* From Carolyn Schofield…
The Illinois Legislative Inspector General, Carol Pope has substantiated recent ethics violation claims filed against Representative Allen Skillicorn charged with falsifying his attendance and voting record in Springfield while campaigning in Harvard, Illinois for another office on the same day;
“My investigation substantiated allegations that Representative Skillicorn was not present when the quorum roll call vote was taken at 12:15 p.m. on June 1, 2019, nor was he present for any of the votes that he was recorded as voting on prior to 3:00 p.m. Representative Skillicorn filed a letter to correct the record with the Clerk of the House.”
“I interviewed 11 people during the course of my investigation, including Clerk’s Office personnel, staff members, and several members of the General Assembly.”
“Apparently it is common practice for members to ask a seatmate or staffer to vote their switch if they need to step out and use the bathroom, or meet with leadership or talk to a constituent. It is not accepted practice for a member to ask someone to vote their switch when they are out of town, nor is it appropriate for a staffer or seatmate to take it upon themselves to vote another member’s switch when they are out of town and absent from the session.”
The LIG also indicated that no legislators were paid for the overtime session held on June 1st, 2019, at the direction of Speaker Mike Madigan. A suggestion will be made to Leadership that written protocol be put in place as some members, despite the existing set of Rules that govern the House, have not familiarized themselves with proper procedures.
Skillicorn is being challenged for his 66th District House seat by McHenry County Board Member Carolyn Schofield in the March primary.
I’ve reached out to Skillicorn for comment.
…Adding… The letter from LIG Pope…
Ms. Schofield—I wanted to update you on the status of my investigation into your complaint relating to Representative Skillicorn. My investigation substantiated your allegations that Representative Skillicorn was not present when the quorum roll call vote was taken at 12:15 p.m. on June 1, 2019, nor was he present for any of the votes that he was recorded as voting on prior to 3:00 p.m. Representative Skillicorn filed a letter to correct the record with the Clerk of the House. You can find it on pages 5-6 of the House Journal for June 1, 2019. Here is a link to the Journal:
http://www.ilga.gov/house/journals/101/2019/HJ101063R.pdf
I found no evidence that Representative Skillicorn authorized anyone to operate his switch in his absence. I interviewed 11 people during the course of my investigation, including Clerk’s Office personnel, staff members, and several members of the General Assembly. Apparently it is common practice for members to ask a seatmate or staffer to vote their switch if they need to step out and use the bathroom, or meet with leadership or talk to a constituent. It is not accepted practice for a member to ask someone to vote their switch when they are out of town, nor is it appropriate for a staffer or seatmate to take it upon themselves to vote another member’s switch when they are out of town and absent from the session. I will be suggesting to Leadership that a written protocol be put together and given to members and staff so there is no question about the procedures to be followed when a member is going to be absent. There is a set of Rules that govern the House, however, I am not sure how many members have totally familiarized themselves with the particulars of those rules. Some members could relate to me the procedures that should be followed if they are going to be absent, but some members indicated they did not know what procedures to follow if absent.
I found no evidence of malicious intent with regard to the operation of Representative Skillicorn’s switch.
No per diem was paid to any member of the House for June 1, 2019, per order of the Speaker.
Thank you for bringing this situation to my attention. I am hopeful that a written protocol provided to every member and his or her staff will prevent such a situation from reoccurring. I have closed my investigation into this matter.
Sincerely,
Carol Pope
Legislative Inspector General
State of Illinois
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Skillicorn…
I agree with everything in Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope’s findings. Clearly, mistakes were made here. I corrected the official record of the House to reflect the fact that I was not present in the chamber on June 1, 2019 during the few initial votes that were taken that day.
I strongly support LIG Carol Pope’s recommendation for a written protocol to ensure that this does not happen again. As she noted, she “found no evidence of malicious intent with regard to the operation of Representative Skillicorn’s switch.”
Indeed, there was no malice. It was mistake and we as a legislative body should clearly define what the protocol should be so that the rules are clear and mistakes like this will not be made.
16 Comments  
|
Question of the day
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* He’s been saying this all along…
With the Illinios primary two weeks away and as voters in “Super Tuesday” states were going to the polls, Gov. JB Pritzker today remained neutral in the Democratic race for president.
“I’m for the Democrat,” he told reporters following an agricultural legislative day event at the Illinois State Library. “I don’t know who’s going to win Illinois. I don’t know who’s going to win the nomination. But I know one thing: (President) Donald Trump’s got to go. You can see it in the way that some of the challenges around the coronavirus are being handled. The administration has done a terrible job, in my opinion, of really helping states with the challenges they face.”
