– Illinois Department of Corrections Acting Director John Baldwin said on Thursday that an overhaul of the corrections’ system is in order.
He noted the spike over the past four decades in the state’s prison population is largely because of an increase in the number of people locked up for substance abuse-related problems, and said new laws and policies should be enacted to reverse the trend. […]
Baldwin said the system is currently upside down, with more money being spent on returning inmates who are considered at a low-risk of re-offending, when research shows that these individuals do best when they are allowed to resume their lives with minimal required interaction with the system.
The opposite is true for medium- and high-risk offenders, he said, though securing service providers for these individuals can be more difficult because, by nature of their assessed risk level, their cases are generally more complex.
Baldwin said the commission continues to meet, and its next major focus will be tackling sentencing reform. A wide array of experts across the political spectrum contend that draconian drug laws have led to the explosion of the prison population by locking up addicts who would be better served by community sanctions, such as home arrest and probation, with a treatment component.
Looks like good government to me.
Now, if we could just convince his boss to stop dragging his feet on medical marijuana and back a real legalization bill, I’d be pretty happy.
Speaker of the Illinois House Michael J. Madigan on Monday issued the following statement regarding a constitutional amendment to strengthen education throughout Illinois:
“Every student in Illinois deserves an excellent education. By helping our schools deliver a world-class education to our children, we are helping teachers mold the minds of the leaders of tomorrow who can take our state, our country and our world to new heights of achievement. But when it comes to improving our education system, conversations are not enough. We have to put our words into actions.
“Too many school districts from every region of the state struggle to provide the excellent education they want to give our students. Increasing the per-pupil foundation level was and continues to be a needed step in the right direction, but it is not enough. We need to do more for our students.
“In February, Governor Rauner stated his support for increasing funding for elementary schools and high schools through the foundation level. I, too, support increasing the level of funding for our schools, as Democrats in the General Assembly did last year and have done for many years. But we need to do more.
“We must resolve to strengthen our education system and increase needed funding for our schools in the long term. So I urge members of the General Assembly and Governor Rauner to join me in support of making an excellent education a right for our children. I also urge Governor Rauner to resist the temptation to follow the lead of former Governor Jim Edgar, who opposed a similar plan to strengthen education during his tenure as governor. I encourage Governor Rauner to reaffirm his commitment to education by using his extensive influence within the House and Senate Republican caucuses to help pass this measure in the House Elementary and Secondary Appropriations Committee today and through both chambers of the General Assembly. With the governor’s help, we can better provide local schools with the additional resources they need to give our children a world-class education.
“Under House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 57, the state constitution would declare that an excellent education is no longer simply a goal of the people of Illinois, but a fundamental right, and that the state has the preponderant responsibility to fund local schools. In November 1992, I urged passage of a similar effort via referendum. Though the measure received the support of 57 percent of voters, opponents of the proposal succeeded in preventing it from attaining the 60 percent of support needed to amend the state constitution.
“This amendment deserves another chance to succeed, and our children deserve greater support to help them make their dreams a reality.”
I dunno.
Madigan’s proposal is somewhat similar to the Illinois Constitution’s pension language in that it could end up costing the state an absolute fortune if the courts side with the schools and against the state.
“There are only a handful of states—Illinois is one of them—that still have the flat tax,” [Rep. Lou Lang] said. “We haven’t seen people leave Silicon Valley” (California has a top tax rate of 13.3 percent) for Nevada, which has no state income tax, he added.
But business flight from a state that already suffers from economic woes is exactly what some business groups are predicting.
“The vast majority of small-business owners pay taxes not at the corporate rate but as individuals,” Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch said in a statement, “Any effort to ‘gouge the rich’ is actually putting a target squarely on the backs of small businesses, the very entities we count on to provide the majority of new jobs.”
Not so, retorted Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, who is sponsoring the graduated-tax package in the Senate. Any business owner who reports income of under roughly $750,000 a year would pay less than they pay now, he said. “If you earn more than $750,000 at the end of the year, put it in your pocket, perhaps you’re not so small anymore.”
* In other news, proponents have released the results of a poll taken in January…
If the election were held today, would you vote yes in favor of the following Constitutional amendment or no to oppose it?
“Upon approval of the voters, the proposed Constitutional amendment would allow the state to establish higher tax rates for higher income levels and lower tax rates for lower income levels.”
Total Yes 71%
Total No 27%
Don’t Know/No Answer 2%
Support – Oppose +44
* More…
A recent Tulchin Research survey of 700 likely November 2016 voters in Illinois finds encouraging news for supporters of the proposed “Fair Tax” amendment to the state constitution, which would allow Illinois to adopt a progressive income tax. If the election were held today, the “Fair Tax” amendment would receive the support of seven in ten (71 percent) Illinois voters.
Overwhelming, Broad-Based Support for Fair Tax State Constitutional Amendment
After being read a straightforward description of the proposed amendment to the state Constitution, Illinois voters back the measure by a margin of 44 points, with 71 percent of voters saying they would vote “Yes” on the measure to just 27 percent who would vote “No.” Nearly half of voters (48%) indicate they would definitely vote “Yes” on such a measure, far outpacing the intense opposition (18%) and only two percent of voters are undecided, leaving little room for the opposition to maneuver.
Notably, support for the amendment extends across all corners of the state, across the political spectrum, and across gender, ethnic, and generational lines.
• The amendment is supported by 79 percent of voters in Cook County, 70 percent of voters in the collar counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties), and by 64 percent of voters in Downstate Illinois.
• The amendment attracts support from 93 percent of liberals, 74 percent of moderates, and even 54 percent of conservatives.
• Strong majorities of women (74 percent) and men (68 percent) back the amendment.
• The amendment is supported by 68 percent of white voters, 86 percent of black voters, and 86 percent of Latino voters.
• The amendment attracts comparable support among voters age 18-54 (74 percent) and those ages 55 and over (69 percent).
In the current, highly polarized political environment, it is quite rare to see a policy initiative with support as wide and as deep as this proposed amendment, putting it in a very strong position to win if it is placed on the ballot this November.
In summary, our research finds that Illinois voters strongly support the concept of a progressive income tax. The Fair Tax amendment is very popular with voters across the board and well- positioned to win voter approval should it appear on the November 2016 general election ballot.
Survey Methodology: From January 14-19, 2016, Tulchin Research conducted a telephone survey in Illinois among 700 likely November 2016 voters. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3.7 percentage points.
As Greg notes above, the Democrats will likely need a Republican vote or three in the House to pass the actual amendment, which will require a three-fifths supermajority. Ken Dunkin voted against the millionaire’s tax, as did Jack Franks and Scott Drury. This is a different animal, however, in that it would cut taxes for people outside the 1 percent.
Convincing Republicans to vote for it won’t be an easy task, to say the least, considering the governor is completely and unalterably opposed.
