“I’m going back into the private sector to lead a new initiative that will leverage one of his other greatest victories, that of the Janus v. AFSCME fair share case that was just picked up by the United States Supreme Court,” Rasmussen said during the call. “So whether we are inside of government or outside of government there’s so much opportunity for us to change policy and change lives for the better. ”
Rasmussen said she had “two key responsibilities” during her tenure: to “refresh the staff” and to deal with the school funding crisis. […]
Heaton said he knows that there can be “anxiety and uncertainty that comes with change.”
“I just want to encourage everybody to take a deep breath. I’m not coming in with some kind of vision that I need to bring in my own separate, new group of people,” Heaton said.
I have the same source material, but since I was out of the office and Tina got it, too, you can just click here and read the rest of her story. Saves me some work.
* I have a doctor’s appointment (nothing life-threatening) and will be back later this afternoon. Discuss any breaking news or whatever, as long as it’s Illinois-centric. And please do your utmost to be kind to each other. Thanks!
* Back in the days when smart phones didn’t exist and texting was fairly rare, AOL Instant Messenger was all the rage. The company eventually developed a small mobile device which could send AIMs to other AOL users. Several campaigns used the very edgy technology.
But after 20 years, it’s shutting down. From a message I received this morning…
Hi there! We wanted to let you know that AIM will be going away on December 15, 2017. Until then, you can continue to use AIM normally, but as of December 15, AIM will be discontinued and you will no longer have access. Thank you for being an AIM user - we loved working on this product for you.
Only a handful of people I know still use it, but I still get occasional messages from folks on the system.
A political friend was at one time the most prodigious AIM user I’ve ever known. I walked into her office one day and mentioned I had been trying over and over to send instant messages to her and wasn’t getting a response. She looked and said she had 200 active AIM conversations on her desktop computer and, apparently, that was the company’s limit. It had happened before, she said, which is why she knew.
* The Question: What are the various ways you electronically communicate with others? Explain if necessary.
Gov. Bruce Rauner announced today that Rodger Heaton will become his chief of staff effective Monday, Oct. 9. Heaton, a former U.S. Attorney and most recently the director of Public Safety and chairman of the Statewide Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform, succeeds Kristina Rasmussen, who will remain on staff until Friday, Oct. 13, to help ensure a smooth transition.
Heaton has served as public safety director and the governor’s Homeland Security adviser since January 2015. In these roles, he has worked extensively with members from all three branches of Illinois state government and is familiar with the workings of the Office of the Governor and the priorities that the governor has established.
“I’m excited to promote Rodger to be our team leader,” Rauner said. “His combination of legal, legislative and policy experience will help us build on the significant improvements that Kristina accomplished in a very compressed and challenging time.”
Heaton has had a 30-year career in law, litigation, law enforcement and policy. From 2005 to 2009, he served as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, the chief federal law enforcement official for 46 counties. He also served on the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, a body that advises the Attorney General on all policy matters related to the justice system.
The governor lauded the work of outgoing Chief of Staff Kristina Rasmussen, who is leaving the administration to pursue other interests.
“I brought Kristina on last summer because of her reputation as a foremost policy leader and organizational innovator,” the governor said. “I asked her to reinvigorate our staff and advance our goals in improving education, growing jobs, and protecting taxpayers … and she delivered on all fronts.
“Kristina built and organized a team that is enhancing our executive operations, making them more focused, more effective and better prepared to win a growth agenda for Illinois,” Rauner said. “I know she will be a great success in any endeavor she chooses in the future.”
* I asked all the Democratic gubernatorial candidates and Gov. Rauner’s campaign this question the other day…
What specific legislation would you propose to lessen the risk of a mass shooting in Illinois?
Their deadline was noon today. The Rauner campaign did not respond. The answers in the order they were received:
* Tio Hardiman…
“As Governor, I would make sure that we enforce all of the Gun Laws on the books in Illinois to the highest level because having strict gun laws without enforcement is like turning your back on the law abiding citizens of Illinois. Additionally, I would work with members of the Illinois General Assembly and Members of Congress/Senate on Banning Assault Weapons period. This is necessary to help the state of Illinois remain safe from incidents like what just took place in Las Vegas.”
* Bob Daiber…
“The effort to stop mass shootings in Illinois begins with passing and signing into law SB1657 “The Gun Dealer Licensing Act.” This legislation gets to the root of the problem as to whom sells weapons and the process by which individuals can obtain rapid-fire devices. I support a ban on such weapons for further sale to the general public. To address the long-term issue of manufacturing assault weapons, we must enforce restrictive patents on the development of any such weapons so they may not be marketed beyond the initial intent. As a state, we must also address this issue by reinstating mental health services to serve citizens who have a diagnosis that may present a risk to society. “
* Chris Kennedy…
We have the ability to limit illegal, unlawful use of guns, without violating responsible gun owners’ second amendment rights. We should immediately take steps to:
* Pass the Illinois Gun Dealer Licensing Act, which would mandate state licensing for all Illinois firearms dealers who are currently only required to be licensed at the federal level. This would reduce a major source of illegal guns from entering our communities.
* Crack down on the gun train problem by putting the railroads on notice. Guns that are being shipped across the country sit in unprotected rail yards, making it possible for thieves to steal and resell illegal weapons throughout the state.
