The PAC is headed by Operating Engineers Local 150 President Jim Sweeney, a staunch ally of House Speaker Michael Madigan. The entire $675K contribution came from the Fight Back Fund, which lists the same address as both Local 150 and the Fight Back for a Better Tomorrow PAC.
So… what’s going on?
* Check out their new B-1. They’re spending $600K on TV ads opposing Rep. Scott Drury, who is running for attorney general and is a noted Madigan foe.
…Adding… A couple of recent Drury press releases. Yesterday…
Earlier today, Scott Drury’s campaign for Attorney General announced the endorsements of three leading Illinois criminal justice reform advocates:
· Thomas P. Sullivan – former United States Attorney, Northern District of Illinois and Co-Chair of the Commission on Capital Punishment and the Illinois General Assembly’s Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee whose reports were influential in the decision to abolish the death penalty in Illinois;
· Rob Warden – co-director of Injustice Watch, an investigative journalism organization dedicated to criminal justice reform; director emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions (CWC) at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; and a founding director of the Innocent Network, an international affiliation of organizations providing pro bono legal services to convicted persons with claims of actual innocence;
· Leonard C. Goodman – an attorney committed to representing the indigent, who has won awards for his work on behalf of the wrongfully convicted and on behalf of an Afghani man detained at Guantanamo Bay without charges or evidence of any wrongdoing.
“I am proud to have earned the support of these leaders in the criminal justice reform movement,” said Drury. “These endorsements are a testament to my long-standing commitment to fix Illinois’ broken criminal justice system.”
Criminal justice reform is a major issue in the Attorney General’s race. As a State Representative, Drury was responsible for the passage of groundbreaking legislation designed to end wrongful convictions in Illinois. As a result of his efforts, Illinois now has best-in-the-nation laws regarding the recording of custodial interrogations and eyewitness identification procedures.
In announcing their endorsements, Warden, Sullivan and Goodman had this to say about Drury:
“As someone who has worked more than three decades for criminal justice reform, I am looking for an Attorney General who has demonstrated a commitment to fixing the dysfunctional Illinois system,” said Rob Warden. “That is why I am endorsing Scott Drury for Illinois Attorney General. I have worked closely with Scott on a number of criminal justice issues and have seen his dedication to meaningful reform. Illinois needs a leader like Scott Drury.”
“I do not often get involved in politics,” Thomas Sullivan stated. “However, having worked with Scott Drury and witnessed his steadfast advocacy for criminal justice reform in the face of intense opposition, I proudly endorse him for Illinois Attorney General. Having personally worked to end the death penalty and wrongful convictions in Illinois, I know how hard it can be to enact these types of reforms. Based on my personal experience with Scott, I am confident he is the best qualified candidate to get the job done.”
“I proudly endorse Scott Drury for Illinois Attorney General,” said Leonard Goodman. “During Scott’s time in the General Assembly, he was instrumental in passing long-overdue reforms designed to end Illinois’ regrettable history of putting innocent people in prison for crimes they did not commit. Because of Scott’s work, more custodial interrogations are recorded, and police throughout the state must now follow standard eyewitness identification procedures.”
These endorsements follow another major endorsement earned by Drury earlier this week – that of the News-Gazette. The primary election takes place on March 20, 2018.
* Today…
Earlier today, Representative Scott Drury filed House Resolution 890 which calls for the immediate passage of legislation that will allow for the independent investigation many legislators have called for but not pursued. Here is a link to the resolution.
In the preamble, Representative Drury sets forth the various reasons why such an investigation is needed, including the mishandling of, and lack of transparency regarding, allegations of harassment, abuse and misconduct by Illinois Speaker of the House and his staff and attorneys. Representative Drury also sent the attached letter to every member of the General Assembly asking them to co-sponsor the resolution. In the letter, Drury makes clear that legislators’ careers “likely will be defined by how we respond to this issue. The time for blind loyalty has passed.”
The ultimate purpose of the resolution is to put in place legislation that will allow for a truly independent special counsel who can investigate allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct. The special counsel should have the power to issue subpoenas, command testimony under oath and bring appropriate civil and criminal proceedings.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to speak with Representative Drury today or over the weekend.
President Trump’s job approval was 36% positive and 62% negative. These totals included 54% who strongly disapproved, 8% who somewhat disapproved, 18% who strongly approved and 18% who somewhat approved of his performance in office. In shorthand terms he was 26% “underwater.”
Governor Rauner’s total positive rate was 31% who either somewhat approved (23%) or strongly approved (7%). His total negative rating was 63% with 39% who strongly disapproved and 24% who disapproved. This put him at 32% underwater.
“It is notable that Governor Rauner’s job approval in Illinois is somewhat more negative than President Trump’s. This is the opposite of the more usual finding of other polls in other states”, said John Jackson of the Paul Simon Institute, one of the directors of the poll.
Speaker Madigan fared somewhat worse than Governor Rauner at a 21% approval rate with 18% who somewhat approve and 3% who strongly approve. He is at 68% total disapprove with 49% strongly disapprove and 19% who somewhat disapprove.
This is the second poll in the past few weeks to show that Trump is less unpopular than Rauner.
And that Madigan issue is golden for the GOP and Democrats and will remain golden. The crosstabs show his job disapproval rating among Democrats is at 58 percent, among blacks it’s at 53 percent and among labor union members it’s at a whopping 66 percent. But be careful with those last two numbers because sample sizes were pretty low.
…Adding… DGA…
.@BruceRauner's at 55/39 job approval with REPBULICANS walking into primary.
The respondents were next asked, “Has President Donald Trump’s record in office made you more or less likely to vote this year for a Republican for Illinois executive offices including: Governor and Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, or Attorney General?”
Overall, 27% said more likely; 55% said less likely, and 11% said neither. There were 17% who said much more likely and 10% who said somewhat more likely while 13% said somewhat less likely and 43% who said much less likely.
This was followed by a similar question of whether President Trump’s record in office made you more or less likely to vote for a Republican for U. S. Congress from Illinois this year. A total of 30% chose more likely with 20% who said much more and 10% said somewhat more likely. 57% of the respondents chose less likely with 47% saying much less likely and 11% somewhat less likely. 9% said neither.