And, man, the 1 percent is gonna fight back hard if this does make it to the ballot. Maisch’s remarks probably foreshadow the fight, in that we’ll likely see overt threats to move businesses to other states.
HB 3160 would allow an individual’s family members, law enforcement or roommates to petition the court for an ex parte restraining order if they consider the individual to be a danger to themselves or others simply because the individual owns, possesses or purchases a firearm. According to the summary of the bill, an ex parte order would be issued by a judge based solely on a brief, unsubstantiated affidavit made by a petitioner and absent any input made by the individual on which the order is targeted. If enacted, this legislation would require the surrender of FOID cards, concealed carry licenses as well as the seizure of all firearms by law enforcement. This legislation is ripe for abuse by individuals that disagree with the Second Amendment, and the mere insinuation that gun ownership makes you a danger to yourself or others is offensive and insulting.
* Oh, c’mon.
This isn’t about targeting people “simply because the individual owns, possesses or purchases a firearm.” This bill appears to about troubled, even bad people who happen to own guns. It’s mainly aimed at domestic violence perpetrators, but could also give the cops a way to stop somebody from committing a mass shooting if family members have cause and, more importantly, evidence…
At the hearing, the petitioner shall have the burden of proving, by preponderance of the evidence, that the respondent poses a significant danger of personal injury to himself, herself, or another by having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm.
In determining whether to issue a lethal violence order of protection under this Section, the court shall consider evidence of:
(1) A recent threat of violence or act of violence by the respondent directed toward himself, herself, or another.
(2) A violation of an emergency order of protection issued under Section 217 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 or Section 112A-17 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 or of an order of protection issued under Section 214 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 or Section 112A-14 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.
(3) A pattern of violent acts or violent threats, including, but not limited to, threats of violence or acts of violence by the respondent directed toward himself, herself, or another.
Every person who files a petition for an emergency lethal violence order, knowing the information provided to the court at any hearing or in the affidavit or verified pleading to be false, is guilty of perjury under Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
* Look, I don’t know if this bill is exactly the right way to go. Maybe it could be narrowed here or there. But ridiculing a bill designed to take guns from people who violate orders of protection sure ain’t helping matters.
* Joe Cahill at Crain’s takes a look at why Exelon’s stock has surged 25 percent this year to date…
Thanks to intervention by the bureaucrats who oversee the nation’s power grid, prices are firming up in key markets where Exelon’s nuclear plants sell juice to electric utilities. Crane has restored part of a dividend cut he was forced to impose in 2013. And after a 23-month struggle, he closed an acquisition last month that made Exelon the country’s largest electricity delivery company.
Possibly more telling will be his decisions about the future of Exelon’s worst-performing nuclear plants. He has warned of possible plant closings in Illinois if state lawmakers don’t help out. Criticizing policies that favor other forms of energy over nuclear, [Exelon spokesman Paul Adams] says Exelon “may be forced to make the appropriate decision to retire at-risk plants” unless those policies change.
Shutting power plants would shift Exelon’s balance even further toward the regulated businesses Wall Street currently favors. But it also would limit Exelon’s upside if power prices recover over the long term.
State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, has Exelon’s back.
“If you remove nuclear power, you are going to see you electric bills go sky high,” Mitchell said. “In the next six weeks, the Illinois General Assembly must get down to business and pass a bill to make sure Clinton power plant stays in business and thrives.” […]
The Clinton nuclear plant has about 600 employees. Mitchell said losing them would have the same economic impact as Chicago losing 105,000 jobs.
“If Madigan had to face the loss of over 100,000 jobs, can you imagine that (would) not be on the frontburner of Speaker Madigan’s plate?,” Mitchell said.
If they can’t do a budget, which is hurting far more than just 600 employees, how are they going to do an Exelon “bailout”? Particularly this year, which has been notable for its intense voter anger.
* Exelon itself says the Clinton plant will stay open until at least May of next year…
Exelon Corporation said Friday that its Clinton nuclear plant, 23 miles southeast of Bloomington, Ill., had cleared the 2016-2017 Mid-continent Independent System Operator (MISO) capacity auction, which meant that it would continue to operate through May 31, 2017, although its future after that would rely in an “urgent” policy fix. […]
Exelon said it would not wait indefinitely to make a decision on the future of the plant past the fifth month of 2017. It would make that decision sometime this year, the company said.
Last year, Exelon threatened the closure of three cash-bleeding plants, major economic engines in Quad-Cities and Clinton, Ill., unless lawmakers OK’d a plan, which included a state-imposed surcharge on users. But the company’s continued profit margins and September’s $1.6 billion windfall in PJM market auction all but killed the already controversial legislation that critics called a “bailout” intended to help “only Exelon.” Holding a trio of major employers hostage didn’t sit well with the public. The U.S. Supreme Court’s temporary stay of federal emissions standards for coal-fired plants didn’t help, either.
But Exelon brass aren’t wrong when pointing to a government-backed deck stacked against them. Wind, solar and other “renewable” sources benefit from perks within Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard. Exelon, meanwhile, is left to makeup the shortfall when those less-consistent sources of electricity peter out.
Clouds and gentle breezes leave Exelon carrying the water. And yet, Exelon doesn’t benefit from the state subsidies that encourage wind and solar producers to flood the grid when conditions are favorable.
The nuclear industry is only able to portray itself as a low-cost power supplier today because of past government subsidies and write- offs. First, the industry received massive subsidies at its inception, reducing both the capital costs it needed to recover from ratepayers (the “legacy” subsidies that underwrote reactor construction through the 1980s) and its operating costs (through ongoing subsidies to inputs, waste management, and accident risks). Second, the industry wrote down tens of billions of dollars in capital costs after its first generation of reactors experienced large cost overruns, cancellations, and plant abandonments, further reducing the industry’s capital-recovery requirements. Finally, when industry restructuring revealed that nuclear power costs were still too high to be competitive, so-called stranded costs were shifted to utility ratepayers, allowing the reactors to continue operating.
These legacy subsidies are estimated to exceed seven cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh)—an amount equal to about 140 percent of the average wholesale price of power from 1960 to 2008, making the subsidies more valuable than the power produced by nuclear plants over that period. Without these subsidies, the industry would have faced a very different market reality—one in which many reactors would never have been built, and utilities that did build reactors would have been forced to charge consumers even higher rates.
An analysis conducted by the state of Illinois found that closing Clinton would cause wholesale energy prices to rise by $236 million to $341 million annually for families and businesses in the region. These cost increases do not include hundreds of millions of dollars that would need to be spent on new transmission lines. The report also found that allowing Clinton to shut down would result in the loss of almost 1,900 direct and indirect jobs and raise carbon emissions in Illinois by almost 8 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of putting more than 1.7 million cars on the road. The analysis concludes that the societal cost of the increased emissions would be almost $4 billion between 2020 and 2029.
