* Press release…
The Illinois State Police (ISP) is donating more than 3,000 pieces of protective equipment, including body armor, ballistic face shields, and ballistic helmets to help the Ukrainian citizens enduring the Russian invasion. By U.S. standards, this equipment can no longer be used by ISP or any other law enforcement agency within Illinois. Most body armor in the U.S. has a standard five-year life span. However, it will still offer some protection to civilians, humanitarian aid workers, and others in the Ukraine. This surplus equipment must be disposed of if it is not donated to the Ukraine.
ISP coordinated the donation with the Illinois National Guard, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Department of Commerce, and the United States Department of State to transport the equipment as well as ensure compliance with all Federal and State laws and regulations.
I’ve asked which entity is receiving the equipment.
* WICS…
The police department at the University of Illinois Springfield is donating surplus body armor to Ukrainian citizens.
They boxed up 8 ballistic vests today and they are now headed on the journey overseas.
The vests will go to the US/Ukrainian resistance foundation which will be given to the ministry of defense of Ukraine.
Thoughts?
…Adding… From ISP…
Hey Rich,
ISP donated to the same non-profit working directly with humanitarian groups in Ukraine as UIS.
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Campaign notebook
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Darren Bailey spoke to his Facebook followers this morning about Richard Irvin’s press conference…
The man has been hiding in his basement for over two months. And just like they were doing with Biden, they’re trying to prep him, they’re trying to make him and help him say the right things. It was an absolute disaster. And what made it even better is he had his RINO club with him. He had his head his tax hiking, tax hiking club with him. Avery Bourne was with him and a senator and another representative were with him. It was supposed to be a LaSalle Veterans Home press conference, like I did, actually very timely, last Thursday, when the news broke. But unfortunately, you know, he doesn’t know anything about this stuff. So he’s got to be prepped, and it took him almost a week to try to memorize a statement. And, wow, four minutes into it and the press started asking him where he stood at on life. He would not answer the question. They asked him where he stood at on Trump. He would not answer the question. Please watch this video, the man began to break out in a sweat he stuttered, he tried to get it back to why he was supposedly there. Anyway, we’ve got some interesting days on our hands ahead of us and only if we unite and activate and get this message out. That’s how we win. So that’s why I need your help.
* But here’s what Bailey told Mary Ann Ahern when asked whether he thinks about a federal law banning abortion…
I believe that it is the life within the womb that must be protected. That is a life. However, with that being said, just an all outright ban on abortion, that’s not gonna solve anything, because people are still going to go you know, JB Pritzker is wanting to open the floodgates.
Um, a federal ban would override a state law.
Bailey also pointed his followers to a favorable opinion piece written by this guy…
* I think Krishnamoorthi does a good job, but he put too much emphasis on raising money and that can lead to trouble…
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has been investigating the Washington Commanders from his perch as chair of a House oversight subcommittee. He’s also raising money for his reelection.
Those two facts collided on Monday.
Krishnamoorthi abruptly canceled a fundraiser scheduled for Tuesday night after POLITICO approached his office with questions about the event. The issue: whether it was inappropriate for a pair of lobbyists, Mike Manatos and Tom Manatos, to explicitly invite donors to the event to discuss with the congressman the probe of the football team and its owner, Dan Snyder.
Linking pleas for campaign dollars to specific legislative actions is a no-no, and Krishnamoorthi’s camp quickly acknowledged as much.
“The Congressman is grateful that his efforts to stand up to some of the most powerful interests in Washington, from Big Tobacco to organizations like the Commanders, has generated enthusiasm from the public and some of his supporters,” a spokesperson for his campaign said in a statement. “However, we did not authorize any correspondence or outreach conducted for this general meet and greet event for Raja’s re-election campaign.”
“Out of an abundance of caution,” the statement added, “this event has been canceled.”
* Press release…
In a recent event hosted by former State Representative Roger Eddy in Robinson, Illinois, Paul Schimpf, GOP Candidate for Illinois Governor focused his remarks around the need for the Illinois Republican Party to offer solutions in order to unify the people of Illinois and defeat JB Pritzker. Schimpf expressed concern regarding the destructive nature of primary elections and stated there must be an end to the internal party bickering that divides the party and keeps voters at bay. Schimpf went on to highlight his campaign focus on parents’ rights, safe families, and restoring trust in government, all of which he described as American values.
Schimpf concluded his remarks by stating, “Illinois needs a Governor who will listen, learn, and lead us in a way that unites and recognizes that the strength of Illinois is its people, not its government.”