* Meanwhile…
[Sheila Nix], the president of Tusk Philanthropies, said the Biden Illinois team hit the phones to leverage the new Biden boom, making another round of calls to uncommitted Illinois elected officials and to donors.
Notice the campaign didn’t call actual voters. Biden has zero ground game here, or pretty much anywhere, for that matter. He’s got his name and a few new dollars and some intense media exposure since South Carolina. Other than that, not much.
Nix, by the way, was hired as one of Rod Blagojevich’s deputy governors after Bradley Tusk quit. She then became Jill Biden’s chief of staff before going to work for Tusk, who is a Bloomberg guy.
…Adding… Advisory…
Tuesday, March 10
12:30 p.m. Bernie 2020 Rockford Rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders
Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N Main St, Rockford, IL 61101
Information for the public: This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Entrance is provided on a first come, first served basis. Doors open at 11:00 a.m.
* The Question: Who are you supporting for president? Make sure to explain your response and don’t start arguments with anyone else. Their opinion is their opinion. Yours is yours. Keep it that way or find yourself deleted and possibly banned. Thanks.
52 Comments
|
Ignorance is not bliss, it’s just ignorant
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Southern Illinoisan interviews Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) and his GOP primary opponent Tim Arview…
The two also have different takes on Illinois’ pension woes, caused by years of lawmakers and governors agreeing to skimp on their funding obligations. Severin said that he uses his position to advocate for the state making its required payments in annual budgets. But he said that he would not make further adjustments to benefits. He opposes a proposal to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to tie annual cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA — currently a fixed, compounded 3% annually — to inflation.
Arview, on the other hand, said he would support efforts to tie the COLA to inflation. He also suggested the state pass legislation creating a new benefits structure for incoming employees. Arview was not familiar with legislation the General Assembly passed to do that a decade ago, creating a second tier effective for new employees hired after 2010. Given that information, Arview said he would create a third tier and cut their benefits by 2% compared to the second tier employees.
And then Arview went on to opine on his brand new idea he just came up with after being informed that he was uninformed.
*facepalm*
* Meanwhile, this is hot off the presses from the National Institute on Retirement Security…
As many small towns and rural communities across America face shrinking populations and slowing economic growth, a new report finds that one positive economic contributor to these areas is the flow of benefit dollars from public pension plans. In 2018, public pension benefit dollars represented between one and three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on average among the 1,401 counties in 19 states studied. […]
This new report finds that public pension benefit dollars also account for significant amounts of total personal income in counties across the nineteen states studied. For all 1,401 counties in this study, pension benefit dollars represent an average of 1.37 percent of total personal income, while some counties experience more than six percent of total personal income derived from pension dollars.
The report’s key findings are as follows:
* Public pension benefit dollars represent between one and three percent of GDP on average in the 1,401 counties studied.
* Rural counties and counties with state capitals have the highest percentages of populations receiving public pension benefits.
* Small town counties experience a greater relative impact both in terms of GDP and total personal income from public pension benefit dollars than rural or metropolitan counties.
* Rural counties experience more of an impact in terms of personal income than metropolitan counties, whereas metropolitan counties experience more of an impact in terms of GDP than rural counties.
* Counties with state capitals are outliers from other metropolitan counties, likely because there is a greater density of public employees in these counties, most of whom remain in these counties in retirement.
* On average, rural counties have lost population while small town counties and metropolitan counties have gained population in the period between 2000 and 2018, but the connection between population change and the relative impact of public pension benefit dollars is weak.
The study is here.
* A couple of counties in Rep. Severin’s district with the percent of GDP represented by public pension benefit dollars…
Franklin 3.19 percent
Williamson 3.1 percent
…Adding… Meant to add this Tribune headline…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated income tax plan won’t fix Illinois’ pension problems, ratings agency says
Nobody, but nobody ever implied that the proposal would “fix” the problems.
The headline reminds me of the stories about how cannabis revenues wouldn’t cure the state’s many fiscal ills. Um, there is no single, easy cure. Those who think there is such a thing should probably get their heads checked.
34 Comments
|
* If you’re driving down to session on Interstate 55, here’s an advisory from the Illinois State Police…
I-55 southbound at milepost 126 is shut down near Lincoln, IL. A small plane has crashed. IDOT is on scene and will be working on a detour.
