williams, Eva Dina Delgado, Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. and Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar.
In addition to funding more first responders, we need to fund community organizations that know how to disrupt and prevent violence before it spreads further.
— State Representative Dagmara Avelar (@repdagmara) January 3, 2022
As we begin the new year, I am hopeful that 2022 will be better and brighter – and bring some resolution to the many significant challenges we face as a city, state and nation.
At the top of the list is the surge in violent crime - the issue I hear most about from constituents. The past year was one of the most violent on record in Chicago, and almost 800 homicides were recorded by CPD – the most in 25 years. I stand with you, as both a representative and resident, and am committed to doing whatever I can to keep our communities safe.
Toward that end, I am working with local aldermen, colleagues at the state level, and the law enforcement community to identify and implement solutions, including directing additional resources and tools to address surges in criminal activity such as shootings and carjackings and ensuring we have policies in place to hold violent gun offenders accountable.
…Adding… But Welch is so far shooting down any suggestions of reversing course on things like cash bail…
Welch said he remained a supporter of cash bail elimination and cautioned against tying a measure that hasn’t yet taken effect to the rise in violence.
* Campaign operative FOIAs emails between an elected opponent and her spouse, who has reported making a whopping $39,000 since 2017 as a lobbyist. Opponent’s city office says they’ve found 612 emails (including calendar invites) and it would be unduly burdensome to go through them all and redact the personal stuff, so the operative is asked to narrow the search. Juicy “What is she hiding?” story then appears in Crain’s…
As a candidate for Illinois secretary of state, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia has been arguing that she and not former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has the reputation and record to hang onto a seat Democrats have owned for nearly three decades.
So why did Valencia write or receive more than 600 emails on her official Chicago city email account referencing her husband, one of his lobbyist clients, or both? And why has Valencia so far refused to release copies of those emails? […]
In a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, a Giannoulias ally asked for and passed on to his campaign requests for copies of all emails to or from Valencia that also included the key words “Monterrey,” “Reyahd” or “Kazmi.”
Those are a reference to Valencia’s husband, Reyahd Kazmi, and the company for whom he has worked as a lobbyist, Chicago-based Monterrey Security.
Looks like more sizzle than steak. But, hey, maybe Valencia and her husband were indeed concocting nefarious plots over a FOIA-able government email account when they could just talk to each other every evening at home. Dumber things have happened, I suppose.
In the meantime, it’ll make for a tough advertising hit.
* Press release…
It’s no surprise that Alexi Giannoulias has turned to the Republican playbook of “what about her emails?” in a desperate attempt to cover up for his own misdeeds—a failed bank, mob connections and losing working families’ hard-earned college savings. To suggest that scheduling-related emails between spouses are in the same league as his corrupt history is absurd.
In other campaign-related news, Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts announced her support for Anna today and will also now serve as her campaign co-chair. See below for the statement from Laura:
There is far too much at stake this year for the Democratic Party—we need the right candidate on the ballot in the general election. Anna Valencia has a proven record and history of showing up for Democrats when it’s mattered most. I encourage voters to join me in supporting Anna in her bid to become the first woman elected as Illinois Secretary of State.
Giannoulias has such a huge head start that Ms. Ricketts had better start pumping money.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Giannoulias campaign called and insisted that there’s more to this story than is posted here. I have since been sent a file of emails that the campaign obtained through FOIA from when Valencia ran Rahm Emanuel’s intergovernmental relations shop. Here are some bullet points from the oppo report…
* Valencia facilitated a municipal board appointment for a Monterrey VP: Patricia Gaytan Perez is Vice President of Administration at Monterrey Security. She also donated to Valencia in both 2017 and 2021. Records released through FOIA show that, on April 2, 2016, Valencia emailed Perez, saying they had spoken in the past about possible nominations and “a great opportunity” had possible come up. A staffer from Mayor’s office then got in touch about necessary forms, which Perez then sent along. Perez formally joined to the Chicago Public Library board in June 2016.
* Valencia facilitated municipal youth mentorship participation for Monterrey: Records released through FOIA show that Valencia connected a Monterrey VP with Mayor Emmanuel’s Director for Youth and Education Policy, Sarah Stockdale, about the One Summer Chicago Youth Programs; Valencia suggested she had already spoken to the VP about the program the previous evening. Valencia told Stockdale that Monterrey was “a very successful Latino private security firm” and “It would be a great partnership and a unique opportunity for our youth to have such a successful Latino business as mentors.” Both Stockdale and the Monterrey VP thanked Valencia for the introduction and implied that they would discuss Monterrey’s involvement in the program.
* Valencia sought invite for husband’s fellow board member, noted it was for “a donor”: In September 2016, newly-elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited Chicago and met with Mayor Emanuel.34 Ahead of the visit, Valencia was sent a list of attendees and asked “to cut it down to 10-15 people (not including guests)” due to capacity issues. After making cuts, Valencia then wrote that her husband served on the Human Relations board with a Muslim woman and asked to see if she was invited. Valencia noted, “I need to get her name but I believe she is a donor too.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Valencia campaign…
We understand the mentality of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” when you are a politician with as shady of a history as Alexi Giannoulias, but facts are important. His research must be as inaccurate as he is corrupt. Anna’s husband, Reyahd Kazmi, was not a lobbyist during her time in the mayor’s office and did not register as a lobbyist for Monterrey Security until 2017, a year after the emails referenced here were sent—at which point Anna was no longer in that office.
Unvaccinated City of Springfield employees will now have to use their paid time off if they test positive with COVID-19.
According to Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, the change is to reward the workers who are doing what is asked of them by getting vaccinated and boosted. […]
Under the new policy, all city workers who test positive for COVID-19 and are required to quarantine, but have both vaccine shots and their booster will be allotted five reimbursement sick days from the city.
Others who test positive but have not received their vaccination and booster will have to use their paid time off.
Good for the mayor. And this is one reason why HB2778 can be considered unwise and expensive public policy.
The bill, which is still awaiting gubernatorial action, requires all school districts and colleges to pay for unlimited, fully compensated covid leave for teachers and staff regardless of their vaccination status. It also requires the districts to restore all sick days for covid-related illness back to the beginning of the school year regardless of vax status.
*** UPDATE *** Bridget Shanahan at the Illinois Education Association…
HB 2778 specifies the benefit and wage protection provided by the bill only applies to education employees who are following the Governor’s executive order, which means it would pertain to those who are vaccinated and those who are testing.
We know school districts are sending people home, forcing them to take unpaid time off, because they’re out of sick time and need to quarantine. We are in the middle of an education employee shortage. We don’t have enough adults in our schools. Who is going to want to work in schools when they’re forced to take unpaid days off to keep students safe?
Further, there is $7 billion ESSER dollars available to help school districts cover the costs of the COVID administrative days provided in HB 2778 that would be used instead of employees exhausting their sick leave time to quarantine. The ESSER money is intended to help school districts keep students and staff safe. The bottom line is quarantining helps stop the spread of COVID.