* Tina Sfondeles…
Rep. Mike Quigley is opting out of the Chicago mayor’s race, but that’s not stopping him from weighing in on the heated contest to succeed retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
The Northwest Side congressman is endorsing former state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, campaign officials told the Chicago Sun-Times. In a video announcement, Quigley said Giannoulias, like himself, “is committed to restoring the public’s trust in government.”
“That’s why when he was state treasurer, he put in tough ethics laws and ended pay-to-play right out of the gate,” Quigley said. “I know Alexi will be a great secretary of state, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting him.”
Quigley’s endorsement is the ninth that Giannoulias has received from a current or former Democratic member of the U.S. House or Senate, including Representatives Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky and Brad Schneider.Former House members Luis Gutierrez and Jerry Costello Sr. and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun are also backing his candidacy.
* All but three are Black legislators…
Today 16 members of the Illinois State Legislature endorsed Kari K. Steele for Cook County Assessor on the heels of endorsements from organized labor.
Majority Caucus Whip Omar Aquino, D-Chicago
Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago
Deputy Majority Leader Emil Jones, Jr., D-Chicago
Senator Tony Munoz, D-Chicago
Senator Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago
Representative Kam Buckner, Chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus, D-Chicago
Representative Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago
Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans, D-Chicago
Deputy Majority Leader/Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria
Representative Sonya Harper, Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Chair, D-Chicago
Representative Cyril Nichols, D-Chicago
Representative Bob Rita, D-Blue Island
Representative Lamont J. Robinson, D-Chicago
Representative Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago
Representative Nick Smith, D-Chicago
Representative Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago
“After four disastrous years of Kaegi’s mismanagement, we need a competent manager in the Assessor’s office,” said State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. “Kari Steele has been a dedicated Commissioner at the Water Reclamation District for over 10 years and President for over three years, managing a billion-dollar budget and a AAA bond rating. Unlike Kaegi, Kari understands how late property tax bills will hurt seniors in my district and others on a limited income. Kari is the person we need right now to lift the Assessor’s office out of chaos.”
“Small businesses across the County are struggling under high assessments,” said State Representative Lamont J. Robinson. “Our communities need more economic development, not less, and when small businesses are forced to close, we lose jobs, our economic anchors and communities become less safe. We need an Assessor who understands the needs of our communities.”
“I’m proud of the support I have from our legislators,” said Kari Steele. “As Assessor, I will work with state and local governments to find real solutions to problems that require all of us to come together and solve. Problems like delayed tax bills due to mismanagement, ineffective incentives for economic development and mounting tax pressure on communities that are already struggling.”
* ABC is generally thought of as the non-union contractors group…
The Irvin for Illinois campaign announced the endorsement from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Illinois, a national construction industry trade association that represents more than 21,000 members and prides itself on their merit shop philosophy of helping members develop people, win work, and deliver work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of communities.
In their endorsement, ABC Illinois President Alicia Martin noted that Richard Irvin is the best candidate to take back the state of Illinois from crime, corruption, taxes and burdensome regulation that have crippled businesses and communities under J.B. Pritzker’s leadership. Irvin’s running mate, State Representative Avery Bourne, has also been a longtime advocate of ABC, supporting ABC’s Illinois issues in the legislature throughout her tenure.
* Tribune…
Enough Chicago aldermen are in agreement on a new map of the city’s 50 wards that they will avoid a ballot referendum next month that would have let voters choose from between competing maps, sources said Monday.
The proposed map will create 16 wards with Black majorities and 14 with Latino majorities, sources said. That’s one fewer Latino ward than the City Council Latino Caucus spent months fighting to secure.
The reformers are bitter.
* Press release…
This evening at 5 pm, Winnebago County Republican Chairman and candidate for the 35th Illinois Senate District, Eli Nicolosi, will be holding a press conference in response to the increasing calls for him to step down.
Nicolosi has been under scrutiny since it was revealed that there was an emergency order of protection filed against him by his wife of 15 years. The order of protection has since been dropped by Nicolosi’s wife, however, some local Republicans have questioned whether or not Mr. Nicolosi is fit to serve as chairman of the party. Nicolosi has stated that he plans on addressing these concerns during tonight’s press conference.
“It’s despicable that someone would put out private information for political gain in what should be a private family matter,” Nicolosi said. “The allegations are 100% untrue, and because I am running against a 30-year establishment incumbent, Springfield sadly drags my wife and 4 children into the public eye. My family is going through a tough time, and while we as adults can handle this, my children simply cannot defend themselves.”
Nicolosi is running against 30-year incumbent Dave Syverson in the Republican Primary election on June 28th. The press and the public are welcome to attend, and Chairman Nicolosi will be available for questions.