* While Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) and I were chatting the other evening he mentioned that he and Sen. Pat McGuire (D-Joliet) had been talking about a stopgap funding plan for colleges and universities. I asked him to write it up and here it is…
Higher education in Illinois is in crisis. The state has not appropriated basic operations money to the state universities this year. As a result one institution is preparing to close on May 1 and others cannot guarantee that they will be open when students return in the fall. May 1 is also the day when students traditionally must decide where they will attend in the fall. If students are uncertain about the future of our state universities, they may not plan to attend. Waiting longer to fund our universities may come too late to get those students back. There are three things we can do now to help this crisis.
First I propose that we utilize the Educational Assistance Fund (EAF) as a stopgap to fund the universities through August. The EAF will have about $600 million left in it at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. August is an important time since that is when students return and revenue from tuition, room and board comes to the universities. In SB 2046 (J. Cullerton/Currie), the total appropriation for ordinary and contingent expenses for the state universities and the Illinois Math and Science Academy is $1,079,180,600. This represents a full year appropriation, but there was no identified revenue to pay for it. An equivalent expenditure for four months from May 1 to August 31 would be one third of that, $359,726,867.
Second I propose that we provide one semester of MAP grant funding to help keep Illinois students of limited means at college in Illinois. SB 2046 also appropriates $397,073,100 to provide the MAP grants. Half of that to fund one semester would be $198,536,550. Combining the four-month university appropriation along with one semester of MAP grant funds comes to $558,263,417. This can be funded entirely from the EAF this fiscal year.
Finally I propose we give the universities relief from some of the procurement code. This has been a request from the universities long before the current administration and would be expected to save many millions. Modifying HB 4644 (Brady) to affect just the universities would provide this kind of relief and help the universities better manage their budgets while the state seeks a full long-term solution.
Of course the best outcome would be a full budget for all agencies. But anyone following the budget impasse in Illinois reads about the lack of trust among the leaders. A full budget is difficult at best in this environment. The General Assembly successfully took a more limited approach in December, appropriating money for cities to take care of snow removal and pay the lottery winners along with a long list of other activities. The General Assembly can take that approach again and move past this crisis in higher education.
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said Monday that a report by an independent fact-finder on contract negotiations was “dead on arrival” since it was essentially the same offer that the Board of Education had made and that the union had rejected.
As to what she would tell parents about the possibility of strike, Lewis said: “Be prepared.”
The proposal that Lewis had once said was a “serious offer” from the Board of Education proposed net raises over four years, the phasing out of over two years of a 7 percent pension contribution CPS has been making for members, and a return to raises for continuing education and experience for teachers as soon as next school year.
But now, Lewis said that CPS negotiators has even told them that the broke school district can no longer even afford that offer. Lewis said CTU has bargained in good faith but argued CPS has not.
Democrats will paint Munger as being under Rauner’s control. Republicans will do the same with Mendoza and Madigan.
Democrats believe Munger’s Rauner problem is more politically dangerous than Mendoza’s ties to either Madigan or Emanuel.
“This will be the Democrats versus Rauner. Rauner has become the Republican party in that sense. He pretty much owns the Republican party,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “In order for her to hold the seat … Rauner’s going to have to put a ton of money in this and I think Mendoza won’t have any trouble raising money to match that. This is going to be another visible contest. The Democrats are going to try to portray this as manipulating things to benefit the governor.”
Redfield said that could be a damaging line of attack.
“Insofar as she’s portrayed, and people find it credible, that she is Rauner’s person, that she has her thumbs on the scales a little bit. That’s going to create vulnerabilities for her I think,” he said.
I seriously doubt that Mendoza will raise as much money as Munger if Rauner becomes fully involved.
But this is indeed a proxy war. Madigan helped clear the way for Mendoza and Rauner appointed Munger. It can’t get much clearer than that.
Rauner’s poll numbers are lousy, but nothing like Madigan’s, so we’ll see.
(L)ocal candidates appear to be distancing themselves from any suggestion that they are tied to the leaders. That isn’t to say they don’t accuse their opponents of being so, the race for the 118th House seat being an example.
“My opponent is going to be 100 percent funded by the governor,” said incumbent state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg. He is running against challenger Jason Kasiar, a Republican businessman from Eldorado, in the Nov. 8 General Election.
“Look where it is coming from,” Kasiar said of campaign contributions to Phelps. “It’s coming from Washington, D.C., it’s coming from Chicago, it’s coming from the Mike Madigan fingers that are out there.”
Demonstrating growing strength for his campaign, Democratic congressional candidate CJ Baricevic (Il-12) raised an impressive $279,669 between January 1 and March 31, according to pre-primary and first quarter reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Due to Illinois’ primary election, the first quarter is divided into these two reports.
Despite his advantage as an incumbent Republican Congressman, Mike Bost only raised $273,374.04.
“To out raise Mike Bost clearly shows our campaign is gaining momentum and that Southern Illinois hard working families are looking for a Congressman who represents them—not Wall Street, billionaires, or Washington special interests. This clearly shows voters are looking for a change from Mike Bost who has failed to fight for middle-class and working families,” said Baricevic.
Interesting, particularly since the DCCC wanted nothing to do with Baricevic last year. Maybe it’ll change its mind now. Then again, Bost doesn’t seem especially worried if he only hauled in that sort of cash. He also had about $870K in cash on hand.
* I was asked about this last December after my City Club speech and pretty much predicted a “draft Jesse” push by top Democrats, including Speaker Madigan…
But White, who’s been in public office since 1975, says he’s been satisfied with being Secretary of State. And though he’s been on record saying he won’t seek re-election in 2018, White tells Jim and me that the Democratic Party may still draft him for one more run.
Steve Brown, a spokesman for the Illinois Democratic Party, says he’s not aware of a formal movement by the state party to draft White to run for Secretary of State again. But Brown says White’s name is “certainly in the conversation as people think about who should be candidates” in 2018.
“We’d be well-served if he considered to run again,” Brown says.
(A)t a House committee hearing… Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, Madigan’s top lieutenant, said that budget staff from all four legislative caucuses and Rauner’s office were meeting that morning on budget issues. It was the kind of meeting that used to go on regularly back in normal times when everyone was trying to come to some agreement on the budget.
It’s too early to say if anything positive will come out of that budget session. The point is the participants wouldn’t have gotten together if their respective leaders hadn’t signed off on it. And the meeting took place two days after Rauner and Madigan sounded like they were digging in even deeper than before.
What they say publicly does matter. A lot. But what they do privately at the Statehouse often matters even more.
Illinois House Democrats are proposing their own plan for changing the way the state’s legislative districts are drawn.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has made redistricting reform a key component of his “turnaround agenda,” but Democrats say a Republican proposal and one being pushed by a group called Independent Maps wouldn’t adequately take into account minority populations when drawing boundaries, a claim supporters dispute.
Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, said he filed the new proposal because he doesn’t believe the other plan would pass constitutional muster due to its lack of protection for minority voters. […]
Jim Bray, a spokesman for Independent Maps, said Franks’ concerns about what his group’s proposed amendment would mean for minority voters are unfounded.
“The Independent Maps Amendment has strong minority voting rights protections and probably the strongest in the nation of any of these statutes or constitutional amendments,” Bray said.
Speaker Madigan “is prepared to support” Franks’ proposal, which you can see in full by clicking here.
* The Independent Maps folks spent a fortune on a failed effort to get their idea on the ballot in 2014, and are now spending even more to get a revised proposal on the ballot this November.
They ought to continue moving forward with their effort, but also be prepared to negotiate with Franks. If Madigan is serious about putting this on the ballot, that would be an historic “turnaround,” and could take us a step closer to ending the impasse and finally getting a much-needed reform in Illinois. We don’t need competing ballot measures on the same topic.
Get. This. Done.
*** UPDATE *** Brian Gladstein of Common Cause Illinois and Sarah Brune of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform have both signed on as proponents of the Franks measure. I’m told ICPR will ask for some changes, including an issue with the proposal’s meeting notice requirements - the same issue it had with the Independent Maps proposal.
But these witness slips in favor of the Franks proposal will definitely put pressure on everybody to keep partisan politics out of it. Make the needed changes and pass the darned thing.
Most losing – and many winning – political campaigns exhaust their campaign cash and end a race broke. Not Ken Dunkin.
Dunkin, a Democratic state representative from Chicago who lost his reelection bid in the March Democratic primary to Juliana Stratton, made a profit.
Dunkin, an ally of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, began the fourth quarter of 2015 with $221,143 in the bank; raised $1,309,500 ($1,300,000 from a Rauner ally); spent $294,462; and ended with $1,236,180 in the bank, according to state election board records. That’s a profit of $1 million. Not bad.
The Illinois Opportunity Project, which is operated by Rauner political lieutenant Dan Proft, donated $1.3 million to Dunkin’s campaign.
As a “dark money” group that need not disclose its source of funding, insiders have been left speculating who has that kind of money to spend and who had an overwhelming interest to reelect Dunkin. Who?
Whoever it is their money is now safely parked in Dunkin’s campaign account.
One over/under line on Dunkin I participated in was $400K. I picked the over. But even I figured Dunkin spent lots more than he actually did.
* She was an amazing person and will be terribly missed by her family and her many, many friends…
Laura C. Liu was the first Chinese-American judge in Illinois’ history and the first Asian-American to serve on the Illinois Appellate Court but she was less concerned with her own groundbreaking achievements than with the people affected by her rulings, her family and colleagues said.
“Judge Liu loved the law, she loved her family, and she loved serving others through ensuring justice for every resident of Illinois,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “As the first Asian-American justice to serve on the Illinois Appellate Court, Judge Liu broke barriers and blazed new trails of opportunity.”
Liu, 49, died of complications from breast cancer April 15, her family said. A longtime Chicago resident, she had battled cancer for five years.
Born Laura Cha-Yu Liu in Carbondale to parents who were foreign exchange students, Liu grew up in Austintown, Ohio, and started school speaking very little English. She was valedictorian of her high school, her family said.
Justice Liu was famed attorney Mike Kasper’s wife.
* Obituary sent by Kasper…
Laura Liu, in the company of her family, passed away on April 15, 2016, after a courageous five-year battle with breast cancer. A dedicated mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend, she blazed brightly across the firmament and left an indelible impression on all who knew and loved her. On behalf of myself, our darling Sophie and all of Laura’s family, thank you for all that you did to make hers a life full of beauty and grace.
Laura refused to be defined or constrained by her illness. After being diagnosed and while undergoing various treatments, Laura became the first Asian American justice to serve on the Illinois Appellate Court. Also after being diagnosed, Laura become the first Chinese-American elected to public office in Chicago and Cook County, and the first Chinese American woman judge in Illinois history. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, she chaired the Illinois Supreme Court’s Language Access Committee to ensure the court system was navigable to those whose first language was not English.
To honor her life and memory, the Justice Laura Liu Scholarship Fund has been established at St. Therese Chinese Catholic School for needy children active in community service. Donations may be made at www.StThereseChicago.org or mailed to 247 W. 23rd Street, Chicago, IL 60616.
Services will be held at Fourth Presbyterian Church, on Michigan Avenue at Delaware Place, in Chicago, on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 11:00 a.m
“The governor has linked things together,” Senate President John Cullerton said during a speech to the City Club of Chicago back in January. “We don’t have a budget because he’s got his ‘turnaround agenda.’ So I can link things together, too.”
Cullerton was referring to his threat to not pass any funding for K-12 schools until school funding reform is addressed. Despite being repeatedly blasted by the governor and the Senate Republican leader for planning to take schools “hostage” in order to “bail out” Chicago’s school system with his funding reform plan, Cullerton has not publicly backed down from his statement.
And I happen to believe that his direct and deliberate threat, perhaps more than anything else, has pushed Statehouse types to try and reach a conclusion to this long, crazy impasse.
Gov. Bruce Rauner surprised many Democrats last year when he vetoed the entire budget except the K-12 appropriations bill. He made sure that schools would open on time last fall, taking the potential for an extreme crisis off the table. Rauner doesn’t seem all that outwardly concerned about the carnage caused by the months-long government impasse, but he made absolutely sure to keep a K-12 shutdown from happening.
Illinoisans are quite upset about this stalemate. Many are even downright furious. But imagine the outcry if schools hadn’t opened last year. The first-year governor would’ve been roasted over a spit, and he knew it.
Rauner told reporters not long before Cullerton made his threat that last year’s school funding bill was the greatest achievement of his first year in office—even though he told Republican legislators to vote against the K-12 appropriations bill (probably to throw the Democrats off the scent). He has said over and over since Cullerton’s City Club address that passing his school funding bill was his top priority, and he even demanded during his budget address that it be done right away.
Usually in battles like these, you try to prevent your opponent from achieving his main goal. And since the governor has let everyone know what his main goal is, it naturally became a target.
Cullerton faithfully reads newspaper editorials and other commentary and oftentimes lets the criticism get under his skin. So there’s naturally a whole bunch of suspicion out there that he won’t follow through or will eventually relent under extreme duress.
But the chance that Cullerton might not cave is most certainly helping to push this thing toward a conclusion. Rauner has essentially admitted multiple times with deeds and words that not passing the K-12 appropriations bill would lead to an utter catastrophe. And keep in mind that he has moved off the dime just about every time he’s been faced with a calamity that Republican legislators wanted to avoid.
So, while it may be downright wrong to threaten school kids, teachers and parents this way (and it is wrong, to the point of immorality), somebody had to do something to advance the ball.
