Rauner to veto HDem approp bill
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a senior administration official…
While GOMB will need time to comb through a 500 page bill no one has ever seen before, if indeed this is as it seems to be — the biggest unbalanced budget in Illinois history — the Governor will veto the bill.
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* From Comptroller Leslie Munger…
“The only thing more irresponsible than allowing our state to operate without a budget would be to pass a spending plan that digs us deeper into debt. Yet, legislation being circulated in the House does just that.
“The consequences of implementing this proposed budget would be catastrophic to those who are already suffering from the state’s continued fiscal mismanagement. Today, Illinois has more than $7 billion in unpaid bills and payment delays are running more than 6 weeks behind at best. If the proposed budget is passed, our unpaid bills would surge past $15 billion, with payments delayed an unprecedented 8-9 months. That means everyone – small businesses, nonprofits, schools, hospitals, elected leaders and others – will wait even longer for what they are owed by the state.
“When you’re in a hole, the best thing you can do is stop digging. For Illinois, that means members of both parties coming together in good faith to pass a budget that is truly balanced.”
Subscribers already know about the likely delay in issuing legislator paychecks. You will recall that Munger tossed those checks into a pile with the rest of the state’s past-due bills in April. Their April 30th checks were delayed. Some thought they’d get those checks on May 31st. Nope.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel was asked yesterday whether he planned to travel to Springfield to lobby legislators for help with his schools system’s budget…
For the mayor, deciding whether to insert himself into the delicate situation at a stalemated Capitol carries some risk. Though he could claim some measure of credit if a funding bill that helps CPS passes following an eleventh-hour visit, Emanuel could get stuck with an even bigger share of the political blame if he goes there and the legislature then doesn’t act on education funding, or passes a bill that doesn’t help Chicago the way he wants.
The mayor’s record on in-person appeals to lawmakers is mixed. In May 2012 he made a much-ballyhooed speech to a House pension panel, calling for an overhaul of city government worker pensions and saying the “day of reckoning has arrived.”
The General Assembly did not act on the plan Emanuel proposed at the time, and it would be another two years before they passed a different pension reform bill, which the Illinois Supreme Court ultimately threw out in March.
The mayor didn’t rule out heading down there in the next few days, however. “I didn’t say — leaving that open,” he said. “What I said to you is, don’t assume it’s just the last 24 hours or the last 48 hours. I’ve been at this for over a year.”
* The Question: Should Mayor Emanuel travel to Springfield and lobby legislators? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
find bike trails
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* From the House Democratic budget proposal analysis…
Items mandated for payment under a court order are not appropriated in these bills. As a result, in some instances, entire agencies are absent from this legislation.
That means things like Medicaid expenses aren’t being appropriated, which is what I’ve been warning subscribers about for a while now. Also, no personal service lines are appropriated because employees are being paid via court order. What they intend to do if the courts rule that the employees can’t be paid without an appropriation is another story.
* And speaking of which, the bill also appropriates over $63 million for back pay for state workers as a result of a recent Supreme Court ruling that employees can’t be paid without an appropriation.
* And then there’s this under the heading “capital projects”…
Yep. $3 billion in new capital spending.
* Watch for updates on this story on our live session coverage post.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Greg Hinz…
But the latest word is, after a top Rauner aide called [Madigan’s budget] plan “the phoniest phony budget in recent Illinois history,” the speaker decided to put it all together in one big bill and dare the GOP governor to veto it, potentially keeping schools from opening this fall.
The original version of the plan, circulated to House members last night, called for a hike in state school aid of $575 million, with $500 million targeted toward high poverty districts.
But in the latest version, I’m told, Madigan raised the ante, boosting the $500 million for high poverty districts to $700 million. And while $700 million is the “number under discussion now,” it could go up further, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown tells me.
While every school district in the state would get more money, CPS would be a particular winner. Sources say it would get 41 percent of the $700 million—about $300 million. Beyond that, it no longer would get the $75 million cut because of lower enrollment that Rauner had proposed. It also may get some additional money for teachers pensions now, up to $50 million.
So, maybe a $400+ million benefit for CPS when compared to Rauner’s proposal.
*** UPDATE 2 *** ILGOP…
House Speaker Mike Madigan is pushing a budget proposal today that creates a $7 billion deficit and requires revenues of nearly $39 billion. Balancing the phoniest of all phony budgets would require the highest tax rate in Illinois history.
“Now we know why Mike Madigan said in December that taking the income tax back to 5% was a ‘good place to begin.’ Apparently, Madigan has long been planning to pass the highest tax rate in Illinois history,” said Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe. “Every single Democrat who votes for this proposal is voting for an unprecedented tax hike on Illinois families, workers and small businesses. The Madigan tax hike would crush Illinois families and lead to more people and businesses leaving the state.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** From a senior administration official…
According to GOMB, this level of spending would force an income tax rate of 5.5% to balance the budget. In essence, a vote for this budget is a vote to force a $1,000 tax hike on the average Illinois family.
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*** UPDATED x2 *** Madigan: No
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Here we go…
…Adding… From Amanda in comments…
To be clear: Productive was my word/summation; Speaker used “persuasive.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** The statement is getting out there on Twitter, so here’s the full governor’s office response to the Speaker’s proposed budget which I told subscribers about earlier…
According to GOMB, the House Democrats are proposing a budget that is as much as $7 billion out of balance, proposing to spend as much as $39 billion with only $32 billion available. It is by far the phoniest phony budget in recent Illinois history - and that’s saying something.
…Adding… Actually, some of the working groups are making progress. So this statement by MJM is a bit, um, off. But the governor told Madigan today that he wants the groups to continue meeting.