I’m guessing he won’t be withdrawing.
…Adding… I thought I posted this, but apparently I didn’t, so my apologies to Leader Brady…
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge, representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired law enforcement officers, has endorsed Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, in his bid for Illinois Secretary of State in the June 28 primary election.
“We back Dan Brady because of his unwavering lifetime support for law enforcement,” said FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “This support spans from the time he was a county official working closely with local police agencies, through his current tenure in the Illinois General Assembly where he stood by the men and women of law enforcement regardless of the way the political winds were blowing.”
“In addition, Brady passed legislation that has helped to make Illinois’ roads safer and to save lives,” Southwood said. “This is exactly the kind of philosophy-in-action that we need in our next Secretary of State.”
Brady has been a member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2001.
“I am very honored to have the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge. I have always supported the men and women of law enforcement and will continue to do so as Illinois Secretary of State,” Brady said. “I thank the FOP for their vote of confidence in me.”
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* Petrella at the Tribune…
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman, a Republican who two decades ago became only the second woman to sit on the state’s highest court and later was the second woman to serve as chief justice, will retire in July, the court announced Monday.
Garman, who was appointed to the seven-member court in 2001 to replace retiring Justice Benjamin Miller and then was elected the following year, would have been up a for a once-a-decade retention vote in November. Instead, with Garman’s retirement effective July 7, a little more than a week after the primary election, the court will appoint a replacement to fill the seat until the 2024 election.
Her departure comes at a moment of upheaval for the court, which in 2020 saw a sitting justice, Democrat Thomas Kilbride, rejected for retention by voters — the first time that’s happened since retention elections were adopted in 1964.
The Democratic-controlled legislature, in an effort to protect the party’s 4-3 majority on the high court, subsequently redrew the boundaries of the state’s judicial districts and instituted new campaign finance restrictions for those running for the bench.
Rarely is the game played straight when it comes to the Supreme Court. Appointments are the norm, and the redistricting, while long overdue, was obviously political.
* Release from Justice Garman…
Trailblazing Justice Rita B. Garman has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective July 7, 2022. Justice Garman, 78, has served on the Supreme Court since 2001 and retires as the longest serving judge in Illinois. She served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2013 to 2016. Justice Garman’s full statement on her retirement is available here.
“There is no doubt that I have had the role of a lifetime, a privilege to serve the people of the state of Illinois as a member of the court system at every level,” Justice Garman said. “But this is the right time for me to step back from my public role and allow someone else to assume this all- important position. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Illinois.”
The Supreme Court has constitutional authority to fill interim judicial vacancies and has appointed another trailblazing justice, Fourth District Appellate Justice Lisa Holder White, to fill Justice Garman’s seat.
“Rita has been my close friend, mentor, and role model since I joined the bench in 2006. I have so much gratitude for her service to the Illinois judiciary,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “No words can describe her loss. However, she has provided hope for the future by nominating for her replacement a wonderful woman who will be able to step right into her shoes. It is a pleasure to welcome Justice Holder White to the Court.”
Justice Holder White, whose term is effective July 8, 2022, through December 2, 2024, will be the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court.
“Being appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court is the honor of a lifetime. I am humbled by the confidence Justice Rita B. Garman and the entire Court have placed in me,” Justice Holder White said. “My service to the judiciary for the past 21 years has helped prepare me for this historic moment. I look forward to the privilege of resolving matters my fellow citizens bring before the Court.”
After her appointment to the appellate court, Justice White ran unopposed as a Republican in the 2014 primary.
Interesting times. It’s possible that Illinois could elect its first Black governor this year, who is also running as a Republican.
* Meanwhile, in other Supreme Court news, here’s a press release excerpt…
Judge Elizabeth Rochford announced today that the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) rates her as ‘Highly Recommended’ for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court. As the premier legal association in the state, the ISBA represents approximately 30,000 Illinois lawyers.
“I am honored to receive the highest recommendation possible from the Illinois State Bar Association, which includes the most respected lawyers in Illinois. It means so much that my colleagues have faith that I am the right person for this seat on the bench. As a member of the Illinois Supreme Court, I will carry forward the ISBA’s commitment to legal excellence for the people of Illinois,” said Judge Elizabeth Rochford.
The ISBA ranks candidates using a comprehensive Judicial Evaluation process. These evaluations are initiated by the candidate’s submission of a thorough written application, and then followed by a detailed background investigation by members of the ISBA Judicial Evaluations Committee (JEC) and an in-person interview of the candidate. The JEC then rates the candidate or judge: Recommended, Highly Recommended or Not Recommended. Judge Elizabeth Rochford received the highest recommendation possible in receiving ‘Highly Recommended.’
