The question everyone interested in Illinois’ conservative politics is wondering is “Where’s Dick Uihlein?” and “Who’s the key influencer that is apparently steering Uihlein’s political investments away from Darren Bailey’s bid to oust JB Pritzker?”
It’s a fair question. Conservative gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is fighting hard among the state’s grassroots to win support against Pritzker, who is nationally recognized as a Leftist COVID tyrant and a radical criminal comforter - exactly the kind of political figure Uihlein would be happy to defeat.
But nothing from Uihlein?
After all, Uihlein has been writing checks this summer to certain, specific House races, one specific Chamber leader, two statewide races (including Tom DeVore and Dan Brady), and a couple of countywide races.
* Open Secrets took a look at fundraising by Generation Z candidates and found that Nabeela Syed easily topped the list with $251,000…
At least 14 Gen Z candidates have collectively raised more than $734,000 for their state races so far this election cycle, an OpenSecrets analysis of campaign finance filings found.
A new generation of state leaders could challenge existing legislatures that remain predominantly male and white. The average age of all state leadership is 58, despite the average American being only about 38-years-old. […]
Run for Something recruits and supports young progressive Democrats running for city, county and state offices through mentorship and direct funding.
Two Run for Something-endorsed state House candidates, Nabeela Syed in Illinois and Joe Vogel in Maryland, are two of the three top Gen Z state candidate fundraisers during the 2022 midterm election cycle.
Syed raised over $251,000 for her primary race against Chelsea Laliberte Barnes to represent Illinois’ 51st District in the statehouse. After winning her June primary with over 73% of the vote, Syed will face off against incumbent state Rep. Chris Bos (R-Ill.), who has raised only about $34,000.
In an emailed statement to OpenSecrets, Syed said that her campaign spent the vast majority of money raised leading up to the primary election and is now pivoting to focus on the general election.
Gaining endorsements from several state senators as well as Everytown for Gun Safety, Syed has utilized her platform to advocate for gun violence prevention, access to abortion and empowering Muslim women to lead.
Syed said there was initial hesitation among some voters given her younger age, but her team knocked on doors and talked with the community. She’s received over $33,000 in political contributions of $150 or less.
She’s quite something.
* Press release…
Today, the Chicago Board of Elections released new ward and precinct maps for the City of Chicago ahead of the upcoming November 8, 2022 General Election. A ward-by-ward break down of precinct changes is included at the end of this press release.
The new ward boundaries were adopted by the Chicago City Council on May 19, 2022, as required every 10 years after the U.S. Census. The Illinois General Assembly recently passed legislation that gave the Board the authority to create new precincts containing up to 1,800 registered voters.
The Chicago Board of Elections is now creating 1,290 precincts across all 50 Wards in Chicago, for a reduction total of 779 precincts. The average number of precincts per ward is 26, and the average number of voters per precinct is 1,165.
Just previously, the City of Chicago had 2,069 voter precincts, with an average of 550-750 voters per precinct. For comparison during the last redistricting process in 2010, the Chicago Board of Elections reduced its precincts from 2,570 to 2,069, for a total reduction of 501 precincts.
Text from Rickey Hendon, slightly modified by me….
The Chicago Board of Elections is trying to close 1,100 polling places!! It’s HORRIBLE!! People won’t know where to vote, Seniors can’t go far to vote and Black people lose. Meet me at 69 West Washington 9AM Wednesday (tomorrow) outside the Board of Elections with Willie Wilson for a press conference where we will have Attorneys there threatening to sue they *ss!!
If this was Georgia the Democrats would be screaming!!! Voter Suppression!! Racism!! Etc.
* IDCCA…
The IDCCA calls on Kathy Salvi, Dan Brady, Tom Demmers, and Shannon Teresi to answer a basic question… Do they believe that Joe Biden was elected President in a free and fair election?https://t.co/ZAn5aZwc0qpic.twitter.com/0S73w49WMw
— Alexi Giannoulias, the Democratic nominee for Illinois secretary of state, is getting an endorsement and campaign support from AFSCME Council 31, the public services employees union that represents more than 90,000 active and retired members in Illinois. AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch praised Giannoulias for his work as former state treasurer, saying “he’s experienced, energetic, and he values working people and their unions.”
*** UPDATE ***
NEWS: Mayor Lori Lightfoot says an ad paid for by the People Who Play by the Rules PAC (which supports @DarrenBaileyIL for governor) darkened her skin, and calls the ad racist for "using the oldest dog whistle in the books." @wttw
* Arlington Heights residents want the Bears — but they don’t want to foot the bill, poll finds: “Our polling shows Arlington Heights voters strongly believe they shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill as taxpayers,” added Costin, who tells Sneed the ARW survey was a phone poll of 300 voters living in the village — population 77,000 — with a margin of error of 5.6 percentage points.
* Koehler, Anderson make their cases for representing the new 46th State Senate District: Anderson said she thinks a decision on how what direction the state takes on abortion rights should be up to the citizens. “That’s the beauty of having a democracy like this: Voters get to turn out and vote on amendments they want, and you’ve got individuals that are running that should hopefully represent what their constituents want. That is up to the voters and whatever voters decide and whatever way that goes, and so be it,” she said.
This is the first year AAPI history courses will be taught in East St.. Louis School District and all other Illinois public schools.
The Teaching Equitable Asian American History (TEAACH) Act was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in July 2021 to educate students and help combat false stereotypes at the height of hate crimes during COVID-19 pandemic.
We spoke with the Director of Curriculum for East St. Louis School District, Antoinette Johnson, who said the curriculum will be worked into social studies, history, science and math classes for students.
She adds, teachers have been attending several monthly meetings leading up to the first day of class to design the lesson plans for the new AAPI curriculum.
* PBS interview with North Grand High School teacher Mueze Bawany…
“The biggest blessings of being educators is getting our students to understand who exists and who’s out there and also kind of pushing them towards the lens of humanity.
Why the stories of others matter and why we should lens why should we should see it as an appreciation, but also an opportunity to reach out and make some connections and build community together. It’s beautiful, right?
I often thought about my experiences and not being able to live understand my story in my history. And that kind of felt like looking in the mirror and not seeing anything back.
So the opportunity for Asian American students in our district to be able to learn, to learn their stories, and also for others from so many different backgrounds to learn the stories of Asian Americans in this country. It’s just beautiful. I mean, this is what education is about right?”
* NPR explains required topics after JB Pritzker signed the act into law in 2021…
The Teaching Equitable Asian American History (TEAACH) Act comes at a time when growing numbers of Asian Americans have become the targets of hate crimes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Americans are facing hate incidents at a higher rate than ever reported before, and the Democratic governor says teaching students about Asian American history will help combat false stereotypes. […]
Required topics that will be covered in the new school year include the Asian Americans advancing civil rights and the contributions Asian Americans have made in government, the arts, sciences, economics and politics.
Asian American history is American history. Yet we are often invisible. The TEAACH Act will ensure that the next generation of Asian American students won’t need to attend law school to learn about their heritage,” said State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, who sponsored the legislation.
“Empathy comes from understanding. We cannot do better unless we know better. A lack of knowledge is the root cause of discrimination and the best weapon against ignorance is education,” she said.
Brown County and Hardin County will vote November this year on splitting Illinois into two states, according to a map released by organizers today. The referendums are non-binding. Two townships in the northeastern corner of Madison County will also vote on such referendums. County clerks had verified earlier this month that the organizers had submitted enough valid signatures to force the questions onto the ballot.
If these areas vote in favor of the referendums, they will join 24 conservative counties in southern and central Illinois that have voted in favor of this idea in the last couple of years. The referendums ask voters “Shall the board of your county correspond with the boards of the other counties of Illinois outside of Cook County about the possibility of separating from Cook County to form a new state, and to seek admission to the Union as such, subject to the approval of the people?”
Illinois state legislators introduced legislation regarding the idea, and were granted a hearing, but the bill failed to clear the legislative committee. There would be financial benefits to northern Illinois to allow downstate Illinois to go, because these counties are a drain on the state budget. Yet, a financial comparison of rural Illinois counties to rural Indiana counties shows that incomes are the same. Apparently the beneficial effect of state spending that Illinois bestows on these counties is canceled out by the negative effect of Illinois taxes and regulation.