The General Assembly almost always waits until things hit a crisis point before it resolves a controversial issue. Pension reforms, numerous tax hikes, medical malpractice reform, etc., etc., etc., all had to wait until the need for them was so great that legislators had no choice but to act.
Obviously, there would be no greater crisis than the absence of K-12 funding, and there has never been any greater controversy in this state than this standoff.
Frankly speaking, if threatening to close down the state’s entire public education system doesn’t work, then nothing will. They’ll be arguing over a burned-out hollow shell of a state.
Cullerton has taken a carrot-and-stick approach. The stick is his K-12 threat. The carrot is the encouragement and assistance he’s offered rank-and-file legislators who have been attempting to privately find an end to this insanity. While other caucuses and the governor’s office now have staff helping out and are even talking with each other, Cullerton has been generous with his staff for quite a while now, deploying them to help work out issues.
Speaker Madigan, meanwhile, was not at all encouraging of the rank-and-file talks. But allowing his staff to work with those members and to also talk with the other staffs is a hopeful sign to many.
Another encouraging sign is that Rauner’s chief of staff has participated in some of the rank-and-file meetings, as has Rauner’s chief legislative liaison and his budget director. That’s important because, obviously, nothing is going to get done without the governor’s agreement.
When Dennis Hastert eventually passes away, he won’t be remembered for being the longest-serving Republican U.S. speaker of the House as much as for his guilty plea to a financial crime in connection with allegations he sexually abused high school students.
When Rod Blagojevich finally assumes room temperature, his corruption conviction will far outweigh his laudable push to make sure all kids had health insurance coverage.
If you do something really bad, that’s what you’re going to be remembered for. History can be rough on people. For well over a hundred years, the rampant corruption in President Ulysses S. Grant’s White House has badly tainted his Civil War triumphs as our nation’s top general.
So, to all the politicians who have so far refused to find a way to compromise and end the longest-ever Illinois government stalemate
* Jim Dey perfectly sums up what Speaker Madigan and most of those who support him simply do not understand about Gov. Rauner’s approach…
The long-serving Madigan, speaker for all but two years since 1983 and a 45-year veteran of the legislative process, casts himself as the great compromiser — a latter-day version of 18th-century Kentucky politician Henry Clay.
Madigan’s performance was both instructive and touching. To hear him laud his gentlemanly approach to civic life, one might almost forget that his nickname is, among other things, the Velvet Hammer.
But Madigan, who turns 74 Tuesday, has a point — he is willing to compromise.
Over the years, he has compromised on many issues with Republican and Democratic governors. That’s one of the reasons that blame for the sorry state of the state belongs to both Republicans and Democrats. […]
So Madigan clearly is willing to compromise. At the same time, it’s equally clear that Madigan’s past compromises have severely compromised the state of Illinois.
You may or may not disagree with Dey’s logic, but it is pretty much exactly what Rauner and his people have been saying for a very long time.
* Gov. Rauner obviously doesn’t need a paycheck and isn’t taking one. Lots of legislators do and are. So, this’ll go over well, I’m sure…
Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger on Sunday announced that compensation for Illinois’ General Assembly members and Constitutional Officers - herself included - will be treated the same as all other government payments and delayed due to the state’s $7.8 billion bill backlog.
Illinois is in its 10th month of operation without a budget in place, leaving the state to pay bills under a patchwork of Court Orders, Consent Decrees and statutory authorizations. As a result, the state is expected to dig $6.2 billion deeper in the hole this year, worsening its fiscal condition, exacerbating cash flow challenges and lengthening payment delays.
With families, social service organizations, schools and businesses waiting months on end for promised payments from the state, Munger said it is appropriate for elected leaders to face delays as well.
“Our social service network is being dismantled, mass layoffs are occurring and small businesses across Illinois are awaiting payments for services they’ve already provided,” Munger said. “As our cash crunch grows in the coming months, it is only appropriate that the unfair prioritization of payments to elected leaders ends. We are all in this together, we all will wait in line.”
Salaries for the state’s six Constitutional Officers and 177 General Assembly members total approximately $1.3 million a month, or $15.6 million annually. The elected leaders are customarily paid on the last day of the month. Munger noted that her office will still process the vouchers monthly, but the warrants will then wait in a queue with other payments before being released when cash is available.
State payments are currently delayed a minimum of two months, unless they are expedited due to severe hardship. That wait time is expected to grow in lower revenue months in the Summer and Fall.
“It is the right thing to do,” Munger said. “And if this action helps bring all sides together to pass a balanced budget and end this unnecessary and devastating hardship to our state, that is an added benefit.
“Illinois needs a balanced budget. It is well past time that we get it done.”
*** UPDATE *** From her Democratic rival…
“Like everything else that’s broken in Springfield, Comptroller Munger’s suggestion is 10 months late and many dollars short. Yes, we should not pay elected officials where possible before paying more urgent bills, but when is Comptroller Munger going to stand up to Governor Rauner and demand an end to his extreme agenda and pass a budget?” -Susana Mendoza
Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) on Friday filed legislation, House Bill 689, that would reform the Illinois tax code, providing a tax cut to 99% of Illinois taxpayers while raising an additional $1.9 billion dollars to help fund essential state services.
Illinois is well into its tenth month without a budget, and while lawmakers and the Governor have long recognized the need for new revenue to invest in children, families and communities, our outdated tax laws mean that we cannot raise new revenue without raising taxes on those least able to afford it, Lang says.
“We don’t have to stay stuck in the past. There is another path forward that puts tax dollars back in the hands of hardworking families and eases the pain caused by recent budget cuts,” said Lang. “When my bill passes and the governor signs it, ninety-nine percent of taxpayers will get a tax cut.”
Lang’s bill works in tandem with State Rep. Christian Mitchell’s (D-Chicago) Constitutional Amendment resolution, HJRCA-59, which would allow Illinois voters to choose to reform our tax code by voting for fair tax where lower rates apply to lower incomes and higher rates apply to higher incomes.
Illinois is one of only a handful of states that has a flat income tax, which forces middle class families to carry the majority of the tax load. When Illinois amends its constitution to allow for a fair tax, the General Assembly will no longer be forced to raise taxes on the hard-working middle class families who can least afford it, Mitchell argues.
“The Fair Tax, where lower rates would apply to lower incomes and higher rates would apply to higher incomes, is long over due in our state. It is fundamentally unfair that our tax rate is the same no matter if you are a minimum wage worker or a millionaire, ” said Mitchell. “With a Fair Tax, we can provide tax relief for ninety-nine perfect of taxpayers, and reform our outdated tax code.”
State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), who is Chief Sponsor of the Fair Tax in the Senate welcomed the move by Lang.
“I’m delighted to work with Leader Lang and Representative Mitchell to help cut taxes on working families,” Harmon said. “We offer this as a serious solution to moving our state forward and we hope that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join us in effort to make our state more fair and to help provide revenue to the vital services we all care deeply about.”
