When the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy looked at every state with an income tax, guess who they said was the most unfair?
That’s right. It’s Illinois.
It’s time for that to change. As governor, I’ll fight to pass a progressive income tax. It will make the wealthy pay more, provide support for priorities like education and reduce the tax burden on middle class families.
Let’s make our tax system fair and bring real change to Illinois.
*** UPDATE 1 *** There’s a problem with Pritzker’s analysis.
If you look at ITEP’s Illinois analysis [click here], you’ll see that the share of family income going to the state’s personal income tax is actually quite a bit less for the lowest 20 percent of earners than it is for the highest earners. That’s likely because of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
The real culprits are sales and property taxes. The bottom 20 percent pay 7.1 percent of their family income to the sales tax, compared to 0.8 percent for the top 1 percent. And the bottom 20 percent spend 4.9 percent of household income on property taxes, compared to 1.8 percent for the top 1 percent.
So, while he’s right that our tax system is unfair, his solution won’t do anything about the really regressive taxes.
The study, Who Pays?, provides insight into the drivers behind the unfairness encoded into Illinois’ existing tax system. Illinois relies heavily on taxes that are not based on ability to pay, but rather on a flat rate. Further, unlike most other states, Illinois does not have an income tax where taxpayers with higher incomes pay a higher rate and taxpayers with lower incomes pay a lower rate. As a result, the income tax doesn’t bring more balance to the overall tax system by offsetting the higher share of income that poorer taxpayers pay in sales and property taxes.
One positive aspect of Illinois’ tax system is the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which lets low- and moderate-income working families keep more of their earnings to help pay for things that help them keep working, such as child care and transportation. To improve tax fairness in Illinois, lawmakers should increase the value of the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the ILGOP…
J.B. Pritzker supported the income tax hike without reform, engineered a property tax scam that saved him over $230,000, and is partnering with Mike Madigan, who profits from Illinois’ broken property tax system. Pritzker pretending to care about fair taxes is just his latest scam.
* The Olympia Fields Democrat will have served 6 terms by January of 2019. He was active in the behind the scenes efforts to convince Democrats to vote for the tax hike and attract Republican votes to the bill. He’s probably best known for his transportation work, particularly on mass transit.
He’s a smart man who puts in the work and he’s gonna be missed.
* Press release…
State Representative Al Riley announces that he will not seek re-election in 2018, thus ending six terms representing the 38th District in Springfield. Riley came to the House in January 2007. One of his main goals was to focus on the development of the south suburban region. Riley also attempted to highlight regional inequities in the distribution of resources throughout Chicagoland.
“Residents of the Southland have always had some of the longest times to work of anyone in the Chicago metropolitan area.”, Riley says. “Similarly, reaching entertainment venues, schools or other places has always been difficult.” Because of that, Riley has always been a champion of transportation equity. As Chairman of the House Mass Transit Committee, Riley presided over numerous hearings, and developed policies and legislation to address many of those issues.
Riley co-sponsored the bills which created public-private partnerships for the South Suburban Airport and Illiana Expressway. He also was the sponsor of legislation, which abolished “Section 41” of the Metropolitan Transit Act of 1945. The abolition of Section 41 negated the CTA’s ability to throw out a claimant’s injury lawsuit if a minor detail was missing from the claim.
Riley and his other Southland colleagues worked collaboratively to develop the I-294/I-57 interchange and bridge projects. He also started the process, almost ten years ago, to secure new Highliner cars on the Metra Electric line that had bathroom facilities; the last commuter rail line to have such facilities. Recently, he was the chief sponsor of a bill creating a process for the sale of the Thompson Center and a bill creating a framework for procurement reform, which was recently signed into law
During his tenure, Riley has served on numerous committees; chairing Cities and Villages, Mass Transit and State Government Administration. “I guess one could look at the committees I chaired, and get an idea of my philosophical bent”, Riley says. Riley also served two terms as Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House. “I really enjoyed my tenure in House leadership”. “It gave me a larger platform from which to discuss, create policies, and help my colleagues in a more official position”, Riley says. Riley’s intention is to serve out his current term in the House, which ends January, 2019.
“Many of the things I set out to accomplish in 2007, I have done so”, says Riley. “If a few did not fully come to fruition, I am proud that I raised the issue and in many cases, got laws on the books”. “My plan is to continue that kind of advocacy once my legislative career ends”, Riley says.