State legislators in Kentucky and Missouri have expressed interest to the organizers about acquiring downstate Illinois by moving a state border, but have not taken action. The most recent relocation of a state border was in 1999 when the Nebraska/Missouri border was adjusted slightly to accommodate changes in the course of a river, but two whole counties switched states after West Virginia became a state in 1863.
Brown County has a population of not quite 7,000. Hardin County’s population is less than 4,000.
I’ve asked Darren Bailey’s campaign for comment.
…Adding… Can’t help but wonder how long it will now take him to double down on his original take…
Chicago is a beautiful city and many people there live a privileged life. We will also fight for the areas that are not on the lake front or the loop who have been abandoned and don’t enjoy this privilege. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. https://t.co/UYyhh8Vfzp
— Darren Bailey for Governor (@DarrenBaileyIL) August 23, 2022
Also, there are plenty of nice Chicago neighborhoods outside of the lakefront and downtown.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Joe DeBose at the Bailey campaign…
“Many people across Illinois are struggling under JB Pritzker’s negligent watch. Darren Bailey will fight to make Illinois safe and affordable for everyone, not just the elites.”
Not sure how that answers my question, but whatevs.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign…
For someone who has only passed two bills throughout his entire tenure in office, you’d think Darren Bailey would be more proud of his only legislative proposal to ever make the news. Bailey introduced serious legislation to separate Chicago from the rest of Illinois and even claimed he would put his Lieutenant Governor in charge of the region. His latest watered down walk back of his offensive comments should be seen for exactly what they are: yet another lie to get elected.
Republicans and law enforcement are winning the messaging war over police reform legislation that the Legislative Black Caucus championed. […]
The Pretrial Fairness Act is part of a broader package of reform legislation known as the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today, or SAFE-T, Act. Many lawmakers who represent the south suburbs had pushed legislation for years to address police misconduct and racial and wealth disparities in the criminal justice system.
Members of the Legislative Black Caucus rejoiced when they passed the bill in January 2021. But since then they seem to have dropped the ball on messaging, and critics of the legislative have rushed in to fill the void. Public discourse about the law seems decidedly one-sided.
[Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart] alluded to how the legislation has been received around the state by the media and residents, and said, “the media has not always done the best job of explaining this.”
“But I will say it one more time, it’s not that violent offenders no longer have to post cash bail,” he said. “It’s that they no longer get to post cash bail. That’s a very important distinction.”
Social scientists have spent decades studying the devastating effects of high US incarceration rates on individuals and communities. But in recent years some of them have also begun to focus on the equally devastating effects of the US cash bail system. Their findings, as well as prospects for reform, are documented in the 2022 Annual Review of Criminology by sociologist Joshua Page of the University of Minnesota and criminologist Christine Scott-Hayward of California State University, Long Beach.
Knowable recently spoke with Page about what he, Scott-Hayward and other scholars are finding out about bail. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. […]
The state-to-state data on public safety is comparable also: Pretrial crime isn’t any higher in New Jersey than in states that have a fully cash bail system. Arguably, in fact, cash bail can be harmful to public safety, since it means that people’s ability to get out of jail ultimately depends on their financial situation regardless of how dangerous they are. And there may not be any supervision requirements.
Although some other state’s attorneys and many HB 3653 critics in the legislature and elsewhere continue to call for the outright rescinding of the entire bill, [DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin] takes a more moderate tack. He says, “This law is very fixable. It really is.” He argues that lawmakers can still allow a general presumption against cash bail as in New Jersey’s law, but that also like that state, they can allow too for firm exceptions when deemed necessary by judges.
“And that’s really what the State’s Attorneys have been pushing for. Many of us are not just saying, ‘repeal the whole thing, just get rid of it.’ We have to respect the fact that the General Assembly passed a law. But fix it.”
However in contrast, a group of four county state’s attorneys in Illinois recently telegraphed another line of attack. It forcefully accents the essential right of Illinois communities under the state’s constitution to be protected through a robust bail-setting process.
They wrote that the abolition of cash bail embodied in the bill “denies crime victims their constitutional rights. Article 1, Section 8.1 of the Illinois Constitution, codified in the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, mandates that crime victims shall have the right to have their safety and that of their families considered in denying or fixing the amount of bail, determining whether to release the defendant and setting conditions of release after arrest and conviction. Eliminating bail clearly contradicts previously established and superior law, places crime victims at a greater risk to be re-victimized, and unnecessarily subjects witnesses to threats and intimidation.”
And Berlin himself is thinking about legal remedies if need be. He says the Illinois Supreme Court in Hemingway v. Elrod has affirmed “on the issue of bail…it’s supposed to be a balancing process. Judges are supposed to balance the right of an accused against the right of the general public to receive reasonable protective consideration by the courts.” The Hemingway ruling reads in part, “…the constitutional right to bail must be qualified by the authority of the courts” with sufficient evidence “to deny or revoke bail” for a defendant before trial “to prevent interference with witnesses or jurors or to prevent the fulfillment of threats.”
A coalition of national, state and city nonprofit organizations is looking to help some people with housing while their cases move through the courts.
People released on individual recognizance, or I-bonds, can get help paying rent or finding housing from a program backed by the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund, The Bail Project and the Lawndale Christian Legal Center.
Six people have been housed since the groups started working together in mid-June. The program has 50 units waiting to be filled by any Chicago residents on personal recognizance who qualify, meaning they make less than 30% of the city’s area median income: $21,900.
The Lawndale Christian Legal Center interviews new arrestees to weigh their needs. If housing is one of them, the process starts, and the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund — which specializes in helping low-income residents with rent assistance — will work with landlords and clients to find them housing.
Amy Campanelli, the vice president of restorative justice at Lawndale Christian Legal Center and former Cook County public defender, said the program is largely about stabilizing people so they can get back on their feet.
A Richmond man was arrested after he allegedly complained to his apartment management company that there were “illegal foreigners” in the parking lot and he was “ready to shoot to kill them.”
David L. Nelson, 53, of the 400 block of Cunat Boulevard in Richmond, was charged with disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Nelson sent an email to his property management company, Lakes Management, on August 9.
In the email, Nelson complained about “illegal foreigners hanging around the parking lot,” the complaint said.
“My gun is ready to shoot to kill them. The revolution had started. Down with commie democrats!” the email said, according to the complaint. […]
Nelson was released from the McHenry County Jail after posting 10% of a $20,000 bond, records show.
A federal appellate court judge has dismissed a $150 million class action lawsuit against Illinois energy company ComEd and its parent company, Exelon, over a bribery scandal involving former House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
ComEd admitted that it arranged jobs, subcontracted work, and monetary payments related to those jobs to Madigan in order “to influence and reward the official’s efforts to assist ComEd with respect to legislation concerning ComEd and its business,” prosecutors said. […]
The suit was dismissed in 2021, with a judge citing that the suit did not establish a firm link between bribery and the passage of the bills that allowed it to raise its rates. The plaintiffs appealed the decision, which was dismissed today.
Nine Illinois energy consumers sued their electricity provider, Commonwealth Edison Company, and its parent, Exelon Corporation, on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated for damages under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) alleging injury from increased electricity rates. These rates increased, the plaintiffs allege, because ComEd bribed the former Illinois Speaker of the House to shepherd three bills through the state’s legislature. The district court dismissed the suit. Because paying a state’s required filed utility rate is not a cognizable injury for a RICO damages claim, we affirm.
