* WTTW’s Paris Schutz asked US Sen. Dick Durbin tonight about the not so great night the Democratic Party had here Tuesday…
PS: You have the graduated tax amendment that failed, a lot of opponents sought to tie that to Mike Madigan. State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, a Democrat, lost retention. Opponents tied him to Speaker Madigan. It looks like the Democrats are going to lose a few seats in the Statehouse. You kind of punted on this question before, but is Speaker Mike Madigan still the right person who should be leading your party, the Democratic Party in Illinois?
DD: Well, I can tell you all across our state, the advertising told the story. We paid a heavy price for the speaker’s chairmanship of the Democratic Party. Candidates who had little or no connection with him whatsoever were being tarred as Madigan allies who are behind corruption and so forth and so on. It was really disconcerting to see the price that we paid on that. I hope he takes that to heart and understands that his presence as chairman of our party is not helping.
PS: Does that mean you might get behind someone else who might run for chairman?
DD: Let’s wait and see what happens in the near-term here. The House is about to reconvene in Springfield, the Illinois House. And I’m sure this conversation is going to move to a new level now that the election’s behind us.
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* Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow ruled in favor of the governor today and dismissed six lawsuits filed by various plaintiffs, including attorney Tom DeVore. The judge also ruled against Rep. Darren Bailey’s attempt to amend his lawsuit. Click here for the document.
The plaintiffs had asked the judge to rule that no public health emergency exists in their respective counties to warrant Gov. Pritzker’s use of executive orders. They also asked the judge to enjoin the government from exercising his emergency powers in their counties (Edgar, Sangamon, Bond, Richland, Clinton and Adams).
* The objection is based on the plaintiffs’ interpretation of this section of the Illinois Emergency Management Act…
“Public health emergency” means an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition that: […]
(b) poses a high probability of any of the following harms:
(i) a large number of deaths in the affected population;
(ii) a large number of serious or long-term disabilities in the affected population; or
(iii) widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a significant risk of substantial future harm to a large number of people in the affected population.
The facts the plaintiffs alleged (the total number of people who’d been tested for, contracted and died from COVID-19) did not “set forth a good and sufficient cause of action,” the state complained.
Judge Grischow agreed that the plaintiffs’ complaints were indeed “devoid of facts” to support their conclusions. “The Court,” she wrote, “cautions counsel to fully set forth facts to support the conclusions.” In other words, don’t disguise a political speech as a legal brief.
But Judge Grischow did write that a legitimate cause of action may actually exist, so she allowed the plaintiffs to file again based on the actual law “in an effort to have the issues properly framed” for the court.
* Separately, Rep. Bailey had filed a motion to amend his own lawsuit to make it match the one which hit a brick wall today. Grischow informed Bailey he could file a new amended motion as long as it complied with the directions she gave to the other plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs have 21 days to get their act together and then the governor will have 21 days to respond.
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* From House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s spokesperson Eleni Demertzis…
Rich,
Wanted to let you know that Leader Durkin announced he will be seeking the position of House Republican Leader for the 102nd General Assembly and has secured a majority of votes of the caucus today. Leader Durkin and the House Republican Caucus look forward to continuing the fight against corruption in the General Assembly, and working to fix the state’s fiscal woes for the voters who so desperately demand change. The people of Illinois sent a clear message for change by voting out four House Democrats allegiant to Madigan and the defeat of yet another tax hike proposal.
-Eleni
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* Gov. Pritzker today…
There will be cuts and they will be painful. And the worst thing is the same billionaires who lied to you about the fair tax are more than happy to hurt our public schools, shake the foundations of our cities and diminish our state, maybe because they think it won’t hurt them.
If they cared about giving your child the best public education available, if they wanted you to be able to afford childcare too, if they wanted your elderly parents to be cared for properly, just like their parents are, they wouldn’t have fought so hard to avoid paying just a little bit more.
People often say that I’m too positive and too optimistic. My optimism comes from the people of this great state. From all the things that they’ve endured together over this year, my optimism has not been shaken. We will get through this. We will get through all of this together.
Please excuse all transcription errors.
* Pritzker talked earlier about what those cuts would look like…
Option one immediately make billions of dollars in cuts. Let me offer some context to that. Already the state of Illinois invests on average less money per capita than the majority of states. That’s not to suggest that we can’t find significant cost reductions. We’ve been doing that. But if you think cutting government alone is the solution remember this, if you [garbled] federally protected programs court ordered obligations and our bond and pension debt, we would have to reduce discretionary spending in our state by approximately 15%. That’s 15% fewer state troopers. That’s 15% fewer students going to college. 15% fewer working parents receiving Child Care Assistance and 15% less money for your local public schools, which likely means that your property taxes will increase.
You could call this the Republican approach option.
* He also blamed the GOP…
Republicans swore their allegiance to the wealthiest interests in the state and they threw middle class families under the bus.
It’s no surprise these are the same people who pushed for Bruce Rauner’s agenda and will resurrect his failed crusade any way they can.
* And he warned he has a long memory…
I have not given up the battle to balance our budget and to put the state on firm fiscal footing. I will work every day to repair the fiscal instability that has been ailing Illinois,for more than three decades. I will work with the legislature to implement structural solutions to our decades-long budget [deficit].
But I will never forget that some of the wealthiest and most powerful interests in Illinois did everything in their power to put the burden of this on workers and their families, instead of shouldering some of the burden themselves.
* He was also asked whether Speaker Madigan’s reputation hurt the Fair Tax at the polls…
I think there’s enormous distrust in government all the way around.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker was asked whether a flat tax hike was off the table. It isn’t. He said he was looking at all options…
I’m first and foremost focused on where we can trim our budget, where we can make cuts that won’t be painful for working families. I want to start with those. And we’re going to do everything we can.
But there is a point at which there’s no doubt that without revenue some of those cuts will start to hit things that do affect working families and I don’t know that anybody wants that to happen. Do we really want to cut education funding in the state? I don’t think so. Do we really want to cut funding, somebody asked a question about mental health services, or about the developmentally disabled and services that are offered to them? Do we really want to cut those? I don’t think so. And so, having said that, everything’s on the table because the fiscal challenge of the state is an extraordinarily high priority for me.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Tax Foundation…
Illinois voters rejected a high graduated rate income tax while Arizonans embraced a large income tax rate increase for high earners, among the many attention-grabbing results from Tuesday’s elections—most of which, admittedly, weren’t about taxes. Coloradans, meanwhile, ratified an income tax cut in a year that many expected voters to instead be weighing in on a substantial income tax increase—and that was before the pandemic. […]
Arizona’s Proposition 208 creates an 8 percent top rate on income above $250,000, up from 4.5 percent currently. This bracket will not be adjusted for inflation. This move reverses decades of reform which lowered the state’s top rate from a high of 7 percent and will undermine Arizona’s status as a destination for those fleeing California’s taxes, and for snowbirds looking for a state with mild winters and mild taxes.
Because the new bracket will not be indexed to inflation, this will also result in what is called “bracket creep,” where income tax burdens increase even without an increase in real income. A person whose salary increases track with inflation could have the same amount of purchasing power year over year, while the change in the nominal dollar amount of earnings could push more of their income into the higher bracket. Because of this, the new Arizona bracket will capture progressively lower incomes as the value of the dollar decreases. […]
Colorado was the only state to give the option to lower income taxes, and voters took the state up on that opportunity. Colorado’s Proposition 116 will permanently lower the state income tax rate from 4.63 percent to 4.55 percent, retroactive to January 1, 2020. In fiscal year 2019, actual tax collections exceeded the revenue cap by $428 million, which triggered a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) refund in the form of a reduced income tax rate of 4.5 percent for tax year 2019. […]
Voters’ views on income taxes do not cleanly map to partisan preferences. In Colorado, the Democratic governor gestured at support for a rate cut brought to the ballot by conservative groups, and in Illinois, voters who overwhelmingly chose Democratic candidates also rejected a tax increase championed by their Democratic governor.
It’s always dangerous to draw firm conclusions, but if you had to summarize the past decade worth of results on income tax-related ballot measures, it might look like this: voters are wary of tax increases, even when they largely fall on other taxpayers (at least initially), but their willingness to consider the proposed increases is much greater if they’re given a clear picture of what the additional revenue is for and can evaluate whether they think the trade-off is worthwhile. Observers may agree or disagree with voters’ evaluations of those trade-offs, but it says something good about the system that voters clearly care about both costs and benefits.
* The Question: Why do you think the “Fair Tax” so badly failed here?
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* From last night…
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider released the following statement in response to the news that Pritzker’ signature tax hike, Justice Kilbride of the 3rd Judicial District, and Judy Cates of the 5th Judicial District all went down in defeat:
“Tonight, Illinois voters rejected Springfield politician’s tax hike gambit, Madigan’s Favorite Judge Tom Kilbride, and Madigan donor Judy Cates. The Illinois Republican Party and our allies are putting everyone on notice, regardless of office: if you align yourself with and take money from one of the most corrupt machine politicians in the country, we are coming for you. From the legislative branch to the judicial branch, we must eliminate all Madigan loyalists and the scourge of corruption that they actively enable.
With Pritzker Democrats no longer able to use taxpayers to bail them out of our state’s financial disaster and a Supreme Court no longer stacked with a majority of Madigan pawns, Illinois now has a chance to enact much needed reforms. We hope the Governor, Speaker, and Democratic leaders finally join us in the effort to put taxpayers first.”
* And while the main group against the progressive income tax never once mentioned Madigan in their TV ads, they did send mailers like this one…
Thoughts?
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* Interesting…
This comes despite the apparent House Democratic losses of Reps. Diane Pappas and Mary Edly-Allen to men. Rep. Monica Bristow was defeated by another woman and Rep. Nathan Reitz was defeated by a man. Democratic women appear to have defeated two Republican men, Reps. Grant Wehrli and Allen Skillicorn.
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7,538 new cases, 55 additional deaths, 3,761 hospitalized, 776 in the ICU, 327 on ventilators, 8.5 percent average case positivity rate, 10.1 percent average test positivity rate
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 7,538 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 55 additional deaths.
- Carroll County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 60s, 4 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 7 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Greene County: 1 female 70s
- Jo Daviess County: 1 female 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Knox County: 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s
- Logan County: 1 male 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Moultrie County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Pike County: 1 female 100+
- Randolph County: 1 female 60s
- Shelby County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Will County: 1 female 60s
- Williamson County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 437,556 cases, including 9,933 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 71,857 specimens for a total 8,030,713. As of last night, 3,761 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 776 patients were in the ICU and 327 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 28 – November 3 is 8.5%. This is the number that IDPH has been consistently reporting in its daily releases and is calculated using total cases over total tests. Similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH has been using test positivity for regional mitigation metrics on its website since mid-July. Test positivity is calculated using the number of COVID-19 positive tests over total tests. On October 29, 2020, IDPH began reporting the statewide test positivity in its daily releases. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from October 28, 2020 – November 3, 2020 is 10.1%.
Case positivity and test positivity rate are both relevant and offer insight into the bigger COVID-19 picture. Case positivity helps us understand whether changes in the number of confirmed cases is due to more testing or due to more infections. Whereas, test positivity accounts for repeated testing and helps us understand how the virus is spreading in the population over time.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
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Your feel-good story of the day
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Winnebago County Board candidate Angela Fellars on October 30…
Last night, after viewing the video of my candidate interview for WIFR the woman who was my (beloved) doctor through my pregnancies called me.
She said, in an alarmed tone - “Hi. How are the kids? How’s the campaign? But most importantly, Have you been having headaches? Blurred vision? Losing words? Feeling anxious or sad?”
I laughed. “Of course I have. I’m running for office during COVID/Remote Learning/Business Shut-downs, my family and friends are getting threats, there are hit mail pieces, there are protests everywhere, the hospital is closing, the library is closing, I’m needed everywhere at once… and… and…
And then she said - “How long has the left side of your face been doing that? I think you are showing symptoms of a stroke. I need you to go to the ER.”
She was right to be concerned. I was admitted into the hospital last evening. I’m receiving excellent care.
I have health insurance. Early detection is everything. The kids are with their dad and Jenni and they’re loved and safe. I’m going to be better than ok.
But it’s a wake up call for sure. I want to write a big, long essay on the importance of self-care for everyone, especially parents and community activists, and another on how we have got to stop being so Goddamned ok with the Goddamned cruelty in this city, and another on how it’s BS that a hospital publicly cutting services and staff is privately so full and understaffed that I was admitted to a private waiting room loveseat instead of a hospital bed - because there were no beds.
Instead of essays, I’m calling all of you to action. Please use these last 4 days to convince everyone you know to vote. Drive them there. Volunteer for a candidate. Make calls. Deliver literature. Then call your friends and make sure they’re ok. Tell everyone they’re important. Above all, be kind to yourself and others.
The election is in 4 days. Healthcare, libraries, schools, restaurants and other small businesses, real public safety, kindness and civility are on the ballot. Please, please vote.
Because if I come out of this with MORE work to do because people let cruelty and abuse take MORE power, y’all are getting the mom finger. 💚💙
* October 31…
Update:
I’m home from the hospital. When I was released Mercy (New campus) still didn’t have any available beds. (I don’t even know how to process that reality.) So much love and light to all of the people in there and to the nurses, doctors and staff too. (I’ll write about that after the elections)
I’m still “in line” waiting for a call letting me know an MRI is available. I might need a ride for that depending on when it happens.
Dan & Jenni still have the kids. I miss them. I’m doing ok.
I need help. It’s hard for me to ask for that because I know how busy and overwhelmed everyone is. But I don’t feel well enough to drive and I’m still having some difficulties with some basic things and with pain.
The most urgent/timely thing after health/kids is that me being sick meant that some crucial campaign items went undone. They are things that can still be done other ways, but I can’t do it alone.
This is GOTV (Get Out the Vote) weekend - If you’ve ever wanted to help out but were not sure how this is your moment! You do not have to live in the district to help. All costs will be covered.
And then she went on to list the things she needed people to do. (Also, the hospital didn’t have any beds partly because the pandemic is so intensely bad in that area, she told me today).
* Late last night…
We did it! We did it! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Thank you so much to everyone who #ShowedUpAF for this campaign - I’m so thankful for everyone who cheered, volunteered, donated, and especially for those of you who voted.
I’m humbled and honored to be your Representative Elect of the 19th District.
I’ll write a more formal statement tomorrow - I just didn’t want to go to sleep without saying thank you.
Fellars told me she’s still not formally diagnosed, but that her neurologist suspects “I’ve had a series of mini-strokes since May.”
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Fitch states the obvious
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Eric Kim, Head of State Government Ratings, Fitch Ratings…
“Without the estimated $1.3B a new graduated income tax would have brought in this year, Illinois will need to consider other options to balance its budget.”
“Alternatives for Illinois include additional borrowing from previously authorized general obligation debt or the Federal Reserve’s MLF program, spending cuts or revenue options such as an increase in the flat income tax rate or changes to the sales tax.”
“Illinois’ upcoming post-election legislative session could be particularly consequential this fiscal year.”
Forget the Springfield COVID issue, they may want to delay the veto session just for this reason alone.
*** UPDATE *** Moody’s…
Moody’s has issued a short note today (attached) regarding voters in the State of Illinois (rated Baa3/negative outlook) who rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed progressive or “graduated” income tax rates. The amendment’s failure makes greater reliance on deficit financing more probable for Illinois and is therefore credit negative, but the state’s likely pursuit of other recurring fiscal strategies mitigates this impact.
The enacted general fund budget for fiscal 2021, which began July 1, addressed a deficit of about $6.1 billion in part through the $1.27 billion of new revenue projected from higher taxes on the state’s highest earners or, if the amendment was rejected, a comparable amount of borrowing under an enacted deficit bond statute. Rejection of the amendment may also increase the likelihood the state will resort to other credit-negative strategies, such as deferring near-term pension contributions, although to date the state has not articulated a contingency plan involving cuts to retirement benefit contributions.
Illinois will likely turn to revenue strategies requiring only approval by a simple majority in the Illinois General Assembly, offsetting the negative credit effect of the ballot outcome. Alternatives include increasing the 4.95% flat tax that applies to individual income or broadening the state sales tax to more services. Raising the flat income tax by 70 basis points, to 5.65%, would generate about $3 billion of additional revenue, the same as had been projected for the first full year under graduated income tax rates that the state had devised in connection with the proposed constitutional amendment. Raising the flat rate or imposing other revenue strategies during November legislative sessions could preclude the need for the $1.27 billion of deficit bonds.
The amendment’s failure also increases the probability of spending cuts, which could generate lasting fiscal benefits. Gov. Pritzker has already asked agency directors to identify spending cuts of 5% in the current fiscal year and 10% for the coming year, with exemptions for any government functions “directly responsible for life, safety and health” in connection with the state’s coronavirus response.
Moody’s declaration of “credit positive” or “credit negative” does not connote a rating or outlook change. It is indicative of the impact of a distinct event or development as one of many credit factors affecting the issuer.
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Ives concedes
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jeanne Ives…
My campaign took up the cause of freedom, prosperity and peace. We gave voters a clear choice between my opponent who will raise taxes and grow government, and my belief that more taxes will solve nothing. The contrast was clear. And there is some solace in the defeat of the Progressive Income Tax, which I fought against as a state legislator. I have always believed that the people in this district deserve more determination over their lives than government has over their lives. This is the cause that brought me to this campaign, and sustained me for 18 months - through a global pandemic, shutdowns, riots and civil unrest.
The pain of our defeat is far, far less than the pain of the restaurant owners I’ve met who have been forced to watch a lifetime of work and investment be destroyed by a handful of bureaucrats. Or the parents I talked to whose children are suffering after being shut out of the schools and the activities they love. Or the friends who have packed up their families - and moved away from Illinois and all its dysfunction, because it just didn’t make sense anymore.
The serious issue before us today is the cause for which the Republican Party has stood in it’s finest hours: that is the cause of freedom, law and order and equality of opportunity. These noble ideals are vanishing under uninterrupted and unchallenged Democrat rule in Illinois.
Most importantly, the issue that lies before all of us is the overwhelming might that we have handed government - whether intentionally or ignorantly. We have created a situation in which a handful of people can - literally - decide which businesses win and which lose; they can decide to educate your children - or not; they even can dictate which among us are essential and which are not.
In this election, we ran against - not only Sean Casten - but members of both parties’ establishments, the media and other institutions that have protected entrenched interests for decades.
My team fought hard, but in the end the power of the opposition was too great. It is somewhat unclear to me what lies ahead for Illinoisans.
The foundation of the Republican Party has been freedom, smart government and equality under the law. My campaign believed in those principles and fought hard for them. We did not run from this struggle. Our party should welcome the contrast between our defense of liberty, diversity of thought, and peaceful discourse with the Democrats’ reckless spending, division and increasingly violent pursuit of a radical agenda.
For me, this campaign is over.
To those who supported us in this endeavor, thank you for staying the course and for sharing our hope for an “Illinois Reveille.” Over 18 months, our team grew to 847 volunteers in the field, 25,043 individual donors across the United States (90.6% small dollar donors), and countless prayer warriors. I am deeply grateful for your enthusiasm and generosity. I hope it will be said of our campaign that we kept the faith to the end.
Her next move?
Meanwhile, in CD14, Sen. Jim Oberweis is ahead by about 2,000 votes.
…Adding… Speaking of the Oberweis race…
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s reelection campaign released the following statement, attributable to Lauren Underwood for Congress spokeswoman Andra Belknap:
“Votes are still being counted in this race and this race remains too close to call. We’re excited to see record-breaking voter turnout across this community, and commend our county clerks offices for their work during this unprecedented election.”
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Stay classy, Allen
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As we’ve already discussed, he barely campaigned at all…
As subscribers know, it looks like the House Republicans picked up a net of two seats yesterday. If he had actually worked, maybe he woulda won.
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* Press release…
State Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch released the following statement Wednesday regarding the Special Investigating Committee:
“The Committee is currently awaiting documents requested from ComEd, which the company has indicated they are working to provide within the coming weeks. Both Democrats and Republicans believe these documents will provide critical context to our work. While we face a surge in COVID cases across the state and new mitigation guidelines, holding a hearing without these requested documents would not only be unproductive but also an unnecessary risk for members, staff and our communities at large. Additionally, Fidel Marquez has declined to participate in this Committee’s work, further limiting what business the Committee can conduct without documents. Therefore, the Committee will postpone its hearing originally scheduled for this Thursday. Once members have received and reviewed ComEd’s documents, we will promptly reconvene with the appropriate safety measures in place.”
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* Press release…
Vote Yes For Fairness Chairman Quentin Fulks released the following statement:
“We are undoubtedly disappointed with this result but are proud of the millions of Illinoisans who cast their ballots in support of tax fairness in this election.
“Illinois is in a massive budget crisis due to years of a tax system that has protected millionaires and billionaires at the expense of our working families, a crisis that was only made worse by the Coronavirus pandemic. Republican legislators and their billionaire allies who brought us the dysfunction and pain of the Rauner years continue to stand in the way of common sense solutions, choosing instead to play partisan games and deceive the working families of our state. Now lawmakers must address a multi-billion dollar budget gap without the ability to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share. Fair Tax opponents must answer for whatever comes next.”
* Sun-Times…
Incomplete election results showed 55% of Illinoisans voting against the amendment, and 45% voting in favor with 97.6% of precincts reporting. State election officials said Tuesday there could be as many as 400,000 outstanding mail-in ballots.
The amendment needed a “yes” vote from a majority of all people voting in Tuesday’s election or 60% of people who specifically voted on the amendment.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Hannah Meisel from early this morning…
Pritzker this week warned that he and the Democratic supermajorities that control the legislature would be forced to consider raising taxes across the board to deal with Illinois’ significant structural budget deficit, or brace for significant budget cuts.
“The cuts, though, just to be clear: 15% cuts in public safety dollars, education dollars, in the dollars necessary for human services exactly at a moment when people need these things most,” Pritzker said hours before polls closed Tuesday.
Both major budget cuts or an income tax hike, however, are extremely difficult and politically risky. Deep cuts to some areas like social services would be impossible due to long-standing consent decrees and court orders, and much of the state’s $41 billion budget is taken up by legally obligated payments like school and Medicaid funding, pension contributions and debt service — aka the interest on loans Illinois has taken out over the years.
The libertarian-leaning Illinois Policy Institute on Wednesday, which had a hand in organizing thousands of Illinoisans online to mobilize against the graduated tax since early last year, used its election night statement declaring victory to also point in the direction of a constitutional amendment to address Illinois’ ballooning unpaid pension obligations.
After the Illinois Supreme Court in 2015 threw out a bipartisan 2013 attempt to change Illinois’ public employee pension systems to save the state billions over time, conservatives have turned their attention toward moving public support for getting rid of the pension protection clause in Illinois’ 1970 constitution — the same constitution graduated income tax proponents said was standing in the way of fiscal stability for Illinois.
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Leader Brady will not seek reelection
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady…
It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the leader of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus.
I am proud of the work I have done throughout my career in the Illinois legislature and during my tenure as Leader. We were successful in securing additional funding for our public schools, helped create Invest in Kids (a tax-credit private school scholarship program for low- and middle-income students), stood up against income tax hikes that hurt working families, and worked tirelessly to improve our states crumbling infrastructure.
While I am proud of my record and the work our caucus has done, I believe it is the right time for a new Senate Republican Leader when the new 102nd General Assembly is sworn in next January.
When I was elected leader, I said that I would not pursue any other elected office during my leadership of the caucus. While my decision to not seek re-election as Senate Republican Leader may close this chapter, it by no means is the final word on my desire to serve our state and tackle those challenges.
Therefore, I am calling for a caucus to be held the first Tuesday when veto session convenes, as is our tradition, which is scheduled for November 17. At this meeting the caucus will begin the process of choosing a leader to present when the next General Assembly convenes.
…Adding… Subscribers know more, but this is currently true until one of them starts talking…
…Adding… Press release…
Senate President Don Harmon issued the following statement regarding Republican Leader Bill Brady’s announcement that he would not seek another term in the leadership post.
“Bill quietly and effectively advocated for the Republican senators and the communities they represent. He understood that conflict for nothing more than the sake of conflict is counterproductive.
While we approach challenges from different political perspectives, I have appreciated Bill’s focus on getting things done and his understanding and willingness to work with others to find success.
I wish Bill all the best.”
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