Friday, Apr 15, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Clean Energy Trust just released their annual Clean Jobs Illinois survey and it shows a mixed bag. Illinois leads the Midwest in clean energy jobs, but is losing wind and solar positions to other states due to Illinois’ broken Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).
The Good News?
Clean energy jobs grew 9% overall in 2015, exceeding the previous year’s projection
At 113,918 jobs, clean energy employs more people in Illinois than the fossil fuel sector
The Bad News?
Wind and solar jobs were down 6.9% year over year because of Illinois policy headwinds
Fixing the Illinois RPS would solve this problem and help drive job creation in the state’s wind and solar sectors. Clean energy is a major job creator in Illinois, and smart policies can accelerate job growth in the state.
It’s time to act. To build Illinois jobs and keep pace with other states, let’s fix the RPS now. Don’t let Illinois fall further behind.
The majority party’s desire to skyrocket taxes is breathtaking. A progressive income tax would be the straw that breaks the Illinois economy’s back – sending our state even further into the economic doldrums. It’s beyond time for Democrats to come to the table and work with the governor to find common ground on real structural reforms that will get our economy moving in the right direction.
Best,
ck
Um, proponents claim it’ll reduce taxes for 99 percent of taxpayers, but the 1 percent will most definitely be upset.
The question will be if the Democrats can successfully portray this as a broad tax cut, or if cynical voters will just assume everybody’s taxes will rise. Rauner will obviously do his best to ensure the latter.
…Adding… As if on cue…
Today, Democrat state Rep. Lou Lang introduced a bill he said would increase taxes in Illinois by $1.9 billion. This comes just one week after Senate President John Cullerton proposed tracking Illinois drivers to tax them by the mile, and on the heels of news Illinois lost 105,000 residents on net to other states in 2015 – the largest exodus in state history.
The Illinois Policy Institute is staunchly against this tax increase proposal. CEO John Tillman issued the following statement in response:
“If Illinois Democrats were as creative on pension, economic and labor reform as they are on taxes, Illinois’ budget crisis would be solved by now. Instead, they resort to the same old tactic over and over again: Raise taxes, waste money, delay reform, raise taxes again.
“State Rep. Lou Lang’s proposal to increase taxes by $1.9 billion sends a clear message: Democrats want hard-working taxpayers to pay for their ineptitude. It’s doubly offensive because this proposal comes at a time when lawmakers have not even passed a state budget. How can they tell taxpayers they need more money without offering them an idea of how this money will be spent?
“Remember that in 2014, lawmakers attempted to implement a so-called ‘fair tax,’ which they claimed would only increase taxes on the ‘rich.’ The reality was the 2014 proposal would have increased taxes on anyone with more than $22,000 in taxable income. Rightly, this tax increase was rejected. Now the same crew of tax-hikers has come out with a new proposal they say will only raise taxes on those with more than $500,000 in income – but we know their real motive. They are trying to implement the same old tactic, just with a different sales pitch this time.
“We know from Illinois’ own history that tax increases will not solve Illinois’ persistent financial problems. In 2011, Democrats enacted a tax increase that raised $31 billion in taxpayer dollars over five years. They claimed the cash infusion would help pay down the state’s backlog of bills and restore Illinois’ fiscal health. Instead, 90 cents out of every $1 from the tax increase went to pensions – a pension system these same Democrats refuse to reform.
“Illinoisans already pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation, the high sales taxes, high income taxes and are facing an increase to the highest gas taxes in the nation. Businesses that employ taxpayers face steep barriers to success. Now the Democrats are proposing yet another tax increase to pay for their unwillingness to reform our state. It’s time for lawmakers to stop turning to taxpayers to bail them out, and to step up and enact the serious reforms this state needs.”
…Adding More… Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch…
The Illinois Chamber is adamantly opposed to a plan for a graduated income tax envisioned in legislation which was introduced today. The plan would punish small business owners and would accelerate the documented flight of high net worth individuals out of our state.
The vast majority of small business owners pay taxes not at the corporate rate, but as individuals. Thus, any effort to “gauge the rich” is actually putting a target squarely on the backs of small businesses, the very entities we count on to provide the majority of new jobs in Illinois. Punishing successful businesses with higher taxes is a sure way to result in fewer of them in Illinois. Individuals with higher net worth are our citizens who are most able to move their success to other states. We are confident that if this plan were ever to become law, it would not generate anywhere near $1.9 billion for Illinois, but would generate millions in revenue for more welcoming states.
Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon is adding two accomplished rockers to the Grandstand line-up at this year’s Illinois State Fair. This co-headlining act combines two artists who have six Grammy awards to their credit, in addition to countless other awards and accomplishments. This year, fairgoers will be treated to the best of 80’s and 90’s rock when Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo and Melissa Etheridge take the stage in Springfield.
Pat Benatar is a four-time Grammy award winning singer/songwriter who shot to fame in the 1980’s and has been touring for more than 35-years. Known as a rule-breaker and a trail-blazer, Benatar is revered as one of the most beloved female rock icons of all time. Benatar was the first female solo artist to have a music video played on MTV. The video for her song ‘You Better Run’ was the second video ever played on the new music video cable channel, and also was the first video to feature guitarists. Benatar is best known for hit songs such as, “Love is a Battlefield,” “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” “Heartbreaker,” “We Belong,” and “Shadows of the Night.” To this day, Benatar and guitarist husband Neil Giraldo remain a rock’n'roll powerhouse, selling out concerts and wowing audiences.
Melissa Etheridge is a well-known signer/songwriter who came to fame in the late 80’s. Etheridge, known for her confessional lyrics and raspy vocals, has been a prominent force in the music industry for nearly 30 years with 12 albums, two Grammy awards, 17 Grammy nominations, an Academy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Etheridge is best known for her songs, “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One,” “I Want to Come Over,” and “I Need to Wake Up.”
Not opposed to either. Liked them both back in the day. Just wish we could get some more recently popular acts.
Friday, Apr 15, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Your high schooler is ready to graduate and move on to an exciting phase in life. You have provided them with resources and tools to succeed, but have you overlooked an important part of their education? Financial literacy is a critical component to a successful future. Lack of financial education jeopardizes and limits economic opportunities for all consumers. Credit unions address this often overlooked topic of fiscal literacy for teens and young professionals by offering workshops and training sessions. Credit unions are proud to provide financial education to ensure a secure future for the leaders of tomorrow.
Visit ASmarterChoice.org for more information on the Credit Union Difference.