Another question asked if Trump’s record made them more or less likely to vote for a Republican for the Illinois General Assembly this year. 29% chose more likely; 56% chose less likely and 10% chose neither.
43% said much less likely and 13% said somewhat less likely. 10% said somewhat more likely and 18% selected much more likely.
If you’re one of those people who still questions why Democrats are attacking Trump in their advertising, now you know.
The margin of error of the entire sample of 1,001 voters is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the population proportion would be within plus or minus the reported margin of error for each subsample. For subsamples, the margin of error increases as the sample size goes down. The margin of error was not adjusted for design effects. Among self-identified primary election voters, the margin is plus or minus 6 percentage points in the 259-voter sample of Republicans, and 4.5 percentage points in the sample of 472 Democrats.
Live telephone interviews were conducted by Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas using the random digit dialing method. The telephone sample was provided to Customer Research International by Scientific Telephone Samples. Potential interviewees were screened based on whether they were registered voters and quotas based on area code and sex (<60% female). The sample obtained 51% male and 49% female respondents. Interviewers asked to speak to the youngest registered voter at home at the time of the call. Cell phone interviews accounted for 60 percent of the sample. A Spanish language version of the questionnaire and a Spanish-speaking interviewer were made available.
After taking heat for saying Gov. Bruce Rauner should be “applauded” for speaking truth to power, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy on Thursday said the Republican is the worst governor in state history — worse than some who have ended up behind bars.
“Gov. Rauner is the worst governor in the United States,” Kennedy said, as he spoke to a gathering of striking YMCA childcare workers in the West Loop.
“He’s the worst governor in the history of Illinois, including governors that went to jail.”
Kennedy also called Rauner “heartless” for throwing “a million people out of government programs,” words he’s used before. But the jail reference appeared to take criticism of the governor to a new level.
“He believes, like some ugly character in a Disney movie, in the pirate philosophy that when you fall behind, you’re left behind,” Kennedy said of Rauner. “That’s not what we think of as Americans. We believe what President Kennedy said, that a rising tide should lift all boats.”
* Meanwhile, the Pritzker campaign has opened up a new front on Kennedy…
While candidate Chris Kennedy recently said that collective bargaining was “a central tenant of the American Dream,” he has a long history of opposing the labor movement.
In 2013, Chris Kennedy said a tenured faculty union was a “threat to the greatness of the University of Illinois.” While faculty at the UIC and UIUC unionized, Kennedy and his Board of Trustees were part of lawsuits to challenge the bargaining units. And back in 1998, Kennedy praised efforts to cut overtime pay, calling them “hugely significant.”
“Chris Kennedy has disparaged unions and workers seeking collective bargaining, undercutting the ability of working families to come together and fight for a better future,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Suing to challenge bargaining units and calling it a ‘threat to greatness’ shows Kennedy has never truly recognized the value of the labor movement in our workplaces, despite his rhetoric on the campaign trail.”
JB Pritzker wants to compare labor records. Happy to do so.
Chris ran the Merchandise Mart with a unionized workforce and his Wolf Point development is done in partnership with the AFL-CIO Building and Construction trades. He joined Cesar Chavez on his hunger strike to fight for workers’ rights. His family’s commitment to the rights of workers to organize for a better life goes back for generations. To question it in the final weeks of an election is a sign of a desperate billionaire whose attempt to buy an election is failing.
Let’s look at JB Pritzker’s record:
J.B. Pritzker is one of the biggest shareholders in, and has called himself “a principal owner of,” Hyatt Hotels, a corporation that UNITE HERE has said “singled itself out as the worst employer in the hotel industry” and “taken the most aggressive role [in the industry] in going after their workers including turning on heat lamps on striking workers.”
J.B. Pritzker owns and is the chairman of a pallet distribution company that fought to prevent workers at its Chicago plant from forming a union and hired an infamous union-busting law firm to try to keep out Teamsters Local 743.
J.B. Pritzker has funded an attack on public employees and their hard-earned benefits, giving $10,000 to a Bruce Rauner-led political action committee set up by business interests specifically to “bankroll candidates who are willing to cross labor unions and vote to reduce pension benefits.”
So anytime JB Pritzker wants to compare his labor record with Chris Kennedy’s, we are game — especially on a day like today, when Chris is joined by Dolores Huerta, one of the most respected leaders in the labor movement.
* I asked Gov. Pat Quinn’s attorney general campaign yesterday for a copy of their new TV ad and was told I’d have one as soon as possible. As a hedge, I put some Chicago-area friends on alert and asked them to record it with their phones if they saw it.
There are actually two Quinn ads, both 15 seconds in length. Here’s one…
For years I’ve fought the bigshots for everyday people, battling utilities and helping our veterans. Now it’s time to stand up to Trump’s illegal policies. As attorney general, I’ll take on Trump and fight for you.
I half expected him to say “You know me” in that spot.
…Adding… With thanks to a commenter, he actually did say “You know me” at the beginning of the ad. Click here to see it.
* This second one isn’t complete. It’s missing the very beginning, but beggars can’t be choosers…
…the last line of defense against Trump. As attorney general, I’ll fight his attacks on healthcare. I won’t let him take away our civil rights. Trump wants to protect assault weapons. Me? I want to protect you.
…Adding…If you click here, you’ll see he says “Our attorney general is the last line of defense against Trump.”
Thoughts on these ads?
* Related…
* Democratic race to succeed Attorney General Lisa Madigan becomes battle to stop Pat Quinn: “It was passed by the legislature, I looked at it, I signed it,” Quinn said. “There had never been a court case on this issue that was on point. The court decided. In our democracy, whether it’s the U.S. Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, you accept the verdict of the court and you move on.” That response was a far cry from 2012, when Quinn declared he was “put on Earth” to solve the state’s pension mess. He attempted to cut lawmakers’ pay over the issue, then called a special session to get a bill on his desk.
Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy on Thursday night accused opponent J.B. Pritzker of using “the language of racists” and not political leaders when he spoke to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich nearly a decade ago about potential African-American candidates to fill Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. […]
“What J.B. says in those tapes, he uses the language, the language of racists, not language of politicians and not language of leaders,” he said.
Asked after the debate whether he thinks Pritzker is a racist, Kennedy did not directly answer, returning to his contention that his opponent has used “language that is commonly associated with racists.” […]
Kennedy, a member of the iconic Massachusetts political family, is counting heavily on support among African-American community because of the work of his late father, former U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, and late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, during the struggle for civil rights. Rauner’s ads have been seen as lending an assist to Kennedy, who has had struggled to raise campaign cash.
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) is proud of its work that helped kill Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plan to shift the cost of pensions from the state to local school and community college districts and universities.
Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, introduced a resolution last year that stated the pension cost shift is “financially wrong” and would harm local school districts and taxpayers.
McSweeney approached the IEA for help in talking to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to build support for his measure because of IEA’s history of bipartisanship. Together, they were able to get 66 House members to sign on to the resolution in a show of force that effectively kills the Rauner pension cost shift.
“The pension cost shift would result in a massive increase in property taxes and would jeopardize education funding. I’m proud of the bipartisan coalition of 65 House members, and working with the IEA, to oppose this cost shift and do what’s right for the taxpayers and students of this state,” said McSweeney.
The resolution reads: “States the opinion of the Illinois House of Representatives that the proposed educational pension cost shift from the State of Illinois to local school districts, community colleges, and institutions of higher education is financially wrong.”
“If the state quits paying its portion of pension benefits and pushes it off to the local school districts, it strangles local school funding and harms students,” said IEA President Kathi Griffin. “We need to be looking for ways to provide more funding for our students, not taking money away from them to pay for state obligations.”
For decades, the IEA has been fighting for changes to the way Illinois schools are funded to create a more equitable formula that ensures a quality education for all students regardless of where they live. This summer the legislature passed a new school funding formula.
“It’s interesting that now you have the governor talking about shifting pension costs to local school districts and community colleges. While at the same time, Rauner continually tries to take credit for passing the historic school funding reform bill, even though he originally vetoed the bill,” Griffin said. “You can’t give with one hand and take away with the other. Rauner is not a friend of education. Our kids deserve more than this.”
That is one odd coupling right there, kids. Politics, bedfellows, etc.
…Adding… I had this one saved up to post and then forgot to do it. Busy day…
NEIU tells #SenateApprop that @GovRauner’s proposal to shift pension costs to univ could “shut off the lights and close the doors”.
* The Democratic-controlled House and Senate pass a bunch of gun bills and right on cure, here’s the DGA…
Today, the Democratic Governors Association launched a new digital ad campaign holding Governor Bruce Rauner accountable for his failure to lead on gun safety. As Governor, Rauner has failed to take on the NRA or fight for bold reforms that will keep families safe. The DGA’s ad campaign will call on Rauner to show leadership on the issue of gun safety.
“Illinoisans are fed up with Bruce Rauner’s failure to show leadership on gun safety,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “The nation reels from one shooting after another, and in three years Rauner’s refused to take on the NRA and take charge in Illinois. Illinois families need the Governor to stop making excuses and start leading on gun safety.
The DGA confirms this buy will be in the “high six figures.”
Illinois has had enough. Enough with assault weapons. Enough with guns in the hands of the mentally ill.
And enough with Gov. Rauner letting the NRA call the shots and saying [Rauner appears on camera] ‘I am not in charge.”‘
Tell Rauner, enough excuses. Lead on gun safety.
*** UPDATE *** RGA’s response…
“The DGA knows full well that Governor Rauner is working hard to ensure that guns stay out of the wrong hands. This is the DGA desperately spending J.B. Pritzker’s cash to distract from shocking revelations that their favored candidate is a corrupt political insider with longtime ties to Mike Madigan and Rod Blagojevich.” – Republican Governors Association Spokesman Steven Yaffe
* I haven’t seen this covered any where else and I’m on deadline for Crain’s so I don’t have much time for a post, but here’s yesterday’s veto message…
February 28, 2018
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois House of Representatives,
100th General Assembly:
Today I veto House Bill 768 from the 100th General Assembly, which would eliminate a route for charter school applicants and operators to appeal denial or closure decisions made by their local school boards.
This legislation would deny charter school applicants and operators the right to appeal local school board decisions through the Charter School Commission, instead sending every appeal to the judicial system. Furthermore, it would strip the Charter School Commission of responsibilities that are rightfully under its jurisdiction as a check on local school board decisions. The Commission has only approved 6 out of 48 appeals since its inception in 2011, and has a track record of careful consideration of what is best for students within local contexts, as it is statutorily bound to do. Further, the decisions of the Commission are already judicially reviewable. Current law provides applicants a second venue before turning to the courts.
The Charter School Commission is more well-equipped to facilitate the appeals process than local courts, and should continue to be empowered with the charge of ensuring that all Illinois children have access to a high-quality education.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 768, entitled “AN ACT concerning education”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Removes provisions allowing the State Charter School Commission to reverse a school board’s decision to deny, revoke, or not renew a charter; makes related changes. Provides that if a charter school applicant submits a proposal to a school board outside of the process adopted by that school board for receiving charter school proposals on an annual basis, the applicant shall not have any right to submit its proposal to the State Charter School Commission as otherwise authorized. In a provision concerning a charter school proposed to be jointly authorized by 2 or more school districts and the school boards unanimously denying the charter school proposal with a statement that the school boards are not opposed to the charter school, but that they yield to the Commission in light of the complexities of joint administration, allows the charter applicant to submit the proposal to the Commission and requires the Commission to follow the same process and be subject to the same timelines for review as a school board. Allows the Commission to approve an application for a charter if certain conditions are met. Provide that the Commission may condition approval of an application on the acceptance of funding in an amount less than requested. Provides that final decisions of the Commission are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Provides that if the Commission approves an application for a charter school, then the Commission shall act as the authorized chartering entity. Provides that if the Commission is the authorized chartering entity, then the Commission shall execute a charter agreement (instead of approve the charter agreement). Provides that the Commission has no authority to approve a charter school proposal that has been denied by a school board. Effective immediately.
State Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) released the following statement in response to the governor’s veto of her measure Senate Bill 768, which allows local school boards to make the final decision when issuing, denying or revoking charter school licenses:
“Governor Rauner wants to deny local officials the right to decide who educates their communities. By vetoing this bipartisan measure, Rauner keeps charter school permitting decision-making at the state level, where he can more easily influence outcomes and force communities to support charter schools that they may not need or want. School boards across the state know what is best for those that they serve and should have the final word on issuing, denying or revoking a charter school permit.”
* You really gotta hand it to this guy. He just doesn’t care about how he looks to the populace…
With less than three weeks until election day, Democratic Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios went to court in an effort to keep the spigot flowing on campaign contributions from property tax appeal lawyers whose livelihoods can depend on the decisions his office makes.
On Wednesday, Berrios’ lawyers asked Circuit Court Judge Sanjay Tailor to void county ethics rules that place limits on campaign contributions to elected officials and candidates from those who seek “official action” from the county. Berrios’ team argued the county rules violate the state constitution because only the Illinois legislature has authority to set campaign contribution limits.
The county, however, maintained that it has the power to set its own, more-restrictive limits on campaign cash to avoid quid pro quo politics.
While the optics of the situation won’t exactly win the old-school Berrios praise from good government groups, a look at where Berrios’ campaign cash is coming from shows that property appeals lawyers remain a vital source of contributions. Since October, Berrios has collected more than $276,000 from those attorneys — about four-fifths of what he’s received in individual contributions during that time.
* Meanwhile…
Our Revolution Illinois/Chicago, candidates call on Commissioners to act immediately to Reduce Homeowners Property Taxes
WHO: Our Revolution Illinois/Chicago, along with Fritz Kaegi and other Our Revolution Illinois endorsed candidates, will hold a press conference Thursday at 11am, prior to the Finance Committee meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
WHAT: Commissioners are summoning Berrios to testify before the Finance Committee on the heels of a scathing report by the Civic Consulting Alliance—commissioned by Berrios himself—showing deep inequity in the way he values residential properties in Cook County. Further, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that the 50 highest priced commercial property sales in Cook County, whose total value is $17.1 billion, were only valued at $7.8 billion—46% of their actual value.
Our Revolution Illinois will offer specifics ways the Cook County Board can act immediately to start to correct some of the inequities and provide much needed property tax relief for homeowners.
…Adding… Rauner campaign…
As Berrios Takes Advantage of Middle Class Illinoisans, Pritzker Stays Silent
On Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune reported that Cook County Commissioner and close Madigan ally Joe Berrios is going to court to fight limits on campaign contributions from “those who seek ‘official action’ from the county.” Berrios’ actions are clearly a conflict of interest, and yet another example of how corrupt and broken the property tax system is in Cook County: he receives help getting elected from Madigan, and in return, Madigan receives favorable reductions in value for clients of his tax reassessment firm.
From the Tribune:
The practice also was highlighted in “The Tax Divide,” a Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois series that concluded Berrios’ assessment practices favored the wealthy at the expense of the poor. Tax appeals, which have flourished under Berrios, only make the system less fair, the series concluded and a recent independent study commissioned by county officials confirmed.
In addition, how Berrios’ case plays out — and is perceived by the public — also could have implications well beyond the down-ballot campaign for assessor. Some of the state’s most powerful politicians, including House Speaker Michael Madigan and 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke, are lawyers whose firms make money handling property tax appeals. Berrios, chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, is a key Madigan ally.
Pritzker, who has personally benefitted from property tax breaks from Berrios’ office, continues to be unwilling to stand up to entrenched political interests, to the detriment of hardworking Illinois families
* I sent two questions to all gubernatorial candidates in both parties the other day. Their deadline was noon today. As with the AG candidate responses, their answers have been slightly edited to avoid repeating these two questions…
(1) Does your campaign have a written sexual harassment policy? (If so, please send. If not, please explain why.)
(2) Has your campaign conducted any sexual harassment training sessions? (If so, please include dates. If not, please explain why.)
* Posted in the order they were received. Pritzker campaign…
1) “The campaign has a written sexual harassment policy included in its employee handbook, which staff is required to review and sign at the beginning of their employment with the campaign. The campaign’s sexual harassment policy makes clear that the campaign is committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, gives examples of prohibited sexual harassment, and outlines reporting procedures so that victims and witnesses of sexual harassment know who they can talk to if they experience or witness harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. The campaign ensures that reported sexual harassment allegations will be investigated in a timely fashion and by an independent and external body when appropriate. JB and Juliana’s administration will operate under these same policies and have zero tolerance for harassment of any form.”
2) “On December 14, 2017, the campaign participated in a comprehensive, all-staff sexual harassment training that was conducted by labor and employment attorney, Jeannil Boji. The campaign takes harassment very seriously and chose to devote time and resources to participate in this training so that our staff understands the campaign’s sexual harassment policies and reporting procedures as well as the campaign’s commitment to cultivating a fair, respectful, non-threatening workplace environment free of sexual harassment and intimidating behaviors. The training, entitled “Advancing Respect and Fairness in The Campaign Workplace,” aimed to go beyond what is merely required under the law, making clear that even if conduct does not fall under the legal definition of harassment, conduct which erodes a fair and respectful work environment is contrary to the campaign’s values, culture, and policies. The training provided an open forum for staff to ask questions, discuss the #MeToo movement, and examine specific issues and examples applicable to political and campaign settings. After the all-staff presentation, senior management received additional training focused on recognizing, rooting out, and investigating sexual harassment, and fostering a workplace where colleagues treat each other with the utmost respect and civility. Training participants were provided with the campaign’s written sexual harassment policies and were asked to sign a statement confirming their participation and pledging to abide by the campaign’s policies.”
See below for our campaign’s policy [click here]. It’s a part of our standard employee contract. In light of recent events, we’re working to ensure every employee and volunteer on the campaign has the appropriate resources and training to comply with our policy.
I followed up about the training date(s) and haven’t heard back.