* Pass a Lethal Violence Order of Protection (LVOP) to empower immediate family members who are concerned about a loved one hurting themselves or others.
* Create a gun tracing program like they have in New York City so we can trace the ownership of all guns that were used in a crime and cooperate with other states that are creating similar programs so that our data collection and reporting techniques are compatible.
* Ban anyone on the terrorist watch list from receiving a FOID card in Illinois and call on President Trump to share the terrorist watch list with the state police immediately, or to explain why he refuses to do so.
* Pass an assault weapons ban in the state.
* Implement universal background checks to determine whether the prospective buyer has been convicted of a felony.
* Study the gun violence epidemic. If the federal government won’t reinstate research from the CDC to study this public health crisis, then we need to do it right here in Illinois, where we have sophisticated public universities like the University of Illinois-Chicago to take the lead.
* Sen. Daniel Biss…
“We are in desperate need of common sense measures to prevent gun violence and mass shootings, and we can’t wait for the federal government to take action. That’s why I’m co-sponsoring the Gun Dealers Licensing Act, and introducing a Senate companion to the newly-filed HB4107 to ban bump stocks, high capacity magazines, and assault weapons. These are all important steps we can take today to better protect our communities.
“But crucially, we also must expand access to mental health care, and de-stigmatize those with mental health issues. To do that we must fight for Medicare for All, and for a sustainable budget that fully funds our state’s social service providers.”
* Ald. Ameya Pawar…
As Governor, Ald. Pawar would:
-Sign SB 1675, the Gun Dealers Licensing Act which would:
1. Require background checks on all gun dealer employees
2. Require video surveillance on the outside of gun shops, and
3. Train employees to help identify straw purchasers.
-Propose a ban on the sale of bump stock.
-Propose a ban on the sale of automatic weapons.
-Propose a ban on the sale of high capacity magazines.
And as Ald. Pawar wrote in a 2013 Tribune Op-Ed (link here) he would propose a gun liability law to prevent straw purchases because if we can insure guns we can ensure we can save lives.
A gun liability law would include:
1. Tying a firearm owners identification card to proof of gun liability insurance.
2. Requiring gun sellers and dealers to verify proof of insurance prior to any gun transaction.
3. Requiring every purchased gun be listed on an insurance policy.
We also must attack the root of the problem and recognize that mass shootings and gun violence are a result of a lack of economic opportunity and ready access to mental health services. As Governor, Ald. Pawar would invest in communities by passing a New Deal era capital bill and invest in mental health services destroyed under Governor Rauner.
* JB Pritzker…
The mass shooting in Las Vegas was the worst in U.S. history and this is the third time in ten years we’ve said that. Enough is enough. Gun violence is a public health epidemic, destroying families and communities, and taking the lives of 675 people in Chicago last year alone. We can’t just send hopes and prayers, we have to take action.
There are several measures we can take to address gun violence. First, I support a ban on assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and bump stocks to make it harder for people to do so much harm, so quickly. Second, I believe we need to put in place universal background checks, pass a gun dealer licensing bill, and close the gun show loophole. Third, we need to work with neighboring states to stop guns from flowing across our borders. Finally, I support lethal violence protection orders so that families can step in to protect loved ones from harming themselves and others.
These are steps we can take to help keep our families and communities safe, but they are only part of the equation. Social service funding and mental health services in Illinois have been decimated by Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis. As governor, I will work to restore funding for these services and create economic opportunity across our state so that we can bring opportunity and hope back to every community in Illinois.
Having recently gained the national spotlight, Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon confirmed his interest Thursday in a statewide run to become the next Illinois attorney general.
But his final decision will hinge on his ability to do justice to the heavy workload on his docket.
McMahon, a Republican, became state’s attorney in 2010, but it was just this past summer that his name came onto the national media scene for his appointment as a special prosecutor in the Laquan McDonald murder case. McMahon is still knee-deep in that prosecution.
He’s also juggling several pending lawsuits in Kane County, including a potential $60 million judgment involving a drug-treatment center application rejected by the county board.
* I asked the Republican Attorneys General Association for comment. RAGA has been backing Erika Harold’s bid and RAGA spokesman Zack Roday sent me this…
“We’re incredibly excited about the momentum Erika Harold is already showing and the wide range of support she is gathering from Republicans and Democrats alike – all across the state.”
You’ll recall that Peter Roskam was the only Republican Congressman to not endorse Erika Harold this week. He told the Tribune he was waiting to see what McMahon did.
Van Dyke was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm—one count, apparently, for each bullet he fired at McDonald. Van Dyke had previously been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and misconduct in office. Special prosecutor Joseph McMahon filed the new indictment—which included the original charges—to replace the first one. […]
(E)ven if jurors find Van Dyke not guilty of murder and not guilty of the battery charges attached to the first few bullets, they could still potentially convict him on battery charges for the later bullets. The prosecutor’s strategy seems tailored to counter the special consideration a police office usually receives in shooting cases: “He’s covering his bases. Doing what a good prosecutor would do.” […]
Milan won’t speculate on how a jury might rule, but he agrees that if the prosecutor’s strategy succeeds, it could easily spread to police shooting cases in other places.