…Adding More… From Voices for Illinois Children…
Without new revenue the analysis from Voices’ Fiscal Policy Center shows, as does GOMB’s analysis, that a spending plan with previous spending levels comes up least $7 billion short.
It’s important to remember the reason the numbers don’t add up. It’s because there is no new revenue to make up for the huge tax cut that occurred when lawmakers failed to make the temporary 5% income tax rate permanent.
It’s not enough to decry an unbalanced budget. To balance the budget, lawmakers and the governor either need to make $7.1 billion in cuts (something Voices does not suggest, and something no policy maker has suggested) or generate $7.1 billion in new revenue.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Tribune…
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is planning to present a budget that would pour $500 million more into school funding for districts with low-income students under a spending plan that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration suggests is $7 billion short.
The broad points of the proposal surfaced Wednesday as the governor and legislative leaders met again behind closed doors with a spring session deadline looming Tuesday. The House Democratic budget blueprint largely envisions state government running on autopilot — an indication that despite Rauner’s vague suggestion of optimism, there is unlikely to be a resolution to the historic budget stalemate.
According to an analysis of the legislation distributed to lawmakers and the administration, the plan calls for spending just $13.7 billion out of the state’s general revenue fund, the primary checkbook of state government. Much of state government instead would be funded under a patchwork of court orders and decent decrees that kept more than 90 percent of funding flowing as Illinois operates without a complete budget. […]
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the proposal may morph over the next few days, but is “based on what we believe Illinois law requires to be spent.”
It’s actually more than $500 million. Click here to see the analysis. Weird stuff in there, man, as subscribers have known for many days.
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* From an e-mail…
Hello Rich,
On behalf of by Pay Now Illinois, the coalition of 82 – newly increased from 64 – human and social service agencies suing Gov. Rauner and seven state agency heads, I want to make sure you are aware of two new important court filings today, following the initial lawsuit filed May 4. The two filings and release are attached and additional information can be found at: paynowillinois.org.
Highlights:
· Today the plaintiffs filed a motion seeking emergency relief that would require the state to begin immediate payment on contracts that are more than 60 days in arrears, an amount estimated to be $100 million. The total owed to the plaintiffs for 11 months of unpaid work exceeds $130 million. The motion argues that the case represents a “public emergency,” human and social service agencies are facing a cascade of damages – laying off staff, reducing or eliminating essential programs, or shutting down entirely.
· Also today, Pay Now Illinois filed an amended complaint adding 18 new human and social service agencies plaintiffs to the original suit, and two new defendants: Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger and Audra Hamernick, Director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
We are happy to set up interviews with two members of the Pay Now Coalition, who are plaintiffs in the suit: Andrea Durbin, CEO of Illinois Collaboration on Youth, and Nancy Ronquillo, President & CEO of Children’s Home + Aid.
Many thanks,
Rick
The new motion is here. The full press release is here.
…Adding… Ounce of Protection, run by Mrs. Rauner, is one of the groups that jumped aboard the lawsuit. Ounce is owed millions. Interesting.
* Related…
* Voice of The Southern: Gov. Rauner, sign SB2038: A $700 million human services “stopgap” appropriations bill – Senate Bill 2038 – passed both houses of the legislature last week with broad bi-partisan support. Our Republican senator, Dave Luechtefeld, and our Democratic senator, Gary Forby, were sponsors of the bill. It passed in the House by a 111-0 vote and passed the Senate by a 56-0 vote. It was sent to the governor’s desk on Wednesday, where it continues to sit. We urge the governor to sign SB2038 bright and early tomorrow morning.
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Facing the abyss
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Subscribers know much more about the latest plan and the reaction from the governor. I’m expecting to see it pop sometime today. In the meantime, here’s the Tribune…
Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton didn’t flinch when they passed a budget far out of balance in 2014 — heavy on the spending and without the revenue to pay for it. They didn’t flinch when they passed an out-of-balance budget in 2015. And now, all signs point to a repeat performance for 2016.
If Democrats again send Rauner an unbalanced budget, it will be time for the governor to end the standoff himself. Time to use his veto pen to strip spending line by line, something he avoided last year, instead vetoing the entire spending plan, except for education. If Rauner doesn’t act, Illinoisans could go another year with no budget — another year of spending at unsustainable levels, another year of debt piling up, another year of the state’s most vulnerable citizens harmed.
A truly balanced budget in this debt-ridden, spend-happy state will be ugly and far worse than what social service providers have experienced so far. But if Democrats insist on riding the Tilt-A-Whirl at fantasy land instead of actually governing, Rauner will have to do what he promised as a candidate: make the tough, painful decisions himself.
* The budget office has repeatedly explained that the governor can’t balance the budget with line-item vetoes alone because lots of spending is mandated in state law or by federal courts. Even so, Gov. Rauner could reduce at least some spending that way. I just don’t think he will because then he’d have to own all those individual cuts and he ain’t much of an owner. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong.
They don’t want to do reduction vetoes, either, by the way, because those can be overridden with simple majorities.
So, I’m not sure what the outcome is gonna be. We’re pretty well stuck if the leaders can’t come to a bipartisan agreement.
* Related…
* ADDED: State’s lost year about to become two as budget cliff nears
* Some charter schools won’t survive proposed CPS budget cuts
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Today’s number: $7.1 billion
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
State Sen. Kyle McCarter is leading the way with a balanced budget compromise combining true budget reforms and no new taxes.
Sen. McCarter (R-Lebanon) said his plan is a balanced approach that incorporates ideas and proposals from legislators and the Governor’s office.