The plaintiffs acknowledge that the rates they paid to ComEd were filed with the ICC. And although that would seem to trigger the filed rate doctrine’s bar on judicial adjustments to filed utility rates, the plaintiffs seek monetary damages (and not declaratory or equitable relief) for “overpay[ment] for electricity” from ComEd under RICO. See 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c). In effect, they request a federal judgment retroactively adjusting the electricity rates they paid. To allow such a claim to proceed, we would need to hold that the filed rate doctrine has been displaced by RICO. We must therefore decide whether Congress, in passing the broadly applicable civil RICO statute, authorized federal courts to award damages in contravention of the filed rate doctrine. We hold that it did not. […]
If this suit were allowed to proceed, the plaintiffs could not rest on their allegations as they can here at the motion-to-dismiss stage; they would need to conduct discovery for facts supporting their contention that ComEd’s bribery of Madigan directly caused the three pieces of legislation to pass. See Anza v. Ideal Steel Supply Corp., 547 U.S. 451, 459–60 (2006) (civil RICO damages claim requires “a direct causal connection” between the predicate offense and the alleged harm). That would necessarily involve probing the motives of individual state legislators who voted to enact the le islation to understand Madigan’s influence on them. Yet judicial tribunals rarely dive so deeply into the legislative process or into legislators’ motives. […]
At bottom, when the plaintiffs paid their electricity bills based on rates which had been properly filed with the ICC, they paid the state’s required legal rate. Based on our above analysis, we hold that the plaintiffs suffered no legally cognizable injury by paying this legal rate and thus were not “injured in [their] business or property,” as required to pursue a claim for damages under § 1964(c) of RICO.
A Homer Glen village trustee is the new Mrs. America.
Nicole La Ha Zwiercan won the crown Saturday night in Las Vegas, competing against 51 national contestants.
Earlier this year, FOX 32 spoke with her about her efforts to make Homer Glen more inclusive for individuals with disabilities. Zwiercan’s five-year-old daughter Ashlynn was born with cerebral palsy. Zwiercan has encouraged the village to make three public playgrounds more accessible.
Zwiercan will compete in the Mrs. World pageant this December in Las Vegas.
Good news of sorts was recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Illinois led the country with the largest increase in manufacturing employment in July, up 6,300 workers.
In a state that’s been in the bottom ten nationally for economic growth and job creation since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office in 2019, the new manufacturing jobs are certainly good news for Illinoisans looking for work.
But context matters and a look at Illinois’ manufacturing employment over the last two decades is sobering at best. That’s also true for the last three years under Gov. Pritzker, where manufacturing continues to sputter.
Even with the 6,300 increase, Illinois is still down almost 300,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000.
Two million [manufacturing] jobs were lost [nationally] between 1980 and 2000 and 5.5 million [manufacturing] jobs were lost between 2000 and 2017.
Huge increases in productivity, trade imbalances, a “skills mismatch,” changes in migration patterns, etc. are all blamed for the loss. Yes, Illinois can do much better. And it appears to be doing better.
* This wasn’t a one-month thing, either. Illinois’ year-over-year was pretty darned strong, too. From the National Association of Manufacturers’ chief economist…
Over the past 12 months, Texas (up 53,500) had the most manufacturing employment growth. Other states with significant year-over-year gains included California (up 40,100), Michigan (up 30,200), Florida (up 27,000) and Illinois (up 25,700). pic.twitter.com/EgecwBVDfu
An elderly, ultra-secretive Chicago businessman has given the largest known donation to a political advocacy group in U.S. history — worth $1.6 billion — and the recipient is one of the prime architects of conservatives’ efforts to reshape the American judicial system, including the Supreme Court.
Through a series of opaque transactions over the past two years, Barre Seid, a 90-year-old manufacturing magnate, gave the massive sum to a nonprofit run by Leonard Leo, who co-chairs the conservative legal group the Federalist Society. […]
As President Donald Trump’s adviser on judicial nominations, Leo helped build the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, which recently eliminated constitutional protections for abortion rights and has made a series of sweeping pro-business decisions. Leo, a conservative Catholic, has both helped select judges to nominate to the Supreme Court and directed multimillion dollar media campaigns to confirm them. […]
Seid, who led the surge protector and data-center equipment maker Tripp Lite for more than half a century, has been almost unknown outside a small circle of political and cultural recipients. The gift immediately vaults him into the ranks of major funders like the Koch brothers and George Soros.
* Barre Seid was well-known in Illinois several years ago. James Merriner called him a “conservative angel” in 1996. Seid was one of an elite group of wealthy businessmen who funded conservative challengers against moderate Republicans, with limited success…
Two Chicago industrialists, Barre Seid and Denis J. Healy, have sunk a combined $3.4 million into conservative causes and candidates in Illinois since 1989. Despite this impressive bankroll, candidates they backed were losers and organizations they subsidized are struggling.
In fact, Republican moderates regularly prevail over the party’s right wing in this state. You might think hard-headed businessmen would demand a better return for their money. In other states, conservatives have realized a payoff for their efforts. They’ve managed to take control of Republican organizations in Iowa, Virginia, Texas and South Carolina. So what gives in Illinois?
As elsewhere, conservatives in this state regularly divide along theoretical and strategic lines, but, as much as anything, personal rancor explains why conservatives can’t seem to top 40 percent of the Illinois GOP primary vote.
Seid and Healy, though far from the whole of the conservative movement here, stand at the head of a class of right-wing donors who consistently play politics at its most pure and personal. The practical give-and-take of mainstream candidates doesn’t appeal to them, nor do the tactics of professional campaign organizers. Thus, beyond nudging the GOP middle toward the right on occasion and nettling one another endlessly, Illinois conservatives have been unable to make any statewide electoral gains.
* An article published in the Washington Post in 1990 shows how Barre bet heavily against Secretary of State Jim Edgar and on losing Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Baer…
Internal enmities that tore the Republican Party asunder in 1964 have reappeared here, with enraged conservative activists firing off a letter to Republican National Committee Chairman Lee Atwater condemning his endorsement of the party establishment’s candidate for Illinois governor.
Atwater has broken precedent by putting the national party organization behind Illinois Secretary of State Jim Edgar for the Republican nomination against an unknown insurgent challenger. That produced this protest from 13 prominent businessmen and industrialists associated with the party’s right wing: ‘’Sending to Illinois a pedigreed pack to go after a plucky underdog is both comic and meretricious. This action will embarrass you and Republicans throughout the country, including us.'’
This view is shared by rank-and-file conservative GOP loyalists who consider Edgar a clone of Gov. James Thompson, finishing a record 14 years as a high-taxing, pro-union Republican. Whereas politicians of both parties see Edgar an easy winner against Democratic State Attorney General Neil Hartigan in November, grass-roots Republicans could sabotage the probable nominee. […]
Stunned Illinois conservatives went to an ally on the National Committee — Morton Blackwell of Virginia — to check it out. When he found out from Deputy Chairman Mary Matalin that the national party was truly endorsing Edgar, Blackwell told her: ‘’One gets on the wrong side of Phyllis Schlafly in Illinois only at your peril.'’
Then came the Jan. 12 letter to Atwater from the 13 businessmen, all URF and Baer backers, asserting the state’s economy and politics have been ‘’pillaged'’ by high taxes and that the signers ‘’would be affronted personally'’ by a national party endorsement. ‘’I didn’t pay much attention to it,'’ Atwater told us, though the signers include some of the state’s heaviest givers: Jack Roeser (Otto Engineering), Frederick Wacker (Liquid Controls), Barre Seid (Tripp-Lite), Dietrich Gross (Mercury Stainless).
* Let’s look at some of Seid’s history of funding Illinois politicians…
* As Steven Baer began his third-party bid for governor the Chicago Tribune reported in 1994, Seid used the United Republican Fund to back him, putting around $715,997 into the fund.
* In 1998, Seid contributed $35,000 to Chris Lauzen, a former Republican member of the Illinois State Senate, when he unsuccessfully ran for Illinois comptroller.
* Seid gave $12,500 to Appellate Judge Robert Steigmann’s failed run for Illinois Supreme Court in 2002. Steigmann wanted to “get buzz” and used the University of Illinois mascot in his TV advertisements, despite a protest from the college.
* The New York Times reported yesterday about how Leo’s trust received the funds to “avoid tax liabilities”…
The Marble Freedom Trust could help conservatives level the playing field — if not surpass the left — in such nonprofit spending, which is commonly referred to as dark money because the groups involved can raise and spend unlimited sums on politics while revealing little about where they got the money or how they spent it.