…Adding… The updated retirement list…
Another day, another name added to the list of legislators choosing to leave the Illinois General Assembly pic.twitter.com/JhkBfxDZmq
Representative Al Riley has been a leader for our communities and a strong voice representing the Southland in Springfield. Rep. Riley helped to usher in a great expansion in the south suburban region, leading to economic and social growth.
He was a great battle buddy to have in Springfield, however Rep. Riley will still be engaged in fighting for families across the Southland. I wish him all the best and look forward to working with him in other capacities.
* On Friday afternoon, I sent all the Democratic gubernatorial campaigns a link to this story…
Time is running out on Governor Bruce Rauner to act on a bill that would change the way websites track a user’s location and how they store that data.
The bill is here. Notice that an amendment specifically exempted political committees. How convenient.
* Gov. Rauner vetoed the bill later that afternoon. From the Chicagoland Chamber’s response…
Protecting consumer privacy is important, but not when that legislation is designed to open up businesses of all sizes to litigation. This bill would have directly contradicted the FTC’s call for short, in-context disclosures, which are more effective and easier for consumers to understand.
(T)he Governor’s veto is a betrayal of consumer trust and total failure to people who value their personal privacy. The Governor’s action is a clear message that he values his Silicon Valley friends more than the people and small businesses in Illinois.
Ari Scharg is a board member for the alliance. He’s also a partner at Edelson PC, “a consumer protection firm based in Chicago and San Francisco.” The alliance’s legislative director is Jacob Wright, an attorney at Edelson PC.
Edelson PC and its namesake have been contributing to legislators since August of last year, and many of those contributions were in the $10K range.
When technology executives imagine the boogeyman, they see a baby-face guy in wire-rim glasses. His name is Jay Edelson.
Mr. Edelson, 42, is a class-action lawyer. He is also, if not the most hated person in Silicon Valley, very close to it. His firm, Edelson PC, specializes in suing technology companies, claiming privacy violations. He has gone after pretty much every tech company you have heard of — Amazon, Apple, Google — as well as many that you have not.
He’s stirred up some stuff in Cook County, too. Click here.
* So, I was mainly curious what JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy thought about the bill, since Pritzker has been very involved in the tech community through his work to set up 1871. The wildly successful tech center is located in the Merchandise Mart, which Kennedy ran. But I also wanted to give everyone else a chance to weigh in, so I asked the campaigns: “As governor, would your candidate sign this bill into law? Why or why not?”
* Here are their answers in order of their submission…
Gubernatorial Candidate Tio Hardiman supports HB3449 and would sign this bill into law because it is very important that we protect consumers on all levels. As leaders, we should always find a way to make sure that people come first and agreeing to allow websites owners or APP developers to track or store information about consumers without their permission could present serious problems for the majority of consumers in the state of Illinois.
* Next…
Bob Daiber says he would sign HB3449 because this legislation brings a dimension of privacy for consumers. Daiber said in today’s digital world, individuals should possess the right to grant consent before information is tracked or stored in a database.
* Sen. Daniel Biss…
“Litesa and I both strongly supported this bill in the spring, and I would definitely sign it.
“As the recent Equifax breach reminded us, neither corporations nor the government can be blindly trusted with our personal data. That’s why I’ve led on these issues in the Senate, introducing legislation to limit police surveillance, crack down on banks selling credit card data, stop Equifax from profiting off their data breach by selling data protection services, and more. We need a Governor who will stand up and protect all Illinoisans, not a Governor who continually sides with millionaires and big corporations over the rest of us.”
* Pawar’s campaign initially sent me a press release about the governor’s veto, then sent me this…
Yes, Ameya Pawar would have signed HB 3449, the geolocation privacy bill. It’s a shame Gov. Rauner chose to protect big corporations instead of consumer privacy. Because of his veto, Illinois missed an opportunity to become the first state to codify these protections and lead the way nationally on geolocation legislation.
Rauner saying this bill would result in job losses without improving privacy protections is false. It’s merely an attempt to distract from his strict pro-business agenda that protects the billionaire class while ignoring the needs of working families.
Pawar would have signed the geolocation privacy bill because he believes government exists to serve its residents and protect their privacy, especially when private consumer information is being used to serve corporate self-interests without their consent. Giving consumers more control over what information is shared, and to whom, is necessary for increasing transparency and restoring trust in our institutions.