The “plan” is here. Almost half his savings come from pushing $1.4 billion in pension costs down the food chain to local schools and universities, which would jack up property taxes and tuition. He claims a $924 million savings by moving new hires into 401(k) plans. $700 million comes from cutting state worker pay and benefits. And $300 million would come from some apparently super drastic workers comp cuts.
Um, OK.
* Not to mention that the hole is larger than that. From Voices for Illinois Children…
That’s a pretty darned big hole.
* More…
Cutting $7.1 billion from the budget wouldn’t be easy, even if it were desirable (which it isn’t). For one thing, it couldn’t be done in an across-the-board manner. That’s because roughly $27 billion (70%) of the budget can broadly be categorized as “mandatory” spending. This includes: debt service, pension contributions, transfers made according to existing state law (largely to local governments and transit systems), Medicaid costs, and spending relating to consent decrees and court orders. It’s difficult (or impossible) to cut these areas.
The remaining $11.6 billion of the general funds budget can broadly be considered “discretionary” — it doesn’t have to be spent under law. (For more details on how we calculated what is “discretionary,” click here.) This is not to say that these parts of the budget are unimportant. Far from it. This is spending on PreK-12 education, higher education, and a significant portion of human services, including areas such as homeless prevention, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and domestic violence.
* Another chart…
* And…
If lawmakers and Governor Rauner maintain (or even increase) funding for PreK-12 education, the total amount of remaining discretionary areas of the budget is less than the total revenue gap. In other words, even if the state eliminated entire sections of the state budget, it would still not balance the next state budget. Without billions of dollars in new revenue, it will be nearly impossible for the state to stop digging itself an ever-deeper financial hole. There is no getting around this.
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* The four legislative leaders and the governor will meet today at 11 o’clock. It’s just the third time they will have met this calendar year, but the second time this month. Speaker Madigan’s spokesman confirmed that his boss will also attend.
Discussion topics?
…Adding… Legendary White Sox player Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas will be at the Statehouse today around noon. Thomas supports the fantasy sports legalization bill.
So, that’s some good news outta Springfield for a change.
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*** UPDATE 1 *** The veto override failed by two votes. Rep. Ken Dunkin was recorded as voting “Yes” to override, but he was apparently in the Senate when the vote was taken, so expect possible fireworks.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the governor’s office…
The Office of Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement after the House of Representatives failed to override the Governor’s veto of HB 580. This is attributable to Catherine Kelly, Press Secretary for the Governor:
“HB 580 was unprecedented and unaffordable, and simply another attempt by the Majority Party in the legislature to insert themselves into the contract process and put hard working families in Illinois on the hook for a $3 billion tax hike. The Governor thanks those members who took the pro-taxpayer position today, and believes it is now time to move forward and find compromise on a balanced budget with structural reforms that will put our state on the path to prosperity.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** AFSCME…
AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch issued this statement:
“We are deeply disappointed in the 48 legislators in the House today who failed to override Gov. Rauner’s veto of the fair arbitration bill, House Bill 580. They sided with the governor against the people of Illinois and against the public service workers who protect kids, care for veterans and the disabled, respond to emergencies and keep us safe.
“In January the Rauner Administration walked away from the bargaining table and has since refused to even meet with our union. Instead the governor is seeking the power to unilaterally impose his extreme demands, including forcing workers to pay double their current costs for health care, a four-year wage freeze, and doing away with protections against unfettered privatization.
“If he imposes those demands, public service workers will be forced to work under his terms or go out on strike. While as a candidate Rauner vowed to force a strike, the union supported the arbitration bill as a fair alternative path to keep Illinois working.
“Contrary to the governor’s wild exaggerations designed to defeat HB 580, the bill would have merely provided to all state employees the same fair arbitration procedures already available to public safety workers throughout Illinois. According to state records, those procedures in the past 10 years have resulted in 48 percent of all arbitration decisions favoring the employer, 43 percent favoring the union, and 9 percent split.
“The fair arbitration bill was meant to protect public services and ensure fairness for the men and women who work to provide them. That’s why large majorities of voters even in Republican districts consistently supported the bill and urged their legislators to enact it. It’s unfortunate that too many lawmakers sided today with Governor Rauner rather than representing their constituents.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Vinicky…
Unionized state employees worried about stalled contract talks could learn Wednesday whether there’s hope for a work-around.
Last week, thousands of union members rallied in Springfield. They asked legislators to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill that would change how the state negotiates with labor. Wednesday they may see if it worked.
Democratic Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch says he plans to call the measure for a vote.
“I think the rally in Springfield last week was very impressive,” he said Tuesday. “And people are hearing that. So we’re going to put it on the board and see if the votes are there.” […]
The governor has called it the “worst” bill he’s seen, but unions say Rauner is trying to force a strike or walk-out.
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* As we’ve discussed before, Gov. Rauner gave lawmakers a detailed road map last year when he used his amendatory veto powers on the marijuana decriminalization bill. Legislators followed his directions and yet he still won’t embrace the legislation…
“I’ve been a little distracted with economic issues, and frankly more important issues,” Rauner said last week. “We in Illinois tend to get — we get caught up in what our state pie’s going to be and how much marijuana is going to get sold. You know, it’s lovely topics. We got a budget crisis. We need more jobs. We need higher wages. We need more money for our schools. Let’s focus on what matters.”
That was not a unique comment. Rauner said much the same thing Monday afternoon in his Statehouse news conference: “You’re going to see a lot of votes and a lot of bills pop out this week. I hope they relate to what matters. We don’t need band aids. We don’t need to declare another state pie. We don’t need to declare another state vegetable. We don’t need to declare another illegal substance that we should expand. We need to focus on what matters.”
