* Unlike House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton will send a delegate to the We Are One Ilinois’ pension “summit” this month. But Cullerton had some harsh words for those who believe that tax hikes are the answer to the pension problems…
“This notion of having to have no sacrifice from the pensioneers and have us just raise taxes and then spend it on them …,” Cullerton said. “What if we had $2 billion in new revenue? Why not do a capital bill? Why not spend more money on human services or pay old bills?”
[Cullerton] also singled out Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, for blaming lawmakers for underfunding pensions.
“He forgets about the fact he was negotiating what some would say were generous contracts eating up the money instead of putting it in the pension fund,” Cullerton said.
The relationship between legislative leaders and public employee unions is strained, Cullerton said, “because the unions are opposed to any changes in the law that’s going to go anywhere toward solving the problem.”
State Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Belvidere) on Monday introduced a constitutional amendment, House Joint Constitutional Amendment 11, that would strike a 38-word paragraph of the Illinois Constitution that prohibits the reduction of public employee pension benefits.
A key stumbling block in the search for any viable legislative formula to restrain the costs of Illinois public pension costs is the language in the Illinois Constitution that states that public pension benefits “shall not be diminished or impaired.”
* State Sen. Toi Hutchinson has refused to release her NRA questionnaires, undoubtedly because she used to be pretty solidly pro gun rights and is now running as a mostly gun control candidate who supports a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines.
The questionnaire shows Hutchinson was asked if she would support “state legislation restricting the private possession, ownership, purchase, sale and/or transfer of any semi-automatic firearms.” She responded, “No, I would oppose such legislation.” The question also included the issue of large-capacity ammunition magazines.
Additionally, when asked by the NRA if Hutchinson would support “legislation making it a crime to fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm,” she replied: “No, I would oppose such legislation because it has no demonstrated affect on crime and creates an unwarranted legal presumption that gun owners should answer to the police for their own victimization or misfortune.”
But last week at a forum in Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, Hutchinson announced she supports a state bill requiring the reporting of lost firearms. […]
Hutchinson maintained that [Robin Kelly] was running “a single-issue campaign” and trying to score “more political points” marketing the state senator’s gun-rights positions “as though they’re the positions that I have right now. And, I’m saying very clearly I’m moderating my positions.”
If that gun issue is resonating with special primary voters, Hutchinson could be in trouble. You gotta figure it’s polling well since the Kelly campaign has so completely latched onto the issue. We’ll see soon enough.
*** UPDATE *** Robin Kelly has issued a response…
“After refusing to release her NRA questionnaire for weeks, we know what Senator Hutchinson was hiding. She didn’t want voters in Chicago and the Southland to know that she promised the NRA that she would oppose an assault weapons ban. That she would oppose outlawing high capacity magazine clips.
“Toi Hutchinson says that Newtown, CT changed her perspective, but she agreed with the NRA’s extreme positions despite the killing happening on our own streets. The only thing that ‘changed’ for Toi Hutchinson is that she entered a race for Congress where her past support of the NRA’s agenda was no longer politically convenient.
“It’s clear now that we can’t trust Toi Hutchinson or Debbie Halvorson to protect our communities against gun violence because both were willing to stand with the NRA when we needed them most. I am the only candidate in the race ready to stand with President Obama to stop the NRA and their pro-gun agenda.”
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile, in other CD2 news, complaints have surfaced that Anthony Beale may be requiring political help from those who want to be contractors on the new Walmart construction project…
[Contractor Reginald Rooks] said Beale’s congressional campaign has asked him to distribute flyers.
Rooks and leaders of the African-American Contractors Association suspect a connection between the hiring consultant and Beale’s political organization.
“I’m handing out your literature,” Rooks said. “Yes, I should get a job.”
Critics blame it on the culture of corruption that Chicago politics is infamous for.
“Its’ just a culture of corruption going on,” the Save Our Community Coalition’s Bob Israel said. “You know how long I’ve been fighting that. It’s just a culture of corruption.”
Beale denied any connection between his political organization and Maurice Williams.
“There’s no connection between my office and Mr. Williams other than he has a company and we direct people to his particular company,” Beale said.