Rasmussen's departure will be announced today. Her exit was delayed by the search for her replacement, solidified over HB40 signing. https://t.co/hMHQmDf1lg
I started hearing it on Wednesday night and by last night I was getting flooded with texts and calls.
Heaton is a former US Attorney for Central Illinois. He’s been the governor’s top public safety guy. He’s also in the Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Intern Hall of Fame, which I didn’t know until a little bit ago.
* But I didn’t mention this one, partly because Patty wouldn’t even come close to confirming it…
Source also says Patty Schuh to be named new Comms chief for @GovRauner#twill
I still think it’s likely happening in the near future, however. She would definitely be an improvement.
* We may know more about Rasmussen/Heaton when this staff meeting gets underway, or maybe not. I’m hearing some don’t believe it will be announced that soon…
There's now a 1 p.m. all-staff call for Rauner staff, seemingly to discuss new chief of staff, other changes. #twill
…Adding… The Sun-Times needs to restore their old stories. This is from a blog post I did in 2006…
* You gotta wonder what the heck Rodger Heaton was thinking when he made these dinner reservations. From Mark Brown:
If I were a gossip columnist, I could give you the entire substance of today’s column in just a sentence, then let the insiders make of it what they will.
It would read something like this:
Seen breaking bread recently in the Grill Room of Springfield’s Sangamo Club were Rodger Heaton, the new U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois, and his dinner companions, Republican power brokers William Cellini and Robert Kjellander. […]
But from the outside looking in, this seems exactly the kind of too-friendly relationship between federal prosecutors and Illinois political figures that caused former U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald to insist on going outside the state for his U.S. attorney selections
In a Nod to Madigan, Longtime Madigan Front Group Expected to Endorse Pritzker
IL Dem County Chairs Assoc. has funneled campaign cash to Madigan’s allies and vulnerable House Democrats for years
“ILDCCA President Doug House is taking orders from Madigan - that’s why tomorrow’s expected endorsement of J.B. Pritzker comes as no surprise. For years, Madigan has used the ILDCCA to funnel campaign cash to his allies and vulnerable House Democrats. Now, Madigan is using the ILDCCA to bestow Pritzker with the Democratic nomination for governor.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Tomorrow, the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association will be conducting a vote to endorse a gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming Democratic primary. In a nod to Speaker Mike Madigan, the ILDCCA is expected to endorse J.B. Pritzker, Madigan’s candidate for governor.
ILDCCA President and Madigan front man Doug House has already stated he will be casting his endorsement vote for J.B. Pritzker. House’s endorsement comes as no surprise - he’s already urged his fellow Democrats to “play nice” and not upset Madigan, as Madigan continues to steer support to Pritzker.
House and his predecessors have long done Madigan’s bidding and used the ILDCCA to funnel campaign cash to Madigan’s allies and vulnerable House Democrats.
After taking big campaign checks from special interest groups associated with Madigan and allies of Madigan in the General Assembly, the ILDCCA turned around and funneled that campaign cash to former House Democrats and Madigan-enablers like Kate Cloonen, John Bradley, and Mike Smiddy.
It’s clear the ILDCCA is one of many Madigan front groups.
Now, Madigan is using the ILDCCA to bestow Pritzker with the Democratic nomination for governor. The fact that Madigan will do anything to ensure Pritzker wins the nomination should worry Illinois voters, particularly Democrats.
I count 19 mentions of the word “Madigan” in that release. And it’s 21 if you include the subject line of the e-mail.
*** UPDATE *** From the ILDCCA…
Rich,
I wanted to respond to the ILGOP press release that you posted on the blog. This is the typical ILGOP response to everything. Blame someone eles for their constant failures. This response is also hysterical given the ILGOP has been bought and paid for by Bruce Rauner.
The IDCCA is made up of 102 independent County Chairs who will meet tomorrow and decide for themselves who will be the best candidate to defeat Bruce Rauner.
While the ILGOP continues to become unhinged in the midst of their own civil war, at least they could come up with something better than the same old response.
If you need anything else, please let me know. Thanks
Dan Kovats
Executive Director
Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association
* Republican Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison says he’s filing a new ordinance to repeal the county’s pop tax and has more than enough votes to override a veto from Board President Toni Preckwinkle if they all stand firm.
Morrison’s original ordinance would’ve repealed the tax immediately, which would be next Tuesday. The new ordinance would allow the tax to expire at the end of the fiscal year, which would be December 1st.
Commissioner Morrison says he has 12 co-sponsors on the measure, with perhaps more soon because some commissioners couldn’t sign on before he filed it. It takes 11 votes to override a veto. Commissioner John Daley is a co-sponsor, Morrison said. Daley said yesterday that he had switched positions and now wanted to repeal the tax.
So, that could be the end of the much-hated pop tax.
…Adding… The Tribune has the names of the other flippers…
Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Preckwinkle’s floor leader; Stanley Moore; and Dennis Deer. All are Chicago Democrats. Garcia and Moore voted for the tax last November. Deer was recently appointed and this will be his first major vote. All are expected to seek reelection next year.
…Adding… From a Chris Kennedy fundraising e-mail yesterday that I didn’t see…
Food can be medicine and it can also be poison. In a food swamp, almost all the food is poison. Discouraging unhealthy foods is important but so is an investment in healthcare and access to healthy foods.
