After the Senate voted 52-3 to override Bruce Rauner’s veto of the Debt Transparency Act, JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“With our bill backlog reaching another record-high, I’m relieved that the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to override Bruce Rauner’s veto of the Debt Transparency Act,” said JB Pritzker. “This override is a sign that bipartisan members of the General Assembly are ready to bring transparency to the damage this failed governor has done to our state. I applaud Comptroller Susana Mendoza for standing up for taxpayers and being a true fiscal watchdog as Bruce Rauner drives our state’s finances into the ground. I look forward to standing with Susana as governor to get our fiscal house in order and bring stability back to Illinois.”
“I sound like a high school boy,” says state Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, in a moment of blinding clarity on the 437th page of what I’m calling “The Silverstein-Rotheimer Papers,” a printout of 17 months’ worth of Facebook messages between Silverstein and victim rights advocate Denise Rotheimer.
Rotheimer released this tome to certain members of the media last week as evidence, she said, of the “torment” she suffered due to Silverstein’s “unconscionable” sexual harassment of her while he was sponsoring a bill that she was backing in Springfield.
Rotheimer’s accusations were magnified by the current focus in the news on predatory behavior, from inappropriate to illegal, which was touched off by widespread allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. And they resulted in Silverstein losing a seat in party leadership that paid him $20,649 a year.
Fair enough, I suppose. “The Silverstein-Rotheimer Papers” show that the veteran North Side lawmaker engaged in an inappropriately personal relationship with a woman who personal and political propriety demanded he keep at arm’s length. It was an ethical failure.
Notably, though, there’s little to no evidence in the 444-page record of Silverstein, 57 and married, threatening, harassing, intimidating or propositioning Rotheimer, 45 and single. Rather, as Silverstein says, he sounds in this to me like a high school boy — goofy, smitten and awkward as he flirts with a woman who, it seems to me, coyly leads him along.
Rotheimer tried to put this into context yesterday, so click here if you missed it. She adamantly denies that the relationship was mutual.
I don’t know anyone who believes that Sen. Silverstein is the perfect poster child for sexual harassment. He’s not on anybody’s top ten list. But I also believe that, at minimum, he behaved unprofessionally with Rotheimer. Also keep in mind that there are no perfect victims in this world.
Of course there are plenty of men here, doubtless in positions of authority, who read this as flirting. That’s gross, guys. She isn’t flirting, and all the women in subordinate positions to you who respond similarly aren’t flirting with you — they’re trying to get you to stop without you screaming at them or hitting them. The 20-year-old waitress does not find your 50-year-old flirting charming, she finds it creepy. The secretary you’re engaging in “flirtatious banter” with is not amused, she’s trying not to get fired and hating you like fire.
Reached on Tuesday, Rotheimer urged the new legislative inspector general to move quickly to resolve her complaint, which she filed nearly a year ago.
As for Silverstein, she said he has no one to blame but himself.
“I’m not going to apologize for how things are coming out on him,” Rotheimer said. “That’s on him. That’s on the people in Springfield who decided to sweep my complaint under the rug. That’s on them, not me.”
* And Senate President Cullerton has a suggestion…
But Illinois Senate President John Cullerton’s office noted the Legislative Ethics Commission should be responsible for notifying victims since the panel has the responsibility to take in complaints and follow through with victims.
“One of the problems we’ve identified is the lack of follow through in notifying victims that their complaints were received, who they can contact and where they can send additional information if they have any,” Cullerton spokesman John Patterson said in a statement. “There needs to be a clear line of notification and communication. It’s an issue that would be best handled by the ethics commission and its executive director.”
Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, said there is a “disconnect” in Springfield in which people call for an end to the culture of sexual harassment but “there are enough folks walking around who still don’t know what it is they are not supposed to be doing.”
Hutchinson told a story of when she started lobbying and was trying to land her first contract. She was at a luncheon, and the “head person on this bill told me that the only reason I was there was so that we could put my beautiful black breasts on sale,” she said.