* Biss campaign…
“Yes, our campaign has a written sexual harassment policy and yes, we have conducted a sexual harassment training session where we established procedures for reporting harassment. We signed on to the IDCCA sexual harassment policy and have posted the policy publicly in each of our field offices to make sure staff and volunteers are aware as well.”
I followed up about the training dates and was told “last week.” The IDCCA sexual harassment policy is here.
* This whole question idea came to me when Chris Kennedy announced a plan to combat campaign-related sexual harassment. Here’s his campaign’s response…
1) Yes, we have a written sexual harassment policy. It’s included in our overall campaign policy document signed by staff members when they start. [Click here.]
2) This is an important issue and one for which our campaign has developed a proposed policy platform that we released earlier this week. We are bringing in an outside expert to lead sexual harassment training for our campaign staff. We have an ongoing dialogue on our team about harassment and we have identified a staff member on our team who others can turn to with any concerns, complaints or allegations of workplace and sexual harassment.
Republican Rep. Jeanne Ives and Democratic candidates Bob Daiber and Tio Hardiman did not respond. Neither of the Dems have much of anything in the way of staff, however.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Daiber campaign insists they sent this to me last night, but I can’t find it. Here’s their answer…
1. The Daiber for Governor Committee adopted the IL Democratic County Chairs’ Association Sexual Harassment Policy and Pledge.
2. Yes, Friday, February 23rd. A review of the policy and pledge was discussed at the training.
So, the tiny little Daiber campaign has had a sexual harassment training and the Kennedy campaign, which recently unveiled a plan which would require every campaign to do harassment training, hasn’t yet done a training session.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Yikes…
Once again, the Kennedy camp proves they're not ready for prime time. The #metoo issue is proof that policies aren't worth the paper they're written on w/o leadership and follow-through. Issue a plan & flog it for all the press you can but don’t bother adhering to it. SMH #twillhttps://t.co/0tep0ExAtb
* I sent these two questions to all attorney general candidates in both parties. Their deadline was noon today. The answers have been slightly edited to avoid repeating these questions…
1) Does your campaign have a written sexual harassment policy? (If so, please send. If not, please explain why.)
2) Has your campaign conducted any sexual harassment training sessions? (If so, please include dates. If not, please explain why.)
The IDCCA sexual harassment policy referenced by some Democratic candidates is here.
* Here are the answers in the order they were received. Nancy Rotering…
“Every organization is a product of its leadership. Culture is set at the top. In my city government, we have a clear zero tolerance policy towards sexual harassment. Every City employee is required to sign an acknowledgment form confirming receipt and understanding of the policy. In addition, the City mandates sexual harassment sensitivity training for all City employees.
Sexual harassment has no place in government, political campaigns, or frankly, anywhere. I have signed and my campaign has adopted the IL Democratic County Chairs’ Association (ILDCCA) policy.
I deeply understand the call for help. My own experiences in school, working in the car industry, practicing law, and frankly, walking down the street, led me to become an outspoken advocate against sexual harassment. As my campaign has a lean, all-female staff, we have not conducted sexual harassment training sessions.”
* Sen. Kwame Raoul’s campaign…
1) Yes and it has been signed by each member of Raoul for Illinois paid staff. A copy is attached. [Click here.]
2) No; however, Sen. Raoul is in constant communication with his colleagues on the Senate Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention Task Force about how we can prevent harassment in every workplace.
I’d also note that Sen. Raoul signed on to the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy and pledge last week. View his tweet here: https://twitter.com/KwameRaoul/status/965760862056337408 and learn more about the pledge here: http://ildcca.org/2018/02/sexual-harassment-policy-and-pledge/
* Gov. Pat Quinn…
1) Yes. We have adopted the policy of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association and the suggested policy for private employers that was developed by the Illinois Department of Human Rights. They are attached.
2) The sessions are ongoing. Staff, contractors and frequent volunteers have been asked to complete an online training course from Compliance Training Group and to certify to the campaign that they have done so. The campaign is paying for this service. Volunteers who work limited hours are given training materials that include information about our strict policy against sexual harassment.
* Gary Grasso…
1) Citizens for Gary Grasso is committed to a safe workplace environment with a zero tolerance policy for any form of sexual harassment. The campaign will investigate any allegations of sexual harassment immediately and if any staff member is found to have sexually harassed another will be dismissed immediately. All complaints of sexual harassment will be taken seriously and treated timely with respect and in confidence.
2) This policy was reviewed in December with staff at 1st meeting.
2) Friends of Scott Drury does not tolerate harassment or other misconduct. Friends of Scott Drury is in the process of finding a reputable entity that can provide meaningful training to its organization.
* Erika Harold…
1) The Citizens for Erika Harold campaign has a zero-tolerance policy [Click here] for any sexual or racial harassment. This policy applies to every employee of and/or agent working with the campaign. Any person deemed to have engaged in sexual or racial harassment will immediately be removed from his or her role with the campaign.
Every employee or agent of the campaign is clearly notified of the campaign’s position on sexual and racial harassment upon engagement with the campaign.
As a victim of severe racial and sexual harassment, Erika Harold takes these issues very seriously and ensures everyone associated with her campaign is aware of her strong, zero-tolerance position on these issues. Erika has a long history of personally championing the exposure of sexual and racial harassment and received a leadership award from the National Center for Victims of Crime for her national anti-bullying campaign.
I followed up to ask about training sessions. They only have one full-time official staffer, so no trainings have been held.
* Renato Mariotti…
* 1) We have a small staff, and Renato met individually with each staff member when they were hired. He informed everyone that if there was ever any inappropriate behavior by a staff member, they could come to him directly, and he would address it. We have formalized this policy using the Illinois Democratic Campaign Sexual Harassment Policy as a guideline.
2) We have not had any formal training sessions re: sexual harassment — Renato has made his stance on workplace harassment clear during the entry meetings as well as during the course of the campaign. We will not stand for inappropriate behavior from anyone on the campaign.
Democrats Jesse Ruiz, Sharon Fairley and Aaron Goldstein did not respond.
The gubernatorial campaign responses will be posted in a bit.