That’s not what we’re doing with this soda tax in Cook County. What we’re actually doing is hurting working families in Illinois.
It’s time to stop with these regressive taxes that hurt our working families. Chip in $5 to our campaign so that we can make sure that we reform to our tax code to help our working families, not hurt them.
Cook Country thinks it can clean up its finances with a patchwork of regressive fixes like a soda tax. Illinois needs a wholesale reform of our tax code, starting with ending our reliance on a broken property tax system to fund local schools.
Saying we’re helping kids when we’re simply imposing another tax on their families, is playing pretend.
* The Illinois Policy Institute’s news service is staying focused on HB40…
With the fall veto session weeks away, Gov. Bruce Rauner says he hopes the Republican caucus “stays strong,” allowing his vetoes to withstand attempts by Democrats to override. Angry over Rauner’s signing of a controversial abortion bill, a retiring GOP lawmaker responded to Rauner’s hopes, saying, “We’re all free agents now.” […]
Retiring state Rep. Barb Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake, said Rauner’s signing of a bill expanding public funds to pay for abortions after pledging a veto was enough for her and many others to write off the freshman governor completely.
“Quite frankly, it makes us all free agents in regards to what happens in the veto session,” she said. “This veto session is going to be very different than what he probably could have expected had he stayed with us when we asked him to.”
Wheeler thinks Republicans should take little stock in Rauner’s wishes in respect to the coming veto overrides.
“They should represent their district, not taking into consideration what the will or want is of the governor,” she said.
“They should represent their district.” That is always good advice, and it would’ve been great advice starting in January of 2015.
Subscribers know a bit more about what to expect in the upcoming veto session. But you gotta figure that the governor’s veto of the comptroller’s Debt Transparency Act will be overridden. The roll call was one vote shy, but some people were absent and some may flip to “Yes” after HB40. The legislation had strong support from editorial boards across the state and, in what I think may have been an overlooked turning point for the governor, those edit boards lashed out at Rauner in August after he vetoed it.
While Cook County commissioners and Board President Toni Preckwinkle battle over the controversial sweetened beverage tax, city taxpayers may be seeing some relief on that front.
In an interview for “Chicago Tonight,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel refused to take sides on the county tax debate, but indicated he would take action at the city level.
“I’m going to focus on my budget, and in my budget, there’s going to be some tax reduction in that area,” Emanuel said.
The mayor will release the city’s 2018 budget on Wednesday, Oct. 18. He was not specific about how much taxes would be reduced, or which tax would go down. Not including alcoholic drinks, there are three retail beverage oriented taxes: a 9 percent syrup tax paid by the distributor, a 3 percent soda tax paid by the consumer, and a 5 cent bottled water tax.
* However, one of the mayor’s spokesmen said to me this morning that reducing the city’s beverage taxes (some of which I didn’t even know existed) was “Not what [the mayor] meant and not happening.”
“We’re looking at tax relief,” the spokesman said, “but not the specific area of taxes on sugary/sweetened beverages.” It was, the spokesman said, a “reasonable misunderstanding, but a misunderstanding all the same.”
Aurora may get a Small Business Development Center to help fledgling businesses succeed, according to Gov. Bruce Rauner. […]
He told an audience in the Arthur N. Bonifas Conference Center next to Alarm Detection Systems that there is money in the current budget proposal for a small business center in Aurora. While that budget is still in flux — he said the current projected $1.7 billion deficit is too much and must be cut — he said officials are looking for an Aurora location for the facility.
The SBDC, as it is called, would help small businesses develop a network of relationships, assisting them to find resources they might need to be succeed, Rauner said.
“The key to sustaining successful business is being in a network,” Rauner said. “You need a network of relationships.”
Springfield’s fiscal mess continues to rack up victims: small-business development centers on college campuses around the state, which are shutting their doors or retrenching because of funding shortfalls.
About a quarter have closed, the latest at Governors State University in south suburban University Park, which is going the way of abandoned locations at Joliet Junior College, Illinois State University in Normal and Waubonsee Community College in Aurora.
For three decades, the centers have been a free resource for fledgling entrepreneurs starting companies or trying to keep them going. Juicy Luzy Sangria owner Luz Cavazos is opening a 1,500-square-foot plant in Oak Lawn with $20,000 from small-business lender Accion and said it wouldn’t have happened had Governors State’s SBDC not helped draft a business plan.
Once numbering 36 statewide, the centers typically serve a few hundred clients each and cost in the neighborhood of $200,000 annually to operate. They’re jointly funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and matching state funds; some directors said schools chip in an amount equal to three-quarters of the state match through employee salaries and in-kind contributions.
…Adding… I missed this DGA press release yesterday…
Today, Governor Bruce Rauner visits Aurora to speak to announce the opening of a new Small Business Development Center, but perhaps he should explain why the previous center closed under his watch. Or why the state’s economy lags under his failed leadership.
Illinois Small Business Development Centers were hit hard in the two-year budget impasse. Crain’s Chicago estimated that a quarter of all SBDC’s on college campuses closed in Illinois including one located on Waubonsee Community College campus. The Aurora Beacon-News reported that the center closed in 2016 due to the budget impasse, and had served 400 businesses the year before.
WCC is about 20 minutes from Aurora.