Take a look at this page on ISBE’s website – all school districts are supposed to be posting their plans for how they’re spending their ESSER dollars. If you look at the list, you can see that fewer than half of the districts in the state have done so. We did a spot check of 40, or so, of the districts that provided information and found that some districts are in fact posting those plans, but there are others who have not posted anything at all or link to the school district webpage where no information on spending can be found.
A respected attorney, former advisor to Gov. Jim Edgar and son of immigrants, Steve Kim today launched his campaign for Illinois Attorney General, a position that is critical to repairing the state’s reputation as a haven for crime and public corruption.
“Under J.B. Pritzker and Mike Madigan, Springfield remains a cesspool run for the benefit of the politicians and insiders and not the people of Illinois,” said Kim. “Illinois is in dire need of leaders who will stand up for the rule of law, fight public corruption on behalf of the people, and curtail the crime that seems to be getting worse with every passing day. For too long our state has had career politicians in positions of power, including critical offices like Attorney General, that ignore the crime and corruption that plagues our state. That will end when I’m Attorney General.”
Kim understands that the Attorney General plays a special role in assisting state’s attorneys and federal prosecutors in any cases of corruption and will always stand ready to help in rooting out corruption throughout Illinois.
Chicago and Illinois have become synonymous with crime in recent years, as the homicide and violent crime rates have skyrocketed. Chicago just experienced its deadliest year since 1996, recording more homicides than any other city in America. Violent crime isn’t only a problem in Chicago however, as the statewide crime rate is 6.9% higher than the national rate and increasing.
Following Gov. Pritzker’s signing of the disastrous crime bill and push to weaken our police, Kim believes Illinois needs an Attorney General who will stand with law enforcement and ensure safety for families and help victims of crime.
“Crime is spiraling out of control throughout Illinois, and our leaders continue turning a blind eye, pushing to defund our law enforcement,” said Kim. “As Attorney General, I will work with our law enforcement to tackle our growing crime problem.”
Steve Kim is a father, husband, and an American success story. Born in South Korea and the son and grandson of immigrants, his expansive knowledge and experience has influenced all levels of Illinois government and benefited the United States nationally and abroad.
Early in his career, Kim advised former Gov. Jim Edgar on international trade, economic development, and Asian affairs issues. Kim has gone on to become one of the most respected international business attorneys in Illinois. Currently a partner at a boutique international law firm, Steve works with companies across the globe where he has developed a deep understanding of the importance of anti-corruption policies, the rule of law, and public safety.
Kim was appointed to the Illinois Human Rights Commission with bipartisan approval by the Illinois State Senate where he adjudicated hundreds of civil rights cases. He has also serves as a member of the Rules Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court, and previously as an International Trade Specialist at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Director of Export and International Trade for the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and on former Senator Mark Kirk’s Small Business Advisory Board.
Learn more about Steve Kim at KimForAG.com.
Lost twice statewide. I dunno. In 2010, Pat Quinn won by less than a point, but Lisa Madigan thumped Kim by 33. [Typo in original. More coffee needed.]
Kim is a familiar name on the political scene, having challenged Democratic AG Lisa Madigan when she ran for reelection in 2010. Kim was also the running mate to Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Rutherford in the 2014 primary contest that ultimately went to Bruce Rauner.
A source close to Kim’s campaign said he would be part of a slate that includes state Rep. Tom Demmer for treasurer, former U.S. Attorney John Milhiser for secretary of state, and McHenry County Auditor Shannon Teresi for comptroller, who announced yesterday. Don’t be surprised if Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin leads the slate as the gubernatorial candidate. These candidates aren’t the only Republicans running for statewide offices, but by teaming up they hope to have an advantage securing a statewide seat (or seats) that are now controlled by Democrats.
Does anybody do a live launch anymore?
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today released the following statement about the 2022 campaign for Illinois Attorney General.
“I look forward to debating the issues and challenges that matter most to voters across Illinois. This election comes at a critical time for our state as we continue to combat Republican attacks on our democracy, our access to health care and reproductive rights, and our right to vote.
“As the people’s lawyer and champion, I have:
• Worked in a bipartisan manner with prosecutors and police chiefs across Illinois to fight crime and develop criminal justice policy;
• Partnered with federal and local law enforcement to prosecute murder, violent crimes, crimes of sexual violence and gun trafficking;
• Fought organized retail crime that has contributed to smash-and-grab crimes across the state;
• Investigated and prosecuted child predators for preying on children online;
• Worked in partnership with the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center to conduct trainings to avoid mass shooting threats in schools, places of worship, and other public places;
• Pushed for stronger federal regulation of “ghost” guns that criminals, carjackers and domestic abusers prohibited from buying a gun access without important safety measures;
• Protected access to health care and fought to uphold reproductive rights in Roe v. Wade for women in the Midwest and surrounding states;
• Fought for women’s equality to ensure the Equal Rights Amendment is recognized as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution; and
• Protected the right to vote in free and fair elections against Republican attempts to suppress voters.
“The global pandemic and Trump presidency have shown us how important state attorneys general are to preserve the fundamentals of our democracy, protect the public’s safety, and uphold our rights. I have been honored to serve as Illinois’ 42nd Attorney General and look forward to asking voters for the opportunity to serve a second term.”
…Adding… ILGOP…
ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler released the following statement:
“Chicago just had its deadliest year since 1996. The Illinois crime rate continues to outpace the national average. The dirty corrupt secrets of politicians across the state are coming to light in multiple federal investigations. And what is Kwame Raoul doing as the state’s top law enforcement officer? Failing and keeping quiet.”
…Adding… DPI…
Democratic Party of Illinois Deputy Director Jake Lewis released the following statement regarding the latest candidate announcement from the Ken Griffin slate:
“Another day, another Griffin candidate. Today it’s Steve Kim, who has apparently been tapped by Ken Griffin to join his handpicked Rauner Reboot slate as the Attorney General nominee. And who better to continue Rauner’s legacy of destruction than Kim, himself a Rauner appointee and twice-failed statewide candidate. Unfortunately for the Griffin ticket, voters have no interest in going back to the Rauner days of dysfunction and chaos.
“As we close in on the unveiling of the full Rauner Reboot ticket, it’s clear that Illinois Republicans are unwilling to make a peep about this corrupt process. They’ve stood by as one man anoints the entire Republican slate — no matter what the voters think. For the Illinois Republican Party, apparently only Ken Griffin’s opinion counts.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** I told you yesterday that the campaigns for comptroller candidate Shannon Teresi and SoS candidate John Milhiser were both using Peter Fitzgerald’s Chain Bridge Bank and had the same treasurer, Les Williamson of The Larrison Group. So is Kim.
State agencies and local governments in Illinois would be barred from entering into economic development deals where the terms cannot be revealed publicly because of nondisclosure provisions, under a bill that a state lawmaker there filed this week.