*** UPDATE *** The Jesse Ruiz campaign responded yesterday and I just didn’t see it. Here it is…
1) Yes. As a matter of fact, our campaign was one of the first to sign the IDCCA policy and pledge stating that our campaign will be sexual harassment free. The pledge has been shared with our campaign staff, consultants, volunteers, and interns.
We pledge:
- To not tolerate, condone, or ignore sexual harassment of any kind from anyone.
- To take action to prevent sexual harassment and create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all staff, consultants, volunteers, and interns.
- To take all reports of sexual harassment seriously.
- To ensure that all staff, volunteers, consultants and interns are aware of how sexual harassment should be reported and investigated.
- To educate ourselves and others about sexual harassment.
2) Other than sharing and prominently displaying the above mentioned pledge, we have not. However, we would actively participate in a democratic organization sponsored training session that would set the standard statewide for all campaigns providing guidelines and operating procedures regarding sexual harassment that would include reporting, investigation and resolution.
…Adding… Fairley’s response arrived just before 1 o’clock, but here it is…
1) We shared the written ILDCCA policy that Sharon signed with our campaign staff and used that as a guideline for our sexual harassment policy.
2) Yes, all campaign staff have been made aware of the process for reporting and investigation allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
* I told subscribers that a Pritzker his on Kennedy was coming. I didn’t know what it was, however. Turns out, it’s about college tuition…
* Script…
Five times. Five times Chris Kennedy voted to raise tuition as chair of the board at the University of Illinois. Kennedy’s votes drove up the cost of college nearly 30 percent for Illinois students and their families.
At the same time, Chris Kennedy voted for huge pay raises for administrators and coaches. [Overlay: Chris Kennedy approved $600,000 for university president, $1.6 million for football coach, $1.4 million for basketball coach.]
Pay raises for them, higher tuition for Illinois families. Chris Kennedy. Shouldn’t we judge him by his record?
Keep in mind that the idea here is not to knock Kennedy out, but rather to halt any surge.
*** UPDATE *** Kennedy campaign response…
According to the University of Illinois, Chris Kennedy’s leadership while Chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, “fixed tuition increases at or below the rate of inflation and precipitated a downward trend for the rate of tuition increases that continues.”
While the state failed to fully fund its obligation, leaving the University $500 million short of what it was owed from the state, Chris Kennedy’s leadership generated $100 million in new aid for students who couldn’t afford full tuition. This ad is a smear from a spiraling campaign with plummeting poll numbers that’s looking to stop Chris Kennedy’s surge among voters. JB Pritzker has opted to make false claims about Chris Kennedy to hide from his record of being caught on FBI tapes with Rod Blagojevich.
* Background info…
* It’s not true that Chris’s votes “drove up the cost of college nearly 30% for Illinois students and their families.” That 30% figure refers only to the tuition component of the cost of going to U of I. Room and board and fees are actually a bigger piece of the cost equation. The true total cost hike depends on which campus you look at. You can see his sleight of hand by comparing the language used in the narration versus the accurate “30% higher tuition” in the visual, which is what campaign do when they want to exaggerate but be able to claim they’re not lying.
* 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the compensation for the football and basketball coach was to be footed by corporate sponsors. It wasn’t coming out of kids’ tuitions or taxpayer dollars. (Moreover even the UIUC share was from athletic department “revenues.”)
* Finally, none of the votes was actually a “pay raise” in the sense of raising the pay of someone already on the job. The coaches and the president were new hires having their pay set for the first time.
Today, the Rauner campaign launched the latest ad highlighting JB Pritzker’s ties to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune released another set of wiretaps featuring Blagojevich and Pritzker discussing Barack Obama’s Senate seat with Pritzker calling Jesse White “the least offensive” African American. These tapes, as well as the Tribune’s first bombshell report, show Pritzker’s insider status and self-interested approach to public service.
Chris Kennedy said “J.B.’s conversations with Blagojevich are disqualifying and they’re a reflection of his integrity.” State Sen. Daniel Biss called the conversation “horse-trading for more power” and made clear that they “can’t afford to nominate JB Pritzker.”
His fellow Democrats have summed it up best - JB Pritzker is unelectable in Illinois.
If you’re forced to put an African-American in the spot, which I, my guess is, you’re not forced to do anything, but my guess is a lot of pressure to do it. Um, of all the African-Americans I can think that are sort of like qualified and vetted and people will say, ‘Oh, that’s, you know, that’s, that’s a pretty good pick,’ the one that I, you know, that’s least offensive and maybe gets you the most because it gets you that secretary of state appointment is Jesse White… the one that I, you know, that’s least offensive and maybe gets you the most.”
I’m told by a Democratic campaign that they believe there are 400 ratings points behind this ad for the week.
…Adding… Pritzker supporter…
Sorry, @GovRauner, you don’t get to do this. Your cabinet is virtually devoid of black folk. GTCR’s team looks like a sheet of computer paper. Your budgets decimate ppl. of color. Your commitment to black entrepreneurs is non-existent. This is laughable hypocrisy. #twill#ilgov
…Adding… It should be noted that three of Rauner’s cabinet members are black: Erica Jeffries, Felicia Norwood and Janice Glenn. His first Lottery director was an African-American.
Here is a list of sexual harassment complaints in Speaker Madigan’s office in last five years, which was just passed out to reporters. pic.twitter.com/MXiRQ5e5y5
Notice that no “unresolved” complaints are listed above. Also, lots of exclusions.
…Adding… Speaker Madigan said he sent the document to the other legislative leaders and constitutional officers and recommended that they do the same.
Reporters were told there are only a small number of unresolved complaints.
Madigan could not say when the above incidents occurred.
“What does this say about your office?” Madigan was asked about the volume of complaints. “Is there a culture within your office?” Madigan replied, “There’s no culture with me… (The report shows) we don’t tolerate this behavior.”
Madigan was asked if any new allegations had emerged against his leadership team or members of his caucus. “Not to my knowledge.”
According to Heather Wier-Vaught, the first allegation occurred in 2013, the last one on the list was “more recent.”
Speaker Madigan also reiterated that he would not resign.