* Pritzker campaign today…
Yesterday, Bruce Rauner announced an expansion of the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity’s Small Business Development Center Network (SBDCs) – the same program he’s decimated as governor.
Under Rauner’s failed leadership and manufactured crisis SBDCs in Illinois were decimated, forcing almost one quarter to close and slashing the number of jobs created and retained by them.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and Bruce Rauner destroyed many of the small business development centers needed to help them grow and thrive,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “With jobs leaving this state and businesses shutting their doors, Bruce Rauner’s damage is done.”
…Adding… Heh…
Getting press for opening offices that you closed is kinda like using quotes about other people in your TV ads. https://t.co/NyBMPkmhrN
Biss for Illinois announced today that, for the second quarter in a row, Daniel Biss has raised more than JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy, both of whom have written personal checks to their own campaigns to reach their quarterly totals.
The campaign raised over $825,000 in the third quarter and now sits with more than $2.6 million cash on hand. Donations came from more than 2,650 donors representing over 270 cities and towns across Illinois. Seventy-five percent of these donations were for under $100, and ninety-six percent came from in-state.
Biss Campaign Manager Abby Witt issued the following statement in response to third quarter fundraising results:
“JB Pritzker is spending over $120,000 of his own money every day. That’s more than Daniel and his wife’s combined income in an entire year. Chris Kennedy has written his campaign two checks, totaling $500,000. That’s more than Daniel’s house is worth.
“There’s a reason a math teacher and state legislator can out-raise ultra-wealthy political insiders: Illinoisans are tired of the rich and powerful holding the reigns of power in this state. Instead of resigning themselves to a broken system, voters are taking politics into their own hands by electing a middle-class governor they can trust to fight for them.”
Yes, he did raise more money than Kennedy. Again.
But Sen. Biss’ fundraising pace has slowed since the second quarter, when he raised just over a million bucks. That’s not a good sign. The lieutenant governor debacle may have hurt him. It didn’t kill him off, but it surely didn’t help.
* This story has been going around all day, but the Tribune confirmed it…
Stephen Paddock, the gunman who fatally shot 58 people and wounded nearly 500 in Las Vegas Sunday night, rented two rooms in August at Chicago’s Blackstone Hotel overlooking the Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park, according to a law enforcement source.
Paddock reserved the rooms on the park side of the hotel with a clear view of the outdoor festival, but he never showed up, according to the source, who asked for anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to publicly disclose the details.
The dates of the reservations covered the four-day event, which drew hundreds of thousands of music fans, including former President Barack Obama’s daughters Malia and Sasha, as well as Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The Blackstone, in a statement, said a Stephen Paddock reserved rooms at the hotel but no one by that name stayed there.
The National Rifle Association on Thursday endorsed tighter restrictions on devices that allow a rifle to fire bullets as fast as a machine gun — a rare, if small, step for a group that for years has vehemently opposed any new gun controls.
Twelve of the rifles the Las Vegas gunman, Stephen Paddock, had in a high-rise hotel suite when he opened fire on a crowd on Sunday were outfitted with “bump stocks,” devices that allow a semiautomatic rifle to fire hundreds of rounds per minute, which may explain how he was able to shoot so quickly, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds of others. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has ruled that bump stocks do not violate laws that tightly limit ownership of machine guns, and some lawmakers have called for them to be banned.
The bureau should revisit the issue and “immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law,” the N.R.A. said in a statement released Thursday. “The N.R.A. believes that devices designed to allow semiautomatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”
* The Question: Should “bump stocks” be banned in Illinois? Click here to take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
A day after the two Democratic primary frontrunners bickered over attendance at a forum, all seven candidates for governor kept things civil at a debate hosted by Whitney Young Magnet High School on Wednesday evening on the city’s Near West Side. […]
State Sen. Daniel Biss (9th) and Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th) were in lock-step with Pritzker and Kennedy in calling for a progressive income tax, changing the funding formula for Chicago Public Schools, raising the minimum wage, reinstating funding for mental health facilities, protecting DACA recipients and banning assault weapons.
Bob Daiber, regional superintendent of schools in downstate Madison County; anti-violence activist Tio Hardiman; and small-business owner Alex Paterakis joined the other candidates in hammering Gov. Bruce Rauner as a crony of President Donald Trump pandering to corporate interests. […]
The only time Pritzker called out Kennedy by name was to agree with him that the state should increase investment in Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab to improve the state’s renewable energy prospects.
Democratic governor candidate Ald. Ameya Pawar released a new nearly 5-minute long digital ad as he was scheduled to begin on Thursday the second leg of his “Don’t Close Our Communities” tour.
The ad called “Unity” shows the Chicago alderman on previous bus visits across the state. The latest leg of his tour is supposed to take him to 14 cities in four days. He’ll be joined by his running mate, Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman.
“It’s easy to prey on people’s economic anxieties and turn other communities into the ‘other’ when people feel like they haven’t been listened to. That economic violence is how we get to a place where bombast and ugly political rhetoric is the same as political authenticity,” Pawar says in the video.
“We need to fight back against that. But the only way you fight that is with a positive agenda that brings people together,” he says.
* Hyper-local, but still interesting, considering the history there…
In these troubled times for the nation, it was touching to see peace break out this week in a Far North Side neighborhood long plagued by political conflict.