Lawmakers in Florida and New York have introduced similar legislation in the past year or so. State Sen. Robert Peters, a Chicago Democrat, is the lead sponsor on the Illinois bill. In an announcement, he said it is meant to curtail practices that enable businesses to reach favorable arrangements with governments without the public knowing the details.
“Public money deserves public scrutiny,” Peters said in a statement. “Keeping the government contracts that our governments enter into a secret allows states and local governments to be played against one another. Taxpayers deserve basic transparency from their economic development agencies.”
* People need to get their bills filed and assigned to committees…
The widespread cancellations were quite something, but I suppose nobody is accustomed to the early timeline.
* This bill has been filed, but it hasn’t even been assigned to committee yet. Still, an early start to kill it isn’t a bad plan…
Illinois residents could be paying more taxes at the pump according to newly introduced legislation that the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association is calling on lawmakers to reject.
House Bill 4424, sponsored by Representative Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), would allow all municipalities in Illinois to impose their own local gas tax. Taxes continue to increase the high price of motor fuel in Illinois, which according to the Tax Foundation, already has the second highest gas taxes in the country.
“There is never a good time to increase the cost of gasoline for working families, but this is especially true during a period of record inflation,” said Josh Sharp, CEO of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association. “Given what is happening nationally right now, raising taxes on motor fuel is a terrible idea. Illinois citizens are already facing a huge tax hike come July 1, 2022, when the state’s gas tax will automatically be adjusted for inflation. We strongly urge lawmakers to reject this legislation.
Not only will this measure increase the cost of motor fuel in Illinois beyond what it already is, but it also will create a logistical nightmare for gas stations. This ill-conceived legislation comes at the worst possible time as consumers are struggling to keep up with rising prices due to inflation and supply chain disruptions. We don’t need more gas taxes. Illinois motorists are taxed enough.”
House Bill 4424 has been filed and awaits assignment to a legislative committee.
* Some committees have met…
With a quorum present, #SenMentalHealth is called to order by Chair @SenatorFine. The first measure up today is SB 2945 creating the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund in the State Treasury.
SB 2945, sponsored by @SenatorFine, creates the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund to establish and maintain a statewide 9-8-8 suicide prevention and mental health crisis system pursuant to the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.
On Tuesday, State Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) filed legislation that would require the randomization of the order of candidate names on Illinois ballots in primary, general, and consolidated elections. House Bill 4467 would require candidate names to be randomly ordered within each election district or precinct.
“Candidates should not win close elections simply because they won a lottery to be first on the ballot,” said Rep. Batinick. “This occurs often, especially in races where voters vote for more than one candidate, including county, village, and school board elections. I’m proud to file House Bill 4467 to address this issue and increase fairness in elections.”
This legislation also requires the State Board of Elections to choose a vendor for a computer software program to be used by election authorities and the Board would conduct the randomization for elections. It also requires—to the extent that is mathematically possible—each random order is different between all the precincts or election districts that are electing the name or names contained in each race on the ballot.
Rep. Batinick has released additional election integrity legislation in the 102nd General Assembly. This includes House Bill 1920, which would amend the Election Code to require a county clerk or board of election commissioners to cross-check voter registration rolls with the National Change of Address System. He also introduced House Bill 4137 to establish an automatic voter registration program for individuals filing a change-of-address form, renewal application, or application for a FOID card or CCL.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that each petition or certificate of nomination shall include a statement that the person is not affiliated with any socialist organization.
The Illinois General Assembly will cancel in-person action next week and continue remote committee work amid the ongoing Omicron surge, legislative leaders announced.
“With the continuous rise in coronavirus cases and our hospitals nearing capacity, we cannot put lawmakers, staff, the press and members of the public at risk by bringing them back to the Capitol,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “We have the capability to complete committee work remotely for the immediate future and we will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation.
“The people’s work will get done, but we must do that work in a safe way that does not overrun our health systems and place more of a burden on our health care employees. In the meantime, I want to encourage everyone to take advantage of the widely available, free vaccine and booster shot so we can end this pandemic together,” Welch said.
“Keeping people safe is our priority. Given the recent COVID-19 numbers, this is not the time to bring hundreds of people together inside the Capitol,” said Senate President Don Harmon. “Through our remote committee process we have proven that we can get work done, protect people’s health and at the same time expand the legislative process to people who might want to testify but wouldn’t have the time or resources to come to Springfield.
“We’ve set the legislative process in motion for this session and will be prepared for final debates and action when we return to Springfield. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the vaccines and boosters available,” Harmon said.
Acknowledging the ongoing pandemic, state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, told The Center Square “it’s unfortunate.”
“This is the schedule that the Democrats put together, the Democrats were the ones that changed the primary date which prompted our schedule to be frontloaded,” Butler said. “And now it looks like, it seems to me, that we’re probably, other than the session day we were in last week, it seems to be going toward we’re probably not going to be in session until after the month is over, maybe into February. I’ve heard rumors we won’t come back until March as well.”
“The latest surge certainly poses many challenges for the legislature, but the Senate Republican Caucus is committed to ensuring the people’s business is accomplished,” said Ellie Leonard, spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie’s office. “In an effort to mitigate exposure of the latest variant, the Senate Republican Caucus will continue its testing regimen for staff and limit in person interactions as needed to mitigate exposure and ensure safety of all involved.”
I’ve also heard that March rumor, but I don’t think anyone has thought that far ahead. Stuff changes fast in a pandemic.
McHenry County Auditor Shannon Teresi today launched her campaign for Illinois Comptroller. Teresi’s extensive experience in forensic auditing, creating transparency for taxpayers, and fighting corruption give her a sterling background to draw from to help right the ship of Illinois’ disastrous finances.
“Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand how important transparency is in the process of managing taxpayer dollars,” Teresi said. “That’s what I promise to bring to the office of Comptroller: open communication with the taxpayers and an eagle eye to root out the waste, fraud, and abuse our state is plagued by thanks to decades of Madigan Machine politics. Illinois needs a Comptroller with real financial experience, not a career politician controlled by the special interests. As an experienced CPA, auditor, and Certified Fraud Examiner, I have the experience to manage the state’s finances and crush corruption where and when it starts.”
Teresi has served McHenry County as Auditor since 2018 when she was appointed and subsequently elected twice, most recently in 2020 receiving nearly 75% of the vote.
As Auditor, Teresi led the charge to make good government reforms on behalf of the taxpayers. In addition to modernizing the audit process, making it accessible online to taxpayers and creating a system of accountability, she also implemented paperless systems for greater efficiency and cost savings. Teresi also instituted processes ensuring taxpayer dollars are being spent for the good of the county, not the personal benefit of its political leaders.
Prior to becoming McHenry County Auditor, Teresi worked in the Auditor’s office, tackling challenges to save time for county employees and ensuring taxpayer dollars were being spent wisely. She oversaw the County’s financial statements and government accounting. Teresi saw firsthand the amount of waste and inefficiency in county government and set out to correct that on becoming the county’s Auditor.