“Now, I was just starting out. I hadn’t gone to law school yet. I had absolutely no power to speak out. I had just one client in my pocket I was trying to work. That is an example of a conversation that crosses three things: it was generational, it was racist and it was sexist.
“I didn’t know there was any place that I could have gone to say anything about it at the time,” Hutchinson said.
…Adding… I’ve been telling subscribers about these two folks since Monday morning…
Ram Villivalam, SEIU Healthcare’s legislative coordinator and former political director to U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider’s campaign, tells us he’s challenging embattled state Sen. Ira Silverstein in the Democratic primary. Silverstein last week resigned from his leadership post amid sexual harassment allegations leveled by a victims’ rights activist, which he has denied.
Villivalam told POLITICO on Monday he expects to formally file campaign papers today and he set a goal of raising $25,000 in the first week. “I think we need a new and young generation with more diversity in our government. The 8th district has the highest concentration of Asian Americans in the state of Illinois. As an Asian American, it’s time we elect the first Asian American state senator,” said Villivalam, whose parents immigrated to the United States from India. “I want to be a part of the new generation of leaders that we elect who want to listen to everyday people, who want to change the culture in Springfield.”
Villivalam worked as a legislative coordinator for SEIU Healthcare for three years, including combating right to work efforts by Gov. Bruce Rauner, advancing wage issues for home health care workers and child care assistance programs for working parents. “It’s the organization that’s been on the frontline of fighting Bruce Rauner’s disastrous policies,” Villivalam said.
“Their focus has been on California and New York,” said Rauner. “Many of them weren’t aware of Illinois. I spent a great deal of time educating them on the attractiveness of Illinois.”
The governor has remained a persistent critic of an Illinois tax and regulatory structure he contends hold the state back in competition for jobs. Even as Rauner toured Israel, his re-election campaign aired an ad featuring governors of surrounding states thanking Illinois for driving jobs across the border.
“We have the people, we have the workforce, the location, the transportation network and the education system. On fundamentals, we should be the fastest growing state in America,” said Rauner. “We have a very hostile regulatory environment in Illinois. Many companies are leaving because of our regulations and our taxes.”
Rauner said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed pro-business reforms won by Netanyahu, including reducing regulations, cutting taxes and balancing the budget. The Israeli economy is booming as a result, said Rauner.
“He made Israel much more pro-growth and pro-free enterprise,” said Rauner. “He understands what we’re dealing with here in Illinois.”
The full teleconference is here. Rauner told reporters he met with Netanyahu for about an hour and a half. Do you think he could go on and on about Illinois’ “attractiveness” for that long?
…Adding… He tweeted about the teleconference as well…
Need to follow Israel’s model. Unleash Illinois' spirit of innovation. Balance budget. Cut taxes & red tape. Partner on R&D. (2/3)
* He took a lot of heat for voting for the pop tax, but this is still pretty surprising…
Cook County Commissioner Ed Moody, D-Chicago Ridge, said Tuesday he will not run for election next year.
Moody — a longtime top precinct captain for Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan — was appointed to fill a vacancy on the county board a year ago and had said he would seek election to a full term.
But Moody told the Chicago Sun-Times he decided not to run after all because of a serious illness to a member of his family. […]
For decades, Moody and his twin brother Fred have been among the most effective campaign operatives in Madigan’s organization, doing door-to-door election work for candidates endorsed by the speaker in state legislative and municipal races across Illinois.
The stories I’ve heard about those two guys. They could talk a Jeanne Ives supporter into putting up a yard sign for Carol Ammons. OK, maybe they’re not that good, but almost.
Best wishes to his family.
…Adding… Former state Rep. David Miller’s wife Donna announced a few months ago that she’s running for that county board seat. She’s backed by US Rep. Robin Kelly and Sen. Toi Hutchinson.