Use this as an open thread, if you wish.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the State Police…
At approximately 08:49, a small airplane crashed on I-55 at M/P 126 in Lincoln IL. The plane became fully engulfed upon impact in the middle of the interstate. Multiple Agencies on the scene to assist. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified and is responding. I-55 S/B traffic is being diverted at M/P 126 into Lincoln, IL by IDOT. I-55 S/B road closure is expected for an extended period of time (4-5 hours).
*** UPDATE 2 *** ISP…
I-55 S/B has been reopened officially at 14:30
8 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
*** UPDATED x1 *** COVID-19 roundup
Monday, Mar 2, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
– The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) are today announcing that a fourth Illinois patient has tested positive for COVID-19. The tests conducted in Illinois resulted in presumptive positives for COVID-19. The positive test results will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lab. The individual is a woman in her 70s and is the spouse of the third case – a man in his 70s. This fourth case is quarantined at home and is complying with health officials. Both cases are reported to be in good condition.
Public health officials are working to identify and actively monitor individuals who were in contact with both patients in an effort to prevent additional transmission. Public health officials will reach out to individuals who may have been exposed.
Governor JB Pritzker has requested that hospitals across the state implement additional testing to improve surveillance for COVID-19. Illinois was the first state to provide COVID-19 testing and Gov. Pritzker announced two more IDPH labs in central and southern Illinois that will be able to test specimens this week.
Illinois’ previously confirmed two cases of COVID-19 and both patients made a full recovery.
Symptoms reported among patients have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Right now, the virus has not been found to be spreading widely in the U.S., and the risk to the general public remains low. Public health officials are encouraging the public to not alter their daily routines and remain vigilant about keeping germs from spreading, by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands with warm soap and water, and staying home when sick.
Easier said than done about that last point. If you don’t have paid sick leave at your job, staying home could mean financial devastation.
* Earlier…
Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights confirmed Monday morning a patient who’s tested positive for coronavirus is being treated at the northwest suburban hospital, as a local school district told parents two staffers and their two children were staying home because of exposure to a person who treated someone with coronavirus.
The patient was the third in Illinois to be diagnosed with coronavirus. The hospital issued a statement saying it is following all associated protocol, including examining who the patient may have had contact with and treating the patient in isolation.
The hospital statement said the state is requesting assistance from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team and confirmation of the diagnosis from one of its labs.
* Brace yourselves…
Researchers who have examined the genomes of two coronavirus infections in Washington State say the similarities between the cases suggest that the virus may have been spreading in the state for weeks.
Washington had the United States’ first confirmed case of coronavirus, announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 20. Based on an analysis of the virus’s genetic sequence, another case that surfaced in the state and was announced on Friday probably was descended from that first case.
The two people live in the same county, but are not known to have had contact with one another, and the second case occurred well after the first would no longer be expected to be contagious. So the genetic findings suggest that the virus has been spreading through other people in the community for close to six weeks, according to one of the scientists who compared the sequences, Trevor Bedford, an associate professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington.
Dr. Bedford said it was possible that the two cases could be unrelated, and had been introduced separately into the United States. But he said that was unlikely, however, because in both cases the virus contained a genetic variation that appears to be rare — it was found in only two of the 59 samples whose sequences have been shared from China, where the virus originated.
* Daily Herald…
In preparation for a possible outbreak, the Illinois Department of Public Health is assessing hospitals throughout the state for available space should more people require care for coronavirus infection. The department also is assessing the availability of personal protective equipment — gloves, masks, gowns, goggles and the like — for health care workers.
Health care providers and their individual hospitals, meanwhile, are preparing themselves by implementing infection prevention protocols, screening patients for symptoms and risk factors, and running drills on their response to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19.
“We assembled a team representing infection prevention, emergency preparedness, supply chain and other departments to ensure our facilities are prepared with ample supplies and support to keep our patients and team members safe,” said Dr. Gary Stuck, chief medical officer of the Downers Grove-based Advocate Aurora Health hospitals.
* This is a very real problem…
*** UPDATE *** Media advisory…
UPDATED: Daily Public Schedule: Monday, Mar. 2, 2020
What: Governor JB Pritzker and Director of Illinois Department of Public Health Dr. Ngozi Ezike to provide update on COVID-19 cases.
When: 2:30pm
Where: Blue Room, Thompson Center, Chicago
…Adding… Watch or listen live…
https://multimedia.illinois.gov/balance/press-live.html
https://multimedia.illinois.gov/balance/press-live-cc.html
https://multimedia.illinois.gov/balance/press-live-a.html
24 Comments
|
* It has long appeared as though the most high-profile establishment Democrats were holding back on their support for former VP Joe Biden until after he proved he could actually compete. Besides, nobody was going to convince Pete Buttigieg or Tom Steyer to bow out before Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina voted.