Teresi is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Internal Auditor. Teresi brings years of private sector audit and tax experience having worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. That time spent working with Fortune 500 companies on their auditing, financial reporting, and taxes helped inform Teresi’s work as County Auditor, where she successfully applied many of the practices to cut out waste from the county’s spending.
Teresi is a life-long McHenry County resident, where she currently resides with her husband, two sons, and dog.
With a reported push from hedge-fund mogul Ken Griffin, signs are growing that a statewide slate of GOP candidates that the party’s big funders are willing to back finally is close to coming together.
One development is state Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, announcing [yesterday] his candidacy for Illinois treasurer against incumbent Democrat Mike Frerichs.
The bigger news could occur any time, with multiple party sources saying they’ve heard that Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin will be getting into the governor’s race, with Griffin’s support. […]
Griffin’s spokeswoman said she is not aware of any pending big announcements.
* And while we’re on this topic, here’s Marni Pyke…
Suburban Republicans are taking starring roles in what’s shaping up to be a bruising and boisterous primary election for a standard-bearer to challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
For starters, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is expected to announce his candidacy for governor in the coming days.
Palatine Township Highway Commissioner Aaron Del Mar is running as lieutenant governor with Gary Rabine of McHenry County, a Schaumburg business owner who is seeking to be the next governor.
And, McHenry County Board Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Schofield will team with gubernatorial hopeful and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Monroe County as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
*** UPDATE *** Comptroller Mendoza…
I welcome all candidates and look forward to talking about my lengthy and historic record of accomplishments as Comptroller on behalf of taxpayers with voters in all 102 counties of our great state of Illinois. Through smart financial management and fiscal discipline coupled with tenacious perseverance, I’ve successfully navigated our state through unprecedented fiscal challenges.
As Illinois’ fiscal watchdog, I’ve implemented historic transparency reforms, led our state to its first credit upgrades in decades, delivered the fastest vendor payment cycle in over 20 years, and paid down our bill backlog by over 75% without using federal stimulus funds - in the middle of a global pandemic.
When Illinois voters chose me in 2016 and 2018, they elected a strong, battle tested, proven leader who knows how to get things done. There is no challenge that I will not rise up to for Illinois. I will continue working hard to earn the votes and confidence of every voter across the state, regardless of their political party, and I look forward to the work that has yet to be done
…Adding… Teresi and Milhiser are both using Chain Bridge Bank, which was founded by former US Sen. Peter Fitzgerald and is favored by GOP types in DC. They also both have the same campaign treasurer, Les Williamson of The Larrison Group, a “boutique political consulting firm” in Georgetown that does GOP fundraising.
…Adding… DPI…
Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Abby Witt released the following statement regarding the latest candidate announcement from the Ken Griffin ticket:
“We’ve seen this before, haven’t we? In 2016, Bruce Rauner‘s handpicked comptroller candidate was roundly rejected by voters after helping the ‘worst Republican governor in America’ drive the state’s finances into a ditch. Now, Ken Griffin is running the Rauner Reboot, revealing his slate of puppets in a desperate bid to pull Illinois back to the Rauner days of budget impasses and months-long bill backlogs.
“Thankfully, Illinois voters elected Susana Mendoza to fight the Rauner agenda during his disastrous term in office and re-elected her to help clean up the financial mess Rauner left behind. Now, we’re balancing our budget, actually paying our bills on time, and upgrading our credit for the first time in decades.
“No matter who Ken Griffin picks for his latest political game, Illinois voters won’t be fooled — the Rauner Reboot is destined to be a flop.”
…Adding… ILGOP’s Joe Hackler…
“Susanna Mendoza has never been qualified to be comptroller, just to be another corrupt insider politician capitalizing on her relationships with the Machine to advance herself at the expense of Illinois families. Mendoza received huge contributions from Danny Solis (indicted), got married at the home of Ed Burke (indicted), and has been repaid her debts to Mike Madigan (resigned in disgrace, indictment looming) for advancing her career by endorsing JB Pritzker. Mendoza is just another part of the corrupt circle of politicians Illinois Democrats have elevated to state office, and exactly why we need a competent, qualified comptroller to take her place”
Through the first half of FY 2022, overall base receipts are up $918 million. When removing the federal dollars from the equation, receipts are up a strong $1.266 billion. This growth is even more impressive when factoring in the remarkable performance of income tax receipts this fiscal year. In the first six months, income tax receipts are up a combined $266 million. As detailed in earlier briefings, what makes this increase so impressive is that the revenue totals of FY 2022 are compared to FY 2021 receipts that benefitted from last year’s final payment delay, valued at approximately $1.3 billion. Net sales tax also continues to perform well, now up $643 million through the first six months of the fiscal year. All other sources are trailing last year’s levels by a combined $40 million.
Overall transfers are ahead of last year’s pace by $397 million through the first half of the fiscal year. Those gains reflect strong miscellaneous transfers, particularly from the Capital Projects Fund, as well as the return of riverboat transfers. After performing quite well through much of the fiscal year, Federal sources are now down $348 million after factoring in the December 2020 activity, as discussed above.
* Meanwhile, the comptroller is announcing a new weekly report. Here’s the first one…
An average bill payment cycle of just 13.2 working days is just such a foreign concept to this longtime Illinoisan. Wow.
* Press release…
Today, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza unveiled a new weekly report that shares key financial data with the public.
“This continues and builds upon my transparency revolution,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “Illinois taxpayers and businesses that work with the state deserve to have easy access to these numbers, which reflect how government is operating and managing their hard-earned tax dollars.”
Each week an updated graphic will be shared via Comptroller Mendoza’s social media accounts. It will highlight the following:
• The General Funds bill backlog. Under Comptroller Mendoza, the bill backlog has shrunk nearly 75%, from $16.7 billion during the worst of the 2015-2017 budget impasse to less than $4.4 billion at the end of the day Tuesday, without using federal stimulus funds. The measure is a snapshot in time, subject to daily fluctuations as bills land at the Comptroller’s office and are paid out.
• The General Funds bill payment cycle. This is a key data point the Office of Comptroller focuses on. Included in the devastation of the budget impasse, some vouchers languished for more than 200 working days. Now, bills are being paid on time, well within the regular 30-day window, the fastest payment cycle for the Comptroller’s office in over 20 years.
• Rainy Day Fund. The state’s savings fund, frankly, leaves much to be desired. That’s why the Comptroller is championing House Bill 4118 that would bolster the fund when the backlog of bills is below $3 billion. For now, the fund includes enough savings to keep the state running for a little more than an hour. That’s not much, but it’s up from less than 30 seconds a year ago.