It was only this summer that a daughter of the 50th Ward’s late, long-serving Ald. Bernie Stone, Ilana Feketitsch, lashed out at the current alderman, Debra Silverstein for what she thought was Silverstein’s delay in naming a park in Stone’s honor. Wounds inflicted during Silverstein’s 2011 election victory over Stone clearly hadn’t healed.
But at an official ribbon-cutting Wednesday at the newly unveiled Berny Stone Park in West Ridge — attended by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and dozens of friends and family of Stone — it was all so much water under the bridge.
A smiling Feketitsch (who previously said of Silverstein’s successful campaign to unseat her father that she was “shocked” at how “some people” would “just dig their claws into you”), and Silverstein (who fired back through gritted teeth in June, “I’m sure she’s very happy”), hugged it out in front of the mayor.
* Heh…
* Related…
* Republicans picnic in Palos Park without Gov. Rauner: “When Gov. Bruce Rauner ran three years ago he said he had no social agenda, and here we are,” said David Dewar who attended the picnic in the character of Uncle Sam. “He promised a lot of pro-life religious organizations that he wasn’t going to do this,” Dewar said. “I believe in the right for babies to decide, not in reproductive rights. Now, they’re forcing me to take my tax dollars to fund something I don’t believe in.”
The veto is self-explanatory. We discussed the “nothing short of a miracle” quote from the governor’s new TV ad yesterday. It was actually used to compliment Sen. Andy Manar for his work on the education funding bill.
* The “Illinois is worth fighting for” slogan in Rauner’s new TV ad was used by US Rep. Cheri Bustos during her 2016 campaign from beginning…
Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos released the first ad of her reelection campaign… “I’m running for reelection because, just like the hardworking men and women across our community, I know that Illinois is worth fighting for.”
Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos released her final TV spot of the 2016 campaign… “Just like the hardworking families I serve, I’ll never give up because I know Illinois is worth fighting for.”
Chris Kennedy’s campaign continues to build a groundswell of support from people throughout Illinois, as evidenced by this quarter’s fundraising results.
The campaign announced today that it’s raised more than $2.75 million, with more than $1.05 million of that coming in the third quarter.
“For far too long, our political system has benefited a wealthy few and left too many behind,” Campaign Manager Brendan O’Sullivan said. “As our campaign progresses, we see the power of the people coming together to support a candidate who will challenge the status quo to bring fairness and opportunity back to everyone throughout Illinois.”
Kennedy’s grassroots approach is reflected in the campaign’s fundraising results:
* Nearly 8,000 contributions have come from about 5,300 individual contributors.
* Nearly 80 percent of third quarter contributions came in at $100 or less.
* Contributions to the campaign have come from donors in 90 of Illinois’ 102 counties.
In addition to thriving on the power of the people throughout the state, Kennedy made his commitment clear by making a $250,000 personal contribution to the campaign this quarter.
[Emphasis added]
“We’re right where we need to be,” says a Kennedy person.
For context, Sen. Daniel Biss raised that same amount during the second quarter. Kennedy raised just $700,000 in the second quarter. JB Pritzker has put $21.2 million into his own campaign.
…Adding… The “Nearly 80 percent of third quarter contributions came in at $100 or less” refers to the number of actual contributions, not the amount raised.
* Greg Hinz reports something that’s being discussed widely in Cook County Democratic circles. Voters are refusing to sign the Democratic slate petitions because they have Toni Preckwinkle’s name on them…
Democratic Organization precinct captains are running into something they rarely face as they pass candidate nominating petitions this fall: rejection. […]
“Voters aren’t just refusing to sign, they’re providing their own, not-so-kind editorial opinions” about Preckwinkle and County Assessor Joe Berrios, said one Democratic ward boss who asked not to be named. “The bulk of the comments are about the pop tax and county sales tax,” which Preckwinkle returned to level raised by her predecessor, Todd Stroger. […]
“It’s a huge problem,” said one source close to the matter who asked not to be named. Some precinct workers are resorting to folding over the top line of the nominating petition so that Preckwinkle’s name, which is listed first, is not visible when voters are asked to sign. […]
Dart has been advertising for volunteer petition passers on his Facebook page. Earlier this week he emailed supporters saying, “In order to get on the ballot we need your help circulating petitions and collecting signatures,” and directing them to a sign up page.
A spokeswoman said Dart is passing both the joint petition and one for himself alone. He has done that in the past, but did not do so four years ago, she said.
Sometimes, I’m told, voters are writing “messages” to Preckwinkle on the petitions.
Cook County Board Commissioner John Daley has decided to vote to repeal the controversial soda tax, boosting the chances for repeal next week.
“I am going to vote to repeal,” Daley told the Chicago Tribune. “I listened to the community, the residents I represent, and there’s been a strong outcry.
“It’s a lot of taxes they’ve been hit with,” added Daley, referring to city property taxes, garbage fees and the recent increase in the state income tax. “It’s every economic group. It’s every ethnic group. It’s every part of the district.” […]
Several commissioners said Daley’s flip on the issue could cause a domino effect among the other seven commissioners who originally supported the tax. But Daley said he won’t try to sway anyone and that commissioners have to make the best decisions they can in the interest of the people they represent.