* The AP interviews new interim Legislative Inspector General and former federal prosecutor Julie Porter…
The first person in two years to hold the post of inspector general for the Illinois General Assembly said Monday she took the temporary position amid Statehouse disarray over sexual-harassment complaints because “I can make a difference here.” […]
“I can make a difference here. This is very important. When we look at our public officials, it’s so important that people have trust in them,” Porter said. “In a perfect world, our public officials would be beyond reproach and always conduct themselves ethically and legally, but when someone puts up a hand and says, ‘I see a problem,’ we should investigate promptly and thoroughly and impartially.
“That is not to say that I prejudge complaints to be founded or believe ahead of time that an investigation should lead anywhere in particular,” Porter said. “But it’s important that people who have complaints are listened to and their complaints are investigated and adjudicated.” […]
Porter said, “I wouldn’t have accepted this appointment if I thought there was nothing I could do to get the state and the citizens out of this current situation.” […]
“There’s no one playbook for how commence an investigation,” Porter said. “You have to use the tools available to you, which may be more limited to me than what I had a federal prosecutor, but I still believe I’ll be able to do work that is meaningful.”
…Adding… Porter was also on Chicago Tonight last night. She’s quite impressive, but she said she is not interested in being appointed the permanent Inspector General.
* Related…
* State Lawmakers Scramble to Tackle Charges of Sexual Harassment: As then-director of the Illinois campaign for Political Reform, Canary was instrumental in 2003 and 2004 with the law that established the legislative inspector general’s office. Canary says it was never intended or equipped to deal with sexual harassment. The office was formed to deal with and investigate other forms of unethical behavior, following scandals involving former Governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. “When we dove into all of this we were really worried about people who were working for the state one day, lobbying the next; who were essentially paying to get bills done, and you know passing money on the statehouse floor. So we were looking at those kinds of governmental issues,” she said Monday. “Sexual harassment existed then. It absolutely did. But we were not talking about the legislative or the executive inspector general as the means to address it.”
Bryant opponent let down by Rauner but calls for broader changes
Dr. Paul Jacobs wants to know why Gov. Bruce Rauner thinks Christians should have to pay for abortions.
“They’re always hollering about the separation of church and state,” Jacobs told the Southwst Illinois News. “People are going to look at (Rauner’s stance) very seriously.” […]
Jacobs, who is running against Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) in the 115th District, hasn’t given up on Rauner, since he says the governor has rejected some spending initiatives Jacobs deemed irresponsible. […]
Rauner faces a possible primary challenge from Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), who has initiated collecting nominating signatures. Jacobs said the challenge could be a good thing, since Rauner also allowed this summer’s record-breaking 32 percent income tax increase, which has angered many Illinoisans. […]
“She’s a conservative leader,” Jacobs said, noting that Ives aligns with him on many major issues. “Also, she’s not a billionaire.”
Rauner vs. Ives seen as strengthening, not weakening, GOP
Dan Ugaste knows whom he will vote for in next year’s governor’s race: a Republican.
Runnng to replace retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th District, Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter that he sees a possible Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) run against Gov. Bruce Rauner as being to the betterment of the entire party. […]
“She’s shown herself to have the right principles and clearly wants what’s best for the state,” he said. “I definitely want to know more about her.”
Dr. Jay Kinzler says he is committed to working with whomever sits in the governor’s chair after next year’s election, but he has been impressed by Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton).
“I think Jeanne is a very hardworking woman,” Kinzler told the DuPage Policy Journal. “I think she has done a great job in Springfield. She doesn’t just follow the crowd. She really uses common sense to help guide her judgment.”
Ives is currently collecting nominating signatures in anticipation of a run for governor. For his part, Kinzler is running to represent District 46 in the House. The district is within DuPage County, covering Carol Stream, Glendale Heights and Villa Park.
The 46th is currently held by Democratic state Rep. Deb Conroy.