• Unfunded pension liabilities. This number reported by the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, based on the market value of assets, reflects the additional amount that would be needed to pay all retirement benefits earned by employees. While the Comptroller’s Office does not determine how pensions are funded, this number is an important piece of the state’s overall fiscal health.
• Aggregate funded ratio of pension liabilities. This shows the aggregate percentage at which the State’s five pension systems are funded as of the end of the most recent fiscal year.
The bill backlog and bill payment cycle numbers will be updated weekly. The Rainy Day Fund numbers will be updated monthly. The pension numbers will be included in the weekly graphic and updated on an annual basis, based on the release of government reports. Anyone can keep up to date with the numbers by checking the Comptroller’s social media accounts, Facebook and Twitter. Further information is available at illinoiscomptroller.gov.
“Transparency breeds accountability. That is why it’s important to consistently keep these numbers in the public eye,” said Comptroller Mendoza.
…Adding… Rockford’s new temporary casino is taking off…
Rockford casino nets $8.4M in first two months of being open […]
In the months of November and December, the casino netted $8,467,105.01 in revenue, according to the Illinois Gaming Board. The temporary casino generated $4,145,967.91 in revenue in the first 22 days it was open.
The temporary casino must pay $1,008,722.48 in state taxes and pay $504,361.28 in local taxes, according to IGB documents.
On the crime issue, the Hillside Democrat didn’t divulge details of what would be in the measure but said his party intends to push back against GOP portrayals that Democrats have been soft on crime.
“We’re early in the session, but I anticipate before we leave, you’re going to see some action on an anti-crime package,” Welch said.
“One of the messages that we’re going to send out loud and clear this session is that we believe that if you do the crime, you should do the time,” he said. “We believe that police should be properly funded and trained and educated. But it’s going to take us all working together to make sure that we bring this violence down.” […]
Welch said he has been in contact with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association about how to confront the rising prevalence of organized retail theft, but neither he nor the organization would divulge specifics of possible legislation. […]
Welch said he is not open to delaying an end to cash bail as part of any anti-crime initiatives this spring.
“I don’t know how we take a look at something that hasn’t even gone into effect yet,” Welch said. “There’s no data on that at all other than fear-mongering by folks on the other side of the aisle. That law doesn’t take effect till 2023 so it clearly hasn’t had any impact on the crime that has taken place last year or the crime that is taking place in the first few days of this year.”
But in mid-term elections the party in power very often loses seats.
“We’re certainly aware of the political climate as we enter election season here in 2022. And what we have to do as Democrats is we have to do the work,” said Welch.
Welch said Democrats can tout to voters successes on the climate and equitable jobs act, and legislation to protect voting rights and women’s reproductive rights.
Welch said he’ll work hard to keep his super-majority, but for now is focused on the upcoming legislative session.
“I think if you talk to folks in this space, they will tell you that it’s been a big difference,” Welch said. “First of all, my style is more collective and working with everyone in a team approach.”
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin views Welch’s first year differently. He says his party’s bills rarely see the light of day.
“The speaker, his predecessor at least, would give us a few bites at the apple and we’re just not getting there,” Durkin said.
“So you had more to eat as a party under Mike Madigan than Chris Welch?” WGN News asked.
“That’s correct,” Durkin answered.
*** UPDATE *** The numbers tell a different story than Leader Durkin’s…
By my count, in 2019 we saw 89 bills with a House Republican sponsor become law. In 2021, 97 bills with a House Republican sponsor became law. That works out to about 15% of the total for either year. https://t.co/cLekjIQvaSpic.twitter.com/TumJHnpsZe
“It’s a very time intensive job,” he said when asked what he’d learned in his first year. “And literally, you’re working seven days a week no-stop. …A lot of work involved. It takes cooperation from your friends from your family, from your employers.”
During his first year, Welch worked to put his own imprint on the speaker’s office, setting a much different tone than Madigan, who seldom gave media interviews and shunned the use of email or social media.
“I certainly think that it’s a new day in Springfield,” he said. “I think Democrats up and down our ranks would agree with that. I think if you get past Republican leadership, the rank-and-file Republicans would agree that it’s a new day.”
“The office of the speaker has been open more than it ever has, I believe in the last 36 to 40 years,” he continued. “Many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle came into the office of speaker and said they had never been in there before. They came in to meet with me about ideas they were proposing last year in the Legislature, ideas that got out of Rules (Committee), got out of the House, got out of the Senate, and hit the governor’s desk and became law. Many of those rank-and-file Republicans were able to go home and talk about victories that we actually had in the General Assembly. I think they’ll tell you that that’s a new thing for them.”
The Hillside Democrat said lawmakers should continue to work on a path toward financial stability, help people keep a roof over their heads and provide lifelines for businesses struggling during the pandemic. Welch would also like to see the House address the rise in crime with more investments included in the state budget and new policies to curb carjacking and organized retail theft.
Both chambers are starting the first month of session with most of their work done remotely due to the resurgence of COVID-19. However, Welch says that won’t prevent lawmakers from getting important work done this spring.
“Our number one goal is to keep everyone as safe as possible,” Welch said. “We proved last year that we can do the legislative work in a hybrid model. It just turns out that with this surge of COVID-19, we’re going back to doing our committee work virtually. If we were in Springfield in person, all we would be doing is going from committee room to committee room having meetings.”
Welch hopes to see the House and Senate return to Springfield once the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations start to decrease and move in a better direction.
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is temporarily pausing intakes from county jails as it responds to COVID-19 outbreaks at correctional facilities. These facilities include the Graham, Logan, Menard and Northern Reception and Classification Centers where county jails transport new admissions. County sheriffs were notified Tuesday afternoon as part of IDOC’s continued commitment to provide them with frequent, transparent communication.
IDOC is utilizing space normally reserved for new admissions to safely quarantine and isolate incarcerated individuals who have been exposed or tested positive for COVID-19. The Department will continue accepting individuals from county jails who are scheduled to be released from custody the same day they are transferred. Individual requests for intakes due to special circumstances, such as medical or safety concerns, will be considered. When COVID-19 cases decline, IDOC expects space to become available for county jail intakes.
“Congregate living facilities present unique infection control challenges due to the lack of quarantine and isolation space,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys. “The Department recognizes the hardships county jails face when we cannot accept admissions, but we must take aggressive action to keep the community and everyone who lives and works in our facilities safe and healthy,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys.
IDOC is continuing its aggressive response to COVID-19 across facilities. All staff and individuals in custody are temperature checked, masked, symptom screened and routinely tested. 75% of the incarcerated population and 66% of staff are vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, thousands of individuals in custody and staff have taken advantage of multiple on-site opportunities to receive a booster shot. IDOC continues to work closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health, infectious disease consultants, and correctional agencies across the nation to ensure best practices and protect the health and safety of those inside its facilities.
Five inmates at the DeWitt County Jail are being treated for Covid-19, said DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker. […]
The DeWitt County Jail has been housing Champaign County inmates since last August when Covid numbers were lower, Walker said, And, he suspects transporting the inmates back and forth for court hearings may be how the most recent infections originated.