* Related…
* Preckwinkle: County has ‘reached moment of truth’ on budget, pop tax: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Thursday struck a defiant tone defending the controversial soda pop tax as she delivered her 2018 budget address, telling commissioners to back the tax or make severe cuts to county services.
* Sen. Jason Barickman had been one of Gov. Rauner’s staunchest allies. But check out his interview with Eric Stock at WJBC…
State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said he believes some in the GOP have lost faith in Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner after he told them and other pro-lifers he would veto a bill to fund abortions before he signed it.
“In our house, that’s a lie,” Barickman said. “You certainly don’t want to do that to the public, to (Chicago) Cardinal (Blase Cupich), a representative of the Catholic church. I think his credibility really got tarnished on this.” […]
“He had already been identified as one of the most – if not the most- vulnerable governor in our 50 states that was up for election next year, This issue, I think, makes him more vulnerable.”
I’ve been talking to rank and file Republicans this week and their anger is so real you can almost feel the heat through the phone.
Some Republicans are floating their names. Rep. Ives is certainly one of them… And I truly believe what they’re doing is looking for someone to commit to them some large campaign contribution to make them a viable candidate.
I would guess that if someone had $5 million bucks they’d put a credible challenge to Bruce Rauner in the primary. […]
It could be someone from Texas, you know, calls ‘em up and says, ‘I’m so angry that Bruce Rauner did this, I’m going to write you a check for $5 million, 2 million, 10,’ I don’t know. And then, suddenly, you’ve got a real primary going. And as much as Bruce Rauner has unlimited money, I don’t see that unlimited money as quite as impactful in a primary when he’s a known quantity.
* Barickman said Rauner would use much of his own money to attack the other candidate…
The fundamental question will be is there a match. A match between some wealthy contributor and some candidate who could withstand the negative scrutiny… That’s a really ugly election to go through.
Rauner and Pritzker have fundamentally changed politics in this state. I’m not trying to pick on Sen. Barickman here because what he said is being said by lots of others. But Republicans have become so addicted to their BVR ATM that they are currently looking for a magical replacement rather than doing the work of raising that money on their own. Raising $5 million in this climate is not insurmountable, particularly since the caps are off.
The Democrats should keep this predicament in mind. What happens when their sweet cash machine becomes too toxic or simply goes away?
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins, JB Pritzker released a domestic violence plan to help children and families break the cycle of violence across Illinois. State Representative Sara Feigenholtz has worked tirelessly to ensure survivors and their families have the resources they need. Rep. Feigenholtz, a longtime supporter and friend of JB Pritzker, endorses JB’s plan and pledges to stand with him to break the cycle of violence in the lives of these families.
While more than 53,000 Illinoisans receive support from community-based providers each year, Bruce Rauner did long term damage to the tools domestic violence survivors need to build a path toward self-sufficiency. JB’s plan would put Illinois children on a path to success and give parents the tools they need to build better lives. As governor, JB will:
* Implement evidence-based screening, detection, and prevention models to identify and help children who witness domestic violence.
* Ensure that schools and community-based providers help children who witness domestic violence rebuild their lives by utilizing trauma-informed treatment models.
* Ensure families have access to the tools they need to rebuild their lives by stabilizing state investment in domestic violence shelters and services that have been hurt by Governor Rauner’s budget crisis.
* Work with community-based programs to help them build and maintain a trained workforce able to fully address the needs of domestic violence survivors.
“Trauma-informed intervention services for survivors of domestic violence can change lives,” said JB Pritzker. “These services help survivors and children break cycles of violence to pursue safe and healthy futures. As governor, agencies and the survivors and families they serve will have a real advocate in Springfield.”
“JB’s plan to break the cycle of violence prioritizes screening, detection and healing for children and families experiencing domestic violence,” said State Representative Sara Feigenholtz. “I am proud to stand with JB, and I know that as governor he will be a partner in efforts to empower survivors and do whatever it takes to help them rebuild their lives.”
I’m told by the campaign that the plan won’t cost additional money. The idea on the spending side of the equation is to stabilize the system by reliably funding it for a change.
In his latest political ad, Pritzker opens up about how his mother, Sue Pritzker, coped with the death of Pritzker’s father and how it shaped his own life. Pritzker was 7 when Donald Pritzker died of a sudden heart attack. […]
Before the new ad hit the airwaves, Pritzker talked to me about how it came about. It wasn’t something he planned to include in his campaign to unseat Gov. Bruce Rauner. “Someone turned a camera on me and asked me some questions,” he said in an interview this week. After wrapping up the Q&A, Pritzker told staffers that that portion of the video “wasn’t usable in any way.”
But the campaign staff saw a human side of a man who has the world by the tail. They convinced him to share it. The ad explains what Pritzker’s friends see – a man empathetic to issues that cross wealth and class.
When I was 7 years old, my dad passed away, and my mother was left with three young children. She lost her job as my father’s partner in business. She lost her life partner, and she was afflicted with alcoholism.
She struggled valiantly to overcome a disease so she could take care of her own kids, and even though she lost the battle, she ultimately won because although she passed away, all three of us survived.
I think that when you watch somebody struggle, you develop a kind of empathy and understanding. It becomes your responsibility to step in.
