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*** UPDATED x4 *** Rep. Mark Beaubien
Sunday, Jun 5, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve been waiting for an official statement since the afternoon, but I’ll go ahead and post it now. This is a major loss for Illinois…
State Rep. Mark Beaubien Jr., a moderate Republican who represented the Barrington area in Springfield since 1996, died Sunday, fellow state lawmakers and local GOP leaders confirmed.
Beaubien, 68, of Barrington Hills, collapsed Sunday afternoon while attending a House Republican fundraiser at Arlington Park racetrack. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. […]
Colleagues in the state House said Beaubien had been battling a severe case of pneumonia in recent weeks that had kept him out of the State Capitol for most of the just ended legislative session. However, he appeared in Springfield late last month for the final days of the term.
Beaubien is survived by his wife, Dee, two children and three grandchildren, according to his state House biography.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the House Republicans…
Rep. Mark Beaubien’s family asked me to send this out to you tonight on their behalf.
“State Representative Mark Beaubien died suddenly late this afternoon. He was at a House Republican event with family, friends and colleagues. Arrangements are pending. We will miss him dearly.”
-Rep. Beaubien’s family
The Beaubien family is asking for privacy during this very difficult time.
House Republican Leader Tom Cross:
“I am deeply saddened by the death of my close friend and colleague, Rep. Mark Beaubien. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Dee, his children, grandchildren and many friends around the state. He is loved around the capitol for his brilliance, attention to detail, and ability to work with all legislators on very important issues facing our state. I will miss Mark deeply.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Gov. Pat Quinn…
“Mark Beaubien dedicated his life to service and making his community a better place. As a state representative, he served the people of the 52nd District with integrity and fortitude, and his sudden passing is a tremendous loss.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to Mark’s wife Dee and their two sons on this sad day.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Tribune…
He had hailed the passage of the House-driven spending plan by both majority Democrats and his fellow Republicans, calling it a “balanced budget that was built around conservative principles.”
Beaubien voted against the 67 percent increase in the state income tax rate that Democrats backed in January. But while Democrats have focused on the notion that most of the tax would expire in four years, Beaubien said in recent weeks he doubted the full tax hike would ever go away.
A former Lake County Board member, Beaubien, an attorney, formerly was a top official at the Suburban Bank of Barrington.
Beaubien is the descendant of an early pioneer named Mark Beaubien, in whose Sauganash Hotel the town of Chicago was incorporated in 1833.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Sun-Times…
Beaubien was the great, great, great grandson of Mark Beaubien, who came to what is now Chicago in 1826 and opened the region’s first tavern, the Sauganash. When the city’s residents decided to incorporate in 1833, they voted to do so at the Sauganash, which was near the modern-day intersection of Lake and Wacker.
Profiled by the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004 as a living link to Chicago’s earliest days, Beaubien was humble about his family history when asked if it made him proud.
“Proud? No, not proud, really. It’s a little historically interesting, that’s all,” he said. “Every generation has to live and survive on its own. I don’t like guys who go around saying, ‘I’m a Rockefeller, I’m a Kennedy.’ “
For many years, Beaubien was the House Republican point person on budget matters, which was a perfect fit given his experience as a former banker. He was a fiscal conservative, voting with fellow Republicans against Quinn’s 67-percent income tax hike in January.
But his social views were far more moderate, sometimes putting him at loggerheads with the conservative flank of the GOP.
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*** UPDATE *** From a press release…
Former State Representative Mike Boland will be attending a fundraiser for Winnebago County Auditor Bill Crowley today and meeting constituents and local officials to discuss a potential Democratic candidacy for Congress in the 17th Congressional District. The former representative is seriously considering a run for Congress against freshman Rep. Bobby Schilling.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* It’s about as official as it gets…
Just a day after acknowledging he was considering a bid for the Democratic nomination in the newly drawn 17th Congressional District, state Sen. Dave Koehler says he’s taking the plunge.
“The more I’m involved with the public and in an elected capacity, the more I’m convinced what people are striving for is really simple: It’s fairness and common sense,” he said Friday in announcing his formal decision to run.
“We know we have to live within our means, we have to cut spending, we have to cut the deficit. Does that mean we cut Medicare? Contrast that to tax cuts (for the wealthiest Americans). I don’t think that passes the fairness test in people’s minds.”
He views this race, should he win a possible Democratic primary and then the general election, as a chance to be involved in national decisions at the highest level.
“There’s nothing that tops what Congress does,” Koehler said. “That’s involved in every area of our lives.”
I’m told that US Sen. Dick Durbin played a role in this decision.
More…
With former Rep. Phil Hare of Rock Island saying Thursday he will not run again, that opens the door to what could be a crowded Democratic field.
Former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert, former state Rep. Mike Boland and East Moline Alderwoman Cheri Bustos all have said they’re considering candidacies. Also, Porter McNeil, who used to be the spokesman for former state comptroller Dan Hynes, said Friday he’s considering it, too.
…Adding… Other remap and campaign stuff…
* Sommer, Brady don’t appear headed for GOP face-off
* State Rep. Barickman running for Senate seat: Cultra said Thursday he is not ready to announce whether he will run for the same Senate seat. He would face a primary fight with Barickman, who also sought the senatorial appointment that went to Cultra.
* Quinn signs off on new remap - Governor OKs Democrat-drawn legislative boundaries
* Reis, Shimkus stay, Jones out in new district map
* Three Lawmakers Lose Wheaton in Redistricting
* Springfield mayor optimistic about impact of new U.S. House districts
* Editorial: Spike the maps: Governor, we repeat: Send them back. Force lawmakers to draw a fair map. June is a new month, with new rules. It takes a supermajority to pass a bill, and that means bipartisan cooperation.
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This just in… Rowell named IDES director
Friday, Jun 3, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 5:22 pm - From a press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today announced several top appointments to state agencies. Today’s actions are the latest in a series of appointments the Governor is making as he continues to fulfill his commitment to creating jobs, fostering economic development and increasing efficiency and accountability in all areas of state government.
Governor Quinn today named Jay Rowell as director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Rowell is a former deputy director in the Chicago City Clerk’s Office, where he modernized operations and dramatically enhanced transparency by making 27 years of searchable city information available online. He holds a juris doctorate from Loyola University Law School, and is a former writer for the school’s Consumer Law Review and Public Interest Law Reporter. Rowell replaces Maureen O’Donnell, who now serves as Director of Human Resources for Cook County. His appointment takes effect Monday.
Curiously, Quinn’s release didn’t mention that Jay runs the Senate Democrats’ political operation. Whatever the case, his nomination is obviously going to zoom through the Senate.
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* 4:23 pm - Gov. Pat Quinn just signed the state legislative redistricting bill. From a press release…
“Ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard in government is crucial to our democracy. For the first time, the people of Illinois have been able to participate in public hearings and have their voices heard in drawing their legislative districts. I would like to commend lawmakers for significantly increasing openness and transparency in the remap process,” said Governor Quinn. “I commend Sen. Kwame Raoul and Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie for their leadership in drafting a map that better represents the interest of our diverse communities.”
* The congressional redistricting bill is still awaiting his signature. More on that topic…
In a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn, several Illinois businessmen and former GOP members of Congress called on him to veto the new congressional redistricting map, arguing that it is both unconstitutional and unfair.
The letter senders represent a nonprofit group, the Committee for a Fair and Balanced Map, that has been raising money for months to mount a legal challenge to the remap.
The letter telegraphs the grounds for a potential lawsuit, arguing that the preliminary map drawn by the Democrat-controlled Illinois House and Senate does not meet Constitutional requirements that districts should be compact and center around communities of interest while protecting the interests of minorities.
“Instead, this proposal fractures longstanding communities with gerrymandered boundaries for apparent partisan purposes,” said the letter, signed by former Rockford GOP Rep. Lynn Martin, chair of the committee, and seven others.
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* 4:12 pm - Sen. Kyle McCarter has issued another statement about the ruckus on the Senate floor. It’s a bit weird. First, notice that his statement doesn’t use the word “punch”…
In debate on the Senate floor, Sen. McCarter pointed to other procedural problems which included $70,000 in political donations from Ameren to political funds controlled by some of the Senate leaders, and a lobbyist for Com-Ed who also happens to be the father of the committee chairman. That disclosure led Sen. Jacobs to walk across the aisle to personally confront Sen. McCarter. Jacobs’ speech was laced with profanity ending with him striking Sen. McCarter on the chest and knocking him backward.
* Then Sen. McCarter blames Senate leadership for not stepping in quickly…
“If the leadership of the Senate would have immediately admitted and documented that I was assaulted and then proactively stepped up to invoke a type of censure, filing a report with the Capitol Police would not have been my only option,” said McCarter.
He doesn’t say whether he asked for such documentation and censure, however.
* He also appears to contradict the Sergeant at Arms, who said yesterday that he asked McCarter if he wanted to file a complaint and McCarter refused…
“The Senate’s Sergeant At Arms kindly asked if I was ok or needed an escort to my office but did not provide a legal process for filing a complaint. His concern for my safety was obvious and I thank him.”
Those are awfully lawyerly words, if you ask me.
* And he even suggests an attempted cover-up…
“However, the parliamentarian came to my desk afterwards to suggest this could be dealt with somewhere else when “cooler heads prevail,” not admitting the assault happened or that Sen. Jacob did anything out of order. Sen. Jacob’s party was making an attempt for this to just go away quietly. As legislators we need to set an example for ethical and appropriate behavior. Trying to sweep the incident under the rug sends a very poor message to the public and especially to young people who are skeptical of government anyway.”
Oy.
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* Chicago is cutting school spending…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard on Thursday announced $75 million in cuts to the school district’s central office and hinted that the state and the Chicago Teachers Union should do the same.
“We need to make those cuts, but it makes a statement as powerful as the money about where you set the priorities,” Emanuel said. “Everybody has to have some skin in the game to make the changes necessary.” […]
“The fact that there is $75 million in achievable savings in administration and bureaucracy underscores the need for more transparency about CPS spending,” Lewis said. “The citizens of Chicago need to see every line of school spending—how much is spent, on what and to whom.”
Trouble is, the new state budget approved by the General Assembly cuts Chicago schools by $77 million. So, Chicago didn’t even tread water with yesterday’s announcement.
* And speaking of late payments…
A day after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle blamed him for the county health and hospital system’s financial woes, Gov. Pat Quinn in Chicago Thursday steered clear of any commitment to fork over some $38 million in Medicaid reimbursements.
Preckwinkle said she was “disappointed” in the governor’s response to her requests for Medicaid reimbursements, money desperately needed against the county health and hospital system’s projected shortfall of $40 million in the first five months of the year.
“Here’s what we’re trying to do, on the 30th of this month is a deadline for us to get enhanced Medicaid match (money) from Washington. We can get more money from the federal government for our healthcare,” the governor told reporters.
“We have to focus on that, it’s worth about $100, $200 million. That’s what we have to focus on,” said Quinn.
Asked when the county might see the money, the governor walked away, saying: “Pretty soon. OK. Thank you.”
* The budget news is not good for almost everyone…
Education and human services, along with the workers who deliver them, take the biggest hit in the state budget just approved by Illinois lawmakers.
Groups that provide services for the state will feel the pinch, too. Legislators took no steps to catch up on more than $6 billion in overdue bills from small businesses, charities and local agencies.
Lawmakers insist they had no choice but to rein in spending. Anything else would have deepened a budget hole that state government has been trying to escape for years now. […]
The University of Illinois, for instance, loses all $40 million of the money set aside for contractual services. The Corrections Department and its overcrowded prisons lose $4.5 million for personnel.
The state’s key social services agencies, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, lose a combined $227 million for personnel and contracts, or almost one-third of their total.
* Well, not everybody…
Regional superintendents of education expressed relief that, for now, funding for their offices would not be cut out of the state’s budget.
The General Assembly sent Gov. Pat Quinn a budget package Tuesday night that keeps most of the offices’ funding with a $11.4 million appropriation. Quinn’s original budget proposal had suggested eliminating the money.
* Mayors were spared as well…
Although local government officials have been fearing the move for more than a year, Illinois legislators do not plan to reduce the amount of income tax revenue the state shares with municipalities like the cities of Champaign and Urbana.
The budget proposal they sent to Gov. Pat Quinn this week maintains that disbursement, which local officials say keeps them from looking for even deeper budget cuts than they have already made.
“It’s good news,” said Champaign Finance Director Richard Schnuer. “Our budget was based on receiving revenues under current legislation.”
* Related and a roundup…
* Charter school fights teacher organizing—and “public school” label
* Illinois slow to launch new aid program for delinquent homeowners - Federal government provided $445.7 million last year - ‘It takes time to put it on the street properly,’ state official says
* Editorial: Don’t alter new state bidding process
* ‘Tier 1′ status will allow state workers to keep Clinic doctors
* State keeps public notices requirement but cuts costs to cities and schools
* Changes to records law won’t change much locally
* Quinn makes hospital board appointments after Preckwinkle criticism
* Editorial: Welcome, newbies!
* Taylorville officials willing to wait a little longer on Tenaska
* Workers’ comp bill: businesses gain, doctors lose
* Workers Comp ‘Reform’ in Illinois Aims to Curb Alleged Abuses
* Editorial: Share costs of smart grid
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Question of the day
Friday, Jun 3, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As we discussed yesterday, there’s some dispute over whether Sen. Mike Jacobs punched Sen. Kyle McCarter with his fist or whether it was more of a poke or an open-handed whack during a Senate floor scuffle. Whatever the case, the matter has been referred to the state’s attorney’s office…
‘’The Capital police report will be fowarded to the Sangamon County States Attorney’s office for determination on filing charges. It could be as early as tommorow. It could be next week'’, said Henry Haupt, spokesperson for the Secretary of States Office. ‘’The investigator is being thorough and complete.'’
Sen. Kyle McCarter says he is pursuing charges against Jacobs, who he says confronted him after he called out the East Moline Senator for sponsoring a bill allowing utility companies to raise their rates without approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission.
* The possible consequences…
Under state law, assaulting a state employee in a public place could be charged as a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by under one year in jail or up to two years probation.
Threatening a public official is a Class 3 felony, punishable by two to five years in prison or up to 21/2 years probation.
* The Question: Should Sen. McCarter pursue charges against Sen. Mike Jacobs? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please. Thanks.
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Homers love their casinos
Friday, Jun 3, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It really is amazing how local newspapers have bought into the contradictory spin on gaming expansion. For instance, Phil Luciano’s column…
Take a good, long look at the [East Peoria] Par-A-Dice [casino]. Maybe even take a picture, while you can.
Could the dock and hotel become a post-gambling ghost town? It’s happened elsewhere. It could happen here.
The culprit? A lazy, shortsighted state government. […]
Now, all they see is dollar signs. And rather than work to base the state’s economy on creating solid jobs and businesses, they’d rather take the easy way out and grab for gambling.
Right now, the Par-A-Dice generates $7 million in local revenue a year. Kiss that sum goodbye. Maybe all of it.
Riverboat reps and local leaders fear the same thing I’ve carping about for years: Chicago will suck away business. It’s not as if the Par-A-Dice is supported solely by area bettors. Tourists and gamblers come in from elsewhere. But if they have a choice between making a trip to Peoria or the Windy City, where do you think they’ll go?
So, the state should be working to create good jobs, but it absolutely should not mess with East Peoria’s admittedly evil jobs in the process by adding some competition far away? OK. And a Chicago casino will kill the Peoria-area’s facility, even though it’ll be 160 miles from there? Right. Even Luciano’s own newspaper thinks that last point is a bit much, although it still wrings its hands…
As such, it’s no surprise that not one local legislator voted for this expansion, with the Par-a-Dice in our backyard producing some $7 million annually to East Peoria and Peoria city coffers. Local government officials fear that number will plummet with downstate competition in Danville and Springfield.
There seems to be less objection to a casino in Chicago, which already is a global tourism draw that could be in line to capture even more outside dollars, of which there is no surplus in Illinois. […]
Again, gambling is the easy yet desperate path here. It’s a substitute for genuine fiscal discipline that for too long has been lacking in Springfield, which is what led to this fiscal meltdown in the first place. If anyone thinks Illinois can sin its way to prosperity - through reliance on gambling and taxes on smoking, drinking, etc. - they’re delusional, looking to quick fixes rather than real ones.
Gambling is the “easy and desperate path” except when it’s in our town!
* And then there’s the St. Louis Post Dispatch…
As happy as the track operators are with SB 744, operators of Illinois’ nine existing casinos are as worried. Revenue was off 4.2 percent last year to $1.37 billion. The bill would add five new casinos, including the mega-casino in Chicago, plus allow slot machines at racetracks and at Chicago’s two airports. That would take Illinois from 12,000 gaming positions to 39,000, putting a saturated market under water.
In the St. Louis market, adding 800 new gaming positions at the two Metro East casinos and 900 at Fairmount would mean a nearly 15 percent expansion. The bistate market is still struggling to absorb the competition from the River City Casino in Lemay that opened last year.
We tend not to worry about the problems of an industry that preys on human weakness. But Missouri and Illinois both have become addicted to gambling taxes. And then there’s the question of the thousands of employees who make their livings in the gambling industry. Hundreds of casino workers could suffer if Mr. Quinn signs SB 744. Hundreds of workers in the thoroughbred industry could suffer if he doesn’t.
He should veto it. The whole thing, including the Chicago casino.
Yes, more competition in an Illinois industry that’s been protected for decades would be just terrible, wouldn’t it?
* On the flip side is Rockford, which doesn’t have a casino and really, really wants one…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must be tired of seeing signs that say “Wisconsin is open for business.” He can take a shot at our neighbors to the north by signing the bill that would bring a casino to Rockford. […]
What about the social costs? Studies have found that there are likely to be increases in divorce, separations, marital problems and bankruptcies to name a few. Those problems also occur when a person is unemployed or underemployed.
Other studies show the disadvantages of gambling are exaggerated. In 2000, the Public Sector Gaming Study Commission found “no link between gambling, particularly casino-style gambling, and crime.”
Gambling is not the holy grail of economic development, but if any community in Illinois should be able to expand its tourism and entertainment options, Rockford should.
Problems, schmoblems. We want us a casino, baby!
* Even the Chicago Sun-Times is getting into the act…
The governor, like us, is unhappy about lumping in so many other gambling sites with Chicago’s, calling the bill “excessive” and “top-heavy.”
He’s absolutely right about that.
But here’s what Quinn will see when he finally gets his microscope in focus: A bill that will draw in much-needed revenue for Chicago and the state. The state is already slashing social services, education funding and threatening deep cuts to state employee pensions. Adding new revenue is one of the only ways available to soften that blow slightly, to ward off even more draconian cuts in years to come.
We’ve long supported efforts to reduce state spending, but Illinois is quickly reaching a point where the government’s ability to provide core services is in jeopardy.
The bill really sucks, but we need the money, so sign the darned thing.
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Now that’s what I call a burn rate
Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The United Republican Fund issued a press release via the Illinois Review today…
Since 1934 the URF has been known as the United Republican Fund: an organization dedicated to electing conservative Republicans to office. Run by a volunteer board of business and civic leaders, the URF has fairly and efficiently raised and distributed millions of dollars to countless candidates, organizations, and projects.
This year the URF board of directors reorganized and expanded into three entities:
United to Restore Freedom (URF): a 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing conservative thought and ideas by educating and engaging policy makers, opinion leaders, and citizens on the URF LIFT principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and traditional values.
United to Restore Freedom-Action (URF Action): a 501c4 membership organization formed to mobilize those citizens who subscribe to the URF LIFT principles; and are dedicated to changing our culture through grassroots civic action.
United Republican Fund (URF PAC): a connected, political action committee dedicated to helping elect conservative candidates who espouse the URF LIFT principles. URF PAC provides qualified candidates direct financial support while working independently to mobilize voters on their behalf.
* The press release piqued my curiosity, so I went over to the State Board of Elections’ website and looked up the group’s financials. The URF raised an impressive $505K during the last six months of 2010.
But the group only contributed about $40K to candidates while it racked up $487,592 in expenditures. Of those expenditures, almost $150,000 went to consultants alone. Most of the rest went to expenses for staging the Right Nation 2010 conference, including $75K for speakers, $95K for “event production” and “event videos” and $105K to rent the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates.
Whew.
As of the end of March, the group had just $276.37 on hand and $40,250 in debt. They’ve since raised $19K.
* Back to the press release…
Of course, the largest program run by URF is Right Nation. This year, they plan to take the event to new heights - building on last year’s unprecedented gathering, which drew nearly 6,000 attendees and coverage from over 50 media outlets. This year’s Right Nation 2011 celebrataion will take place over three days and will include a number of prominent national organizations and influential figures, including exciting activities never before seen at a political event in the Midwest.
I sure hope they learned some lessons from last year’s event. It looks like they spent way, way, way too much on overhead.
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Indiana governor mocks Emanuel, Illinois
Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From WLS Radio…
Daniels told WLS Radio’s The Don and Roma Show, that while Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants a casino to stop Chicagoans from gambling in Hammond, Indiana, Emanuel should have other concerns.
“What he ought to worry more about is the stampede of businesses leaving Illinois. You know your traffic gal Wendy left out one traffic hazard, you stand near the state line now you might get hit by a moving van,” Daniels said Thursday.
“We are talking and signing up businesses left and right. The gambling revenue, I mean, pays a few of our bills but you don’t build a strong state on casinos. You build it on factories and new business startups and you know, places that provide really high paying jobs,” Daniels said.
Daniels also claimed he “never raised” taxes, which is simply not true. He did raise taxes. And if our state tax rates were as high as Indiana’s we’d have a huge surplus to pay off all those back bills. Not to mention that Indiana also allows local income taxes. Listen to the whole thing…
Thoughts?
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*** UPDATE - 3:52 pm *** The government’s cross-examination has finally begun.
* Could he be cross-examined today? That’ll be fun. By the way, if you have a BlackBerry and can’t access the feed, try clicking here. Otherwise, read on. To get us started, I’ll post Natasha Korecki’s stories from yesterday afternoon…
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Who do you think were the biggest winners and losers of the spring legislative session? Explain, and try to provide examples of both. Thanks.
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*** UPDATE 1 *** I talked to Sen. Tim Bivins this morning. Bivins saw the fracas and says he say Sen. Jacobs make “what looked like a fist” and then heard a “thud” as Sen. McCarter was “knocked backward.” Bivins then helped separate the two and got a “huge bruise” in the process when he accidentally slammed into a desk.
Sen. Syverson saw something different…
State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said he saw the exchange.
“He (Jacobs) pushed him or poked him in some way,” Syverson said.
Sen. Bivins sits next to McCarter, however, so he probably had the better view. Syverson sits one row behind McCarter and to one side.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Matt Murphy sits next to Bivins. Murphy told me he saw Jacobs “punch” McCarter. However, Murphy said, “I don’t know whether it was his open hand or a closed fist.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Hmm. An interesting statement from Joe Dominguez, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms…
The Senate Sergeant-At-Arms is charged with preserving the rules of decorum and orderly behavior in the Senate chamber. While incidents of disorderly conduct are rare, they are not tolerated on the Senate floor.
On Tuesday, immediately following the alleged confrontation between Senator Mike Jacobs and Senator Kyle McCarter, I approached Senator McCarter to inquire whether he wished to file a complaint. Senator McCarter responded that he did not. [Emphasis added]
Joe is top notch, by the way.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Sen. Kyle McCarter says he will ask the Sangamon County State’s Attorney to file a criminal complaint against Sen. Mike Jacobs. McCarter says Jacobs punched him in the chest with his fist…
State Sen. Kyle McCarter said Wednesday he wants charges filed against a fellow senator he accused of punching him following a contentious, end-of-session debate over a rate hike for utilities.
“I plan on pressing charges against Sen. Jacobs,” McCarter said. […]
McCarter said Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, and Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, pulled Jacobs away. Bivins served as Lee County sheriff for 20 years. “Sen. Bivins and Sen. LaHood have given statements to the Capitol police, verifying what happened,” McCarter said.
* From a Tribune editorial…
McCarter observed aloud [during a Senate floor debate on the ComEd bill] that Jacobs, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and sponsor of a controversial utility-backed bill, is the son of former Sen. Denny Jacobs, a ComEd lobbyist. The 150-page bill came up for a vote in the last hours of the session after a six-minute committee hearing, McCarter said.
Jacobs’ statesmanlike response was to walk across the aisle and punch McCarter in the chest. He accused McCarter of attacking his family and violating Senate rules about civil debate. […]
Jacobs said his constituents are aware of the relationship and can make up their own minds about whether he has a conflict of interest. Give us a break. A lawmaker who carries the water on a bill pushed by his lobbyist father is going to hear about it, over and over. Better get used to defending yourself with something besides your fists.
* Legislators engaging in fisticuffs on the floor is a rare event, but not unheard of…
The last time two lawmakers got into a similar public confrontation on the floor of either legislative chamber came when former state Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville) got into a shoving match with former Rep. Terry Parke (R-Hoffman Estates) in a 1992 school-funding dispute.
Even President Barack Obama was involved in shoving match with another legislator, former Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago). That altercation came during former Gov. George Ryan’s stint in office and occurred in the rear of the Senate chamber out of public view, Hendon wrote.
I was in the House press box when Parke shoved Black, and I was in the Senate box when the altercation began between Obama and Hendon. From Hendon’s book…
Nobody in either of those fights pressed any sort of charges. What do you think about McCarter’s announced move?
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* Will County types are not happy with the new congressional map…
The map drawn and approved by Democrats in the state legislature creates congressional districts that look like floodplains stretching out from Lake Michigan, starting in relatively small sections of Chicago before stretching over vast tracts of land in the suburbs and across farm fields.
“It’s the most blatant example of gerrymandering I’ve ever seen,” said Will County Republican Party Chairman Richard Kavanagh, one of a chorus of Republicans likely to raise ever louder complaints of the remap that would reduce their numbers in Congress.
But the map does something else, Kavanagh said.
“It gives Chicago control over Will County and brings Cook County politics into Will County,” he said.
* But, in a way, they kinda brought it on themselves…
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Chicago) picked up territory throughout eastern Will County where he supports construction of an airport outside Peotone. The strategic move gives him more credibility on the project because he can no longer be criticized for engaging on an issue outside his district. Jackson’s opponents during election time often urged him to mind his own district, not the airport. Now he can do both.
It wasn’t just Jackson’s political opponents who told him to mind his own business. Will County leaders did the same. So, now the airport is his business.
Oops.
* Meanwhile, Lynn Sweet talked to US Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman, and came up with these district rankings…
† Eight safe Democratic seats: 1. Bobby Rush; 2. Jesse Jackson Jr.; 3. Dan Lipinski; 4. Luis Gutierrez; 5. Mike Quigley; 7. Danny Davis; 9. Jan Schakowsky, and 12. Jerry Costello.
† Five competitive or swing seats: 8. Considered open, now held by Walsh; 10. Dold; 11. Open; 13. Tim Johnson; 17. Schilling.
† Five Republican lean to GOP safe: 6. Peter Roskam; 14. Hultgren; 15. John Shimkus; 16. Don Manzullo; 18. Aaron Schock.
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) left homeless in the Democratic map, may run from the open 11th; Kinzinger is likely to head to the Manzullo district; Walsh may switch to the 14th.
* Politico has the DC mood…
Both in Springfield and in Washington, the GOP reaction to the grim reality of the state’s new congressional map is downright funereal, with some Republicans shaking their heads and marveling at the evil genius behind a gerrymander that could end up costing the GOP as many as five House seats.
* And Crain’s reports on GOP opposition…
A group of Republican business leaders and former members of Congress from Illinois is gearing up to challenge the state Legislature’s new congressional redistricting map, which heavily favors Democrats.
Led by former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and former U.S. Rep. Thomas Ewing, fundraising by the Committee for a Fair and Balanced Map has been quietly under way for months, anticipating that Republicans would not fare well in a process steered by a Democratic-controlled Legislature and a Democratic governor. […]
“Now that we’ve got a map that’s not fair, it will probably take off,” said Ronald Gidwitz, a Chicago investor and former CEO of Helene Curtis Industries Inc., who has contributed to the committee but is not otherwise involved.
Others on the committee are former Rockford Congresswoman and Labor Secretary Lynn Martin, North Star Investments President Alexander “Sandy” Stuart of Lake Forest and Don Wilson, CEO of DRW Trading Group, a derivatives trading firm in Chicago. Also involved is Mayer Brown LLP partner Ty Fahner, who represented Illinois GOP members of Congress in redistricting litigation 10 years ago and a decade before that.
* And freshman Adam Kinzinger is picking up some support for a bid against fellow Republican Don Manzullo…
According to published reports and indications from two northern Illinois Republican leaders, Kinzinger, R-Manteno, may now be in the early planning stages of organizing a re-election campaign in the newly-drawn 16th Congressional District — territory now represented by U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Rockford.
Even though Kinzinger placed his name on a blanket statement the Illinois Republican Congressional delegation issued Friday condemning the new boundaries, the freshman legislator has yet to make any official public comment regarding the Democratic-drawn maps. […]
Susan Thornton, La Salle County Republican Central Committee chairwoman, told The Times last week she remains optimistic about the upcoming boundary changes on the local level for Kinzinger.
“Adam’s numbers were very strong in last November’s elections and I think voters in new and expanded areas of the 16th will find him well-equipped to represent them in both the rural counties and up north through Rockford,” said Thornton.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Champaign News-Gazette…
Republican state Rep. Jason Barickman will announce Thursday that he is running for a seat in the Illinois Senate from the new 53rd district, according to an announcement from his office.
Barickman, a lawyer and chairman of the Champaign County Republican Party, currently represents the 105th District in the Illinois House of Representatives.
He has scheduled announcements Thursday in five communities within the new 53rd District: Bloomington-Normal, Paxton, Watseka, Pontiac and Eureka.
Under the newly drawn Illinois House and Senate legislative maps, Barickman would be running in the same district that includes current state Sen. Shane Cultra, a Republican from Iroquois County. Cultra has not yet announced his intentions, but Barickman’s office indicated he will run whatever Cultra decides.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Peoria Pundit…
I’ve just head from a very reliable source that State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, will run for Congress in the 17th District. He would face freshman U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling, R-Colona. Schilling, a Tea Party candidate, defeated Phil Hare in 2010.
“You will not see Koehler make the same mistakes Hare made,” my source said. “Hare shot from the hip too often, Koehler is more in control of his emotions.”
Koehler says he’s talked to a number of people, so that’s why the word is getting out. He said he’ll make an announcement in the next several days.
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A fight for relevance
Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* No governor likes to be ignored or treated as if he was irrelevant. Pat Quinn is no exception. But that’s just what the General Assembly did to him all spring. I’ve been writing about Quinn being cut out of much of the process since the end of March when I asked Speaker Madigan about it. But it eventually became so obvious that even Chicago reporters started writing about this problem in recent days. Gov. Quinn tried hard to dispel that notion during his press conference yesterday.
* For instance, on the ComEd bill, Gov. Quinn sounded a whole lot like a spurned Rod Blagojevich…
Quinn repeated his vow to veto legislation that would allow Commonwealth Edison to raise its rates to invest in its power grid — coming down on the side of consumers rather than lobbyists in “three-piece suits and fancy shoes.”
* Quinn wanted to delay a billion dollars in payments to local governments, but that didn’t survive the process…
The state budget lawmakers have sent to Gov. Pat Quinn doesn’t touch the 6 percent of income taxes that are sent to local mayors for their own budgets.
* The budget spent about $2 billion less than the unbalanced budget Quinn proposed in February…
“I don’t think anyone who looks at it would say they would be happy with the investment in education. I mention early childhood, scholarships for students who are needy who have the ability to do college work, very disappointed in the fact that they cut funding for kindergarten through 12th grade in our grammar schools and our high schools. That’s no way to build a better Illinois,” the governor said.
“And I will tell legislators of both parties and both houses how I feel about education and how I think the public feels. They didn’t get the job done properly there. It’s incomplete, and I think we need to keep working with them,” Quinn said.
* Quinn didn’t elaborate about whether that would mean a special summer session (a la Blagojevich) or not. But Speaker Madigan controls that fate…
At the last minute, [Senate] Democrats added about $430 million in operations spending to a capital bill. The money would restore money cut from general state aid to schools and the Monetary Award Program for college scholarships and provide additional funds to a couple of dozen human services programs.
The House refused to consider the bill before adjourning. Instead, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said he wanted a conference committee of representatives and senators to work out a solution over the summer.
…Adding… It was early in the morning when I posted this, so I just agreed with something that I actually knew was not true. I knew that Madigan passed a non-concurrence motion. Heck, I told subscribers about it. That bill is in the Senate now.
* The governor pointed to one area of concern…
He voiced particular concern about the proposed cuts to early childhood education. “You don’t get to be a 3-year-old two years in a row. And I’ve told the leaders of the Legislature that we have work to do when it comes to early childhood education,” Quinn said.
There’s hope by many legislators that money will be added back in the fall or (more likely) in January if state revenues pick up.
* Now, on to gaming expansion…
“I have told the legislators over and over again the people of Illinois do not want an excessive gambling bill that’s top heavy, and I think I reflect the public sentiment on that,” Quinn said.
“In Chicago, I have said I can see if it’s properly done, an opportunity for a gambling casino. But once the General Assembly got this subject, both House and Senate, it got more and more top heavy. Well my job is to make sure the people of Illinois come first, not the gamblers, not the insiders,” the governors told reporters in his Statehouse office.
* The governor seemed to admit that even Mayor Emanuel ignored him on this topic…
Quinn also revealed that about 10 days ago he had a conversation with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “about the general subject of a casino in Chicago.” The governor said he told the new mayor, who was a vital force in winning support for the gambling package, that “we can’t have an excessive gaming bill in Illinois, that I thought the public wasn’t for that.”
* The mayor told a different story, however…
“In my conversations with him he sees the strengths,” Emanuel said.
There could be an amendatory veto on the bill, but there might not be enough votes in both chambers to sustain such a move.
And as subscribers were told yesterday morning, Quinn won’t even get the bill until Senate President John Cullerton takes a procedural brick off it…
Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said a procedural maneuver by Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, to move for reconsideration of the bill, actually protects it and works to Rockford’s benefit.
Syverson said the motion to reconsider means Cullerton can control when the bill is forwarded to the governor.
“It’s probably good news from a Rockford standpoint,” Syverson said. “This way he can control it until he has a chance to negotiate and talk to the governor about it.”
* The best way for a governor to flex his muscles and prove his relevancy is through vetoes, and the ComEd bill isn’t the only bill that’s heading for the chopping block…
Although the governor has not officially decided on Senate Bill 178, State Rep. Chapin Rose said Governor Pat Quinn made his decision on the House floor Tuesday night.
A group of the bill’s supporters approached Gov. Quinn Tuesday, Rose said, and asked him to strongly consider passing the bill.
The bill would allow Health Alliance and other health insurance providers to stay with their customers for two more years.
* Quinn vetoed this project during the spring, so the GA revamped it and sent it to him again…
In the waning hours of the state’s legislative session, lawmakers on Wednesday sent Gov. Pat Quinn a revamped bill that could pave the way for construction of a $3-billion synthetic gas plant on Chicago’s South Side.
Mr. Quinn in March vetoed a previous version that would have forced the state’s natural gas ratepayers to shoulder the higher costs of the gas the plant would produce. But Leucadia National Corp., the New York-based conglomerate developing the facility, agreed to consumer protections that limit rate increases and spread the burden of higher prices to businesses that buy gas from non-utility providers. […]
Unlike the version Mr. Quinn vetoed, the current bill would cap the rate increase at 2%. The earlier bill would have exempted customers of alternative gas suppliers, but this one includes them.
* Listen to the governor’s press conference in two parts…
* Roundup…
* Quinn Critiques Legislation
* Budget would cut $171 million from public schools
* Quinn: Lawmakers didn’t get job done on budget
* Hospitals may sustain blow instead of knockout
* Editorial: An ‘excessive’ but needed casino bill
* Cities look forward with new casinos
* Quinn murky on plans for gaming expansion
* Chicago’s casino bet - Gamble could raise millions of dollars, but questions leave experts wondering about the price
* Elgin may lobby Quinn against gambling expansion
* Gambling’s expansion gets a poor reception - No Peoria area lawmakers voted for bill that many officials say will draw business away from East Peoria casino
* Mayor urges Danville residents to back casino with Quinn
* Casino means 1,000 ‘full-time, good-paying jobs’
* Brown: More gambling, more scandals? You can bet on it
* Chicago coal-to-gas plant closer to reality after Illinois legislators OK 2 bills
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Note to blog readers
Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I checked my website’s usage stats this morning and found that we had near-record traffic on May 31st, the last day of session. Unique visits and page-views were almost equal to the day Rod Blagojevich was arrested, which still holds the all-time record. We actually used more bandwidth on Tuesday than we consumed on RRB’s arrest day, so that’s a new record. And Sunday’s traffic in all categories was higher than any previous Sunday ever recorded here.
The idea is not to make this the biggest website in the world, of course. We’ll never be that. The object is to make this place the focal point of Illinois political life. The combination of the in-depth posts, the timely and comprehensive automated news feeds, the ultra-superior commenters and the breaking news reporting have all contributed to the success of this endeavor.
I simply can’t thank you enough.
* And now that I have your attention, how about taking a quick moment and writing a check for the “Southern Illinois Together” flood relief effort? Many of our fellow Illinoisans are still hurting down there, and they could use your help.
The fundraiser is this Saturday at the Black Diamond Warehouse in Marion (2400 Black Diamond Drive). Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. They’ll have free food and wine samples, and both a silent and a live auction.
I’m planning to be there, but you don’t have to attend the fundraiser to contribute. Just write a check for whatever you can afford and make it payable to the Poshard Foundation. Make sure to put “Flood Victims” in your check’s memo line. Here’s the mailing address…
Poshard Foundation
700 Logan College Dr.
Carterville, IL 62918
This is a prime opportunity to use the community we’ve created here to do some good. Please help if you can. Thanks.
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