More than 20 pastors from throughout Chicago endorsed Chris Kennedy for Governor today at Quinn Chapel AME Church.
“Illinois needs someone who will not bow to the party bosses. I’ve listened attentively to Chris Kennedy, and this man has made a believer out of me,” said Rev. Ira Acree of Greater St. John Bible Church on Chicago’s west side. “He’s not going to Springfield to be anybody’s pawn, but he’s going there to lead the system overhaul that’s needed in Illinois.”
The pastors cited Kennedy’s character and contrasted it with JB Pritzker, referencing his comments on FBI tapes and his ties to the political establishment in Springfield.
“Chris Kennedy is a man of passion and compassion. Chris Kennedy has a passion to serve and a compassionate heart for the people,” said Rev. Alvin Love Lilydale First Baptist Church in Chicago. “He is not afraid to make radical change. I stand with Chris Kennedy because I trust his character.”
During the endorsement Kennedy reinforced his commitment to justice.
“We believe in the separation of church and state,” Kennedy said. “But what we don’t believe in is the separation of morality and politics. What we don’t believe in is the separation of ethics and government.”
* Meanwhile, put another zero behind that and we’re talking…
Democratic Gov. candidate Chris Kennedy receives $245k in contributions, including $100k from nephew Joe Kennedy's Congressional campaign committee #twill#ilgovhttps://t.co/urDwuHjzkg
To me, uh, the discussion should be about why do we have a generation of kids who are, you know, is it a, is it, is it the family, is it the decline in, in, in the family unit, do we have broken homes that these kids are coming from?
[Raising his voice] Why do we have a government bureaucracy of social workers that aren’t doing their jobs?
In fiscal year 2016, more than 20,000 Illinois youth — many of them elementary and high school students — were treated by a mental health agency, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The agency reported that children from birth through age 17 made up 28 percent of the 72,826 people statewide who received treatment in the last fiscal year at a mental health agency.
Due to their overwhelming caseloads, school social workers, in some cases, will not see a student unless the individual is suicidal or an immediate danger to others. Students with mental issues deemed non-life-threatening are often given an appointment weeks away.
“If I could clone myself to make five more of me, I think I could be adequately handling my caseload,” said Katie Smiley, a social worker at Larkin High School in Elgin. “The burden becomes heavier and heavier every day. We need more support. We need help.” […]
Susan Hickey, a retired Chicago Public Schools social worker, noted before a hearing of the Mental Health Committee Oct. 2 that CPS has one social worker for every 1,250 students, [one fifth] the recommended ratio put forth by the School Social Work Association of America [of one per 250].
“I still hear from social workers at CPS and they are literally crying their eyes out,” Hickey said. “They can’t handle what they have to deal with.”
Hickey noted that there are more security officers in the Chicago Public Schools than social workers and counselors combined.
“Security officers are not able to handle kids in crisis situations,” Hickey said. “That is not their training.”
…Adding… I forgot to mention that the new school funding reform law sets some targets to get to that 1:250 ratio.
* The ILGOP claims that Comptroller Mendoza won’t be independent of Madigan on the sexual harassment issue…
#IL Comptroller @SusanaMendoza10 says she'll be "independent" of Madigan in combating sexual harassment in the Democratic Party, but her record shows nothing but loyalty to Madigan. Roll the tape. #twillpic.twitter.com/hHSsmWIxjg
* Interviews during an investigation do not equal guilt, but this is an interesting point…
Why has @GovRauner been so silent on criticizing Speaker Madigan after Madigan had to dismiss 2 of inner circle for #sexharassment? Sources say EIOG Maggie Hickey has interviewed women about former Rauner General Counsel Dennis Murashko's behavior, will public see final report?
TUES, 7:30PM: Legislators and members of newly formed Campaign Workers Guild meet to discuss protecting political staff from abuse and harassment
WHO: State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago), State Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) State Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago), other legislators, and the Campaign Workers Guild, a newly formed union representing political campaign workers
WHAT: Four Democratic Chicago State Representatives — Cassidy, Guzzardi, Mah and Mitchell will meet with the Campaign Workers guild on Tuesday to seek guidance to begin to address concerns arising from recent allegations about sexual harassment in the Democratic Party of Illinois. The meeting from 5:30-7:30 will be closed to the press but the legislators as well as a representative from the Campaign Workers Guild will be available for comment immediately after the meeting.
WHERE: Red Roof Inn (formerly State House Inn), 101 E Adams, Springfield, IL, in the Gallery Room
* Democratic candidate invokes a movement against sexual harassment called “Time’s up!” in a campaign press release about petitions…
An expedited decision will be made today by Judge Robert Bertucci in the Circuit Court of Cook County—Room #1704 to determine if Andrea Raila, Candidate for Cook County Assessor will remain on the ballot.
Andrea Raila has been submitted to an unprecedented 73 days of a grueling and often dehumanizing petition challenge process and over $300K in an unchecked mix of taxpayer and private money thrown in every direction to keep her name off the ballot.
The war waged against Andrea Raila is led by self styled progressive Frederick “Fritz” Kaegi. As a result, Kaegi has allowed thousands of taxpayer’s dollars to be spent to fight his war to remove a qualified woman with more than 37 years of experience in property tax assessments and appeals from the ballot.
An examination of Kaegi’s unchallenged petitions reveals identical technical irregularities that he accuses Raila of with the slanderous term “pattern of fraud.” In addition, petitions have surfaced belonging to the Kaegi camp that were circulated and notarized before the legally allowed date for petitions to be circulated along with affidavits from the circulators.
Up to now, the Kaegi camp has gone virtually unchallenged. Raila declares, “If Kaegi wants this office, he will have fight for it tooth and nail and come clean with the voters of Cook County. Time’s up! We are not going to sit idly by while he makes arrogant decisions for the voters of Cook County. Our voices will be heard and our supporters will see their democratic right to vote for me realized.”
…Adding… From Kaegi campaign manager Rebecca Reynolds…
“All the feigned outrage in the world doesn’t change the fact that Andrea Raila personally engaged in an unprecedented level of fraud. The voters see right through this political charade.”
State Sen. Ira Silverstein reports the Illinois Senate Democratic Victory Fund controlled by Senate President John Cullerton paid $50,000 for media production.
* Last year, the GA passed a new law to increase the sentencing range for repeat gun offenders. But Cook County’s bond court is taking an odd turn on accused gun felons.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Monday disputed Sheriff Tom Dart’s recent assertion that public safety could be compromised because hundreds more gun suspects have been released from custody on electronic monitoring since bond overhaul measures took effect last fall. […]
“The types of cases addressed by Sheriff Dart (in his letter) are gun cases — but they are gun cases in which nobody was shot or killed,” [Pat Milhizer, a spokesman for Chief Judge Timothy Evans] said. “That means the charge is not an inherently violent charge,” he said. […]
In a letter to Cook County authorities last week, Dart expressed concern that bond changes had led to a dramatic increase in the number of gun offenders released from Cook County Jail on electronic monitors. In response, he said, his office has begun to make changes: shifting staff, conducting a more thorough vetting process and, if necessary, declaring detainees too risky for the anklets altogether.
But Preckwinkle’s letter, citing Dart’s own data, pointed out that out of 195 alleged gun offenders released pretrial since bond changes took effect, just five had picked up a new gun charge as of Feb. 1. And felony gun charges have remained constant, Preckwinkle said, indicating that no increased safety threat can be attributed to bond decisions about gun offenses.
Look, most everybody wants bond reform to work. But the reform was specifically designed for non-violent accused offenders, not alleged gun-carrying felons. Dart’s spokesperson says it’s way too early to make a judgement on recidivism of those offenders. If she’s right, there’s gonna be heck to pay.
Before 9/18/17, D-Bonds [defendant has to post 10 percent] for felony gun charges were administered at a higher rate with higher bond amounts than after 9/18/17. Before 9/18/17, No Bonds, IEM [no cash, but electronic monitoring], and I-Bonds [released on own recognizance] were rarely administered for felony gun charges. After 9/18/17, the use of No Bonds, IEM, and I-Bonds increased dramatically.
And that’s not all. According to the sheriff, the median D-Bond before the change was $75,000. After the change, the median D-Bond dropped to just $10,000.
Sheriff Dart also says he simply doesn’t have the resources to electronically monitor all these alleged gun felons because they require so much extra attention.
…Adding… OneMan is exactly right…
Also concerned that it will have a negative impact on the bond changes overall. If there is an issue with someone, it will be used as a reason to push back on all the changes.
The changes Dart trumpeted made sure that accused non-violent offenders aren’t in jail just because they couldn’t afford to post bond. The pendulum has swung too far and could swing back if something bad happens.
Sneed has learned State Rep. Dan Burke will pay homage to the memory of slain CPD Commander Paul Bauer Tuesday by introducing a major piece of gun legislation named after him.
The Commander Paul Bauer Act, originally introduced in 2017 as House Bill 1469 — a piece of legislation with no substantive language — will include Burke’s amendment banning the sale of body armor and high capacity gun magazines to anyone other than police officers, licensed security guards and members of the armed forces.
Sneed is also told the Bauer Act will have behind it the full weight of powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan. […]
Ald. Ed Burke, the state lawmaker’s brother, said the bill “would be the first time that the legislature in Illinois been able to resist the forces of the NRA opposing any kind of reasonable gun control legislation.”
Unlawful use of body armor. A person commits the offense of unlawful use of body armor when he knowingly wears body armor and is in possession of a dangerous weapon, other than a firearm, in the commission or attempted commission of any offense.
A person commits unlawful use of body armor when he or she knowingly sells, transfers, purchases, possesses, or wears body armor.
Full disclosure: I purchased some body armor before going to Iraq. I think I got rid of it, but I suppose I’d better check around my house and garage just to make sure.
Declaring that America is in the midst of a gun violence crisis, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday urged state lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner to approve a series of gun control bills and called on the public to hold officials’ feet to the fire this week and in the upcoming elections.
Lawmakers could consider a group of bills on Wednesday that would require gun dealers to be licensed, raise penalties for the illegal use of body armor, address waiting periods for gun purchases, and ban “military-style” assault weapons high-capacity magazines and “bump stocks,” Emanuel and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said.
Johnson said he will travel to Springfield on Tuesday to testify in favor of the efforts, and Emanuel said he would be working the phones. The mayor on Monday repeatedly called on the public to get engaged in the maneuvering in Springfield and contended that a vote against the gun control bills was a vote against police officers.
“Watch this vote, and if the legislators do not back up the public safety, do not back up the police officers — in the primary and in this general election, you must hold them accountable,” Emanuel said, pounding a podium as he addressed Chicago’s latest class of police recruits. “Trust me, if they think they can get away without having any political pressure, they’re going to do the bare minimum rather than what is the appropriate thing. This is not about their political safety, this is about our public safety. And don’t let them get away with doing the bare minimum to take the issue off the table.”
But the bill that bears Bauer’s name is just one piece of a broad gun control bill that will go before state legislators this week.
“The Gun Dealer licensing Bill, which will allow us to encourage better business practices among gun dealers as well as holding corrupt dealers accountable. It will also require background checks for dealers and their employees, training to prevent straw purchasing, and enforce proper dealer security measures,” Emanuel said.
As the national conversation about gun control has taken on a renewed urgency over the past few weeks, advocates are now hoping their proposal will get a better chance at becoming law.
“We’re seeing more energy from young people than we’ve ever seen before, saying enough is enough,” said Colleen Daly of the Illinois Council on Handgun Violence.
The bill also includes a waiting period for buying assault weapons, and a ban on bump stocks.
* Speaking of guns, Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios has a TV ad bashing his Democratic primary opponent Fritz Kaegi on the issue.
“To stop the NRA, follow the money,” the ad begins, claiming that Kaegi “invested heavily in this NRA donor’s company.” Kaegi “got rich and the NRA got millions to spend blocking gun control.”
Now that I can actually see it, the “NRA donor” in the TV ad is Clayton Williams, who made a reported $1.35 billion last year when he sold his company.
An interesting background piece on Williams and the NRA is here.