Ives described as ‘champion’ who could truly lead GOP
Darren Bailey says Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) is waging her war on Gov. Bruce Rauner for all the right reasons.
“Jeanne Ives has been a champion of conservative ideas,” Bailey told the SE Illinois News. “She is passionate about making our state a better place to live. She genuinely cares about the welfare of our state and its citizens, not advancing an agenda or her bank account.” […]
After supporting Rauner in 2014, Bailey, who has launched his own campaign against Rep. Dave Reis (R-Willow Hill) in the 109th District primary, now views Rauner as having gone back on his word by enacting legislation that allows anyone on Medicaid or state insurance to get an abortion at any time and for any reason.
Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton says Gov. Bruce Rauner has been doing a good overall job of tackling Illinois’ problems.
“I do definitely support the approach the governor has taken in trying to fight bad legislation and decades of deficits and overspending in Springfield,” Patton told the Metro East Sun. “I still support Gov. Rauner and what he has done overall to stand up for conservative government in the state of Illinois and trying to avoid the overspending that we have seen continue to come out of Springfield.” […]
Patton is running against Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) in the 56th district, which covers O’Fallon, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Wood River, Alton and Godfrey.
Althoff opponent looks forward to 2018 gubernatorial primary
Ret. Air Force Col. Craig Wilcox wants Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) in the gubernatorial primary in March 2018.
The McHenry County Board member running to replace Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry) in the 32nd District told the Lake County Gazette that Ives could be exactly what the GOP needs.
“I trust that her integrity and commitment to service are placed at the forefront of her desire to represent the overtaxed voters and over-regulated businesses of Illinois,” Wilcox said. “Her outspoken support of property tax reform, opposition to taxpayer-subsidized abortions,and outrage at the signing of the Trust Act place her at the apex of leading the conservative movement for reform.”
The headline is in error because Althoff isn’t running again. ADDING: They’ve corrected the headline to read: Senate hopeful looks forward to 2018 gubernatorial primary.
* Rep. Allen Skillicorn unveiled this proposal with all of his usual understated subtlety…
As bills go to die in Rules Committee, so too apparently complaints went to an empty office for years never to be seen. As a freshman legislator I am continually shocked by the unbelievable malfeasance in the operation of our government, from bloated budgets and a burgeoning backlog of bills, to the unchecked abuse of power without oversight. The lack of a Legislative Inspector General (LIG) for years is further evidence of an out of control bureaucracy lead by a Democratic Majority that is incapable of recognizing any limit to its power.
Not only did the Ethics Commission neglect to appoint an acting LIG for years in accordance with 5 ILCS 430/25-10 (b)– “If the Office is vacant, or if a Legislative Inspector General resigns, the Commission shall designate an Acting Legislative Inspector General who shall serve until the vacancy is filled.” (Emphasis added)–according to the Daily Line, “A total of $1,875,000 million has been appropriated for an office which has not been occupied and to pay for a staff which doesn’t exist.” While I am pleased that a Special LIG was appointed over the weekend, I would go further and call for a Special Prosecutor to investigate the current complaints.
And speaking of empty offices, where has the Attorney General been? From the AG’s website, “The first female Attorney General of Illinois, Lisa Madigan has long advocated in state government for women’s safety.” Apparently that doesn’t include the shenanigans at the Capitol just up the street. Since the AG has not seen fit to do something tangible about this unacceptable behavior, I have introduced HB4149 which creates a dedicated phone line maintained by the Attorney General through which persons may report instances of sexual harassment.
It is utterly absurd to have the Office of LIG which is supposed to “police” the General Assembly structured as a part-time position with little to no staff appointed with the approval of those same legislators. Further, the Office of LIG must be invested with the power necessary to bring charges forward for prosecution without the approval of legislators. Sexual harassment can take many forms, the most egregious, where power is abused by legislators to intimidate or coerce others, should result in a perp walk where those convicted follow in the footsteps of a few former Governors in “stamping out license plates” at the local prison.
* Press release…
State Representative Lindsay Parkhurst (R – Kankakee) this week filed legislation to strengthen individual property rights in Illinois. The goal is to curb the practice of using eminent domain for private gain. The legislation, HB 4150, amends the eminent domain act to strengthen eminent domain laws to make sure property acquisition is for a necessary public purpose and removes languages referring to freight railroads.
“Eminent Domain should be used only in appropriate circumstances truly necessary for public use. We must not allow our government to take private property for private gain. This bill is intended to strengthen private property rights and prevent the taking of private land for private gain such as the attempt by the Great Lakes Basin Railway,” Rep. Parkhurst said about the bill.
Parkhurst introduced HB 4150 on Monday, November 6 and it awaits committee assignment.
* From Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
We have introduced a resolution and a companion bill requiring a measure of common sense in our State’s pursuit of Amazon.com, Inc.’s new headquarters.
Just recently, the State of Illinois in conjunction with the City of Chicago responded to Amazon’s “request for proposals” with an offer of tax and land incentives. Though the full details of this offer have not been released to the public responsible for subsidizing it, initial reports place the total at several billion dollars.
HR655 urges caution and requests public hearings before any final deal is struck, complete with expert testimony demonstrating to the public whether this is an economically effective use of their money. The multi-billion dollar tax break recently awarded to Foxconn by the state of Wisconsin was widely panned by economists as a massive transfer of wealth from Wisconsin taxpayers to corporate shareholders. This is not an example Illinois wants to follow. The Foxconn deal equates to over $230,000 in tax breaks for each new job promised; HB4131 caps tax incentives offered to Amazon at $50,000 per new job.
“Job growth and retention is crucial”, Rep. Cassidy said. “But fighting with taxpayer money to win a bid from a corporation that has absolutely no financial need for subsidization is a dangerous path to tread.”
Illinois has been burned in deals like this before. In 2011, Illinois gave Sears $275 million to keep its corporate headquarters in the state. Only a few months later, it laid off 100 workers. Illinois taxpayers filled the corporate coffers and actually lost jobs in the process.
New jobs are extremely important, but the true economic impact of trading massive taxpayer subsidies to corporations for promised jobs is poorly understood, and the supposed benefits are the subject of controversy among economists and policy experts.
Capping subsidies at $50,000 ensures at the very least that Illinois won’t get stuck in a deal it regrets for decades. But even so, public hearings should be required before any final deal so Illinoisans know exactly what we’re signing up for.
Today, State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) filed House Bill 4147 to make attacking a DCFS workers in performance of their duties an aggravated battery and a Class 1 felony.
House Bill 4147, filed this week, would make battering a Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in the performance of his/her official duties or in response to their official duties an aggravated battery and a Class 1 felony. Aggravated battery subject perpetrators to more severe penalties when facing prosecution and sentencing.
“My deepest sympathies and get well-wishes go out to the victim of this horrible attack, her family and everyone in her DCFS family. Everyday DCFS workers put themselves at risk to protect the most vulnerable children in our communities,” said Rep. Stewart. “This legislation will give DCFS workers the same protections as policemen, firemen, and peace officers who also put themselves in harm’s way.”
This legislation is in response to the September 29th tragedy where a 59-year-old DCFS worker in Milledgeville was checking on a child when she was viciously assaulted by the child’s father.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration is violating state labor law by refusing to allow thousands of state workers to move as scheduled through the state pay plan over the past two years, a state appellate court has ruled.
The state pay plan and collective bargaining agreements provide for state employees to progress via step increases after being hired. But Gov. Rauner’s Department of Central Management Services (CMS) has blocked employees represented by AFSCME—the largest union of state workers—from progressing through the pay plan’s steps since July 1, 2015, when the union’s most recent contract was scheduled to expire.
The appellate court’s decision reverses the Rauner-appointed Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB)’s dismissal of the union’s charge that the administration had committed an unfair labor practice by blocking step progression through the pay plan.
“We’re pleased that the court has halted Governor Rauner’s illegal action preventing thousands of public service workers from receiving their lawful step increases. This is money that working people were promised when they were hired, money they have earned and are counting on to help support their families and pay their bills,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said.
“Illegally denying steps to the newest-hired and lowest-paid state employees fits Bruce Rauner’s pattern of anti-worker behavior,” Lynch added. “Rauner should refrain from appealing this decision and move swiftly to place employees at the appropriate step on the pay scale.”
In its initial charge and its appeal, AFSCME pointed out that state law prevents either party to a collective bargaining agreement from making unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment while a new agreement is being negotiated, and requires employers to maintain the status quo.
“[T]here is no dispute that the step increases are a term or condition of employment, and there is no real question that [the Rauner administration] made a unilateral decision to withhold the step increases during negotiations,” the court found. “… [T]he ILRB’s finding that CMS did not commit an unfair labor practice was clearly erroneous”.
The court’s unanimous decision was issued today by a panel of three judges in the fifth appellate district.
The ruling is not yet posted online and I’ve asked the governor’s office for comment.
The Labor Board ruled in our favor on the issue of step increases. Today the 5th District Appellate Court ruled against the State on that step issue and remanded the matter back to the Labor Board for further proceedings. The State is reviewing the decision and will decide shortly what next steps it plans to take.
On April 14th, J.B. Pritzker pledged to release his tax returns ’soon.’ Now, six months later, we’re hearing the same old promises from Pritzker, who continues to stall and hope this goes away.
Other Democrats have already challenged Pritzker on his obfuscation, and Illinois voters are demanding to see what Pritzker is hiding.
We already know that he has gamed the system through fellow Madigan crony Joe Berrios so he could receive a $230,000 tax break on his Gold Coast Chicago mansion.
What else might Pritzker be hiding? If you ask Pritzker, we’ll find out ‘soon.’
Citizens for Rauner today released a new tv ad highlighting the corrupt Madigan Machine that has run Illinois for too long.
Governor Rauner has worked tirelessly to make state government work for all Illinoisans. He closed the revolving door between government and lobbyists, helping to clean up Springfield. He’s brought thousands of jobs to Illinois, and vetoed Mike Madigan’s 32 percent tax hike on Illinois families.
Bruce’s efforts have reduced unemployment, pushed back on big spenders in the state house, and shown the Madigan Machine that the people of Illinois are not going to put up with corrupt, insider government any longer.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, but Bruce is fighting every day to destroy the Madigan Machine and bring real change to our state — because Illinois is home, and home is worth fighting for.
Governor Bruce Rauner continued his Hollywood-inspired ad campaign this morning, this time releasing an ad that has to be labeled as science fiction. In pure fantasy, the ad claims that Rauner has “brought in thousands of new jobs” and that “unemployment is down.” In fact, Bruce Rauner has one of the worst job creation records in the nation and his two-year budget crisis only made it worse.
Since September 2016, Illinois has only created 3,700 jobs. That’s a job growth rate of 0.06% and good for third worst in the nation, behind only Kansas and Wyoming. Comparatively, the nation grew jobs at a rate of 1.23% over that time period. And Illinois’ unemployment rate is still one of the highest in the nation.
Rauner’s been running a reelection campaign in an alternate universe with some of his claims; this latest ad on jobs only follows that pattern.
Oh, and there’s a robot.
“Rauner’s claims to have grown jobs in Illinois is pure science fiction,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “In reality, Rauner hurt Illinois by forcing the state through a two-year budget impasse that drove up debt and drove out people. Illinois’ economy is lagging under Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership. Illinois voters won’t be fooled by ads set in alternate universes – they’ll remember that Rauner’s failed to grow jobs like he promised.”