The cash infusion was arranged through an unusual series of transactions that appear to have avoided tax liabilities. It originated with Mr. Seid, a longtime conservative donor who made a fortune as the chairman and chief executive of an electrical device manufacturing company in Chicago now known as Tripp Lite.
Rather than merely giving cash, Mr. Seid donated 100 percent of the shares of Tripp Lite to Mr. Leo’s nonprofit group before the company was sold to an Irish conglomerate for $1.65 billion, according to tax records provided to The New York Times, corporate filings and a person with knowledge of the matter. […]
Mr. Seid has kept a low political profile in recent years. His last federal campaign donation, in 2008, was to a Republican running for Congress in Illinois, and his name has previously appeared only once in The Times, in 1990, for lending a Republican candidate for governor of Illinois nearly half a million dollars.
* Background on Leonard Leo, now wielder of the unprecedented sum, from CNN…
Marble Freedom is led by Leonard Leo, the co-chairman of the conservative Federalist Society, who advised former President Donald Trump on his Supreme Court picks and runs a sprawling network of other right-wing nonprofits that don’t disclose their donors, which are often referred to as dark money groups. […]
The massive donation instantly makes the Utah-based group one of the most well-funded organizations bankrolling conservative causes in the US – a staggering distinction for a group with zero public profile or even a website. In comparison, the single contribution is more than double the total amount raised by Trump’s presidential campaign committee during the entire 2020 election cycle.
Robert Maguire, the research director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called the donation “stupefying,” and “by far” the largest known contribution to a dark money political group.
“I’ve never seen a group of this magnitude before,” Maguire said. “This is the kind of money that can help these political operatives and their allies start to move the needle on issues like reshaping the federal judiciary, making it more difficult to vote, a state-by-state campaign to remake election laws and lay the groundwork for undermining future elections.”
DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek announces “Vote Anywhere” Election Day voting for 2022. DuPage will be the first county in Illinois to launch the option for voters to cast a ballot in any one of its 263 polling places, instead of limiting the choice to a voter’s precinct polling place or vote center.
“Now voters may cast their ballot conveniently at a polling place near their job or school, instead of rushing to or from their home precinct,” County Clerk Kaczmarek says. “Best of all, DuPage voters will no longer be turned away on Election Day for being in the wrong polling place in the county.” […]
“Two developments late in 2021 combined to create “Vote Anywhere” Election Day. In October, our office purchased the new Hart Verity complete print-on-demand voting system, so we no longer need to stockpile pre-printed ballots at polling places for just three or four precincts. After check-in, each voter now receives their freshly printed ballot on site. In November, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation allowing each county to set up multiple vote centers where residents from all over the county can vote outside their home polling places on Election Day,” County Clerk Kaczmarek says.
Following a primary where problems popped up at polling places citywide, Chicago election officials are preparing to shrink the number of voting precincts by nearly 40% and are squeezing the cuts in just months before the contentious midterm election in November. […]
Officials with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners said the recalibration is expected to save as much as $2 million because the board will have fewer supply costs and won’t need to hire as many election judges to work the polls on Election Day. A spokesman for the board also said the cuts will help election officials focus on ensuring that more precinct polling locations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, work the city has been slow to address. […]
[Ami Gandhi, a senior counsel for voting rights with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights] noted that in the June primary some voters were turned away from voting on Election Day after the city announced weeks earlier that 73 precincts would be without polling places and 56 polling places opened late primarily due to election judge shortages. […]
Diana Thomas, 59, has lived on the same block in the 34th Ward for decades and prefers to vote in person. But when she showed up this past June shortly before the polls closed, she found herself in the wrong place. Her polling place had changed in 2020, and she said the security guard at the Wentworth Commons apartment building, where she voted for years prior, couldn’t help her. Without time or a way to find the right polling place, Thomas wasn’t able to cast a ballot in the primary. […]
Since 2012, there have been 2,069 precincts. Under the cuts that are about to occur, the number of precincts citywide will drop to 1,290, officials say.
* The Question: Should Chicago and other Illinois jurisdictions adopt DuPage-style “Vote Anywhere” election day procedures? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
Illinois’ Republican National Committeewoman, Demetra Demonte, called the FBI retrieval of classified documents from President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate an “unprecedented weaponization of law enforcement against its political opponents.”
“This is not the first time President Trump, Republicans and conservatives have been unfairly targeted by the D.O.J. and the F.B.I. We need to know why this unprecedented action was taken, we need facts, we need the affidavit, we need transparency, we need accountability and we need it now,” she said.
Demonte said she’s encouraged about Republicans’ prospects in the fall, because support and campaign contributions have increased since the raid.
* First it was John Catanzara of the Chicago FOP, and now SDG…
Stacy Davis Gates at the City Club today confirms she is NOT running for mayor. "Everybody in this room know y'all need a new mayor… but it won't be me. I really love my job. I am really honored to serve this city, because this union serves more than just its core membership."
Sometimes people send me questions about voting machines, election protection and/or election security. Here's an opportunity to learn more about what the IL SBE is doing:https://t.co/UenJELjet5
Today, Senator Tom Cotton is endorsing Chris Dargis for Congress in Illinois’s 8th District. Cotton cited Dargis’ record of public service, success in business, and commitment to his community in the endorsement.
Senator Cotton released the following statement endorsing Dargis:
Chris Dargis is a man of action who will tackle the challenges in Washington head on. A Navy veteran, a business leader, and a family man, he exemplifies everything we want our Congressional representatives to be. I’m proud to endorse Chris Dargis, and ask the voters of the 8th district to send a problem solver to Washington.
Chris Dargis thanks Senator Cotton with the following statement:
I’m humbled by Senator Cotton’s support in my campaign. He is a fighter for our nation and I know that working together in Washington, we can fix the mess Washington Democrats have created. We will bring down the outrageous cost of living, make our streets safe again, and enact energy policy that will make us energy independent once again.
* Press release…
Going back to school has never been more challenging. From inflation to shortages, nothing about getting kids ready and dropped off at the classroom is simple – and Joe Biden and Lauren Underwood are doing nothing to change that.
Scott Gryder, Kendall County Board Chairman and Republican nominee for IL-14, knows that families deserve better. As your next U.S. Representative, Scott Gryder will deliver positive change for students and families:
“Sending kids back to school this year brings new worries and anxieties – thanks to Lauren Underwood and Joe Biden.
Democrats’ tax-and-spend agenda has caused the price of school supplies to skyrocket, costing families, on average, an additional $168. The increase in gas prices is forcing parents to pay $2,200 more at the pump, and with school bus driver shortages, driving to school is the only option for many families across our state.
Instead of focusing on relief, the Underwood-Biden agenda is digging in on higher costs and higher taxes. Earlier this month, Lauren Underwood voted in support of the Inflation Reduction Act – a massive spending bill that will raise taxes on working families, hurt our already-weak economy, and do absolutely nothing to reduce inflation.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden and his Education Department are on a mission to eliminate options for families and force every student to receive a government-issued education. Last month, Biden signed a final rule that makes it more challenging for new charter schools to form and existing ones to receive grant money – not surprisingly, it also gives the federal government greater authority over them.
I believe that every family deserves their choice of an affordable, top-notch school that will provide students with a quality education and prepare them for whatever life path they aspire to – regardless of their zip code. That’s why as your representative, I will fight to end the reckless tax-and-spend agenda Lauren Underwood has spent her time in Congress championing. And when it comes to school choice, I will work to give power back to charter schools, and I will fight for increased tax credits for families wanting to send their children to private schools.
Lauren Underwood has voted with Joe Biden 100% of the time. She’s not in Congress to work for you, she serves at Joe Biden’s beck and call. And while Underwood thinks she can dupe you with empty promises and take more of your tax dollars just to shove your kids into understaffed and failing public schools, I will always fight for you and your family. Enough is enough – it’s time to take our district back and restore the hope and promise that every first day should bring.”