* Now, here’s Chris Kennedy…
Yes, signing this bill allows the consumer to hold the power when it comes to the personal information they share with businesses. I trust the wisdom of the consumer more than the wisdom of government regulators or corporate competitors. Let them decide to opt in or opt out. In the age of Equifax and Russia meddling in our political elections, our priority should be to protect people online and build trust among consumers.
* JB Pritzker…
As governor, I will sign the Geolocation Privacy Protection Act. Protecting digital privacy ought to be a priority for our state and for our nation. Without federal action, we need to make sure every mobile phone user in Illinois isn’t having their location information tracked by companies without a user’s explicit permission.
I thought it might be possible that one of those two guys would break from the pack on this topic. I should’ve known better.
…Adding… From comments…
Rich ,
How about this little twist ….. Aren’t we recruiting Amazon to the State of Illinois?
* I’m told the governor is meeting Thursday with a couple of Republican legislators who are opposed to HB40…
“I’m gonna keep doing what I’ve been doing and that is listening to advocates all across the state of Illinois and also meeting with legislators about it,” Rauner said following an unrelated appearance at a Chicago charter school on Monday. “And then we’ll be deciding where to go from there.”
Rauner said that he will make a decision in the “near future” but would not elaborate further about a timeline for action.
“These are complex issues, they’re very heartfelt, very strong, strong views on all sides and I want to make sure that I respect everyone in the process and listen to their points of view,” the Republican governor said.
He declined to say whether he might use his AV powers on the bill.
“This is a disturbing pattern with Bruce Rauner: he says one thing and does another thing. This is a very disturbing pattern of Bruce Rauner being a politician,” said Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, noting that conservatives are already frustrated with Rauner for signing a law they decry as making Illinois a “sanctuary state” because it says that law enforcement cannot detain someone based solely on his or her immigration status, as well as a new education funding law that sends more money to Chicago Public Schools.
“A lot of conservatives are very upset,” McSweeney said. “People are very, very focused on the fact that Bruce Rauner needs to keep his word.”
* But “keep his word” to whom? In April, his office said he’d veto the bill. But back in 2014, gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner wrote this on his Personal PAC questionnaire…
“I fundamentally believe that abortion should be a woman’s private decision, hopefully in consultation with her loved ones and her faith community, and that decision should not be impeded by government,” Rauner wrote in reply to Personal PAC’s questionnaire.
“This principle should apply to all women, regardless of income level or location of residency. As governor, I will work to ensure equal access to contraception and abortion services. It is my hope that by increasing access to reproductive health services we can reduce the incidence of abortions in Illinois, while ensuring that women who do make this decision receive services in a timely manner,” he wrote.
Rauner added: “My highest priority in this area will be to ensure effective administration of the laws regarding access to contraception and provide that access regardless of income. I dislike the Illinois law that restricts abortion coverage under the state Medicaid plan and state employees’ health insurance because I believe it unfairly restricts access based on income. I would support a legislative effort to reverse that law.”
Additionally, Rauner checked “yes” boxes on questions about whether he would sign bills repealing the so-called trigger law as well as legislation about lifting Medicaid and state-employee insurance restrictions.
…Adding… Pritzker campaign…
“Bruce Rauner has gone from yes, to no, to undecided on HB40 in a shameless attempt to pander to voters,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Now his time is up and this spineless governor must decide which promise to break and which Illinoisans to betray.”
Jeff Stein
Some right-wing conservatives think Sharia law is a danger to America — do you?
Roy Moore
There are communities under Sharia law right now in our country. Up in Illinois. Christian communities; I don’t know if they may be Muslim communities.
But Sharia law is a little different from American law. It is founded on religious concepts.
Jeff Stein
Which American communities are under Sharia law? When did they fall under Sharia law?
Roy Moore
Well, there’s Sharia law, as I understand it, in Illinois, Indiana — up there. I don’t know.
Jeff Stein
That seems like an amazing claim for a Senate candidate to make.
Roy Moore
Well, let me just put it this way — if they are, they are; if they’re not, they’re not.
“Up there. I don’t know.”
Whew, man.
*** UPDATE *** I didn’t realize this, but Politifact has already looked into the matter…
After checking with multiple experts, we found no evidence of such a community. What we did find was a satirical Daily Beast article headlined, “Next, We Muslims Bring Sharia to Indiana.” We rate Moore’s statement Pants on Fire.
* Normington, Petts & Associates poll, taken Sept. 11-13 of 500 registered Chicago voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent…
Would you say things in Chicago are generally headed in the RIGHT DIRECTION or would you say things are pretty seriously off on the WRONG TRACK?
RIGHT DIRECTION 20% WRONG TRACK 66
DON’T KNOW 14
Whew, man.
* Interesting that they don’t really know whom to blame, but more point at Gov. Rauner than anyone else…
Changing subjects, which of the following do you blame the most for Chicago’s financial problems? [READ AND RANDOMIZE]
GOVERNOR BRUCE RAUNER 22%
FORMER MAYOR RICHARD DALEY 20
MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL 16
THE STATE LEGISLATURE 16
THE CITY COUNCIL 10
UNIONS REPRESENTING CITY EMPLOYEES 4
(DON’T KNOW) 12
Do you STRONGLY AGREE, SOMEWHAT AGREE, SOMEWHAT DISAGREE or STRONGLY DISAGREE that the budget and fiscal problems at the city and state level are hurting business expansion in Chicago?
* Meanwhile, the poll found that 16 percent of Chicagoans had a favorable opinion of President Trump, while 75 percent had an unfavorable opinion. Gov. Rauner’s numbers were 19 favorable, 59 unfavorable. Mayor Emanuel’s were 33 favorable, 45 unfavorable. JB Pritzker’s were 29 favorable, 21 unfavorable [10 percent very unfavorable]. And Chris Kennedy’s were 19 favorable, 18 unfavorable [8 percent very unfavorable].
* The poll also found that the Chicago Police Department rated a 50 percent favorable rating compared to a 30 percent unfavorable rating.
What most people want to know is how the results break down by race. Of African-Americans polled, it does change, although not as much as I expected. The breakdown is: 11 percent very favorable; 24 percent somewhat favorable; 23 percent neutral; 17 percent somewhat unfavorable; and 20 percent very unfavorable.
…Adding… From Kitty Kurth…
Hey Rich - this poll that you quoted is the Temkin/Harris poll commissioned by Max Temkin from Cards Against Humanity and Melissa Harris. They will be doing these “mood of the city” polls periodically.
* Apparently, I’m told, the governor is saying this to people and word got back to Madigan…
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Monday:
“Contrary to reports, I have received no requests from Governor Rauner for further meetings on the budget or to work towards reducing the spending levels contained within the budget. The bipartisan budget enacted in July, despite the governor’s refusal to negotiate, included nearly $3 billion in cuts to government bureaucracy. Even as Republicans and Democrats came together to make cuts and enact a budget based on the governor’s own revenue projections, Governor Rauner refused to participate in the process despite our repeated requests. As was true then, I remain ready to work with the governor to make further adjustments to the budget.
“I believe Representative Greg Harris’ budget working group, who was largely responsible for crafting the budget we passed, is best equipped to continue discussion on the budget. Therefore, I have directed Representatives Harris, Carol Ammons, Kelly Burke, Kelly Cassidy, Fred Crespo, Will Davis, Robyn Gabel, Will Guzzardi, Lisa Hernandez, Elaine Nekritz, Elgie Sims and Mike Zalewski to work with the governor’s budget office and our House and Senate colleagues.”
…Adding… Before you start firing off on Rauner in comments, the governor hasn’t said this in public that I can find and the Madigan people can’t point to anything the governor has said in public.
Despite expressing interest in running for Illinois attorney general, outgoing state lawmaker Elaine Nekritz won’t be seeking the position after all.
“I’ve decided against it, it was a family decision,” Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat, told the Daily Herald Sunday.
She said the move “simply wasn’t the right time for my husband and family,” and she dismissed questions of any political pressure placed on her to bow out of the race.
Nekritz’s announcement slightly narrows the already crowded field to replace four-term officeholder Lisa Madigan, a Chicago Democrat.
State Sen. Kwame Raoul has not only emerged as the Dem frontrunner for attorney general, but Sneed hears Senate President John Cullerton not only pitched him his support on the phone Friday — but “I’m helping him put together a team,” said Cullerton.
“The guy is a star,” he said.
“Just watch.”
* Meanwhile, Tom Bowen was on Rick Pearson’s WGN Radio show yesterday morning and made an interesting point about why so many mostly unknown unknown people are talking about running for this office. Donald Trump’s election, he said, “showed everybody that unconventional things can happen.” Bowen said it has “caused a lot of folks to reevaluate,” and ask themselves “Why not me?”
Ten days after a ballyhooed kick-off, the chief administrator of Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability has told Mayor Rahm Emanuel she is planning to resign to run for Illinois attorney general, City Hall sources said Monday.
Sharon Fairley’s departure would be a stunning blow for a newly-created agency struggling to regain public trust shattered by the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and prove that it is more than just a name change from the widely-discredited and now-abolished Independent Police Review Authority.
* We all know what President Trump said about the NFL protests, and we know what happened with the Steelers before Sunday’s game in Chicago, but here’s what Gov. Rauner says…
GUESS WHO HAS A FINANCIAL STAKE IN THE STEELERS? Gov. Bruce Rauner. And on Sunday, the governor called the NFL protests disrespectful to veterans, to the U.S. flag and to the anthem.
“I strongly disagree with those who disrespect our flag and our anthem,” Rauner told POLITICO through a spokesman. “To me they are disrespecting the foundations of our country, the veterans who risked their lives for our democracy, and the men and women who fight every day and make the ultimate sacrifice to defend our liberties.” […]
While Rauner’s statement supports Trump’s characterization that the demonstrations are a sign of disrespect, he didn’t go as far as the president in urging a boycott of teams or the firing of players as retribution.
“I personally cannot and will not condone such behavior,” Rauner’s statement continued. “That said, our country is great because it guarantees freedom of expression, so people can choose to be disrespectful.”
Keep your comments confined to what the governor said, please. Thanks.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
Daniel Biss released the following statement in response to Governor Rauner’s condemnation of NFL protests.
“Our country was founded on relentlessly pursuing liberty, fighting injustice, and doing our part to build a more perfect union. So let’s be clear—protests at NFL games this weekend and over the past year are responding to police brutality and institutional racism, and there isn’t anything more fundamentally American than that. We should all be taking a knee.
“But by embracing Donald Trump’s condemnation, Bruce Rauner joins his fellow inexperienced billionaire in misleading the public about the purpose of these protests. As a father, husband, state senator, and candidate for governor, I know that it is my responsibility to be part of the solution—especially as Rauner and Trump have continued to be part of the problem.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Pawar campaign…
“It’s frightening when our leaders frame peaceful and non-violent demonstrations against racism, bigotry, and injustice as disrespectful to our flag and military. Make no mistake, this is the same tactic Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner use to suppress the voices of Black Lives Matter activists who speak out on police brutality and institutional racism. They get labeled as anti-police and are accused of disrespecting the job of first responders. This is wrong.
“That said, it’s equally frightening when our elected leaders drive wedges between people based on race, class, and geography so that their political base becomes the largest group that remains. This is how racists and bigots hold onto power. By changing the frame of the protest, Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner continually fail to understand and express empathy for the experiences of the marginalized in the United States of America. This is the definition of white privilege. And it’s a slap in the face to everyone who has marched, fought, and given their lives for civil rights,” said Ameya Pawar, 47th Ward alderman and Democratic candidate for governor.
“Gov. Bruce Rauner is quick to take a stand against professional athletes who choose to take a knee to peacefully protest police brutality and institutional racism, but he won’t take a stand on the Graham-Cassidy bill which would cause a million Illinoisans to lose health insurance. He also refuses to take a hard stand on H.B. 40, a bill which aims to protect women’s medical rights in Illinois.
“As Illinois residents and voters, I think it’s our right to know where the Governor stands on the issues facing our state. Whether we agree or disagree with any given position, we need a governor with enough courage to state his position and then defend it. That’s honorable. Bruce Rauner is a coward,” said Tom Elliott, communications director for the Ameya Pawar for Governor campaign.
*** UPDATE 3 *** JB Pritzker…
“The decision of NFL players to take a knee to protest racial injustice is entirely American. It is an expression of our country’s foundational rights and beliefs. I would urge Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner to redirect their outrage to our broken criminal justice system instead of a peaceful protest. Let’s have a conversation about how we address what they’re protesting, not their right to protest.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** DGA…
“The fact that Bruce Rauner will comment on a sports debate and not on legislation that can take away health care from a million Illinois residents shows just how misplaced his priorities really are,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Time after time Rauner has refused to protect or fight for Illinois families on issues of extreme consequence. His abdication of leadership on issues like Trumpcare will only lead to families getting hurt. But just like he did on the state’s education bill, Rauner’s decided to play into the politics of division in support of his political future. Rauner’s statement on the NFL protest is just another example of his failed leadership.”