I’ve tried to do that during my life wherever I could. I think it’s, in a way, a way for me to honor my mother. She needed help. We needed help. When I have the ability to do it, I should do it.
Pritzker’s campaign also has a fairly recent TV ad featuring his wife. Click here for that one.
Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland is preparing to announce his campaign to run against Democratic Secretary of State Jesse White.
“I met with Governor Rauner’s campaign staff,” Helland told WCIA Wednesday night, “and after thorough discussion, ultimately, I made the decision to go for it.”
Helland is supremely confident his campaign will secure the public support and financial backing of the Republican Governor and the state party.
“I have reason to believe [Rauner’s endorsement] is a done deal,” Helland said.
I’m not sure tying himself so closely to Rauner is gonna help in these trying times, but he may wind up being the only Republican who gets on the ballot.
And still we wait for Republicans to float their names for treasurer (against a not well known incumbent Democrat) or comptroller.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday will launch a three-week advertising campaign against Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, who occupies one of three Republican-held congressional seats in the St. Louis region that Democrats say they will target next year.
The others are the Metro East district held by Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville; and the Missouri 2nd District seat held by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin. […]
The campaign committee, a national congressional election arm of the Democratic Party, said it will spend an unspecified amount — “sizable six-figures,” a spokesman said — attacking Republicans in a dozen districts around the country. Incumbents in those districts include Bost, who is in his second term of office.
The ads — on radio, national television and social media — will target Republicans for their efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act and argue that they will not stop doing so until they lose control of Congress. Bost voted for a repeal and replacement of the law, often called Obamacare, that, so far, has failed to pass the Senate.
Since entering in late July, Democratic candidate and first time candidate Erik Jones raised approximately $220,000. “That’s an average of over $3,150/day in his first 69 days in the race. As a first-time candidate, Erik’s ability to raise money shows that his message and campaign are resonating,” his campaign says. Others vying for the seat now held by Republican Rodney Davis are Democrats, Jonathan Ebel, David Gill, Betsy Londrigan and Benjamin Webb.
* And the GOP incumbent issued this press release today…
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released this statement after signing onto a letter to asking the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to review the law regarding bump stock technology that was reportedly used in the Las Vegas shooting earlier this week.
“Fully-automatic weapons have been illegal in the U.S. for the last 30 years, but recent technology has made it easier to legally simulate a fully-automatic weapon. Until this week, I had never even heard of a bump-stock so we are asking the ATF for more information – to be educated on the issue and current law. There is no place for politics in this debate or knee-jerk reactions, but I believe we can have a thoughtful, non-partisan discussion about the facts. To be clear, those who believe that gun control or one law is going to put an end to mass shootings are, unfortunately, severely shortsighted. As someone who experienced gun violence a few months ago, I know all too well that this is a much larger issue of hate, of mental illness, and of evil and we cannot lose sight of that.”
* “Our Revolution” is billed as “the next step for Bernie Sanders’ movement.” Here’s a press release from the Illinois chapter…
On October 8, Our Revolution Illinois, Chicago Teachers Union, MoveOn, Progressive Democrats of America, United Working Families, Reclaim Chicago, National Nurses United, Indivisible Illinois, Kane County Progressives, Will County Progressives and over 50 progressive organizations across Illinois will be holding the first-ever Progressive Gubernatorial Forum. All announced Democratic candidates for Governor have confirmed their attendance (see below).
The forum will be moderated by Mary Ann Ahern, political reporter for NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) and will cover issues important to Illinois working families. The forum is open to the public and press. More information and a list of sponsoring organizations can be found here.
WHAT:
The first-ever Progressive Gubernatorial Forum in Illinois.
WHO:
Illinois progressive organizations and labor unions
Daniel Biss
Bob Daiber
Tio Hardiman
Chris Kennedy
Robert Marshall
Alex Paterakis
Ameya Pewar
J.B. Pritzker
Moderator: Mary Ann Ahern
WHEN:
12:45 PM CT
WHERE:
Chicago Teachers Union Hall
1901 W Carroll St
Chicago
So far, much of the Democratic primary has been a race to the left. Looks like that trend will continue for a while. Holding it at the CTU hall is a nice touch, too.
* Meanwhile, this isn’t much of a surprise since the former congressman is also a Madigan guy…
Former metro-east congressman Jerry Costello is backing J.B. Pritzker in the race for the Democratic nomination in next year’s gubernatorial election.
“I have met with leading candidates in the race, both J.B. and Chris Kennedy. I believe J.B. Pritzker is the type of person who will bring people together to get things done for the metro-east, Southern Illinois and the state,” Costello said Wednesday.
“Also, (he is) the only candidate who has released a jobs plan to help the economy, rebuild our infrastructure and help rural Illinois as well. I just think, too … he’s a uniter, not a divider. He has a plan to help our economy that we sorely need at this time.”
Costello said he also met with Madison County Regional Office of Education Superintendent Bob Daiber before making his decision.
* WCIA’s Mark Maxwell and Raquel Martin heard that Speaker Madigan would be attending a fundraiser in Decatur yesterday and got several minutes of his time. Nothing really earth-shattering here, but definitely worth a look because Madigan doesn’t often do this…
We tracked down Speaker Madigan at a private fundraiser in Decatur. Here's what he had to say:
