Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday proposed a reelection-year budget that takes aim at two of his favorite targets — Chicago Public Schools and unionized state workers — while attempting to put Democrats in a political trick bag.
The $37.6 billion spending plan seeks to cut $228 million in pension help CPS won in last year’s budget battle and also to cut state health care insurance by $470 million. […]
But Rauner’s fourth budget proposal also is at odds with his campaign rhetoric. The governor has been campaigning for years on the idea of cutting property taxes, but his budget would result in school districts raising property taxes to pay for the teacher pension costs he wants to offload on them.
The governor also has slammed Democrats and Republicans who voted to hike income taxes last year, but his budget plan relies on spending nearly all the money the tax increase brings in.
While Rauner lays out a “path” to eventually lowering the income tax rate by a quarter of a percentage point, the cost savings needed to put money back in Illinois paychecks relies on cutting teacher and state worker pensions in a way that could be tied up in the courts for years or deemed unconstitutional and tossed out entirely.
The cost-shift is being slammed by Democrats and Republicans alike. I doubt it’s going anywhere, but it’s an easy way of finding a half billion dollars to make the budget look more balanced. This excerpt from a Chris Kennedy press release pretty well sums up most of the opposition…
He says he wants to cut taxes, but the truth is, he wants to further burden local property taxpayers.
Under his new plan, local governments would be required to take on the responsibility of paying the costs of teacher pensions. That will increase taxes on local property taxpayers who are already overburdened. This is fundamentally what’s wrong with our broken system.
We are over-reliant on property taxes to fund our public schools, and now Governor Rauner is putting more burden on local property taxpayers with no reforms to our broken system. Governor Rauner and political insiders in Springfield have bred cynicism across our state.
* Cullerton explained later that the governor’s proposal is out of balance by $1.5 billion because most of the statutory changes Rauner will need cannot pass…
Earlier Wednesday, Rauner met with the four legislative leaders for the first time in more than a year to review his budget proposal. Cullerton left the meeting saying he believes the budget is $1.5 billion out of balance. Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady of Bloomington said he thinks the plan is balanced even though some of the measures Rauner is calling for will prove controversial.
The budget, he said, “is running a huge deficit that proves the point.”
“Unfortunately I was right in that veto,” the governor said.
Instead, he said his budget approach this year is “decidedly different.”
“We see the budget as an opportunity to set priorities without spending beyond our means,” Rauner said. “It is a framework designed to spark a constructive dialogue on the steps we need to take to resolve the state’s financial issues.”
Yes, this fiscal year’s budget is out of balance, but it’s not as nearly in the red as the two years when the state didn’t have a budget.
* Sen. Heather Steans chairs the Senate Appropriations 1 Committee and wasn’t horrified by what she saw today…
“This is the closest the Rauner administration has ever come to a real, balanced budget, which I appreciate. That said, I have some serious concerns about his cuts to human services, Medicaid and retired pensioners to whom we have a contractual obligation. I look forward to working across the aisle to tackle Illinois’ fiscal challenges.”
Here are some of the human services cuts she’s talking about…
* The Administration proposes a 5-8% funding reduction to the following programs:
o The Autism Program
o Infant Mortality
o Addiction Prevention
o Supportive Housing Services
o Arc of Illinois
o Best Buddies
o Children’s Place
o Chicago Area Project
o Immigrant Integration Services
o Epilepsy Services
o West Side Health Authority Crisis Intervention
My own impression is that it’s not as goofy as some of his previous budget proposals. It’s not horrible. But some big assumptions will have to change before this can be brought into balance.
* As we know, it was already tough out there for House Democratic candidates before this week’s debacle. Here is David Giuliani’s column from five days ago. I’m betting it isn’t gonna get any easier…
In the 2016 campaign, I asked then-Rep. Andy Skoog, D-La Salle, about whether he supported Madigan as speaker. He answered that no one had approached him “about supporting them for speaker of the House, especially as that won’t be considered until after the next election.”
Reality check: No one ever challenges Madigan for speaker. […]
“That’s looking a long way ahead. I have to get through the primary,” [Democratic state representative candidate Lance Yednock] told me in November. “I will support whoever supports the middle class.” […]
I recently asked the Madigan question of [Democratic state representative candidate Jill Bernal], to which she responded, “I don’t know him. I have never met him.”
I don’t know and have never met Barack Obama or Donald Trump, but I have my opinions about them. […]
Would [Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake] support Madigan for speaker?
“I’m glad to evaluate whoever throws their name into the ring,” Yingling said.
Drury said it is tarnishing the state of Illinois and if Madigan is not going to step down on his own, “I am going to give everybody a path to make it happen,” noting the House does not need 60 Democrats to stand up against Madigan.
“We just need to have eight Democrats brave enough to say we will not vote for any more legislation he puts up there until he steps down because he will then have 59 votes,” Drury said.
He personally called out Reps. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago), Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), Ann Williams (D-Chicago), Katie Stuart (D-Collinsville), Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake), Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park), Sue Scherer (D-Decatur), Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) and Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook).
“You campaign every two years and say you are going to stand up and you are going to show your community you are not with the speaker and everything he wants,” Drury said, adding Madigan is the face of sexual harassment in the state. “Stand with me or stand together and disregard me all together, but stand together and make sure we take power back in this House.”
Hampton also said one other thing: She’s personally aware of other Madigan staffers with harassment complaints.
The existence of other harassment complaints isn’t the problem if they were dealt with fairly and honestly. The problem will be if any other people like Hampton come forward with credible stories of how their complaints were ignored.
Rather than facing down another Republican governor or a Democratic insurgent, [Speaker Madigan] now finds himself in danger of swimming against a political movement more powerful than himself.
If more women in Madigan’s wide domain come forward with claims of mishandled sexual harassment claims — and Hampton asserted she knows of female workers in Springfield with similar stories of complaints swept under the rug— then this has a chance of snowballing. […]
If it stays confined to this one case, then Madigan may be able to ride it out, which obviously will be his instinct — the same instinct that has made him the nation’s longest-serving legislative leader.
But it will be hard to overcome the impression created here that while Madigan’s political organization has created opportunities for women in politics it was ultimately more committed to protecting the old boys’ network at its core.
* Was the Speaker listening? Woman questions why Madigan took months to fire aide: “The speaker has had the letter for three months. It doesn’t take three months to read those text messages and know that that behavior was inappropriate. It would take all of 20 minutes to know that that was sexual harassment,” Hampton said.
* Editorial: Too little, too late: This, of course, is not the first time Speaker Madigan has been accused of insincerity in his public postures. It’s happened many times before, and he survived them all without breaking a sweat. He’ll undoubtedly do so again this time because of his power and influence. Nonetheless, Hampton’s assertion that Madigan would have taken no action if the matter was not on the verge of becoming public rings true.
* Editorial: Mike Madigan flunks the #MeToo test: Alaina Hampton isn’t alone. She’s one of countless professional women to experience mistreatment. After being harassed out of her job, Hampton summoned the courage to report it to the boss — who in this case was one of the most powerful political figures in Illinois, a man who fast-tracked legislation supposedly meant to shut down a culture of creepiness in Illinois government. Madigan made a commitment to end harassment and protect women. His resolve was tested almost immediately. He failed.
* Speaker Madigan Rejects Calls For Resignation Over Handling Of Sexual Harassment Claims Of Aide: State Rep. Scott Drury, who’s running for attorney general, is a longtime critic of the speaker. He’s among those calling on Madigan to step down. However, Madigan says this is just another case of Drury doing the bidding of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. “For Drury to say that I should step aside, that’s the same thing as Rauner saying I should step aside, which I don’t plan to do.” he said.
* Is Ald. Quinn still in with Madigan?: Around City Hall, Marty Quinn is a mild-mannered Clark Kent of an alderman who seldom speaks unless he’s railing about stinky sound-reducing windows in his ward near Midway Airport, Airbnb or the dangers of registered sex offenders in public libraries. In the Southwest Ward office he shares with Madigan, Quinn is better known as a workaholic political superman. That’s why superman will likely be allowed to keep his cape—as well as his day job.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget on Wednesday will propose having Chicago Public Schools, downstate and suburban school districts and state universities pay more of their teachers’ pension costs, in an attempt to save state government millions of dollars a year. […]
In all, Rauner will propose spending about $37.6 billion of the roughly $38 billion the state is estimated to bring in from taxes and fees, leaving a surplus of $351 million. Roughly $1.3 billion in proposed savings will come from shifting pension costs onto schools, as well as a proposal to slash health insurance benefits for retired teachers and state employees. The plans were outlined in budget documents Rauner’s office provided to legislative staff on Tuesday night, which were obtained by the Tribune. […]
Even so, Rauner will lay out some lofty goals. That includes $7.8 billion in new spending on a statewide construction program. Of that, $50 million would be used to upgrade facilities at the veterans home in downstate Quincy, where 13 residents died in an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease that began in 2015. It’s unclear from the brief budget documents how the construction program would be paid for.
Though he vetoed the tax hike that went into effect last summer and has been a vocal critic of it on the campaign trail, Rauner’s budget relies on the money the increase takes in. The governor does, however, offer “a path” to dropping the 4.95 percent income tax rate. That proposal relies on putting in place a new pension plan first floated by Senate President John Cullerton. It suggests state worker and teacher retirement benefits can be scaled back, but only if they agree to the changes and are given something in return.
Rauner estimates that plan could lead to $900 million in savings and would allow for a 0.25 percentage point cut in the income tax rate.
* Rauner Budget Counts On Tax Hike: Rauner wants more money to go to education and less to be spent on things like prisons and the judiciary. And according to a preview document obtained by public radio, the governor will not call for an immediate rollback of the tax increase. The day before, Democratic Senate President John Cullerton predicted that would be difficult: “If he wants to cut the income tax by 1 percentage point, that equates to $3.7 billion in lost revenue.”
* Cullerton dubious about Gov. Rauner’s budget promises: “My advice to him is why don’t you do the best budget you’ve ever done — a balanced one. And then run on that,” Cullerton said. “Be honest with people and maybe you won’t be so unpopular.”
With Bruce Rauner set to give his budget address today, the JB Pritzker campaign released a new digital ad, “Unbalanced,” highlighting Rauner’s consistent failure to introduce a balanced budget.
Year after year, Rauner has brazenly lied about introducing a balanced budget, earning the failed governor a “pants on fire” rating from PolitiFact. The new ad highlights Rauner failing to meet his constitutional duty, repeatedly lying about it, and the devastating impact on Illinois’ finances.
“Rauner has not only failed to introduce a balanced budget, he lied about his failures while Illinois families paid the price,” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “For three long years, Bruce Rauner has disregarded his constitutional obligation and today, Illinoisans across the state should breathe a sigh of relief as Rauner concludes his final budget address.”
Today, in an interview with WBEZ reporter Dave McKinney, State Representative Jeanne Ives, the conservative reform Republican candidate for Governor, called for Speaker Madigan to step down. Her call comes in response to a sexual harassment scandal in the Speaker’s office, centered on Kevin Quinn, a top political operative of Madigan’s.
In January, Ives stood with Springfield whistleblower, Denise Rotheimer, to call on leaders in both parties to end their bipartisan protection racket and take complaints of sexual harassment seriously.
At that time, Ives called for the release (with accuser’s names redacted) of the complaints against legislators that went uninvestigated because of the three-year absence of a Legislative Inspector General.
Rotheimer’s testimony illustrated the bipartisan perpetuation of the culture of sexual harassment in Springfield noting that she had implored both Senate President John Cullerton and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin to take up her cause but neither did. Both brushed off her complaints, according to Rotheimer.
Then 300 women signed an open #MeToo letter about the culture of sexual harassment in Springfield.
Names were not named but specific examples of unethical behavior and, in some cases, illegal conduct were provided.
“Misogyny is alive and well in this industry,” read the letter in reference to Illinois politics.
“And it’s alive and well because of what clearly has been the neglect by leadership of both political parties in Springfield and aided by the obliviousness of Governor Rauner,” said Ives.
“Now another young woman – one who has been working in the Speaker’s office – comes forward to tell her story with evidence.
“The office of House Speaker is a powerful position that carries with it a great deal of responsibility. It is because of Speaker Madigan’s failure to carry out the responsibility of his leadership position that we’re at this point. He failed to do his job and ensure that a Legislative Inspector General was in place and that complaints were handled in a timely manner.
“Because of his failure, numerous women have been hurt – professionally and otherwise. He should step down from his position as House Speaker just as Senator Ira Silverstein was removed from his leadership position in the Senate and ultimately found to have violated state ethics laws.
“The lack of accountability in state government is stunning and unacceptable.
“We should have a system that checks the abuses of those in power. Under Speaker Madigan, however, we have a system where those in power abuse and protect each other from accountability. Enough.
“This is part of the culture of corruption in Illinois. Governor Rauner, who promised that he would clean up that culture by standing up to Speaker Madigan, now tells us he’s not in charge. Fine, Governor, then step aside and I’ll lead that charge.”
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Madigan told reporters today he has no intention of stepping down.
* The Question: Should Speaker Madigan resign over the Kevin Quinn scandal? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* All of these posted stories say they are “developing” news, so you can keep clicking the links for updates. ABC 7…
A Chicago police spokesman says an officer has been shot while assisting a tactical team at a state government office building downtown.
Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the off-duty officer was shot around 2 p.m. Tuesday at the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph. It wasn’t immediately clear if the shooting occurred inside or outside the building. The officer was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The victim was found in a stairwell in the building.
Guglielmi says that Superintendent Eddie Johnson is on his way to the Thompson Center. Gugliemi said on Twitter the officer was shot by “an assailant.” The ABC7 I-Team has learned the officer is in critical condition. The I-Team has also learned that the officer shot is a high-ranking district police official who was trying to break up a gun deal.
* I’m not quite sure what the point of this is, but House Democratic men haven’t exactly been filling my in-box with statements today…
The following statement is released from the executive team members of Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus:
While the success of our state can be measured in many ways, it’s time to acknowledge that the true condition of Illinois – its strengths and weaknesses – can only be fully evaluated by examining how our institutions and policies affect the state of the women and families who call it home.
Serious allegations of sexual harassment are being made weekly. As courageous voices get louder, our resolve to do better for women must be stronger. We believe a strong woman can stand up for herself, but the strongest women stand up for each other.
Every single allegation must be taken seriously and investigated appropriately. Sexual harassment cannot be tolerated – whether in a campaign office or on a factory floor or in a restaurant kitchen.
The #metoo movement speaks to the state of women in Illinois but does not describe it completely. Women are also disproportionately affected whenever state government fails to meet its obligation to produce a comprehensive, responsible budget. So are the Illinoisans in their care: children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
As we gather for another budget address, we cannot allow the lasting effects of the budget impasse to be forgotten or its lessons to go unlearned. Far too many Illinois women are still struggling to recover from the loss of child care, social services, health care and assistance to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Advancing needed changes to sexual harassment policies and investigative procedures is just a part of the important work that must be done for women throughout this state. We must also recognize and seek remedies for women who are impacted when the state fails to produce a responsible budget.
The Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus is being launched to address these issues. As we do, we invite all state leaders, caucuses and sectors to join us in the effort to ensure that more women are in positions of power and positioned to lead change for the state of women in Illinois.
There will be a media availability with Heather Wier-Vaught and Speaker Madigan in Room 114 of the State House at the conclusion of the caucus that is just beginning. There is no way to estimate the exact time, but I am guessing at least one hour from now. I will try to offer a more precise timetable when information becomes available.
A political consultant on Tuesday said House Speaker Mike Madigan would have never fired his top aide, Kevin Quinn, the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn, if she hadn’t gone public with accusations that Kevin Quinn had sent her a series of harassing text messages.
The consultant, Alaina Hampton, held a news conference Tuesday that outlined her complaints against Kevin Quinn and Madigan. Hampton said she had never wanted to go public.
“I asked him to stop seven times. It never stopped,” Hampton told reporters at a Chicago press conference of Kevin Quinn’s repeated text messages. “I feared not responding to my supervisor because I didn’t didn’t want him to tell the speaker or Ald. Quinn that I was not cooperating with my work,” Hampton said. “My first instinct was not to complain about him. It was my last option.”
Hampton read a letter directed at Ald. Quinn (13th), whom she called a mentor. She said telling him about his brother “was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.”
Lorna Brett, a former president of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization for Women who is serving as a pro bono advocate for Hampton, questioned the timing of Madigan’s announcement. Brett, a media strategist working with attorneys on legal matters brought against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, said the speaker’s spin “doesn’t pass the smell test.”
[Madigan attorney Heather Wier Vaught] said Kevin Quinn did not contact Hampton again after she told Ald. Quinn about the harassment and noted that Ald. Quinn had requested that she keep working with the organization. Wier Vaught said the alderman told Hampton she could report to him rather than to his brother. She also said Hampton previously had made it clear she didn’t want Kevin Quinn fired.
Hampton said “things really took a bad turn” when Wier Vaught contacted her, saying in the EEOC filing that the attorney had “minimized the sexual harassment.”
Wier Vaught, who works part time as a special counsel to Madigan, said in response that she was “surprised” by the characterization and that it was “never my intention” to do so.
Hampton said she felt Madigan and others covered up her complaint and Kevin Quinn would still be in his job if she hadn’t gone to the media. Madigan’s Monday news release announcing his termination was “pre-emeptive,” she said, because the longtime House speaker knew the Tribune story was about to be published.
“They thought that I was too loyal to ever come forward,” she said.
Hampton’s attorney, Shelly Kulwin, said Tuesday that action should have been taken the second Hampton’s allegations became clear.
“At a minimum there should be an investigation by an independent party, usually an outside law firm, to investigate whether there’s any truth,” Kulwin said. “That’s what every credible organization does.”
I agree with Kulwin. State harassment and discrimination laws don’t cover campaign committees (and it’s doubtful that they could because of 1st Amendment issues), so the best way to handle something like this is to retain outside counsel rather than just dealing with it internally, no matter how respected the internal attorney is (and she is).
Wier-Vaught’s investigation lasted about the same time as the LIG probe of Sen. Ira Silverstein. And the resulting banishment of the alleged perp made sense. But sending out a press release about the actions just 12 hours before the Tribune story went live undermined the investigation’s credibility.
In Illinois, motor vehicle theft is classified as a Class 2 felony, which carries a sentence of between three and seven years. But under the state’s current law, a person in possession of a stolen vehicle has to know it has “been stolen or converted” to be charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
That knowledge, Emanuel’s office and police brass say, can be difficult to prove because those caught with vehicles that have been carjacked often claim they didn’t know it was stolen. The result often is a reduced misdemeanor charge of trespassing.
Unlike the felony charge, which can require the offender to post bail and carries the likelihood of state prison time, a misdemeanor typically results in probation and an immediate release from jail, said Walter Katz, Emanuel’s deputy chief of staff for public safety.
A new bill filed late Friday would remove the requirement that a person in possession of a stolen vehicle has to know it is stolen and instead set the bar at whether the individual possesses the vehicle without the consent of the owner or “exercises exclusive unexplained possession” of a vehicle.
“The change will shift the standard to whether the rightful owner of the vehicle provided consent to the individual caught driving reported stolen vehicle,” said State Sen. Tony Munoz (D-Chicago).
According to data from the city, since January 2017 there have been 4,240 vehicle thefts in Chicago. Of those, 3,139, or 74 percent, were misdemeanor trespassing while 879, or only 21 percent, were charged as felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The remaining charges fell into other categories.
“I had a resident before she even had a chance to turn off her car and put it in park, she already had a gun to her head,” said State Rep. Jaime Andrade (D-Chicago).
To underscore the inadequacy of the current law, Emanuel cited one case earlier this month when a teenager attempted to carjack a retired cop, was arrested, and released, before being arrested again less than 48 hours later — for carjacking.
“You would think that currently the criminals had an advocate or a lobbyist writing the law for them,” Rep. Andrade said.
Dozens of juveniles were charged last year in Chicago for allegedly pointing guns at motorists and stealing their cars, but most were not detained longer than 24 hours, according to court records obtained by the Sun-Times.
Armed carjackings have become a major political problem for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Almost every part of the city has been plagued by the brazen holdups. There were almost 1,000 of them last year, compared with 663 in 2016. […]
Chicago Police data show juveniles are contributing to the rise of armed carjackings: 42 juveniles were arrested for that offense last year through Dec. 16, compared with 31 adults. […]
[Sen. Bill Cunningham] said one possibility is for the legislature to change the burden of proof for juveniles charged with aggravated carjacking. The legal presumption in those cases is that the defendants should not be detained unless the prosecutor can show why, Cunningham said. He said he’s examining whether defendants should be detained unless their defense attorneys can show why not.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner presents his budget proposal Wednesday, and the pregame positioning already has begun.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton had an op-ed published in the Springfield State Journal-Register claiming the governor has to overcome $9 billion in red ink, even as the governor says he wants to lower taxes.
Not only that, Cullerton says, but school spending must rise by $350 million to satisfy the new education funding law Rauner signed last year.
“Anything less undermines the governor’s accomplishment,” the op-ed reads. That quote appears to be a thinly veiled reference to Rauner’s naming education funding reform as his No. 1 accomplishment.
That said, not everything in our budget worked. We sent the governor a Republican-backed pension reform plan, one his administration initially said could save $500 million annually. Turns out the pension agencies weren’t ready to put it in motion. Those savings haven’t materialized.
Same thing with estimated state revenues. They came in $500 million lower than the estimates used to produce our bipartisan budget agreement.
That’s state budgeting for you.
Not everything works as planned. It’s state government. We’re not perfect.
* Cullerton held a press conference today. Raw audio is here. One tidbit…
Senate President John Cullerton speaks ahead of @GovRauner’s budget address scheduled for tomorrow: “We certainly hope we don’t have to override another veto to pass a budget.”
Sen. Pres. Cullerton speaks ahead of @GovRauner’s budget address: My advice to him is why don’t you do the best budget you’ve ever done, a balanced one, and then run on it. And really don’t have phony holes in it and be honest with people and maybe you won’t be so unpopular.
Cullerton said he and his staff have not yet been briefed and doesn’t know if they will be ahead of tomorrow’s unveiling.
*** UPDATE *** Here’s some of the info that was distributed at today’s presser…
FY 2019 budget pressures.
The FY 18 budget utilized several one-time revenue sources that all expire at the end of the budget year. The governor will need to account for this in his FY 19 budget:
Fund sweeps: $300 million
10 percent cuts to LGDF and Mass Transit Districts: $200 million
Transfers out halted: $130 million
Personal Property Replacement Tax fund appropriations: $160 million
Total: $790 million
There are several known spending increases required for the FY 19 budget that the governor will need to address:
Spending pressures:
New school funding formula: $350 million
Payment to pension systems: $500 million
Debt service on borrowing to pay bills: $780 million
Together with Rich Miller, they’ll be hosting a happy hour reception at the Sangamo Club, 227 E Adams St, today from 3:30 to 6:30pm. They’ll have a computer set up, so you can see first-hand how TrackBill can work for you.
Stop by for cocktails and light appetizers, and feel free to bring a friend!
* We talked about this poll a bit last week, but here’s my latest statewide newspaper column…
A recent statewide poll taken for Sen. Daniel Biss’ gubernatorial campaign showed Gov. Bruce Rauner is much less liked by Illinois voters than his fellow Republican President Donald Trump. The poll also found that the under-funded Democrat Biss actually does slightly better in a head-to-head match with Gov. Rauner than does the presumed front-runner billionaire JB Pritzker.
The Public Policy Polling survey does have one problematic issue, so let’s get to that right up front. Seventy-six percent of respondents were reached on landline phones (that’s too high for polls these days because so many people only use mobile phones) while 24 percent were “interviewed over the internet.” But this problem doesn’t totally disqualify it, so let’s go ahead and talk about it.
According to the poll, 37 percent of Illinois voters have a favorable opinion of President Trump and 58 percent gave him an unfavorable rating, while 5 percent were unsure. That seems about the expected number, considering national polls. The poll of 866 Illinois voters February 5-6 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percent.
What is somewhat unexpected is only 26 percent of Illinoisans have a favorable impression of Gov. Rauner while a whopping 63 percent have an unfavorable view of the state leader.
Whew.
That’s just spectacularly lousy for a governor who isn’t under criminal investigation.
Rauner is forging ahead with his re-election campaign by dumping a fortune into TV ads slamming JB Pritzker by tying him to convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Combine that with Biss’ own TV ads attacking Pritzker and it might be no surprise that Pritzker’s favorable rating is also “upside down.”
According to the poll, just 33 percent of Illinoisans have a favorable view of Pritzker while a plurality of 42 percent have an unfavorable view of the man. A quarter of voters, were still unsure, but yikes, man. The dude has spent $40+ million on his campaign, so you’d think he’d be doing better. But fewer Illinoisans have a favorable opinion of Pritzker than… President Trump. OK, he’s not nearly as disliked as Trump, but still.
The Biss campaign didn’t release its candidate’s own favorable ratings or any data on the other top tier contender Chris Kennedy. But its poll found Biss leading Gov. Rauner 47-30 in a head-to-head matchup, with 23 percent saying they were unsure.
Pritzker also led Rauner, but by slightly less than Biss’ 17-point margin. According to the poll, Pritzker is ahead of Rauner by 13 points, 48-35, with 17 percent unsure.
Whether 13 points or 17 points, a win is a win. But there are growing concerns among Democrats that Rauner’s ads will continue to deflate Pritzker’s numbers through November. Then again, Biss doesn’t have Pritzker’s billionaire cash, and, aside from Pritzker’s 15-second ads targeting him, nobody has yet “put him on blast,” as the kids say, so we don’t know how he’d survive an all-out assault like the one Pritzker is enduring.
Pritzker’s favorable rating among his fellow Democrats was a somewhat tepid 52 percent, while his unfavorable rating was 22 percent and 26 percent are undecided, despite the fact that the guy has spent tens of millions over many months to woo those particular voters. Racial crosstabs were not released.
“This confirms what we’ve known all along: voters prefer a middle-class governor in Daniel Biss rather than having to choose between billionaires Pritzker and Rauner,” said Biss campaign manager Abby Witt via press release. “Despite Pritzker outspending Daniel 20-to-1 on TV ads, Daniel continues to build momentum and is the strongest candidate to beat Bruce Rauner.”
Back to Rauner. The poll found that Gov. Rauner’s favorability rating among Republicans is much narrower than a poll released last month, which might be good news for his primary opponent, state Rep. Jeanne Ives.
A poll taken by We Ask America in mid-January had Rauner’s favorables at 65 percent and his unfavorables at 25 percent. But the new PPP poll found that just 49 percent of Republicans now have a favorable view of Rauner vs. 43 percent with an unfavorable view. That’s far less than President Trump’s score of 73 percent favorable among Republican voters and a mere 19 percent unfavorable.
Among voters who said they voted for President Trump, the new PPP found that 92 percent still view him favorably, while just 4 percent have an unfavorable view of the president. Among those same Trump voters, however, 54 percent view Gov. Rauner favorably while 36 view Rauner unfavorably and 9 percent say they’re unsure. That’s obviously not a great sign.
Asked by the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board to explain what he’d done wrong in his relationship with victim rights advocate Denise Rotheimer, [Sen. Ira Silverstein] said: “Inappropriate, maybe some stupid banter.”
Inappropriate in what way, he was asked.
“Maybe some joking around that people might take the other way,” Silverstein said. […]
When pressed, however, he also made it clear he still does not share [legislative inspector general Julie Porter’s] view of his “unbecoming” conduct.
He said he “did not go over every paragraph” of the inspector general’s report and doesn’t know what Porter meant about maintaining an appropriate professional distance.
He didn’t read the whole report?
* Press release from Democratic primary rival Ram Villivalam…
Springfield has been a mess and Senator Ira Silverstein is part of the problem. Voters are tired of business as usual. The fact that Senator Ira Silverstein couldn’t be bothered to read the full report about his own involvement in a sexual harassment allegation is appalling but not surprising. And it’s no wonder he didn’t want to read it. The IG report found he violated the Ethics Act, and described his conduct as a Senator as unbecoming.
After 20 years in Springfield, Senator Ira Silverstein has failed our district. And if he can’t see he’s part of the problem, I’m confident voters will choose effective, ethical, and truly progressive leadership on March 20th.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Another Democratic opponent responds, Caroline McAteer-Fournier…
It is unacceptable that someone who has been a legislator for nearly two decades doesn’t read an Inspector General’s report on his own conduct. I don’t find this to be a ‘joking’ matter. If an investigation finds that one needs ethics counseling the very least that person can do is read the report written by the investigator.
If Senator Silverstein can’t make time for this, I question what else he is not making time for. It’s time for a new independent voice in Springfield.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile…
Advocates and domestic violence survivors to ask @DanielBiss to return Blair Hull's $25K saying he has a history of domestic violence (Hull lost to Obama 2004 Senate primary) will hold press conf outside Biss office Tuesday
Police Chief Jerry Mitchell abruptly stepped down from his post Friday in the wake of a City Hall investigation into complaints of inappropriate behavior involving a female subordinate.
* This was released yesterday morning at 10 o’clock…
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Monday:
“In November, a courageous woman made me aware that a high-ranking individual within my political operation had previously made unwanted advances and sent her inappropriate text messages. I immediately consulted with my attorney, Heather Wier Vaught, and directed her to conduct a thorough investigation. Ms. Wier Vaught conducted numerous interviews, reviewed the evidence, and recently came to the conclusion that the individual engaged in inappropriate conduct and failed to exercise the professional judgment I expect of those affiliated with my political organizations and the Office of the Speaker.
As a result, long-time aide Kevin Quinn is no longer an employee of any of my political committees. Mr. Quinn has worked with my political offices for nearly 20 years. While this is the only allegation of such conduct, Mr. Quinn also recently pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Based on the culmination of events, Alderman Marty Quinn and I decided that Kevin should no longer be affiliated with the political organization. For the record, Kevin was previously an employee of my State office, and he will not be returning to that role.
Further, Ms. Wier Vaught made several recommendations aimed at preventing inappropriate behavior and improving methods for reporting and responding to such allegations. My political committees are actively taking steps to implement those recommendations.
A key staffer in House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political operation made unwanted advances to a female campaign worker and sent her inappropriate phone texts, Madigan acknowledged Monday in cutting the longtime aide loose.
Madigan, who chairs the Illinois Democratic Party, praised the “courageous woman” who had come forward to complain. But in an interview with the Tribune, the woman said the action took far too long.
Alaina Hampton, who identified herself as the political worker who complained, shared texts with the Tribune that detail a relentless series of entreaties from her supervisor, Kevin Quinn, to go out with him. In one, he called her “smoking hot.” Hampton spoke to the Tribune on Sunday night, hours before Madigan made his announcement that he had cut ties with Quinn.
“Kevin should have been fired a year ago,” Hampton said Monday.
Quinn, a longtime Madigan state government and political staffer, is the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn of Chicago’s 13th Ward, where Madigan has reigned as committeeman for decades. Hampton said she informed Marty Quinn about the harassment in February 2017 and left the Democratic organization a few months later. She said she wrote a letter to Madigan in November describing her problems with Kevin Quinn. […]
Her [EEOC] filing contends that she was discriminated against in retaliation for complaining about the harassment and a sexually hostile work environment. The action names two Madigan-controlled political funds that paid her.
Hampton said she thinks she was denied the chance to advance in an organization where she worked hard for years because she raised the harassment issue. Asked what she is seeking, she said she wanted to “make sure they’re not able to do this to anyone else.”
A press release about the news conference calls the firing “pro-active but a cover up” — showing the woman is not pleased about how her allegations were treated. […]
Hampton — who now has her own political consulting firm — is currently a campaign manager for Bridget Degnen, a Cook County Commissioner candidate. In a statement, Degnen thanked Hampton for coming forward: “By demanding accountability, Ms. Hampton is sending a message that discrimination has no place in our culture.” […]
Kevin Quinn had worked for the state between mid-March 2016 until June 30, 2016, before working for the political side between July 2016 and Nov. 8, 2016. The text messages were sent during that time period, according to Madigan spokesman Steve Brown.
Kevin Quinn returned to his state work on Nov. 9, 2016, until July 31, 2017, and again moved to the political side on Aug. 1, 2017, until he was dismissed, Brown said.
The text messages are here. Notice that some messages were sent after November 9.
* Full statement from Rebecca Evans at the Chris Kennedy campaign…
[Speaker Madigan] should definitely fire Marty Quinn. Instinctively, I think he should also resign. The two of them had the knowledge and the power to remove Kevin so she could work freely. They also had the knowledge and the power to decide NOT to remove Kevin, instead leaving him in place so he could continue to harass her and/or someone else. They made a choice to disregard her claims and leave him in place.
If what Madigan is saying is true and he didn’t know about it until November, the question really is: when was the investigation? Did it begin immediately in November or did it just happen last week? And, if it started in November, why did this investigation take three months? He should resign, either way. Whether Madigan found out about it in February 2017 or November 2017, it all took too long. Women don’t have the luxury of waiting months and months for decisions like this, instead they have to endure months and months of that behavior until something happens. If he truly cares about shifting the culture and removing harassment in the workplace, then Madigan should get out of the way and resign.
* Hampton is holding a press conference today at 10 o’clock. Here is her full statement…
– In November last year Speaker Michael J. Madigan simultaneously fast tracked legislation to eradicate sexual harassment in Illinois politics and killed the political career of Alaina Hampton for reporting sexual harassment in his own organization.
Yesterday Speaker Madigan released a statement saying a thorough investigation of the harassment led him to fire Kevin Quinn, the harasser. “One meeting in a coffee shop for an hour is not a thorough investigation. In fact, the lawyer he sent to speak to Ms. Hampton said if this were a serious situation we would not be meeting in a coffee shop,” said Lorna Brett, former president of Chicago NOW who is also currently providing pro bono strategic assistance to Harvey Weinstein’s accusers.
“The irony of Michael Madigan protecting a sexual harasser while championing laws to fight it cannot be overstated,” said Brett.
In 2016 Alaina Hampton was employed by Friends of Mike J. Madigan and the Democratic Party of Illinois and worked out of the office of Alderman Marty Quinn. It was then when her supervisor, Kevin Quinn, started sending her inappropriate text messages asking her out and complimenting her on Facebook photos taken while on vacation. She asked him to stop many times over the course of many months. Finally she went to his supervisor Alderman Marty Quinn, brother of Kevin Quinn.
“The only reason this is not a sexual harassment complaint is because they led her on and ran the clock,” said, Brett.
In February 2017 Ms. Hampton went to her supervisor’s boss Alderman Marty Quinn who listened and seemed sympathetic. He told her Kevin would not be bothering her anymore but did not say he would be removed from a supervisory position for any other women. He asked her about her interest in being a precinct captain for Speaker Madigan, considered an honor in the hierarchy of Illinois politics unfortunately Ms. Hampton knew if she were a precinct captain she would have to work closely with Kevin.
Distressed by the Democratic Party’s lack of response to her complaint, and the prospect of having to continue to work with Kevin Quinn, she quit her employment with Friends of Michael J. Madigan and the Illinois Democratic Party in April 2017.
Frustrated not working in a career she enjoyed and feeling her fealty might be in question in an organization that above all demands it Hampton wrote directly to Speaker Madigan and mailed it on November 1st 2017. It was only then that Heather Weir Vaught, an attorney for the speaker, called and asked her to meet for coffee.
At the meeting on November 15, 2017 meeting Hampton gave Vaught print outs of the text messages and told her all she wanted to do was work, not cause trouble for anyone. Ms. Vaught joked about her wanting a “big Tribune story” or a $25K financial payout. Vaught said, “This is not sexual harassment in the work place” because Hampton technically did not work for them. However, Friends of Michael J. Madigan and the Democratic Majority Party paid both Ms. Hampton’s and her supervisor’s salaries.
She reiterated her loyalty to Speaker Madigan and Alderman Quinn and her desire to work on a specific campaign. She was told they were not working that campaign while in fact they were. Vaught said she would be in touch.
On January 15 of this year, after not hearing from Vaught, Ms. Hampton reached out to Alderman Quinn directly asking if she could speak with him, but in instead she received a phone call from Ms. Vaught. It was then that she knew her political career was over.
“This a litmus test for every legislator who publically supported and voted for SB 402. Time’s up for Mike Madigan he needs to step down,” said Lorna Brett.
“I believe that the conduct Alaina Hampton had to endure is something that women throughout this country have had to put up with in the workplace on a far more widespread basis than people realize. Hopefully, this case will be another step on the long road to freeing women, regardless of whether they work on the factory floor, in the halls of government or in the corporate suite, from this kind of exploitative and unlawful behavior,” said Shelly Kulwin, of Kulwin Masciopinto & Kulwin, LLP.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
STATEMENT FROM ALDERMAN MARTY QUINN
“In February 2017, I met with Ms. Hampton to discuss her future with the political organization. As one part of this conversation, Ms. Hampton told me that Kevin Quinn, my brother, had sent her personal text messages and she didn’t want him communicating with her. She made it clear she wanted the text messages to stop. She did not share the text messages with me or advise me of the number of times Kevin had asked her out. Hampton’s request was that Kevin cease all communications with her. She also asked for my discretion, and indicated she did not want others to know about the situation, and that Kevin not be further reprimanded. I told her I would make sure he never contacted her again. I told Ms. Hampton she would never need to speak with Kevin again, and that all communications could be directed to me. I had hoped Ms. Hampton would continue to work with me, but I understand her desire to remove herself.
I immediately met with Kevin and told him to stop all communication with Ms. Hampton. I advised him that such behavior would not be tolerated, and that any further communication with Ms. Hampton would result in immediate termination. He was remorseful and acknowledged his poor judgment.
I did not take further action, such as advising the Speaker, because I was attempting to protect Ms. Hampton’s privacy and honor her wishes. I thought I took swift action and handled the matter as she requested.
After Ms. Hampton advised the Speaker and the investigation was conducted, I realized the extent of the text messages and the nature of the conduct. Although the investigation found that the text messages had ceased immediately at my direction, the Speaker and I discussed the full extent of the situation and decided Kevin should no longer be affiliated with the political organization. I asked for Kevin’s resignation. The Speaker accepted his resignation from the political organization and the State office.”
Candidate Merry Marwig calls for law change to “end sexual harassment culture” in state politics.
The Democratic candidate for Illinois House District 20 Merry Marwig said she plans to propose legislation extending “the ridiculously short time” a sexual harassment victim has to file suit against her alleged abuser.
Officials let the statute of limitations run out before taking action against political consultant Kevin Quinn, denying his victim Alaina Hampton her day in court.
Candidate Marwig said “this protracted delay is evidence of the culture of sexual harassment in Illinois politics.”
If elected, Marwig would extend the current 300-day statute of limitations “by at least one year.”
She says her outrage is compounded by the fact that she knows the victim, whose character she strongly vouches for. “Alaina Hampton is a sharp-minded, diligent, and devoted Democrat. I’d hire her in a heart-beat to run my next campaign.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Very good points…
She did everything she was “supposed” to do. She sought help through her chain of command. And it still took a year. And we ask why women don’t come forward? #twillhttps://t.co/lhIxBISXIN
“We need to support Alaina Hampton and get to the bottom of this story immediately,” said Daniel Biss. “It’s clear there was inappropriate, unwanted, and unrelenting contact from Kevin Quinn. What isn’t clear is why it took until the day after a Chicago Tribune reporter started asking questions, for Speaker Madigan to make a public statement and terminate that staffer.
“This is further evidence of the larger culture of misogyny that must be addressed and why the misuse of power and privilege must be stopped.”
*** UPDATE 6 *** Kennedy campaign…
Alaina Hampton has given voice to the blatant, suffocating harassment that so many women experience. The allegations she made today are very serious and must be fully investigated by the appropriate authorities. This harassment she experienced prevented her from working freely and achieving equality, and the fact that people in positions of power alledgely knew about it and only took action when contacted by reporters is exactly what is wrong with the power structure in Illinois.
As this investigation proceeds, Speaker Madigan should temporarily step down as Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. In the course of further investigation, if it is found that Speaker Madigan knew about these allegations and chose to protect his machine political allies instead of the women who were abused by them, he no longer can lead our party. We must be a party that stands up for the victims of sexual harassment and not protect the abusers. This behavior reinforces that there is a corrupt system in place in Springfield that allows behavior like this to go on, even protecting those who perpetrate it. We need to end this broken system and bring radical change to the state of Illinois.
*** UPDATE 7 *** Pritzker campaign…
JB Pritzker: “It takes unimaginable courage to do what Alaina did today. I’m inspired by her bravery and strength, and the bravery and strength of women speaking up across the country. Women should not be forced to accept sexual harassment as the price of admission to a career in politics. Today should be about Alaina and Alaina’s story. I’m proud of Alaina for telling her story and paving the way to a future where women never experience this type of harassment again. I stand with her in that fight and today, we should focus on conducting a thorough investigation and ensuring that there are systems in place to protect all women.”
Juliana Stratton: “Today, Alaina showed strength and honesty in joining powerful women across this country who are standing up against the type of harassment that has become all too familiar. She spoke on behalf of women who have come before her, women who are not able to come forward, and our daughters who should grow up in a society free from harassment and retaliation. I was proud to have Alaina as my campaign manager and I’m proud of her today for standing up and speaking her truth. This type of harassment should never happen and I will continue the work ahead to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Kina Collins stepped down from her role as Pritker’s field organizer after a scandal broke out last week regarding tapes that surfaced of Pritzker making controversial comments about African-American leaders. […]
“I knew I would disappoint my community more had I stayed,” Collins said.
“As great as apologies are, I don’t necessarily think we have to elect you into the highest position in Illinois,” she said. […]
Collins said she has no plans to give up on politics and has been hired by Sameena Mustafa, a democratic candidate running for Congress in the 5th Congressional District opposing Mike Quigley.
“We are in a moment where it’s not just to say we want women and women of color to show up at the polls,” Mustafa said. “We need to hire them, we need to elect them, that’s where we’re at, it is that ‘times up’ moment about parity.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting two laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease among Illinois Veterans’ Home residents. Both residents are at the Illinois Veterans Home Quincy (IVHQ) and are doing well.
After learning of the lab-confirmed cases, IVHQ engineering staff immediately removed faucets from the residents’ rooms and collected water samples and mixing valves to analyze for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Staff also increased water temperatures and flushed fixtures to provide an enhanced level of protection for residents.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and IDPH continue to collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Adams County Health Department to coordinate the safety and well-being of the residents and staff at the home. An investigation is underway to identify where the residents may have acquired the bacteria.
Legionella bacteria occur naturally in the environment. As such, the source is rarely identified in cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Approximately 300 cases of Legionnaires’ disease are reported each year across in Illinois.
The IVHQ completed an extensive renovation of its plumbing systems last year in response to the 2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. Renovations included construction of a water treatment plant capable of providing higher-quality water for the Home’s sensitive population. IDVA continues to test and treat its water for harmful bacteria, including Legionella. Along with additional chlorine treatments, IVHQ maintains hot water at 150 degrees to prevent the growth of Legionella. Hot water is then mixed with cold water to a temperature of 110 degrees, which allows for the maximum control of bacteria while protecting residents from scalding.
* This morning…
State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is outraged at news of two more confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy.
“While the governor continues to live in a fantasy world, creating bureaucratic task forces and dodging requests for information, two more of our nation’s heroes have tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease,” Cullerton said. “Gov. Bruce Rauner has failed our veterans once again. Our nation’s heroes need a solution now. They cannot afford to wait another three years for the governor to finally do his job.”
* And…
Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) this morning reacted to news that two more cases of Legionnaires’ disease were found among residents at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy.
“The governor has dragged his feet long enough on this issue,” said Castro. “While he waits for someone else to take charge our veterans suffer. How many people need to die on his watch for him to take charge and do something?”
“We don’t need another task force to come up with a plan in 90 days.”
The first Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy in 2015 contributed to the deaths of 12 residents. The disease, which returned in 2016, 2017 and now 2018, took another life this past fall. Dozens more were sickened.
* Pritzker campaign…
Yesterday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that two more residents at the Quincy Veterans’ Home have been infected by Legionnaires’ disease.
The report is the latest in a years-long crisis for Bruce Rauner, whose fatal mismanagement led to the deaths of 13 residents. As the failed governor has come under increasing scrutiny, he has repeatedly sought to dodge responsibility through spin, cover ups, and desperate attacks on the staff at the home.
“Thirteen veterans and spouses died at the Quincy Veterans’ Home and Bruce Rauner is still failing to get this crisis under control,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is fatal mismanagement from a governor who is either unable or unwilling to lead as innocent families pay the price.”
* Ives campaign…
According to a new report, The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting two new laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease among Illinois Veterans’ Home residents.
Thirteen residents of the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy have died from Legionnaires’ disease since July 2015.
Eleven families are suing the state for negligence.
In July 2016, Governor Rauner promised, “We’re really on top of the situation.” In the fall of 2017, three more people got sick and a Korean War veteran died.
In his Crain’s Chicago Business editorial board interview, Governor Rauner was asked, “How could your administration have better handled the Legionnaires’ outbreak in Quincy?” He responded, “We handled it exceptionally well and we would not do anything different.”
Days later, two new cases of legionnaires have been reported.
“The Rauner Administration’s response to the outbreak in Quincy has been a disaster,” said State Representative Jeanne Ives, a conservative reform Republican. “Political stunts and lip-service don’t make a problem go away. Good intentions are not enough. Grief isn’t enough. This is a real problem. People are getting sick. People are dying. You can’t spin it. All the sanitized talking points in the world won’t ‘Turnaround’ anything, if you’re not willing to put your back into it. You have to get in there, stay in there, and do the hard, grueling work until you’ve fixed the problem.
“Governor Rauner doesn’t have the grit to do this job. By his own admission, he is ‘not in charge.’ Thirteen veterans, or spouses of veterans, are now dead. And, now, two more have gotten sick.
“I have been to the Illinois Veterans Home. I have met with administrators. They have a plan to correct this problem. Since the people closest to the problem are often best equipped to solve it, their plan deserves a full vetting. At the same time, we should be talking to the VA about getting financing for the plan that will ultimately be implemented. And residents of the Illinois Veterans home should be placed in an alternate facility or temporary residence of their choice while the state acts. As Governor, I would work hand-in-hand with those on the ground in Quincy until being ‘on top of the situation’ is accurate testimony, not just political misdirection and propaganda.”
* Biss campaign…
Daniel Biss released the following statement in response to news of two more confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans Home.
“This is heartbreaking news, and the latest tragic consequence of Bruce Rauner’s failure to lead. He’s underestimated the extent of this crisis, evaded questions from the public and the press, and claimed, falsely, that he has the situation under control. Our veterans deserve better. We need an prompt investigation into Rauner’s negligence to bring justice for residents in the Illinois Veterans Home and their families.”