There you have it: The governor is comparing a bipartisan change in criminal justice policy to naming the state pie — pumpkin, by the way, sponsored by a Republican and signed into law by … Gov. Rauner.
It’s a striking comment from a politician who’s been widely praised for saying he’s willing to take on the inefficiencies and inequities of our criminal justice system. Rauner has called for significantly reducing the number of people sent to prison in Illinois. Now, it’s true that decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana will not make much of a dent in that — very few people are sent to prison for small time pot busts, especially for a first offense. And yet, advocates say it’s a worthwhile step in the right direction.
Not only that, but he could expand job opportunities in this state by expanding the medical marijuana program or even legalizing it. If jobs were solely based on workers’ comp costs and property tax costs, we wouldn’t have any jobs here. There are other ways to do things that don’t involve his Turnaround Agenda. Innovation is a big one, and strangling our research universities certainly isn’t helping.
* Also, too, the pumpkin pie bill is an easy target, but Illinois is the national center of pumpkin production…
Prairie State farmers grow more ornamental and canning-type pumpkins than any other state. In fact, Illinois produced more than twice as many pumpkins in 2012 as second-ranked to California. […]
The state’s farms harvested a record 16,200 acres of pumpkins in 2012, according to the Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service (IASS). Most of those were processing pumpkins, the best type for canning and cooking. More than 90 percent of the nation’s canning pumpkins grow in Illinois, says Mohammad Babadoost, a plant pathologist and professor at the University of Illinois.
We also process those pumpkins here.
So, stop dumping on a vital home-grown industry already.
* Meanwhile…
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Champaign is among the nation’s faster-growing cities.
The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that the city is the only one in Illinois to reach that distinction. Of the others, 74 are in California, 47 are in Texas, and 17 are in the Carolinas.
From July 2014 to July 2015, the Census found Champaign grew by 1.5 percent, to just over 86,900. It’s now the 380th-largest city nationally and No. 10 in Illinois.
Champaign is rapidly becoming my favorite small city. So, learn some lessons from that town and help others do some of the same sorts of things. Not everything can be duplicated, of course, but this ain’t rocket science.
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Kirk says Clinton won’t hurt Duckworth bid
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Corfman…
Many Senate Republicans downplay the impact of Donald Trump’s divisive candidacy on their chances in November, stressing the importance of local issues. But ask those same Republicans about Hillary Clinton, and suddenly who’s on the top of that ticket becomes very important, Politico reports.
Except to one.
“Asked whether Clinton will hurt Democratic Senate candidate Tammy Duckworth in Illinois, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., replied: ‘No,’ before an aide interrupted him and swept him away,” the website reports.
The full story is here.
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The other potential candidates
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I think it’s just too early for this. It’s akin to all the chatter about a Cubs vs. White Sox World Series. But, whatevs. Democrats cannot stand this governor and therefore the speculation will intensify as the days progress.
Here’s Mark Brown on what happens if US Sen. Dick Durbin doesn’t run for governor against Bruce Rauner two and a half years from now…
After Lisa Madigan, the list is less obvious.
State Treasurer Michael Frerichs was elected in 2014 with Rauner and appears to covet the governor’s job, but may not have the stature at this point.
Frerichs moved into the treasurer’s post from the Illinois Senate, where several of his former colleagues — Daniel Biss, Andy Manar, Kwame Raoul and Heather Steans — also are believed to be positioning themselves for higher office.
All four are among the more cerebral members of the Legislature, but going up against Rauner would be a major step up in weight class for any of them. […]
Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is said to want a rematch with Rauner and never shies from the competition, but at some point, he’s going to have to recognize that his electoral career is finished.
Businessman Christopher Kennedy has flirted with runs for political office on several previous occasions, but some believe he is serious about jumping into the race against Rauner.
Quinn lives in Quinnland, so I’m not sure he got the memo about his electoral career, or ever will. Brown also mentioned Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who could be the strongest candidate in the bunch, but getting him to run is a different matter. Sen. Steans has been traveling the state for a while now, and she’d have access to significant resources, but she’d be starting from scratch.
* Korecki…
Whoever runs against Rauner must be prepared to go up against the former private equity investor’s bottomless pit of money and the monsoon of opposition research and negative attacks that Rauner is capable of financing. Some insiders are estimating Republicans may spend $100 million in the next gubernatorial campaign. Dems wouldn’t have to match that dollar for dollar, but they’d have to raise $60 million to stay competitive. That’s why party insiders are looking to persuade big guns like Durbin, and to a lesser degree, Arne Duncan. Lisa Madigan would be a formidable opponent if her father agreed to step down as speaker if she were elected. While Brown notes other rising stars, they’d have a tough road ahead building name recognition and creating a strong organization while battling the Rauner jabs.
Brown’s kicker seems appropriate here: “Add it all up and what do you get? A lot more speculation about Durbin being the candidate.”
I really doubt that Speaker Madigan will step aside, mainly because doing so would seem like an admission that Rauner had forced him off the battlefield. Duncan does appear to be positioning himself for something. And I speculated in comments a few days back about Rauner potentially spending $100 million. The word’s definitely going around.
Your thoughts?
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Jewish bride denied Galena wedding ceremony
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Illinois ACLU…
A young couple’s dream day turned into a nightmare after the owner of an Inn offering wedding services would not allow them to hold the non-religious wedding ceremony the couple desired. Jonathan Webber and Alexandra Katzman paid a deposit to Bernadine’s Stillman Inn in Galena in February of 2015 to secure the wedding date their chosen wedding date – May 14, 2016. Only when they visited the Inn on November 1, 2015 did the Inn’s owner, Dave Anderson, tell them that he would only permit a Christian wedding service in the facility. When Mr. Webber and Ms. Katzman noted that Ms. Katzman was Jewish and that her family members would be uncomfortable with such a service, Mr. Anderson said that the wedding was “not a good fit” for the Inn.
The charge filed last month with the Illinois Department of Human Rights alleges that the Inn, a public accommodation, denied the couple service on the basis of their religion. The couple is represented in the matter by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
“The entire experience was maddening and humiliating,” said Ms. Katzman, who was married to Mr. Webber earlier this month at another location. “After months of thinking that we’d found the perfect location for our wedding, we learned that the only way we could move forward was to have a service that might well offend my Jewish guests and my religious heritage.”
“I was stunned when this happened,” added Mr. Webber. “The Inn had cashed our deposit check and had the form with our wedding needs – including a non-religious ceremony – for months. It was shocking to be turned away.”
Ms. Katzman and Mr. Webber determined that Bernadine’s Stillman Inn was the perfect location for their wedding because they stayed there the weekend they became engaged. In February 2015, after learning that their desired date was available, the couple sent the Inn a form outlining their wishes for the big day, including that they wanted a “non-religious” wedding ceremony. The Inn’s website provided instructions for securing the services a local judge for performing a wedding service, so they assumed that everything would be fine.
The couple’s hopes were dashed when they returned to Galena on November 1, 2015 to finalize details for their wedding. For the first time, Mr. Anderson told them that he could only perform a Christian wedding. Ms. Katzman explained that her family was Jewish, and thinking that Mr. Anderson misunderstood their plans, she volunteered that a friend’s mother was a judge and would be happy to perform the ceremony. Mr. Anderson said that he was not comfortable with anyone else performing a ceremony in his chapel.
Still hoping to salvage their plans, Mr. Webber and Ms. Katzman (after excusing themselves to speak privately) asked Mr. Anderson if they could hear what he would say, hoping that some compromise might be possible. Mr. Anderson complied, reading a long script that specifically and repeatedly referenced Jesus Christ. When Ms. Katzman again noted that her family was Jewish, Mr. Anderson replied that the couple was “not a good fit” for him, and refunded their deposit.
“This type of discrimination is exactly what the Illinois law was designed to prevent,” said Rebecca Glenberg, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Illinois. “As a public business, open to all, the Inn cannot impose religious requirements on my clients or others, especially not at their own wedding.”
“Through the intervention of some good friends, we were able to keep our date and had a lovely wedding,” said Ms. Katzman. “But we don’t want anyone to go through this humiliation in the future – that is why we filed this complaint.”
* WGN TV covered this story last night…
The owner of the Stillmam Inn says he is shocked by the charge but blames his decision on a rule by the City of Galena. WGN contacted Galena officials and they gave us this statement, “As far as the city, we regulate land use. We don’t get involved with religious matters.”
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AG Madigan opposes Exelon, ComEd “bailout”
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued the following statement today in opposition to Senate Bill 1585. Exelon and its subsidiary ComEd are pushing the legislation that would rack up billions of dollars in spending and profit paid for by consumers.
“It’s outrageous that Exelon and ComEd are again requesting a bailout when they are both profitable companies. This proposal would force consumers to pay more only to boost the companies’ profits further. The legislature has more important matters to address than padding ComEd and Exelon’s profits.”
Madigan’s office was opposed to the Exelon bailout when it was originally introduced last year because of its negative impact on consumers. While packaged slightly differently, the legislation is still harmful to consumers and simply generates more revenue for Exelon and ComEd.
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Chamber turns thumbs down on AFL-CIO demand
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Earlier today, Illinois AFL-CIO President Mike Carrigan said any changes to the workers’ comp system have to go through the formal agreed bill process. Illinois Chamber President Todd Maisch says he opposes that idea…
“The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is disappointed that organized labor wants any workers’ compensation reform proposal to go through the agreed bill process. Illinois is a state that desperately needs course correction, and passing workers’ compensation reform is critical to that end.”
“The agreed bill process is a long, drawn-out one, and insisting on that process is the same thing as demanding no change at all.”
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Question of the day
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If you work around the Statehouse, you know that the fantasy sports people and Rivers Casino have hired just about every lobbyist in town. Look past the inflammatory rhetoric here, but this is the heart of the matter…
Yes, it’s well-documented that fantasy sports have a number of advocates in Springfield trying to pass a bill. Casual fans, small Illinois-based businesses, and major fantasy sports companies alike have all come together to speak out in favor of the industry. But guess what? The need for advocates has been driven by the enormity of the efforts by Rivers Casino, who have hired an army of lobbyists in a hypocritical and self-serving effort to block fantasy sports legislation needed to protect consumers and provide needed revenue for the state. […]
So here is the real motive: Rivers wants a bill to allow them to offer their casino games via the internet, so they would have the ability to reach customers without ever having them step foot in their casino. The Rivers political strategy is to attach internet gambling to a fantasy sports bill. They have not been successful, so they are working back-room politics to kill the fantasy sports bill, unless they get what they want.
* The Question: Should Illinois casinos be allowed into the Internet gaming business? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
bike trails
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Ammons feels the Bern
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bernie Sanders has been criticized for not doing much of anything to help the bottom of the ticket. He addressed that today in a fundraising e-mail to his supporters…
No president, not Bernie Sanders, not the greatest president you could possibly imagine, can take on the billionaire class alone. And that’s because change never happens from the top down, it always occurs from the bottom up.
That’s why today I am announcing my support for eight progressive state legislative candidates who embody the spirit of our political revolution.
Today, they are state representatives running for re-election or challenging to win their first race. Tomorrow, they’ll be progressives running for Congress and maybe even the presidency. And in 2020, they’ll help determine how congressional districts are drawn for the remainder of the next decade — a key to Democrats taking back and holding the House of Representatives for the decade to come.
It’s up to us to transform the future of the Democratic Party, and that’s why I am proud to ask:
Can I count on you to split a $100 contribution to our campaign and a great slate of progressive state legislative candidates as a way of saying we are going to fight to transform our country, and the Democratic Party, from the bottom up? […]
Carol Ammons became the first African-American woman to win election in her district of the Illinois State Legislature, scoring an upset election victory against a well-funded establishment opponent. She’s fighting for progressive issues and candidates and deserves our support.
So, he wants to split a hundred bucks with a legislator in a solidly Democratic district with no current Republican opponent?
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Carrigan: Agreed bill process or nothing
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois AFL-CIO President Mike Carrigan just told reporters that he was not interested in changing the workers’ compensation program in conjunction with a budget deal. I contacted Carrigan and he said he wasn’t nixing all talks, but that they had to be part of a formalized agreed bill process. That process is usually very time-consuming.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinoisans who enjoy fantasy sports deserve to know what’s transpiring behind the scenes in Springfield, and where the single largest threat to the passage of fantasy sports regulation is coming from: it’s Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.
Rivers says it’s all about protecting their turf, but there is no evidence that players spend less time or money at casinos because they participate in fantasy sports contests. The Rivers political strategy is to attach internet gambling to a fantasy sports bill. They have not been successful, so they are working back-room politics to kill the fantasy sports bill, unless they get what they want.
My career and my colleagues’ careers rely on the fantasy sports industry. We need legal clarity and certainty to grow and expand our business – that’s exactly what this bill offers. It reflects thoughtful and appropriate regulation, and the level of consumer protections are among the safest in the country. Rivers Casino needs to drop its unsavory political tactics and allow the bill to have a clean vote.
(Read the entire commentary in Reboot Illinois)
Jay Correia
CEO, DreamCo Design
Author of book Daily Fantasy Sports
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Better late than never, I suppose
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a January 12th press release…
The Illinois Republican Party today called on State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook) to identify which specific reforms proposed by the Governor she would support as part of a bipartisan agreement to balance the state budget.
In a news report by the Illinois News Network, Rep. Nekritz said “the fix must include several things: reforms, cuts and revenues,” but in the same breath “criticized the governor and Democratic leaders for digging in their heels” — as if she is somehow independent from “Democratic leaders” and not a part of the impasse.
“In Northbrook Rep. Nekritz pretends to be independent from Mike Madigan, but in Springfield she’s one his top lieutenants,” ILGOP Executive Director Nick Klitzing said. “She can’t have it both ways, claiming she supports non-specific reforms while blaming the abstract ‘Democratic leaders’ for digging in their heels. She votes to elect Mike Madigan speaker, so unless and until she publicly identifies the specific reforms she could support, she is equally responsible for gridlock and decline as Mike Madigan. If Elaine Nekritz is truly independent, now’s her chance to stand up to her ‘Democratic leaders’ and publicly outline which of the reforms proposed by the governor she believes are ‘the levers that have to be pulled in order to get out of this.’”
* Apparently, there’s been a change of heart at Message Control Central…
“The exciting thing is, Democrats in the General Assembly, in private, many of them — not all — many of them agree with the reforms,” Rauner said.
Asked to name one or two such Democrats, Rauner said most “are unwilling to say much publicly because they don’t want to get retribution.” But the governor did name Northbrook Democrat Elaine Nekritz, who he contends publicly declared support for his ideas months ago. […]
But now, Rauner is using the quote as evidence that Democrats are moving his way. Nekritz said that’s a leap.
“I’ve been saying this exact same thing since 2009, since the Great Recession, that the only way we’re going to get out of the depth of the problems is revenue, cuts and reforms,” Nekritz said. “My message has not changed in seven years. It’s not because I woke up and decided I needed to be in the governor’s camp.”
Yep. That was a truly dumb move to attack her in January. I mean, you got one person willing to stick her neck out and you chop it off? And now you praise her for heroics?
The learning curve has been steep at times.
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Good investments, but not for the city
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Daley legacy in a nutshell…
Chicago’s parking-meter system took in $121.7 million last year, while four underground city-owned garages reaped another $34.7 million — with not a penny of that money going to the cash-strapped city government.
Instead, the $156.3 million pot of parking cash went to private investors who control the meters and garages under deals cut by former Mayor Richard M. Daley and rubber-stamped by the City Council. […]
In the seven years since, the meter company has reported a total of $778.6 million in revenues. It’s on pace to make back what it paid the city by 2020, with more than 60 years of meter money still to come. […]
Two years before the meter deal, the city gave Chicago Loop Parking — another entity led by Morgan Stanley — the rights to four parking garages under Millennium Park and Grant Park for 99 years. In return, the city received $563 million.
Last year, the garages produced $34.7 million in revenue, the highest annual total since 2008, audits show. After expenses, their net operating income was $8.4 million. Over the nine years of the deal, the facilities have generated $292.6 million in revenue for their private operators.
And, of course, all the money from both deals was squandered to avoid a tax hike.
* Related…
* City reaches new pension deal with laborers: The bad news is that city taxpayers will have to chip in an additional $70 million or so to start, and some of that money will be diverted from a different pension fund covering other employees. Potentially worse, the deal will have to be approved by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has balked at signing other pro-Chicago legislation until Mayor Rahm Emanuel convinces other Democrats to back the pro-business, union-weakening structural changes the governor wants.
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Fantasy Sports Is Internet Gaming
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The daily fantasy sports gambling industry is pressuring officials to pass a bailout that actually costs taxpayers. According to COGFA these Internet gaming giants would each pay just $900,000 in state taxes, but they could afford $500 million in television ads last year.
Taxpayers may actually have to subsidize regulating online sports wagering. The Illinois Gaming Board doesn’t know how much it will cost to oversee this new form of online gaming.
The state is facing an unprecedented budget crisis, but two out-of-state companies, which the Attorney General said broke law, want you to give them valuable Internet gaming licenses.
Everyone but paid fantasy sports operators agree, it’s gambling:
Proponents are telling elected officials a fantasy, but the budget crisis is real. Don’t make it worse and pass a fantasy sports bailout that actually costs the state money.
Click here to read the COGFA revenue estimate.
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Baricevic hit over fundraising
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The first round of fundraising for new candidates is the people on their personal contact lists. So, this isn’t too surprising. And since it’s St. Clair County, it ain’t a surprise on another level, either…
Illinois U.S. House 12th District candidate C.J. Baricevic has gotten most of his campaign funding from attorneys who work in the Belleville-based court system headed by his father, according to a newspaper’s recent analysis.
The Democratic candidate, whose father is 20th Judicial Circuit Chief John Baricevic, has received more than $246,000 from lawyers and others associated with more than 70 law firms, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. One of those firms has donated more than $37,000 through its lawyers and employees, including secretaries who gave the top allowable contribution of $2,700 each.
“It is clear that C.J. Baricevic has far more support in the trial lawyer community than he does among the majority of 12th District voters,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Hunter said in statement.
While Republicans raise concerns about a conflict of interest, C.J. Baricevic said the support from lawyers comes from him being a partner in the Belleville law firm Chatham and Baricevic.
* More…
His father, Judge Baricevic, vehemently disputed any connection between his position as chief judge and his son’s strong support from attorneys. He said the chief judge’s official authority to assign cases to other judges was in practice carried out by people under him.
“Call any lawyer, call any judge. I do not interfere with the normal process” of assigning cases to other judges, he said last week. “You won’t find one lawyer who will make that accusation, because it’s unfounded.”
No one has alleged that Judge Baricevic has improperly meddled in case assignments. But critics say the lawyer-donors’ unusual generosity toward his son raises the question of whether those attorneys feel pressure to give.
“Common sense would tell you if you give money to the chief judge’s son, he’s going to like you, and if you don’t, he won’t,” said Belleville City Clerk Dallas Cook, a Republican who is running for 20th Judicial Circuit clerk and is suing to get Judge Baricevic removed from a judicial ballot this year in an unrelated election dispute.
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Simple answers to simple questions
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Republican lawmakers are not confident that legislation to create a private organization to raise repair funds for the Illinois State Fairgrounds will pass this session.
Sen. Bill Brady, who is sponsoring a bill in the Senate that would establish the foundation, said he lacks support from Democrats.
“Predominantly, I understand it has to do with some unions who are opposed to waiving some of the procurement requirements,” the Bloomington Republican said. “Because it is private money, we don’t think it should be subject to state procurement, and we know we’ll have a better chance of raising more money if it’s not subject to that.”
Brady’s legislation was voted out of committee in April and received a deadline extension to be called for a final vote. The spring session is scheduled to end May 31.
“I’ve had some discussions with the laborers’ unions who have voiced some objections to this legislation, but I’m not quite sure exactly why, because this is very similar to legislation we used to enact the Conservation Foundation and others,” said Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, who is sponsoring a similar House bill that is yet to be assigned to committee.
“I’m not quite sure exactly why.” Because Rauner wants it, that’s why.
The last Ag Director under Pat Quinn would sometimes privately complain about all the hoops he had to jump through to get things done on the fairgrounds. This is a decent idea in concept, but, like everything else, it’s on the funeral pyre because one side may want too much and the other side doesn’t want to give an inch. Normally, they’d find a way to work it out, but these ain’t normal times.
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Talking past each other
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finke…
[Sean Stott, director of governmental affairs for the Laborers International Union] again criticized insurance carriers who did not reduce premiums after workers’ compensation costs were reduced several years ago during a previous round of reforms.
However, Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said Illinois’ workers’ comp costs are significantly higher even for large corporations that self-insure against those costs.
“That (Stott’s argument) is just an old, tired excuse for baking in the status quo,” Maisch said.
They’re both right. And there should be room for compromise here. We need more assurances that insurance companies are passing along savings and we need more savings in the workers’ comp program.
If people would stop talking past each other, this stuff wouldn’t be so darned difficult.
I mean, really, if the governor hadn’t initially staked out such a hardline, far right position, he could’ve passed lots of this stuff weeks after being sworn in. We’re in this mess past our eyeballs now, but the other side has to finally realize that Rauner’s position today is significantly different than it was in 2015. Did it take too long? Heck yes it did.
Is a goal achievable? As John Lennon said, “War is over, if you want it.” Well, maybe not over, but at least some peace can be attained if they want it.
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The more things change…
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* May 22nd, 2015…
Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said Friday that Democrats need to approve a series of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda” bills before they will talk about adding taxes to plug a $6 billion budget hole.
Radogno, the chief sponsor of five bills representing Rauner’s agenda filed Friday in the Senate, said the proposed legislation reflects a compromise from the governor’s office that includes input from Democrats.
“People of this state have to really come to grips with the fact that we cannot continue down the road we’ve been going down,” Radogno said. “May 31 can come and go, but the problem is we have to change direction. That’s what this ‘Turnaround Agenda’ is about.”
Asked if the bills reflect the areas the governor insists must be changed before discussing a tax increase, Radogno said: “Yes, he has been very clear . . . reform before revenue. He has never said revenue is off the table.”
* May 23rd, 2016…
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont flatly said Republican lawmakers will not support any revenue increases without reforms passing first.
“We will not accept any more tax increases until these things are dealt with,” Radogno said. […]
Radogno said members of the public still view the budget stalemate as a test of wills between Rauner and Madigan.
“This is not just a battle of wills,” she said. “We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”
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* Tribune…
As Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner continued his vague calls for compromise Monday, House Democrats approved a measure to require his administration to give 30 days’ notice before it could cancel contracts with service providers who care for the vulnerable.
The bill is designed to prevent a repeat of an April 2015 move in which Rauner tried to save money by abruptly canceling contracts with social service agencies. Opponents at the Capitol dubbed it the “Good Friday Massacre.” Rauner later restored the funding amid intense blowback. […]
“This doesn’t say that you can’t cancel a contract if there’s no money for it; it just says the person with a contract is deserving of notice,” said sponsoring Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago. “I think it’s unconscionable to say to human service providers without one day notice we’re just going to cancel you. What this does is give them 30 days so at least they know how to respond to that fiscal problem.”
Republicans shot back that the focus should instead be on crafting a full spending plan so agencies don’t have to choose which services get paid and which go without as cash flow remains tight.
* Tom Corfman on the legislation…
Not to be suspicious, but does it seem like the Democrats are preparing for more budget deadlock instead of the “grand compromise” the governor so devoutly seeks?
It sure could be seen that way. After all, it’s been more than a year since those ignominious cuts.
*** UPDATE *** If you look at the roll call, you’ll see that at least four Republicans also voted for the bill: Batinick, David Harris, Moffitt, Pritchard.
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Brown: Democrats need a plan
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Brown…
As much as I disagree with major elements of Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda, if there is a Democratic plan to restore Illinois’ economy, I have not heard it articulated clearly enough to communicate to others.
This is a problem. It’s a political problem for Democrats heading into November, but more important, it’s a problem for our state in the here and now.
Publicly, at least, the Democrats keep pointing to the progress they’ve already made on things like workers’ comp. But who really thinks that’s enough?
* Back to Brown…
If House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and the rest of the Democratic hierarchy think they can avoid taking part of the blame in the fall for that failure just because Donald Trump is leading the Republican ticket, they could be in for a rude awakening. […]
I deplore Rauner’s willingness to use people who rely on social services as hostages to enforce his will. If he were on this November’s ballot, he’d surely take his lumps. But he’s not.
In his absence, voters’ blame could fall most heavily on those who can be portrayed as beholden to Madigan, who is held in equally low esteem.
He’s right about Madigan, except that he’s held in far less esteem than Rauner by the general public.
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Durbin begs backers: “Cool it”
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers about this way back on January 11th. But the rumor has taken on a life of its own and just won’t die…
It may be the worst-kept political secret in Springfield, and now the chatter has reached fever pitch.
Sources in the Democratic Party, progressive and labor circles are all buzzing about the possibility of Illinois’ senior U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin challenging Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, with some saying it is more than innuendo and that the talk is emanating from Durbin’s Illinois office.
“It’s coming from his political staff,” said a state labor leader. “They’ve talked to me, asking questions like, ‘Would you be supportive?’ and just generally asking people’s opinions.”
Sources all speak favorably about Durbin’s chances against the wealthy incumbent, citing his statewide name recognition, fundraising ability, and the fact that his primary residence is in Springfield.
* But, as before, Durbin is dumping cold water on the rumor…
“I don’t see anything in the Turnaround Agenda that really will help the economy of this state,” Durbin said.
Durbin, who toured a Logan Square neighborhood infant welfare program, agreed that the state’s economy is endangered by the stalemate.
He also dismissed reports that some Illinois Democrats want him to challenge Rauner in 2018.
“I have no aspirations for any other office and I would beg the people who are doing all the speculation to cool it,” Durbin said.
Thoughts?
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Remap reformers declare victory
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the folks at Independent Maps…
We just completed a week long review of a 5% (28,000) sample of our petitions at the Board of Elections. The verdict is in: our signatures passed with flying colors.
Board of Elections personnel validated 72.7% of the petition signature sample, which is head and shoulders above the 52% validation rate we needed. This is an incredible achievement and it is all thanks to your hard work and support! Thanks also to all the volunteers who came out to help with the review, including a strong contingent from the League of Women Voters. […]
Our next challenge is to defend the Independent Map Amendment in court from the lawsuit filed by entrenched political interests challenging its constitutionality.
…Adding… More details in the press release I just found in my inbox…
A state review of Independent Map Amendment petitions indicates the submitted petitions likely contain more than the minimum 290,216 valid signatures of registered voters required to place the proposed redistricting reform constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
On Monday, the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) staff completed the signature verification examination of a random sample of Independent Map Amendment petition signatures, and the ISBE review projected that nearly 73 percent of the 563,974 petition signatures appear to be genuine and match the signature of a registered voter living at the address printed on the petition. The staff checked 28,199 signatures selected at random by computerized sampling of 5 percent of petition signatures.
The sampling indicates a minimum of 382,355 and a maximum of 395,021 valid signatures were submitted to the state – well in excess of the 290,216 signatures required by law to place the amendment on the ballot. […]
Independent Maps staffers and volunteers were also impressed by the efficiency and professionalism of the Board of Elections employees.
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