DeWitt County is paid as much as $40,000 per month to house the neighboring inmates, however, due to this most recent outbreak, Walker is making arrangements to return them to Champaign County.
“The money is nice but we are doing what we need to do to keep our people safe.”
The state’s new subcircuit judicial redistricting maps have “many, many issues that are in need of attention,” according to an internal memo that went out to the Chief Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court on Friday morning.
The subcircuit judicial maps, which Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law on Friday, convert a total of 33 “at-large” judgeships into “resident” judgeships. The General Assembly’s reorganization of the judiciary would shrink the numbers of Illinois’ 200 at-large judgeships down to 167, and would expand the state’s 245 resident judgeships up to 278. […]
Marcia Meis, the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, vented about her frustrations to the Supreme Court justices in an email at 10:28 a.m., two days after Democrats who hold supermajorities in the General Assembly rammed their new court map proposals through both chambers without any Republican support.
Meis could not be reached directly to expand on her memo, but Christopher Bonjean, a spokesman for the Illinois Supreme Court, said, “The Director was in no way referring to the intent or substance of the law, merely the capacity to implement immediately. As we learned with judicial redistricting, implementation is something that takes time.”
The courts would not directly answer questions asking which specific legislators offered assurances to court staff about the bill’s language prior to its passage, nor would a spokesperson explain how the changes in the new redistricting law were different than what they expected. Sources familiar with the process said last minute negotiations stemming around Lake County’s 19th circuit court system, which sometimes supplies judges to hear cases in other circuits across the state, held up the legislative debate last week in the Senate until a deal was finally reached.
* Related…
* HB3138 is now law — what will that mean for Cook County judicial hopefuls?: Through an accident of drafting, Cook County’s existing countywide judicial vacancies appear not likely to be filled in the 2022 election. Maybe this will be fixed. Maybe I’ve got it wrong. If someone explains why I’m wrong to me, I’ll try and explain it to you, too.
*** UPDATE *** I just received this email…
Please see attached an order from the Supreme Court re-certifying the Lake and Madison County vacancies to subcircuits for the 2022 election.
Click here. Looks like they dealt with the “unmitigated disaster.” And there are no other implementation requirements.
— State Rep. Deb Conroy is making it official: She won’t seek reelection to the state House and instead is throwing her hat in the ring to run for chair of the DuPage County Board. “I think I have the ability to bring people together and work bipartisanly. That’s what’s missing out here right now,” she told Playbook. Conroy, now in her fifth term, serves as Women’s Caucus Whip and is an advocate on mental health legislation.
— Greg Hart, a Republican running for the DuPage County Board chairman seat, says he has raised $600,000 in the race.
* He’s had a political target on his back for a while…
The following is a statement from State Representative Tom Morrison:
“It is a distinct honor and privilege to represent and serve the 54th district in the Illinois House. I’m very grateful to our residents for entrusting me with this position over these past 12 years. In 2022, however, I have decided not to seek re-election.
Illinois is a great state of individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. It’s had some difficult times—mostly self-inflicted—over these past several years. Another 54th district resident must now step up to the challenge and continue the fight for the long-overdue fiscal, ethical, and moral sanity that is critical to the state’s recovery.
My staff, volunteers, and family have all greatly assisted me in Springfield and back in our community through the highs and lows of these momentous times. I sincerely appreciate their dedication and partnership.
Once again, I offer a deeply heartfelt thank you to all who’ve worked with me in this position to make a positive difference for our state and local community.”
* Schofield ran twice against former Rep. Allen Skillicorn. She has moderate bonafides and Skillicorn hated her, so she has that going for her…
Today, Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Illinois Governor, announced Carolyn Schofield as his Lieutenant Governor and running mate. After Schimpf’s announcement, Schofield shared her enthusiasm about the ticket:
“I am honored and excited to be running with Paul as his Lieutenant Governor candidate. As a parent, I can no longer sit back and watch Illinois families face corruption in our government and danger on our streets. I’m running because Paul and I can make a difference.”
Schimpf and Schofield will clean up corruption in Illinois, keep our veterans, families, and communities safe, and grow our economy for working families. Their shared vision represents a sharp contrast from the failed policies of the Pritzker Administration, which has punished everyday Illinoisans with unaffordable taxes, surging crime, and corruption.
In the wake of J.B. Pritzker’s failures, the state needs leaders who will take responsibility, hold themselves and others accountable, and stand up to special interests. Paul Schimpf and Carolyn Schofield will provide the leadership Illinoisans deserve. They will provide common-sense conservative leadership families can trust to fix Illinois.
“Carolyn is the ideal choice to run on my ticket because she cares about all the important issues facing Illinoisians. Her priorities align with mine, and we will continue to push our Parent’s Bill of Rights to give back to parents the autonomy and respect that they never should have lost in the first place,” Schimpf said.
* Rep. McCombie had considered running for the Illinois Senate, but almost the entire SGOP caucus mobilized against her, so she’s running in an open House district…
Today, State Representative Tony McCombie officially launched her re-election bid for the Illinois House. McCombie will run in the new 89th Illinois House District, which is where her home in Savanna, IL is located.
“During my time in the House, I have challenged leaders in both parties to ensure Illinois taxpayers are protected and hard-working families in Illinois have safe neighborhoods, strong schools, economic opportunities and more freedom. Still there is more work to do to drive success for our region and achieve the ethics and state government reforms needed to promote growth and get Illinois back on track,” said McCombie, who is seeking the Republican party’s nomination in the June 28 Primary Election.
“I look forward to introducing myself, listening and earning the support of all voters who crave a better direction for Illinois. I’m guided by conservative principles, common sense and am committed to delivering results,” continued McCombie.
“Despite the challenges we face because of liberals’ heavy hand in Springfield, the good news is we change Illinois for the better if we stand strong and together. We deserve leaders who are transparent, ethical and focused on protecting Illinois families and our most vulnerable citizens. I’d be honored to continue serving the people of Illinois,” concluded McCombie.
* This unsurprising news was supposed to be embargoed until today at noon, but somebody broke the embargo this morning, so here you go…
Today, Indivisible announced its endorsement of Rep. Marie Newman in the race for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District.
“Through her first term, Marie has been a reliable and consistent progressive voice, organizing her colleagues as a part of Congressional Progressive Caucus leadership and helping shape the Democratic agenda in 2021. She’s pushed for an inclusive recovery that delivers for working families and fought for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda,” said Indivisible’s Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg. “Marie is a fighter for her constituents in Chicago’s suburbs and attempts to silence her through backroom redistricting deals will only make her fight harder. Marie is no stranger to taking on and beating political machines with the help of the grassroots. She’s the clear progressive choice and we’re proud to endorse her again.”