* Subscribers were told about the probability of this happening on Friday. From the Tribune…
A Democratic state senator said he will lift his procedural hold on a bill that would expand taxpayer-subsidized abortions for women who have Medicaid or state employee health insurance coverage, sending the measure to a Republican governor who’s offered mixed signals on the issue.
Sen. Don Harmon’s move Monday means Gov. Bruce Rauner will have 60 days to decide what to do with House Bill 40. The legislation has become the focus of abortion rights groups that contend the re-election-seeking Rauner won his first term by saying he had no social agenda and noting his prior financial support of organizations that back women’s reproductive health rights.
Harmon said he had not received any assurances that Rauner would sign the measure after the governor’s prior veto pledge, but said he believed it was time to officially send the measure to Rauner’s desk. […]
Abortion rights advocacy groups had said they did not want to see the measure go to Rauner’s desk until the governor had committed to sign it as is. Harmon said he expected the groups would strengthen their current campaign pushing the governor to sign the bill after it reaches his desk.
I asked the governor’s office for a response early this morning, but have yet to hear back.
Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) released the following statement today after withdrawing the hold he had placed on House Bill 40:
“The work of constituents and advocates who have urged the governor to sign this legislation appears to be having some effect, as the governor recently backed away from his promise to veto it. I believe Gov. Rauner understands that he has made a commitment to support women’s reproductive rights, and I look forward to him signing this bill as it passed the General Assembly.”
House Bill 40 protects the right of women to make decisions about their reproductive health by ensuring that abortion remains legal in Illinois even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The measure moves to the House now, which is expected to send it quickly to the governor’s desk.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Planned Parenthood…
“We urge Governor Rauner to sign HB 40 and safeguard the right of women to safe and legal abortion regardless of how much money they make or how they get health care coverage.” said Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO, Jennifer Welch. “With reproductive rights under attack at the federal level, it is essential to make sure that women will have access to safe and legal abortion in Illinois.
HB 40 repeals the “trigger” language in the Illinois Abortion law of 1975, which stated that Illinois would revert back to criminalizing abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the decision in Roe v. Wade. The authority to outlaw or severely restrict abortion would return to the states, if the court were to overturn Roe. HB 40 ensures that no matter what happens, federally, abortion will remain legal in Illinois. In addition, HB 40 strikes bans on abortion coverage by the Illinois’ Medicaid and State Employee Health Insurance programs. Coverage bans were enacted in the 1970s by politicians who wanted to keep as many women as possible from accessing abortion without running afoul of the Roe decision.
“Signing HB 40 into law will demonstrate that Illinois respects women to make their own personal decisions,” added Welch. “The women of Illinois are depending on Governor Rauner to do the right thing.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** I’m told that HB40 has been received by the governor’s office.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Pritzker campaign…
“HB 40 is now on Bruce Rauner’s desk, but women and families in our state still don’t know if their governor will sign this critical legislation,” said JB Pritzker. “Illinoisans shouldn’t have to force Bruce Rauner’s hand to stand up for their basic rights. Even though he promised to veto HB 40, I urge the governor to sign the bill without delay, and if he won’t, then HB 40 will be the first bill I sign into law as governor. It is time to send an unwavering advocate for women to Springfield – not someone who campaigns as one and then turns his back after getting elected.”
*** UPDATE 5 *** Sen. Daniel Biss…
“After promising to sign every provision of HB40, Rauner is playing politics instead of standing up for a woman’s right to choose. But as Rauner waits to see where the wind blows, hundreds of thousands of women wonder what Trump’s America could mean for them. Amidst attacks from Washington, we have a responsibility to defend every Illinoisan—that’s why I co-sponsored HB40, and why I’m calling on Rauner to sign it into law today.”
*** UPDATE 6 *** Kennedy campaign…
Bruce Rauner has the chance to prove that he is the pro-choice candidate he said he was when he was ran for office. Illinois should be the kind of state that builds on the great accomplishments of the past - Roe v. Wade, Title IX, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - and guarantees that women have fair and equal rights.
We cannot go back to a time when anyone tells a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. If you take away a woman’s reproductive freedom, you’re taking away her economic mobility. Bruce Rauner needs to sign HB 40 to protect women’s rights and the future of our state.