* The bill, Rep. Lou Lang’s HB 689, would take effect if voters approve a constitutional amendment allowing a graduated income tax…
(A) for taxpayers who are married filing a joint return or head of household:
(i) an amount equal to 3.5% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is $200,000 or less;
(ii) an amount equal to 3.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $200,000 but not more than $750,000;
(iii) an amount equal to 8.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $750,000 but not more than $1,500,000; and
(iv) an amount equal to 9.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $1,500,000; and
(B) for all other taxpayers:
(i) an amount equal to 3.5% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is $100,000 or less;
(ii) an amount equal to 3.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $100,000 but not more than $500,000;
(iii) an amount equal to 8.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000; and
(iv) an amount equal to 9.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $1,000,000.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Emily Miller…
Hi Rich,
I noticed that you posted about the new fair tax proposal introduced by Leader Lang. This proposal is the result of years of negotiations and hard work. The bill introduced reflects feedback and input from members on both sides of the aisle, and should be viewed as an opportunity for lawmakers and the Governor to come together to reform our outdated tax code.
Most notably, the measure provides a tax cut for over 99% of Illinois taxpayers and provides $1.9 billion in new revenue to restore cuts to vital services.
Attached is a fact sheet from Voices for Illinois Children to help folks understand the impact of a fair tax on children and families in Illinois.
Lang’s graduated income tax proposal– ironically introduced on Tax Day- is merely the camel getting his nose in the tent and would likely result in greater job loss and continual tax hikes by a General Assembly that seems to be unable to control its appetite for more tax dollars.
Illinoisans should not trust the General Assembly enough to give them carte blanche ability to add brackets, increase the rates or lower the income threshold at which higher rates apply. It’s no accident a recent Gallup poll highlighted that a mere 25% of Illinoisans “are confident in their state government” – worse than any other state. Illinois has one of the highest outbound migration rates in the nation and higher taxes on job creators is not going to help that situation. It will exacerbate it.
Lang’s proposal is more about the election year politics we’ve seen on display across the nation. However, punishing job creators is not the answer to moving Illinois in the right direction, nor is removing legislative barriers that prevent continual tax hikes by a General Assembly that has an addiction to tax dollars.
Regards,
David From
Illinois State Director
Americans for Prosperity
So, he has a new column that rates Madigan. For “fiscal stewardship,” Zorn gives Madigan “the same F grade I gave Rauner.” He bases this on Madigan’s pension sweetening for special interests and for kicking the can down the road on paying for those pensions. He faults Madigan for not fixing structural revenue problems, like a flat income tax and a too-narrow sales tax. Zorn also complains that Madigan hasn’t fixed the school aid formula and blasts Madigan for allowing the income tax hike to partially expire on schedule.
Though he’s not as all-powerful as his critics believe, Madigan’s been powerful enough for long enough to have kept us from being a deadbeat state in the grips of Squeezy the Pension Python.
For political acumen, I’d give Madigan a solid B.
As chairman of the state Democratic Party and éminence grise of the General Assembly he’s built and maintained strong majorities in both chambers, in part by insulating his foot soldiers from having to take the tough votes necessary to run a responsible government. Under Democratic and, with the exception of Rauner, Republican governors he’s protected his flanks while cutting deals that compromise with the opposition and, occasionally, his own party’s principles.
I’d give him an A for political leadership, but he’s paid the price for having a public demeanor so icy and charmless that you’d think he was auditioning to be a Bond villain. Not being outwardly likable is a liability when you’re in a high-stakes PR war with a faux-folksy governor who drops his g’s and wears a cheap watch.
* Rep. Sandack begs to differ…
Meh. Giving Madigan same "F" 4 financial mess but "B" & "A" for how he maintains power to create mess is curious. https://t.co/hQpRyTvyRC
* Frankly, this whole thing is silly. Believing the governor is a failure doesn’t mean that you support Madigan. And believing Madigan is a fiscal failure, but giving him good marks for winning elections and jamming through an unconstitutional pension reform is more than a little odd.
And, yes, I fully agree that Madigan has passed plenty of bills over the years which were opposed by unions, trial lawyers and other staunch supporters. The problem is he won’t do it now.
Madigan has his reasons. He’s under intense pressure from a kabillionaire governor to raise taxes after whacking unions, trial lawyers, etc. Madigan will then be “rewarded” when Rauner and his pals spend their kabillions against Madigan’s candidates, who will be badly hobbled for raising taxes in an election year defined by voter anger and will have to fight off Rauner’s money without their prime contributors, who will be furious at what happened to them. That’s insane. Nobody in their right mind would ever agree to that.
* That’s why Madigan, who supposedly has the political acumen and leadership to make things happen, needs to help this inexperienced governor find another way to resolve this crisis on behalf of the state he has represented for so many years.
It’s not like the chad fiasco in Florida, but a suspected software malfunction believed to have failed to record the write-in votes of 3,200 voters in DuPage County election held on March 15.
According to Robert Saar, Executive Director of DuPage County Elections Commission, the touch-screen voting machines of DuPage County got more than 3,200 clicks for the Democratic Party’s candidate for DuPage Recorder. However, the machines failed to record the name of Moon Khan, who was running as a write-in candidate for DuPage Recorder in the Democratic Primary.
To secure the nomination, Khan needed 844 write-in votes in the March 15 primary, election officials said. He ended up with just 695, according to unofficial results, even though more than 4,000 Democrats voted for the recorder’s position. […]
“The touch-screen voting machines did not save the name written on the screen,” Khan said. “It was an overwhelming error.” […]
Robert Saar, the commission’s executive director, said it’s “very unusual” to have thousands of votes in a race go to no candidate.
But he dismissed Khan’s claim that there was a problem with the voting machines.
“There’s absolutely no possibility of that,” Saar said. “It is not a software malfunction.”
A growing number of candidates in DuPage County are raising questions about whether write-in votes were counted properly during last month’s primary election.
On Monday, former state Rep. Randy Ramey told DuPage Election Commission officials that six write-in candidates for Republican precinct committeeman in Wayne Township believe they received enough votes to be elected. But unofficial results indicate they didn’t.
In one precinct, for example, 47 Republicans voted for the committeeman position, but the lone candidate — a write-in — only received four votes.
Meanwhile, Ramey said he has received affidavits from several people who say they voted for the write-in candidates.
Two Republican precinct committeeman candidates on Wednesday were declared winners of last month’s primary after a court-ordered recount found errors in the vote totals compiled by the DuPage Election Commission.
Five write-in candidates for GOP precinct committeeman posts in Wayne Township sought the recount after initial results from the commission showed them getting votes from only a fraction of the ballots cast — even though they were running unopposed.
The recount found two of those five — Joan Mruk and Jeff Posadzy — actually received enough votes to win their seats. The other three candidates still fell short.
So, not only was there a “possibility” of problems, there were actual problems. Something most definitely happened, whether it was with software or elsewhere.
DuPage recorder candidate Moon Khan is suing county election officials to find out once and for all if his write-in campaign generated enough votes to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination.
In a lawsuit filed this week against the DuPage County Board of Election Commissioners, Khan is asking a judge to order a recount of the write-in votes cast in the March 15 Democratic primary. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. […]
Since the election, Khan and his attorney say they’ve found numerous precincts where people insist they voted for Khan even though the results don’t reflect it.
In fact, Khan got credit for only one vote in his own precinct, even though his wife, son and neighbor voted for him. Khan also voted for himself.
Illinois continued its fight against higher property taxes by launching a new online advertisement highlighting that Illinois homeowners have yet to be granted much-needed property tax relief.
The targeted online ad criticizes lawmakers who have yet to pass a property tax freeze through the General Assembly. For years, state legislators have discussed freezing property taxes for Illinoisans; however, a property tax freeze hasn’t become a reality, and Illinois now has the second highest property taxes in the country. […]
In addition to the online advertisement, AFP-IL activists have made more than 17,000 phone calls and hundreds of patch-thrus to legislators, urging that passage of property tax relief and giving local governments the tools necessary to control their costs - namely greater freedom over prevailing wage restrictions and collective bargaining - should be a top priority in Springfield. This week, AFP-IL has also begun the first phase of a petition circulation campaign in 18 municipalities.
Blah.Blah.
All talk. No results.
On property taxes, that’s the story in Springfield.
Year after year, state legislators talk about freezing your property taxes.
They talk and talk. And while they talk, property taxes keeping going up and up.
Illinois property taxes are crushing homeowners and all the legislators do is talk.
Let’s break this recurring circle.
Because Illinois families deserve real results and a lot less talk.
Blah.Blah.
* The Illinois Policy Institute parrots Gov. Rauner and likely gives us a preview of other attacks if the AG moves forward…
Only in Illinois.
As Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Mike Madigan locks horns with Gov. Bruce Rauner in a nearly 10-month long budget battle, a major power play has fallen into the lap of the speaker’s daughter Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in March that thousands of state government workers were not entitled to back-pay raises owed to them because those funds were never appropriated by the General Assembly. This puts Lisa Madigan in a position to force the state to stop paying state workers, since lawmakers have not yet passed a bill funding their salaries. Rather, they have been funded under a court order from a St. Clair County judge. The attorney general’s office is currently reviewing the state Supreme Court’s decision.
If Lisa Madigan decides to argue in court that the state must cease paying state workers and succeeds, government operations will grind to a halt, putting major pressure on Rauner to sign off on another unsustainable state budget that would likely subject Illinoisans to massive tax hikes with no real reform, long the priority of Speaker Madigan.
Interestingly, while state workers would go without paychecks, lawmakers would still take home their salaries.
* Politico notes that the Supreme Court issue and US Sen. Mark Kirk’s avoidance of the national GOP convention aren’t the only differences that the incumbent is exploiting with his Republican Party…
Just this week, Kirk co-sponsored a criminal justice reform bill that would loosen some mandatory minimum sentences, despite complaints within the GOP that it would unwittingly release violent criminals early from prison. And he joined with five of the most liberal senators to urge the NBA to move its 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina, in response to the state’s controversial new law that bans anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people.
Kirk’s strategy is dictated by his home state’s leftward bent: His Democratic challenger, Tammy Duckworth, may need to do little more than emphasize her party label to oust him in November. Kirk has long been considered the most endangered GOP incumbent in an awful year for Republican senators trying to get reelected. The party is defending 24 seats, and one of two divisive figures, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, is likely to be leading its ticket. […]
“When he breaks from Mitch McConnell, it helps him,” Durbin said. “At the end of the day, though, he has chosen Mitch to be his leader.”
Other Democrats are crying foul over Kirk’s attempts to straddle the middle. On some issues, the Illinois senator has found himself ardently touting the GOP’s position: Last week, he bashed a fiduciary rule proposed by Obama that Democrats say puts clients’ needs ahead of financial advisers. And the hawkish Kirk was one of the loudest critics of Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, which Duckworth backs.
Democrats are also calling out Kirk’s past support for a controversial Medicare blueprint crafted by now-Speaker Paul Ryan and free trade policies. His opponents are also seizing on Kirk’s vow – most recently made in an interview with NBC Chicago – to back Trump if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee.
Kirk was elected statewide during a very good year for the GOP. This year will likely be different, at least in Illinois, which trends D in presidential years.
A group of U.S. senators, including Sen. Mark Kirk, penned a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver urging him to move the 2017 All Star Game from North Carolina after an “anti-LGBT” bill was passed in the state last month.
North Carolina passed legislation in March that centers around single-sex public restrooms and changing facilities in the state’s schools and public agencies. […]
“We cannot condone nor stand idly by as North Carolina moves to legalize and institutionalize discrimination against the LGBT community,” the group wrote. “Nor should the NBA allow its premier annual event to be hosted in such a state.” […]
“The NBA boasts one of the most multicultural and multiethnic groups of players of any sports league in the world with more than 100 international players on its rosters,” the group wrote. “The NBA also made history just two years ago this month when Jason Collins become the first openly gay athlete to play in a major American professional sports league.”
* Meanwhile…
In response to Republican Mark Kirk’s announcement that he will skip the Republican National Convention this summer, Duckworth deputy campaign manager Matt McGrath released the following statement:
“Whether or not Republican Mark Kirk is at his Party’s national convention in person, he will certainly be there in spirit. He has already shown he puts party loyalty first when he pledged he ‘certainly would’ support Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in the general election, and on issues like squeezing the middle class to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and turning Medicare into a voucher program, Kirk’s as Republican as it gets. No amount of physical distance will separate Sen. Kirk from his Republican roots, nor from Donald Trump’s circus.”
As a May 1 deadline looms for high school seniors deciding where to attend college, students are thinking twice about universities in Illinois, where the worst budget crisis in state history has halted funding for higher education.
Public colleges haven’t received state aid for the year that started July 1 as Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and Democratic lawmakers fight over a spending plan. The strain has spurred colleges to furlough staff and cancel projects. State scholarships for low-income students haven’t been paid. High school counselors and some state schools say they’re hearing that more students are looking to private, community colleges or out-of-state options, because of the funding uncertainty.
“You’re having an upswing in students that just are not going to those schools” that are struggling financially like Chicago State University and Northeastern Illinois, said Amanda Andros, a counselor at Lane Technical College Prep, Chicago’s largest high school. “They’re not sure if the university is going to stay open.”
The number of people seeking student aid in the state is down by at least 10 percent, said Eric Zarnikow, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
“We know that students may simply be dropping out. We know that for FY17 (which begins July 1), our FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) filing volume is down pretty significantly,” Zarnikow told the House Higher Education Committee. “And for MAP-eligible students it’s down about 14 percent. That’s really a very significant reduction.” […]
“What we don’t know yet,” Zarnikow said, “is are those students deciding not to go to school at all, or are they choosing to go out of state?”