* The governor’s most recent cable TV buy is here. And here’s Politico with another sensational Alexi scoop…
— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Alexi Giannoulias picked up endorsements from Chicago Ald. Matt O’Shea and his 19th Ward Democratic Organization and the Proviso Township Democratic Organization in the Illinois secretary of state’s race. Both organizations had backed Ald. Pat Dowell before she switched gears to run for Congress. Proviso Townships Democrats are led by Cook County Clerk and committeewoman Karen Yarbrough, who said Giannoulias “will enhance our chances for victory.”
* More…
* Former La Salle County state’s attorney Karen Donnelly will run for state rep: Donnelly will vie for the Republican nomination in the district. Mike Kirkton, a Livingston County board member, who lives in Gridley, also is running for the Republican nomination. The seat was held by Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, since 2001. The restructured district no longer includes Brady’s home. Brady announced he would not run for re-election, but will instead seek the Secretary of State post.
Former Illinois Secretary of State candidate and Alderman Pat Dowell announced today that she is endorsing former Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for the Democratic nomination.
Dowell is now running for the open congressional seat in the 1st District after U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush announced that he would not seek re-election later this year.
“Alexi is running a strong, forward-thinking campaign built on bold ideas and sound policy initiatives while assembling an impressive broad-based coalition of progressive and moderate Democrats across the state to establish him as the clear front-runner to win the party’s nomination,” she said. “He has the experience, energy, and know-how to build on Jesse White’s legacy and to beat the Republicans in November.”
In making the endorsement, Dowell applauded Giannoulias’ policy initiatives aimed at protecting voter rights and adding more Illinoisans to the voter rolls; modernizing the office to eliminate wait times and obtain more services remotely; offering more access and programs to public libraries throughout the state; and strengthening the state’s ethics laws to prevent corruption.
Dowell said she will urge her supporters to cast ballots for him in the primary and general elections. As a Democratic Ward Committeeman and member of the Executive Committee of the Cook County Democratic Party, she feels that Democrats should work hard to elect all Democrats on the party slate. Dowell is the second former Secretary of State candidate to throw her support to Giannoulias. State Sen. Mike Hastings, who withdrew from the race in the fall, announced last month that he is supporting Giannoulias as well.
Dowell’s endorsement comes after Congressman Rush pledged his support for Giannoulias last week along with several other African-American leaders who had previously backed Dowellfor Secretary of State, including:
*** UPDATE 2 *** Anna Valencia campaign response…
Pat Dowell’s endorsement of Alexi Giannoulias is baffling considering she referred to him as “a flawed candidate” and “a drag” on the Democratic ticket just two weeks ago. This is the second time in less than two weeks that Pat has flip-flopped on her position. While she backtracks on her stance of supporting women and women of color, our campaign remains more committed than ever to electing Anna Valencia as the first woman as Illinois Secretary of State.
Tom Demmer launched his campaign for State Treasurer today pledging to be a fiscal watchdog for Illinois taxpayers by opposing tax increases and bringing greater transparency to state spending. Demmer, a State Representative, helped lead the State House investigation into former House Speaker Mike Madigan and has spearheaded initiatives to strengthen ethics laws and bring transparency to the state budget.
“Unfortunately, in Springfield right now, the politicians’ answer to every problem is higher taxes and more spending. We know Springfield politicians won’t change overnight, but we can take an important first step by electing a proven fiscal watchdog as state treasurer,” said Demmer. “As Treasurer, I’ll be on the side of Illinois families working to protect their hard-earned dollars and shining a light on how our tax-dollars are spent.”
Demmer has served as State Representative since 2013, rising through the ranks to serve as Deputy Minority Leader and serving as the Republican point-person for state fiscal issues where he took on Democrat maneuvers that hid billions in pork-barrel spending. Demmer has won awards from groups across Illinois for his efforts to innovate and transform Illinois, including the Technet Champion of Innovation Award, the Metropolitan Planning Council “Transform Illinois” Award Winner and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Champion of Free Enterprise.
“Growing up, and now raising my family in Illinois, I’ve seen too many friends and neighbors leave for better opportunities and lower taxes in other states. And when Illinois families leave, it’s our communities that pay the price, as corruption and bloated government drain taxpayer dollars away from schools, public safety, and community services,” said Demmer. “Now more than ever, we need a Treasurer who will be a fiscal watchdog for Illinois taxpayers and willing to take on the corrupt Springfield machine.”
Demmer’s Democrat opponent, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, has continually supported income tax increases on Illinois families during his 15-years as a Springfield politician and most recently advocated for Governor Pritzker’s tax hike amendment that Frerichs said could ultimately tax retirement income.
“The vast majority of Illinoisans have not heard of Mike Frerichs but he stands tall among the tax and spend Springfield crowd. Throughout his 15 years as a Springfield politician, Mike Frerichs continually voted to raise taxes. And now, he even wants to tax retirement,” said Demmer. “I’m running for State Treasurer because Illinois families deserve someone on their side.”
Tom was the Director of Innovation & Strategy at KSB Hospital, a not-for-profit community hospital with locations in Lee and Ogle Counties. He graduated from the University of Dayton, and was a White House Intern in the Office of the Vice President of the United States. Prior to the General Assembly, Tom served on the Lee County Board. Tom resides in Dixon with his wife Becca, daughter Katie and son John.
Bringing up that Frerichs gaffe about taxing retirement income. Some gifts never stop giving. Also, the video clearly shows that they believe Madigan is still a viable issue.
…Adding… Frerichs…
Michael Frerichs today welcomed Rep. Tom Demmer to the race for Illinois State Treasurer – while cautioning that he would unravel years of progress in Illinois and prioritize the interests of Wall Street.
“Tom Demmer opposed every reform I have championed as Treasurer, even when other Republicans were on our side,” said Frerichs, who has held the office since 2015. “He does not have the conviction to fight for Illinois families, and he does not have the backbone to stand up to special interests.”
Demmer’s record on issues surrounding the State Treasurer’s office “proves he will side with Wall Street and big business and against working families,” Frerichs said.
“When I fought life insurance companies that chose not to pay death benefits, Tom Demmer stood with the life insurance special interests and – literally – against widows and orphans,” he said.
Demmer voted four times against Frerichs’ legislation that required life insurance companies to pay death benefits. (HB 4633 in 2016 and HB 302 in 2017.) State Board of Elections records show that Demmer has taken tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance industry PACs.
“When I fought McKesson Corp. and other drug companies and demanded they take responsibility for peddling their deadly opioids in our communities, Tom Demmer was taking tens of thousands of dollars from Big Pharma,” Frerichs added.
Demmer, a hospital executive who serves as a Republican in the Illinois House, announced today that he will challenge Frerichs to be State Treasurer. Demmer has been a State Representative since 2013 and previously served on the Lee County Board.
As State Treasurer, Frerichs has:
• Created one of the best college savings plans in the country, according to independent analyst Morningstar. Doing so has helped increase college savings from $7 billion to $17 billion and saved families more than $100 million in fees.
• Created a retirement savings program that travels with the worker. The result: more than 99,000 workers who previously did not have a retirement plan now have saved $84 million with Secure Choice.
• Returned a record $1.3 billion in unclaimed property and tripled the number of claims paid per year. Changes in technology, efficiency, and state law streamlined the process to the point that some residents do not even have to file a claim in order to be paid.
“As the product of a small town in Downstate Illinois, I know we can have safe streets, good schools, and local control when we respect each other,” Frerichs said. “Demmer’s record shows he does not respect working families and will not work to bring us together.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** DPI…
Democratic Party of Illinois Deputy Director Jake Lewis released the following statement regarding the news that State Rep. Tom Demmer is running for Illinois State Treasurer:
“Today, another Republican pawn joined billionaire Ken Griffin’s ongoing fantasy to bring back the Bruce Rauner days: Tom Demmer. Demmer’s radical views make him unfit to serve in statewide office. He has voted against increasing the minimum wage, against increasing education funding, against ending the Rauner budget impasse, against the Equal Rights Amendment, and against holding life insurance companies accountable.
“But Demmer’s extremist record doesn’t seem to bother Ken Griffin, apparently the only Republican whose opinion matters in 2022. Griffin has set out to rig the entire Republican primary for his Rauner Reboot slate and he appears to have found willing puppets in Demmer, Secretary of State candidate John Milhiser, and rumored gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin. Unfortunately for Griffin and his pawns, Illinois voters remember that the original Rauner experiment ended in disaster, and they have no interest in the sequel.”
After State Treasurer Mike Frerichs emerged from hiding today to tout his “accomplishments,” ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler released the following statement:
“Throughout his 15 years in Springfield, Mike Frerichs has been amazingly consistent in one thing: raising taxes on Illinois families. Frerichs voted to raise taxes on middle class families, seniors, businesses, supported JB Pritzker’s effort to institute the largest tax hike in Illinois history and even wanted to create a new tax on retirement income. After 15 years, Illinois taxpayers simply cannot afford Frerichs anymore.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Treasurer Frerichs himself just called. I’m expecting a written statement soon explaining the issue in more detail, but Frerichs pointed out that while Demmer did vote for the bill once, he voted against the legislation and with the insurance industry four other times. And that’s correct.
*** UPDATE 4 *** From Treasurer Frerichs…
Tom Demmer voted four times against Treasurer Frerichs’ legislation that required life insurance companies to check their records and pay death benefits to widows and orphans. He voted “NO” on: • HB4633 on Apr 13, 2016 • HB302 on Apr 25, 2017 • HB302 concurrence on May 31, 2017 • HB302 veto override on Oct 25, 2017
The only time Tom Demmer voted “YES” was to concur in an amendment to HB4633 that weakened the legislation enough that the life insurance industry removed its opposition (Illinois Life Insurance Council and Illinois Chamber of Commerce removed opposition to HB4633 after the amendment). On all five votes concerning unclaimed life insurance benefits Tom Demmer voted exactly the way the life insurance industry wanted him to vote.
Frerichs did, however, praise the bill when it was finally passed and signed into law. Click here.
…Adding… From comments…
Demmer and the insurance industry won round one. The insurance industry got tough regulations removed from House Bill 4633, and Demmer voted in favor of the amendment that removed them.
The following year however, Frerichs took another stab at it, and Demmer voted three times with the insurance industry … but the bill did pass.
I’d say Frerichs won in the end and that’s what counts, but you do have to give credit where credit is due to Demmer and the insurance industry for forcing widows and orphans to wait another year before getting their money.
A proposal for Chicago Public Schools to resume in-person classes Wednesday has been approved by the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates following a contentious weeklong standoff.
The delegates also voted Monday night to suspend the union’s work action that saw teachers refuse to give their lessons in person, prompting the cancellation of the last four school days. There will be no Tuesday classes though teachers will report to schools for planning.
In addition to a return to in-person teaching Wednesday, the plan the House of Delegates approved will set conditions by which an individual school would return to remote learning, determined by the rate of staff absences and students in quarantine or isolation, as well as whether it’s during a period of high community COVID-19 transmission, where a lower threshold would apply.
CPS didn’t offer to reinstate a threshold for district-wide school closures and didn’t agree to an opt-out testing program, two of the union’s most prominent demands. The district also didn’t agree to return to classrooms Jan. 18 as the union had planned.
But officials did offer to increase testing at all schools to at least 10% of their student population. Students registered for testing would be randomly selected each week. All staff would be offered testing this week.
Though the district stuck with an opt-in testing program, it committed to working with the CTU to increase student testing and vaccination to 100% by Feb. 1. CPS would establish phone banks where staff would help call parents. About 20% of students are signed up for testing.
When it came to individual school closures, CPS compromised with the CTU and agreed to shut down a building for at least five days if 30% or more of its teachers are absent for two consecutive days because of positive cases or quarantines, and if substitutes can’t get the absences under 25%. A school would also close if 40% of its students were quarantining.
The two sides have been meeting regularly since the last safety agreement expired this summer. Lightfoot said this week that those meetings show her team was intent on reaching an agreement, but that the union was not being responsive.
However, even CPS CEO Pedro Martinez admitted that it only became clear a safety agreement was needed as COVID-19 cases surged.
* The outside pressure was also increasing, including from the national union leader…
President Joe Biden’s administration urged Chicago’s mayor and teachers union to strike a deal to return children to classrooms as the high-profile dispute undercuts his push to keep schools open across the nation.
“The president’s been very clear, as we have been clear: We are on the side of schools being open,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, asked about the standoff in Chicago. “We will continue to be in touch with local leaders in Chicago to work to get their schools open.” […]
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the umbrella union for Chicago teachers, has been urging schools to safely reopen and said this weekend she was “frustrated” by the situation in Chicago.
Referring to Lightfoot, Weingarten said on MSNBC Sunday: “You know how to run this city, get us the testing, the governor has given us that testing, get it into schools on Monday and I bet if you get that into schools on Monday, we’re going to have schools open this week.”
“Last year at this time, you had 40 percent of the schools opened during that surge,” Weingarten told me on Sunday. “This year at this time you have 96 percent.”
Chicago, Weingarten insists, is an anomaly. The city “looms very large, as it always does, but it is one district in which there was a teacher-union-called job action,” she said. “There are plenty of places where teachers are concerned and where there’s groups within school districts that are calling for sickouts. But in terms of my union, there’s no organized effort to do that. In fact it’s quite the opposite.”
* IL GOP condemn Pritzker, Democratic party amid CPS battle with CTU: Gary Rabine, an entrepreneur, says if he were governor, he would take on the CTU. “I believe JB is afraid of the consequences of maybe upsetting these unions for political reasons,” Rabine said. “For the sake of our kids, for the sake of the mental and emotional health of our kids, you’ve got to step up as a leader.”