* Sen. Napoleon Harris unifies rivals in new role for Thornton Township Democrats: The standing room only crowd in the penthouse of a U.S. Bank building off Sibley Boulevard felt like a friendly reunion of the feuding Hatfield and McCoy families. Attendees included Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark and former Mayor Eric Kellogg, whom Clark replaced when Kellogg was forced from office because of term limits. Calumet City Mayor and state Rep. Thaddeus Jones mingled with guests and shared space with two of his political adversaries, city Clerk Nyota Figgs and Ald. Monet Wilson, who challenged Jones in the recent primary for the 29th District House seat. Former Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers attended, as did five Dolton Village Board members who are battling Mayor Tiffany Henyard in brutal legal and political fights. Henyard. who replaced Zuccarelli as Thornton Township supervisor, looked like a no-show but made an appearance just as Harris concluded his public remarks, 90 minutes after the event’s scheduled start. Harris delivered a clear message that even if people do not like each other, they will be expected to work together for the betterment of communities in Thornton Township.
* Frerichs trying to talk way out of pension tax hike remarks: Here’s how The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported what Frerichs now says he never said. “Frerichs added an argument for the progressive income tax is taxing retirement income of those who can afford it. He said he knows people who receive six-figure yearly pensions and do not pay (state) income tax, but the current system doesn’t differentiate between them and retirees who barely get by on their savings and pensions.
* Historically a place to observe Illinois’ diversity, the state fairgrounds this year became a showcase of divisive politics: A couple miles away at the fairgrounds sat the Mobile Museum of Tolerance, sponsored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Midwest Region. Contained in a bus, the museum offers background and learning experiences about the expanse of civil and human rights amid a culture of growing bullying and intolerance. It gears its efforts to Illinois middle and high school students, government officials and business groups. Bailey’s visit to the Awake Illinois event gave the mobile museum added traction after the revelation of a 2017 Facebook video from the GOP candidate in which he said the Nazis’ attempted extermination of Jews in the World War II Holocaust paled in comparison to lives lost from abortion. Bailey later said no apology was needed because unnamed Jewish leaders “have told me that I’m right.”
* Gun Sense Rally in Lake Zurich: The time is ripe for reform, advocates say: “Increasing numbers of not just Democrats, but independents and moderate Republicans, want to see common sense gun reform. And that’s exactly what they’re going to get,” said U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schaumburg. … Krishnamoorthi called for a ban on the sale of what he described as assault weapons and raising the minimum age to purchase of any firearm from 18 to “much higher than 18 years old.”
* A Madison County official has split the GOP. Is he St. Louis’ Trump?: Prenzler’s critics point out that, since he was elected, the county has gone through at least 10 department heads, not counting interim hires. At least four employees appointed by Prenzler ended up suing the county, leading to $2.2 million in settlements and fees so far, with more lawsuits pending. Relationships with fellow Republicans got so bad that a bipartisan group of board members voted last month to remove most of Prenzler’s power to hire and fire people.
In Illinois, meanwhile, there are two competitive judicial races this year after the state redrew its district boundaries for the seven-member Supreme Court. While Democrats have held a four-seat majority for nearly two decades, the state Supreme Court could flip with the new map in place this year, Faleschini said.
The Illinois Supreme Court has recognized the right to an abortion under the state constitution, but a change in its makeup could lead to a court fight that abortion rights advocates fear could jeopardize access. Such a step, Faleschini said, would not only have ramifications for Illinois patients, but also those in neighboring states who turn to Illinois for abortion services due to limits where they live.
“Illinois has an outsized role in the Midwest of continuing to keep abortion access somewhat accessible for the Midwest,” he said.
If primary voting is any indication, Democrats face an uphill battle. The two districts encompass 12 Illinois counties, only two of which pulled a majority of Democratic ballots in the state’s June 28 primary.
“The Illinois Supreme Court districts are trending Republican now,” said political consultant Frank Calabrese. “Republicans can win both Supreme Court elections given that 53 percent of the total votes for Supreme Court candidates during the June primary were for the Republican candidates.” That’s even though the two districts were redrawn in the most recent remap process to favor Democrats. […]
Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke, a Republican running for a 10-year term in the 3rd District (after his current 2nd District was redrawn) faces Democratic Appellate Court Judge Mary O’Brien.
Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who opposes abortion, faces Democratic Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Rochford. Republicans would need to win both races to shift the court right. Democrats need to win one of the races to keep their 4-3 majority.
Judicial elections don’t often grab the same national attention as other political races in which voter turnout is often much higher, but observers say the Supreme Court races in Illinois could foreshadow similar battles in other states over reproductive rights with sweeping consequences.
“If we lose this election, there is absolutely no guarantee that abortion will be legal past 2023,” said Terry Cosgrove, president and CEO of Personal PAC, an abortion rights advocacy group. […]
Still, Illinois anti-abortion groups are keen on electing judges they view as sympathetic.
Justice Michael Burke, a Republican representing the state Supreme Court’s second district who is running for a 10-year term in the third district after district maps were redrawn, as well as former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who declared victory Friday over three other GOP candidates vying to be the justice in the second district, were “found qualified” by Illinois Right to Life Action in its latest voter guide. None of their Democratic rivals made the group’s cut.
* After the Dobbs decision, interest in the Illinois Supreme Court race “skyrocketed.” Via the Washington Post…
Democratic Appellate Judge Mary Kay O’Brien had been working for a year to drum up interest in her campaign for Illinois Supreme Court, struggling to convince voters that it would affect them as a presidential or gubernatorial race would.
But “within 24 hours” of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end federal protections for abortions, levels of interest in judicial races like hers skyrocketed, said O’Brien, a Democratic appellate judge.
“There’s no question that it energized and mobilized, especially young people and women,” she said. “It’s something that I think was just a complete alarm bell to some people.” […]
In Illinois, a group of progressive political operatives launched an organization last month dedicated to increasing awareness of the state Supreme Court race, according to co-founder Terry Cosgrove.
The two days of partisan political events during the Illinois State Fair are like miniature, stripped-down, informal versions of national political conventions. They serve as a sort of kickoff to our fall campaign season, so they are usually closely watched by reporters who cover campaigns and by insiders.
The speeches and organized theater are usually allowed to dominate coverage. Last week, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey was driven to the Republican Day event on a large John Deere tractor, a tailor-made image for TV and print reporters alike. He then capably delivered his well-written speech, which mainly attempted to paint the incumbent Democratic governor as an out-of-touch billionaire with soft hands who lives in a bubble and has no clue what average folks are going through.
The “hands” image was at the core of Bailey’s speech. “With our hands, and our sweat, we nurture life, we strengthen our families, and we feed the world,” he said. “Take a look at your hands. They’re probably like mine, a little swollen, a little calloused, got scars on ‘em,” he said before relating the life of a farmer.
“Companies are leaving, families are leaving. Some people are just throwing their hands up and giving up,” he said later in his address. “But I mentioned your hands earlier. Look at them again. You and I are hands-on people. We fix problems all day long. Now, we’ve got to turn our attention to fixing this great state,” he continued.
And then he contrasted “our” hands with the wealthy governor’s. “On Tuesday, I milked a cow,” Bailey said, which, of course, involves his hands. “Last week with J.B. Pritzker, he took a picture with the butter cow. Now don’t get me wrong. The butter cow is amazing. … But J.B. and his soft billionaire hands was safely on the other side of that protective glass, far from the work. Kind of like in his billionaire bubble. I say he doesn’t care. But I want to tell you something. Maybe he just doesn’t know.”
The hands metaphor was also used as a means of political action: “You can’t clear a field of weeds if you don’t pull them out by the roots, friends, and the only way to fix Illinois is to fire J.B. Pritzker and get the problem out by the roots.”
Clever.
But images and speeches rarely make an impact with news media coverage alone. A candidate needs money to put those images and zingers in TV ads and to amplify them throughout the online world.
And Bailey still has no money to do that. His principal backer, billionaire Richard Uihlein, came in relatively late but big during the primary. So, maybe he’ll eventually do that again. Bailey has not yet shown any ability to raise substantial money on his own, either before the primary or since. Bailey’s only reported contribution last week was just $1,000.
Since the primary, Uihlein has contributed $20 million to Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC. Proft, a talk-radio host and political activist, aired some super-solid TV ads on Bailey’s behalf during the primary, so at first, I didn’t think it was a huge deal. Instead, Proft has reverted back to running the type of ads that didn’t win many elections when he was involving himself in legislative races (mainly with Uihlein’s money). His past few ads, costing $1.8 million at the time of this writing, simply feature unknown people who appear to be talking to an unseen interviewer just off-camera.
None of Proft’s independent expenditure ads mention Bailey by name. Pritzker isn’t even featured. If, as I suspect, Uihlein ultimately wants Proft to take the helm of Bailey’s campaign, then Proft isn’t auditioning well. Bailey’s own Uihlein-funded primary ads were infinitely superior to what’s on TV now. The GOP ticket situation is currently in near-disaster mode, with Bailey under siege, but it’s gonna be the apocalypse if somebody doesn’t do something soon.
Individual candidate speeches usually matter far less after the state fair fades to black. And Bailey showed last week that he is not quite capable of taking reporters’ questions.
Asked about his specific plan to address gun violence, for instance, Bailey said, “it would be nice if we would start obeying and following the laws that we have.”
Bailey’s speech and his Q&A were filled with divisive, unsubtle code words about hard-working people being victimized by their leaders who must now rise up as one and smite their abuser.
But it’s still much more effective than the stuff Uihlein is paying good money for right now.
* Republican attorney general nominee Tom DeVore on Darren Bailey’s regular use of the term “hellhole” to describe Chicago…
Reducing crime and public corruption was a key takeaway from our conversations and many of our candidates messages. Sadly this messaging was overshadowed by the medias desire to write provocative news about the city of Chicago being once more called a hellhole. That narrative consumed the airwaves of all the good things talked about during Republican Day. […]
Such a generic off the cuff comment does little to add to the conversation of how to improve life in the city and is for all intents and purposes a slight towards its millions of residents.
My campaign understands and appreciates the value the city of Chicago and its residents bring to our state. What happens in Chicago ripples across our state. The people of Chicago love their city just as other residents in other cities across our state. None of them want their city being ridiculed. Once I’m elected Attorney General, I’ll work tirelessly to rid the city of Chicago of the crime and corruption that’s causing her harm. We can and will restore the city to the beacon it once was. Until that time comes, and while Chicago might be suffering a little under the weight of its incompetent leadership, she’s far from a hellhole.
…Adding… I should’ve added this Bailey quote from August 9…
So, JB, if you can fit it into your presidential campaign schedule and want to talk about someone in this race for governor and about the people of Illinois who are struggling under your watch, well I’m here in Illinois. And I’ll be waiting when you fly back. I’ll debate you anyplace anytime.
* Press release…
In recognition of his monumental achievement of enacting the “Rebuild Illinois” capital plan which put billions of dollars into action supporting state transportation and infrastructure projects, technology, education, worker safety and job creation, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) has presented a special “Champion of Infrastructure” Award to Governor JB Pritzker.
“Rebuild Illinois” is Illinois’ first capital plan in nearly a decade, providing over $45 billion in investments in roads, bridges, railroads, universities, early childhood centers, and state facilities over six years, creating and supporting over 540,000 jobs and revitalizing the state’s economy. The historic, bipartisan legislation enacted a multimodal plan with over $33.2 billion in funding for various types of transportation infrastructure, including $10.4 billion for state roads and bridges. The recently passed federal Infrastructure investment and Jobs Act adds another $17.8 billion to the state’s infrastructure renewal resources.
A crowd of over one hundred, including the leadership of ACEC Illinois and members from across the state, gathered Friday to honor JB Pritzker’s singular dedication to passing a bipartisan capital plan in his first year in office, as well as his continued support of accelerated road, bridge and construction projects. Many member companies of ACEC Illinois are engaged in the design and planning of projects envisioned with this investment, and speakers credited the Governor with positioning Illinois ahead of other states in this regard.
“Real leaders bring people together, and that’s exactly what Governor Pritzker did when he developed the Rebuild Illinois program that was approved with significant bipartisan support. The reinvestment in Illinois under the Rebuild Illinois program has reinvigorated Illinois’ infrastructure industry and has created thousands of new jobs across the state,” said Kevin Artl, president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. “And now, because of Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois is one of the best-positioned states in the nation to take advantage of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. With the investment at the state and federal level along with the commitment of the nation’s most talented and innovative engineers located right here in Illinois, the Land of Lincoln is well-prepared for the challenges of the 21st century.”
The historic $45 billion capital plan is expected to address decades-long problems with the state’s infrastructure, improve communities for the next generation, and create hundreds of thousands of new direct and ancillary jobs. Speaking to its importance and impact, its passage by the General Assembly was supported by a range of non-partisan organizations including the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and the Chicago Federation of Labor.
“I’m so honored to receive this year’s Champion of Infrastructure Award, particularly from a dedicated organization like the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois has some of the top infrastructure in the country—and I’m not saying that just because I’m biased. We’re consistently ranked among the best because of our commitment to improving the foundations of our state. Rebuild Illinois, our Multi-Year plan, and all the work we’ve done to build a resilient and responsible Illinois are possible because of the pride that people, like ACEC, have in our state.”
* Oof…
I asked Dan Brady, “Do you want Darren Bailey to lead this state?”
He said, “I want the best choice of the people of Illinois to lead this state, and that’s up to the people of Illinois.”
* The Rauner campaign did this sort of thing in one of his races. Politico…
State Rep. Tom Demmer, the GOP nominee for state treasurer, has launched a super-targeted paid digital program for the State Fair. The program has created a “geo fence” around the fairgrounds where everyone within its boundaries will be targeted with digital attack ads against incumbent Treasurer Mike Frerichs on the issue of taxing retirement income like pensions.
— Several Republican candidates for Cook County office booted or withdraw from November ballot: “Among those kicked off: Todd Thielmann, who until recently worked for Tammy Wendt, a Democratic commissioner on the Board of Review. Wendt and Thielmann are cousins — she eventually fired him after the county’s board of ethics sued and fined her for violating the county’s ban on nepotism,” by Tribune’s A.D. Quig
— Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) is being added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Frontline incumbent-protection program, which provides support for vulnerable incumbents. Casten also has been endorsed by all 14 members of the Illinois Democratic Congressional delegation, including Rep. Marie Newman who he defeated in the June primary. Casten faces Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau in November’s election.
* From earlier this week…
Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced four critical endorsements for Congress: … Eric Sorensen (IL-17) … These candidates are running to represent their respective districts in the U.S. House of Representatives.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“As we face the fight of our lives, electing leaders who we can count on to safeguard our fundamental rights has never been more important. With MAGA Republicans in Congress planning an outright ban on abortion should they win power, we are fighting seat by seat to ensure these extremists cannot enact their agenda.”
These candidates bring a wealth of experience and strong commitments to protect and advance reproductive freedom in Congress. Jevin Hodge, a long-time community advocate, is a staunch supporter of reproductive freedom and expanding abortion access for all Arizonans. Eric Sorensen, who would make history as the first LGBTQ+ member of Congress from Illinois, has worked to connect vulnerable communities to health services and is committed to protecting abortion rights. Monica Tranel, an attorney fighting for working Montanans, is an advocate for expanded abortion access and has vowed to protect reproductive freedom. Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, a former member of the Southampton Town Council and prosecutor of sex crimes, has pledged to ensure access to abortion and contraceptives. All four candidates have committed to protecting and expanding abortion access by supporting the Women’s Health Protection Act to lock the federal right to abortion into law.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—ending the constitutional right to abortion and opening the door for extremist state lawmakers to put total bans on abortion in place. This decision is already having a devastating impact throughout the country as 14 states have begun enforcing extreme bans on abortion. The people hurt most by these bans and restrictions are those who already face barriers to accessing abortion care—including women; Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; those working to make ends meet; the LGBTQ+ community; immigrants; young people; those living in rural communities; and people with disabilities.
These endorsements come as NARAL Pro-Choice America is ramping up its work to elect candidates up and down the ballot during a critical moment in the fight for reproductive freedom. NARAL, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and EMILY’s List announced a partnership in May to collectively spend a historic $150 million on the 2022 midterms to elect reproductive freedom champions up and down the ballot across the country.
Supporters of the state’s plan to eliminate cash bail have started attending bond hearings in DuPage and Kane counties, gathering information about how cases are being handled before the new law takes effect Jan. 1.
On Tuesday, state Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago and state Rep. Anna Stava-Murray of Naperville joined the group for a bond call at the DuPage County courthouse in Wheaton. Villa and Stava-Murray, both Democrats, voted in favor in 2020 of the SAFE-T Act, which is eliminating cash bail come Jan. 1. […]
Stava-Murray watched three cases: a man accused of stealing four books of lottery scratch-off tickets from his employer, a man accused of burglary and a woman accused of misdemeanor domestic battery.
The woman was released on personal recognizance. The burglary suspect was ordered held on $3,000 bail. The woman had no criminal history, but the burglary suspect had felony convictions, Stava-Murray said.
The man accused of stealing the lottery tickets had just started a job, and coming up with the $1,000 to be released will be a hardship, Stava-Murray said. She said statistics show that people who are held in jail on bail are at higher risk of being arrested again when they are out.
“What is going to happen Jan. 1 is simple. The people who don’t pose a risk will be out in the community” at their jobs and with their families, she said.
State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, said the current cash bail system is unfair.
“No one should be able to buy their way out of jail for the same charge for someone who can afford to do the same,” Stava-Murray said. “That is not a system that keeps us safe.” […]
Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weiss said judges will have the option to hold people for certain serious crimes, but ending cash bail will lead to a lot of no-shows in court.
“The General Assembly has dictated only certain crimes that meet certain criteria and of certain severity, are even allowed to be considered to be held,” Weis said. “So you can fail to appear multiple times, as long as your crime doesn’t count, they have to release you.”
A resolution encouraging state legislators to work with law enforcement and judicial leaders to address what some say are problems in the Illinois SAFE-T Act was approved Tuesday by a divided Naperville City Council.
The measure, which passed with a 5-3 vote, cites public safety concerns caused by “unreasonably limiting the imposition of cash bail for violent offenders, unreasonably limiting police officer discretion to make arrests, imposing unreasonable police certification and decertification standards, and mandating unreasonable custodial accommodations.” […]
The city is not asking to eliminate or overturn the SAFE-T Act, which was designed to overhaul criminal justice practices, Bruzan Taylor stressed. “We’re just asking for a discussion of some changes,” she said.
During comments from the public, state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, told the council she voted for the original bill as well as trailer legislation.
“We have fine-tuned and continue to consider fine-tuning alongside all major stakeholders, including multiple groups with relevant experiences, such as the chiefs of police,” she said.
In its latest ad, the People Who Play By The Rules PAC initially included a video clip of Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow criticizing the end of the cash bail system. Then the link stopped working, and the PAC offered a new one with Glasgow’s words and no image. Playbook hears it’s because Glasgow complained, but PAC’s spokesman Michael Koolidge says “it was purely an aesthetic reason for the change.”
A Glasgow aide told me earlier this week that Glasgow did complain to the committee. But, Glasgow described the law this way: “It’s going to be literally the end of days.” He said it, he should either own it or retract it and not run away. You’ll recall the governor’s office pointed out some major errors in Glasgow’s reasoning.
Unemployment fell slightly in Illinois last month. The July rate of 4.4 percent was down one tenth of a percent from June, which saw the lowest mark since the onset of the pandemic.
Compared to the rate a year ago — 6.2 percent — it shows the economy continues to rebound.
The industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment include: Professional and Business Services (+10,000), Manufacturing (+6,300), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+5,700). The industry sectors that reported monthly payroll declines include: Construction (-1,400) and Educational and Health Services (-1,400).
Illinois’ unemployment rate still lags behind the national average of 3.5 percent by nearly a full percentage point.
“As the statewide unemployment rate continues to drop and continued claims levels for unemployment benefits remain at historic lows, IDES encourages employers and jobseekers to utilize the Department’s robust employment services tools for reentry into the workforce,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “Whether it be participating in or a hosting a job fair, training or skills building, IDES has the tools needed to assist in the growth of the expanding labor market.”
“After Illinois reached the lowest unemployment rate since the onset of the pandemic in June, it’s encouraging to see the state’s unemployment rate continue to drop while seeing continued growth in key industries,” said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia. “Looking ahead, DCEO continues to focus on expanding equitable workforce training opportunities, providing incentives to companies who invest in Illinois’ workforce, and providing resources and training opportunities for job seekers.” […]
The number of unemployed workers was down from the prior month, a -1.1 percent decrease to 287,200 and was down -27.1 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was almost unchanged (0.0 percent) over-the-month and up +2.2 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
A new analysis explores the connection between Illinois’ high unemployment rate, market disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequences for Illinois’ unemployment trust fund. […]
Illinois’ pay-as-you-go financing practices have resulted in low trust fund balances, prevented the accumulation of additional reserves during good years, and increased the likelihood of deficits during economic downturns,” said Merriman, who co-leads IGPA’s Fiscal and Economic Working Group. “While dramatic increases in the unemployment rate brought about by a pandemic may be beyond state policymakers’ control, some actions could be taken to diminish the chances of large future UI trust fund deficits.”
Illinois policymakers should thoroughly evaluate the flow of revenues into the UI trust fund and payouts from the fund, especially during the pandemic, the IGPA analysis recommends. Further, they should determine the reasons for and extent of declines in revenues, and similarly, the reasons for and extent of increases in benefit payouts.
Illinois also should formally evaluate the benefits and costs of replacing its pay-as-you-go UI funding system with a forward-funding approach. Such an approach would require higher employer taxes during economic booms but would allow tax-rate stability or even tax cuts during economic downturns. Illinois still has federal relief funds, and these funds could be used to pay the UI debt accumulated in the past or be spent on current investments to make up for earlier deficits. The first option may largely benefit employers by avoiding increased federal payroll taxes. The second potentially distributes future benefits to more people in the form of better infrastructure or services.
…Adding… Hmm…
We have a higher Labor Force participation rate than MI & IN but also higher unemployment than both. No idea what that means. Seems weird. 🤷♂️ https://t.co/URiqbTPD6nhttps://t.co/DzkAtrgS17
Under a blazing sun and in front of hundreds of Republican Party faithful on the Illinois State Fairgrounds Thursday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey stayed away from any explicit mention of the types of social issues that are classic red meat for his ultra-conservative voter base.
Instead of invoking abortion, critical race theory, the LGBT community’s influence on the wider culture or even gun rights, Bailey steered clear of the word “woke” while sticking to core “kitchen table” themes like public safety and inflation during his Republican Day speech. […]
Bailey made his grand entrance to the Director’s Lawn on a tractor, though the farm equipment joy ride was mostly for the benefit of reporters and photographers while the majority of the crowd remained in line for their lunch of barbecue and beer.
Bailey’s speech was toned down compared with what he told a much more stratified group of “parental rights” activists two days earlier, when he said he’d prioritize eliminating “critical race theory” and “egregious” sex education standards from Illinois schools at a small rally organized by a group that called Pritzker a “groomer” earlier this summer.
“I say he [Pritzker] doesn’t care. But I want to tell you something. Maybe he just doesn’t know. He’s never woken up in the middle of the night, worrying about keeping a job or managing payroll,” Bailey said.
“He’s never had to choose between filling his car up with gas or putting food on the table. He’s surrounded by security guards in the ritzy Gold Coast, and he’s never had to worry if his family is safe.”
Bailey — who is actually a millionaire from his family business, which includes a farm, trucking firm and excavation company — routinely portrays himself as the everyman on the campaign trail. And Thursday was no different.
“You may have already figured this out,” Bailey told the crowd with a chuckle. “I may be a little bit rough around the edges. But I will work for you, because I’m just like you. And friends, I promise you this: No one will work harder for you.”
* Republicans made clear their distaste for the speculation that Pritzker may be eyeing a run for president. Capitol News Illinois…
The rhetoric at the GOP rally was in stark contrast to that used by Democrats the day before, when Pritzker referred to Republicans as “the lunatic fringe.” Republicans fired back on Thursday by casting the Pritzker administration and Democrats in the Statehouse as extreme leftists and accusing Pritzker of having higher ambitions.
“I have traveled all around our state to help our fellow Republicans rescue Illinois from the leftist Gov. Pritzker,” State party chairman Don Tracy, of Springfield said. “He now wants to run for president. Are you kidding me? What a disaster he’s been for Illinois. Gov. Pritzker has done nothing to address public corruption, crime, the rising cost of gas and groceries.”
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie charged the crowd of committed Republicans with helping.
“This is what you have to do over the next 80 days,” he said. “J.B. Pritzker’s going to dump millions of dollars into TV ads and stuff in the mailboxes and so forth. There is one surefire way to defeat his money. And that is to invite your neighbors, your friends from church, the moderates — even some of those moderate Democrats who used to be Regan Democrats and they left the party — bring them back.”
But there’s a sense among some Republicans that Bailey at the top of the ticket will make winning over moderate, swing voters impossible because, as Pritzker’s campaign puts it, Bailey’s “too extreme” for Illinois, with his anti-abortion views and a long history of controversial social media posts.
While they didn’t say anything publicly that was explicitly negative, several prominent Republicans refused to outright endorse Bailey.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin - who supported Richard Irvin in the primary - did not mention Bailey by name during his speech. Instead, he focused on attacking Democrats.
“Republicans are here to serve people, to make your life better, your children’s life better, your grandchildren’s life better and to safeguard your future,” Durkin said. “Democrats, well, let’s talk about them. It’s all about enriching themselves and feeding from the public trough.”
Republicans said that despite all the Democrats’ talk about abortion, the Supreme Court’s ruling won’t impact Illinois.
“The top issues are crime and the economy and the inflationary policies of the Democrats,” former candidate for governor Jeanne Ives said. “So that is where people are looking to make their vote. The abortion issue is way down on the list of concerns.”
* With Chicago home to more than 20% of Illinois’ people, Bailey’s “hellhole” comments have not gone over well in the Windy City. Block Club Chicago…
Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, called Chicago — the state’s largest city — a “hellhole” twice Thursday speaking at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
The line didn’t land well with Chicagoans.
“Chicagoans are notorious for NOT obsessively loving their city… so this should work out well for him,” one person sarcastically tweeted.
Other Chicagoans responded by sharing photos that show the beauty in the city, making fun of Bailey for not knowing about Chicago or encouraging the politician to visit and help people impacted by problems in the city.
Earlier in the day, Bailey revealed potential campaign problems when he asked county Republican chairmen who gathered for a joint meeting with state central committee members for their contact information — data a well-oiled political operation already would have in hand by this stage of the race.
At that meeting Tracy also acknowledged difficulty in party fundraising.
“Used to be the Democrats were the party of the people and the Republicans were the party of the fat cat donors, the big money. My how times have changed,” Tracy said.
“Now Democrats represent woke corporations, other elites and special interests that have the money that dominates in places like Illinois, and we have become the party of working families,” he said, sidestepping the fact that Pritzker’s predecessor, GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, was a wealthy private equity executive who during his single term bankrolled the state party organization.
* Fair happenings via Twitter…
“We are going to restore Illinois to like it’s never been before,” Republican candidate for Governor Darren Bailey riles up a crowd of GOP workers. He said he’ll make the state more affordable by lowering taxes & called public safety Illinois’s number one problem. pic.twitter.com/oIozzIve0J
Such a fun time at The Illinois State Fair “Illinois Chopped Challenge”!! Kelly Turner and I chopped it up for charity. Kelly’s team edged me and Adam White, but Adam and I made those “secret ingredients” tasty!!!!! pic.twitter.com/4vLcA2sQln
* John Amdor has been playing around with a new AI image generator this week…
If you're like me, you've often wondered what it would look like if you asked an AI art generator to create "an oil painting of dragons flying around the Illinois State Capitol." The wait is over. pic.twitter.com/HIoFSbHNuE
* From attorney general candidate Tom DeVore’s Republican Day speech…
“You make me attorney general and if Kim Foxx won’t prosecute [arrestees], I will,” DeVore said to cheers from the crowd. “And she better get to prosecuting or we’ll figure out a way to prosecute her.”
Pretty bold statement right there. And prosecute her for what?
David Paul Blumenshine tried to recruit poll watchers as people waited in line for their lunch. Blumenshine led a bus of people to Washington DC for the Trump rally on January 6, 2021. He is also the election integrity coordinator for Bailey’s campaign. The conservative talk show host on Cities 92.9 in Bloomington has lost several campaigns against Brady.
Pic…
David Paul Blumenshine is actively trying to recruit poll watchers as people wait in line for lunch. He participated in the Trump rally on January 6 and is in charge of “election integrity” for the @DarrenBaileyIL campaign. #twillpic.twitter.com/YU2yQRE3zW
Sen. Darren Bailey’s gubernatorial campaign spokesperson confirmed over the weekend that David Paul Blumenshine is the campaign’s State Election Integrity Coordinator.
The spokesperson did not offer a comment, however, when asked if the campaign was aware that Blumenshine organized a “Stop the Steal” bus trip to Washington, DC for the now-infamous January 6, 2021 demonstration designed to delay or halt the counting of electoral votes for president. […]
“Darren Bailey’s agenda is dangerous for Illinois,” said Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign press secretary Eliza Glezer when asked for comment. “It’s disturbing but not at all surprising to see him aligned with those who rioted on January 6th. He has perpetuated the Big Lie, cozied up to insurrectionists, and proudly embraced Trump’s endorsement. He does not stand for free and fair elections, and before he has a chance to make baseless claims regarding a ‘stolen’ election, Darren Bailey must vow to accept the results of the election in November, regardless of which candidate wins.”
According to a WMBD TV story on January 7th of last year, Blumenshine’s bus trip transported 49 people to the “Stop the Steal” rally. Blumenshine told the station’s reporter that the march after the rally was “reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther King.” And despite the rally’s name, Blumenshine claimed that the whole thing was merely “a day to celebrate what our president has done.” He claimed the group didn’t participate in the breach of the US Capitol. On December 29, about a week ahead of the rally, a post on Blumenshine’s Facebook campaign page called it “The ultimate ‘Trump 2021 Rally.’”
Volunteers with Bailey’s campaign told police to kick one person out of the rally before the event started. Bailey supporter Lawrence Ligas clearly wasn’t welcome to participate in the rally after he was charged for participating in the January 6 insurrection. Ligas is no longer part of the Bailey campaign team and tried to tell police he was actually a member of the media covering the event on the fairgrounds before he was escorted out.
The Pritzker campaign said Bailey and his party are on a MAGA crusade to plunge Illinois into the past.
“As Governor Pritzker and Illinois Democrats continue to protect and build on critical rights and freedoms, Darren Bailey and Illinois Republicans are an active threat to equality and democracy,” said Pritzker’s campaign press secretary Eliza Glezer. “Any person who repeatedly disparages the economic engine of the state, while spewing racist, sexist, homophobic, and hateful views, doesn’t deserve to hold a position of leadership here or anywhere.”
Illinois now requires every elementary and high school teach a unit on Black History, ranging from African civilizations to U.S. slavery to the Civil Rights movement.
This week, Illinois Family Action (IFA), a conservative, Christian group, based in suburban Chicago, held a meeting with about 35 attendees, discussing those changes and attacking the city’s public school system.
The keynote speaker was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Stephanie Trussell, who’s also an Illinois Family Action board member. Trussell’s running mate, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, was endorsed by IFA in April. […]
“There’s a group of us inside of Illinois Family Institute, who our entire focus is on Public School Exit. And trying to get children to leave Illinois public schools for safer, better options,” [Tom Burrows, a field director for Illinois Family Institute] argued.
Trussell is an Illinois Family Action board member? Oh, man. The oppo on that group. Whew.