The ratings are here.
Fellow Democratic candidate René Cruz was given a “Recommended” rating. Republican Daniel B. Shanes was also given a “Highly Recommended” rating, but fellow Republican John Noverini was given a “Not Recommended” score.
The three candidates who were removed from the ballot (Rotering, Curran and Hurchinson) were not rated, but will be if their names are restored. They’re appealing.
In the 3rd District, Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke was given a “Highly Recommended” rating and Democratic appellate court justice Mary K. O’Brien was given a “Recommended” rating.
...Adding… Press release…
Illinois Chamber of Commerce PAC Announces Endorsements of Judge Daniel Shanes and Justice Michael Burke for Illinois Supreme Court
(Springfield) – The political arm of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce announces its endorsement of two outstanding candidates to fill new positions on the state’s highest court.
Representing thousands of Illinois small, medium, and large employers, the Chamber of Commerce advocates for the election of candidates that understand the impact of government decisions and legal precedents on a healthy economy. Judge Shanes, running in the newly drawn 2nd district and Justice Burke, running in the new 3rd district, are just the kind of judges all Illinoisans concerned with our future prosperity should support.
“The Chamber Board considered impartiality and fairness, knowledge and experience, and unquestioned integrity as the hallmarks of judicial candidates worthy of job-creators’ endorsement. Judge Shanes and Justice Burke represent the best choices for voters in all three areas,” said Todd Maisch, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
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* Fox 32…
After the news conference, Sullivan issued his own response, accusing Irvin of running a “campaign that seems to have no relationship whatsoever with the truth.”
“Richard Irvin yet again ducked important questions on abortion and his own Democrat voting record, distorted his own background, and blatantly lied about Jesse Sullivan,” the downstate venture capitalist’s campaign wrote.
Bailey tweeted out that he is “the only proven conservative leader in this race.”
“A lot of script reading & nervous dipping and dodging from the Irvin basement today,” Bailey’s campaign tweeted “Why did it take him several days to face the public? We need a Governor with the courage to lead and the integrity to tell the truth.”
It’s not like either of those two guys have held regular or even more than occasional press conferences. Maybe practice what you preach, fellas. Show us your stuff.
* It appears from this Mike Miletich report that I may have miscounted…
Irvin cut off many questions by yelling “hold on” and “let me finish.” In fact, Irvin said “let me finish” at least 25 times during the 10 minutes allowed for questions.
* Sun-Times…
But after Monday, it’s unclear when they will see the next news conference.
It gets easier with practice and the only way to do that is to face reporters instead of hiding behind Ken Griffin’s wall of money.
* Craig Wall…
“Did you vote for President Trump, and would you support President Trump if he ran again?” I asked him.
“That’s exactly what JB Pritzker wants,” Irvin said.
“Can you answer the question?” I asked.
“That’s exactly what JB Pritzker wants,” Irvin repeated.
“Can you answer the question?” I asked again.
“That’s exactly what JB Pritzker wants,” Irvin answered. “He wants to be talking about anything other than his failures and his record.”
The general election begins June 29, mayor.
* More Craig Wall…
North Central College Political Science Professor Stephen Caliendo listened to the news conference and said Irvin tried his best to stick to his agenda.
“I don’t think his team is probably scrambling right now saying, you know, how do we deal with that disaster of a press conference we just had,” Caliendo said. “Certainly they’re going to want to talk to him about handling things a little bit differently. But he got, he said the things he wanted to say.”
The problem with Professor Cliendo’s analysis is that, while Irvin was able to say some things, the message received was heavily cluttered by his constant dodging of pretty simple and basic questions.
For example, here’s the Tribune’s hed and lede…
GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin holds a news conference, but dances around questions on abortion, Trump
Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin met with the media Monday for only the second time since announcing his candidacy, but deflected questions of likely interest to voters that ranged from his past presidential votes and the prospect of another presidential bid by Donald Trump to whether Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
WTTW…
Aurora Mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin slammed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of a COVID-19 outbreak at a state-run veterans’ home during a Monday press conference – and repeatedly avoided questions about whether he voted for Donald Trump and his stance on Roe v. Wade potentially being overturned.
Center Square covered it straight, of course, but Irvin’s message was lumped in with the other Republican candidates.
Also…
After getting just one question about the LaSalle Home, Irvin ended the news conference.
* Politico…
As the saying goes: Any press is good press.
If that saying was actually true, nobody would ever need to hire any public relations staff.
…Adding… “Any press is good press”…
The Irvin campaign mantra up until now has been “No press is good press.” You gotta figure they may wind up going back to that.
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