But with those four over-hyped smallish contests behind them and with the massive Super Tuesday just around the corner and then the Illinois/Ohio/Florida primaries on March 17th, the time was simply right.
And so…
Citing the strength of his experience on foreign policy, Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday morning.
The announcement is the latest in a series of endorsements that has the Democratic establishment in Illinois lining up squarely behind Biden ahead of a primary that is a little more than two weeks away.
Duckworth’s backing came just hours after former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a fellow veteran, bowed out of the race. She also decided to weigh in on the race amid calls for the party’s moderates to unify around Biden in a bid to stop Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders from accumulating an insurmountable delegate lead in the presidential race.
Just a bragging bundler for now, but something to keep in mind…
* And…
Secretary of State Jesse White, the longest-serving statewide official in Illinois, has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the March 17 presidential primary.
White, one of the state’s most prominent African American politicians, said the decision came down to which candidate has the best chance to win in November.
“I’ve been asked by a number of candidates for their support,” White said in an interview Saturday afternoon. “I decided I was going to go with Joe Biden, because I believe that he has what it takes to be able to beat Donald Trump and put this country back on a sound footing.”
You may also have noticed that Speaker Madigan’s 13th Ward endorsed three Biden delegate candidates.
A list of all Illinois presidential endorsements is here.
…Adding… The consolidation continues…
46 Comments
|
* Stephanie Zimmermann and David Roeder at the Sun-Times…
Chicagoans would see much higher utility bills if expected rate hikes for electricity and natural gas are approved even though energy production prices are now low.
ComEd and Peoples Gas are planning significant capital spending that threatens to eat up any savings that might have come from low energy prices.
“There will be a significant effect on customers’ bills,” says Jeff Orcutt, president of the consulting firm Chapman Energy Strategies, which analyzes utilities for the Illinois Public Interest Research Group.
David Kolata, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, another private, not-for-profit watchdog group, says there’s “no question” ComEd’s latest spending projections will boost customers’ bills. And he says an expected Peoples Gas rate hike could create an “impending crisis” for low-income consumers.
* Steve Daniels at Crain’s…
Nicor Gas, the utility delivering natural gas to most of suburban Chicago, is pushing legislation in Springfield to put the rate changes for it and Peoples Gas, the utility serving the city, on the same sort of autopilot that ComEd and downstate utility Ameren Illinois have enjoyed for eight years. Bills were introduced in mid-February in the House and Senate.
For its part, Peoples says the bill is Nicor’s idea and that Peoples is still reviewing it. Sources hear that Peoples intends to file with the Illinois Commerce Commission for a rate hike as soon as this month, so that’s presumably more on the minds of the utility and Wisconsin-based parent WEC Energy Group than Nicor’s bid to convince lawmakers to let it set rates via a truncated annual-formula process. Gas utilities currently must use the traditional route, requesting rate hikes at times of their choosing from the ICC and going through an exhaustive 11-month review process.
Naperville-based Nicor, a unit of Atlanta-based Southern, has obtained ICC approval of two rate hikes in the past two years, together adding $261 million in additional revenue from ratepayers. With Peoples not having received a rate increase since 2015, its request is likely to be a whopper whenever it arrives. And it will come at a time when Chicago households are showing increasing difficulty paying their heating bills. […]
The average residential customer in the city paid $1,222 for natural gas last year. That includes many dwellers of small homes and condominiums, so average usage is less than that of Nicor’s customers in the suburbs.
*** UPDATE *** Interesting news from Steve Daniels…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants Illinois to approve legislation putting the state on the path to 100 percent clean energy in the foreseeable future. But, unlike virtually every other major energy bill the state has enacted in the past two decades, he doesn’t want Commonwealth Edison to write it.
So he’s calling in reinforcements. The governor’s office has hired Doug Scott, former Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman under Gov. Pat Quinn, as a consultant to advise on legislation to advance more clean-energy development in Illinois.
As ICC chair, Scott, now vice president for electricity and efficiency at Minneapolis-based consultancy Great Plains Institute, led Quinn’s ultimately unsuccessful effort to kill ComEd’s smart grid bill in 2011, which permits the utility to raise rates via an annual formula that gives regulators little say.
Before that, he was director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. He spent many years in Springfield before his administrative roles as a Democratic state representative from Rockford.
12 Comments
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
