* Sen. Bailey’s responses on the debate topic are here. Please pardon all transcription errors. What follows is not in order, but is grouped by topic. First up, party unity…
Q: Did you ask Jim Durkin for an endorsement?
A: Nope. I haven’t talked to Jim recently. […]
Q: Several of the leading Republicans, Dan Brady and Jim Durkin as well, when asked if they are supporting you, they’re deferring, saying ‘We’re supporting the ticket.’ Do you feel that you still have some work to do to really unify the party around you?
A: The Illinois Republican Party needs leadership. I’m bringing that leadership. We will unify the party. That doesn’t bother me one bit. I will support them. I love them all the same. So everything’s good. We’re going to take back Illinois. We’re going to fire JB Pritzker and we’re going to restore Illinois.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin was standing just a few feet away from Bailey for several minutes before Durkin spoke. So, he had ample opportunities. Here’s a clip of Durkin walking up to the stage and then another of him leaving after he finished his speech…
* Crime and Chicago…
Q: What’s your plan to address gun violence in the state? I know you’ve talked about a lot, but what is your concrete plan?
A: Well, it would be nice if we would start obeying and following the laws that we have. Illinois all ready has the most extensive gun laws in the nation. So when we don’t follow them, and we don’t obey them, then there’s certainly no need for more laws. […]
Q: Do you think most Chicagoans feel like they live in hell?
A: Pardon?
Q: Do you think most Chicagoans feel like they live in a hellhole?
A: Actually, I believe they do. Because it’s an unsafe. It’s going to change. Chicagoans deserve better. I call it out, friends. And you know that. You realize the first time that I made that statement on the debate stage, that very night, the homeless man, the Walking Man in the loop, he was set on fire. When’s the last time? When is the last time? When is the last time that Chicago experienced a night without a shooting? Do you know it’s been a while. It’s been a long time. And it’s time to restore sanity and common sense and integrity and safety on the streets. That’s what that’s all about.
Yeah, it would be great if people followed the laws. Many don’t. So, what’s the plan?
The hellhole question was likely prompted by what he said during his speech…
Q: Your spokesman said Pence did his job, Biden is the duly elected president. Now, what do you say? In your words.
A: The constitutional process was followed. And that’s exactly what happened. So President Biden is president because the constitutional process was followed. Other than that, I’m not a constitutional scholar. I trust in this constitutional republic and this free land in this document that we have, and it was followed.
Yeah. Major pivot.
* Capital construction projects…
Q: Senator just last week, Gov. Pritzker was Downstate and said if you get your plan to cancel or repeal his gas tax through, it would kill the capital bill, kill jobs, freeze construction projects Downstate on roads and bridges. Have you considered what that would do if you remove that funding from all of those projects that are already underway?
A: Have you considered the fact for the last six months that if the legislator would have met and we would have addressed just the sales tax? I think a lot of people in Illinois forget that gas is taxed twice. We have the price of gas, we have the gas tax, and then we have sales tax. I think the people of Illinois need to know that in the first half of 2022 that all of the gas tax was collected that was anticipated on being collected because the price of gasoline was doubled. So if we would have cut the price of the sales tax in half, then we would have saved Illinoisans 25 cents, and still the anticipated tax would have been collected. Our governor is not telling people the truth. Our governor is ripping people off. Our governor is pushing small business and the people out of the state and that’s got to change.
* His faith…
Q: how do you reach out to people with your faith based campaigning? How do you reach out to people or voters who don’t believe in Jesus Christ?
A: The same as I do all of my life. We get along with everyone, we’re seeking unity amongst the diversity here in Illinois, and I’m not pushing anything on anyone. I’m a devout Christian. I’m a conservative American. And I look to appeal to everyone.
Q: What if people are offended by what they view as proselytizing?
A: Now I don’t think that [reporters interrupt with their own questions]
* His Holocaust comments…
listen, the Holocaust is no doubt an atrocity beyond parallel. No doubt about it. I have issued a statement and if anyone out here hasn’t seen or received that statement, talk to my comms director, Joe DeBose. And we will get that statement to you again.
Trouble is, after he released the statement, he complained more than once that reporters had taken his remarks out of context.
Chicago police officers responded to a Monday night fire in state Rep. La Shawn Ford’s residence that damaged his garage and two cars, including a 1979 Chevrolet Corvette, according to a police report. No injuries were reported.
“I don’t think I was a target,” Ford told the Tribune Thursday. “It’s just another episode of violence and crime in Chicago, and I just happened to be a victim of it.”
The fire began near Ford’s garage in the 900 block of South Mayfield Avenue, damaging the two cars inside, and extended to a garage in the 900 block of South Mason Avenue around 10:45 p.m.
When officers arrived, they found a vehicle in the middle of an alley engulfed in flames. An Illinois license plate was found near the car, but officers couldn’t determine whether it belonged to the car because the vehicle was completely burned, according to a police report.
Today the JB for Governor campaign announced that Governor Pritzker will participate in two statewide debates.
WMBD, AARP Illinois, and Illinois State University
When: October 4, 2022
Where: Normal, IL
WGN-TV
When: October 18, 2022
Where: Chicago, IL
Illinois State University and AARP will provide a unique, intergenerational forum to discuss a broad range of topics important to voters. As non-profit, non-partisan organizations, AARP and ISU are committed to encouraging informed civic participation. The debate will be free and open to the public and will be broadcast statewide.
WGN’s statewide debate will offer voters another opportunity to hear the candidates for governor articulate their vision for the state. The debate will be broadcast statewide and available online.
* NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern asked Darren Bailey if he is agreeing to the debates…
Bailey: I don’t know. Is one of those one of yours?
MAA: It is not.
Bailey: Okay, well, we’re gonna have to talk about that then. [Cross talk] I’m gonna debate the man. The people of Illinois need to know that he is responsible for the failures of safety, law enforcement, he has destroyed our schools. He’s destroyed our families. He’s destroyed our businesses. So I look forward to debating him and making him answer for that.
* Sun-Times op-ed by Harold Hirshman, the lead counsel in the Rasho v. Jeffreys mental health class action lawsuit against IDOC and lead trial counsel in the Lippert v. Jeffreys health care class action lawsuit…
The state committed itself to change by entering into a consent decree in the Lippert vs. Jeffreys class action lawsuit on prison medical care in 2018, but an acceptable plan to provide such care has never been submitted to the court. This plan was due three years ago, and a federal court has now held them in contempt for failing to create the plan. The IDOC can’t even begin to fix its health care system without it.
In Rasho vs. Jeffreys, the mental health class action lawsuit, the results are even more troubling. After years of operating under an approved settlement agreement, the IDOC’s lawyers have now repudiated the agreement. The parties are now preparing for a trial, because defendants never did what they committed to do under the settlement agreement. […]
Stewart , the mental health monitor, wrote report after report, year after year, detailing the deficiencies of care. These deficiencies have continued during Pritzker’s term. In February, a federal judge held that some of the patients most in need of mental health treatment —those housed at Pontiac Correctional Center’s residential treatment unit — were not getting intensive treatment detailed in IDOC’s own mental health manuals. Instead, they were confined to their cells for 23 to 24 hours a day.
Why did this happen? IDOC says they don’t have enough guards at Pontiac, so prisoners have to remain locked in their cells. But IDOC has known since 2014 that they didn’t have enough mental health or security staff. The problem persists eight years later. Wexford, the private company that provides the mental and physical health care, has never delivered the number of employees called for in its contract. Yet the contract, remarkably, calls for Wexford to be paid in advance for all workers, despite the company never having met the contractual staffing requirements.
There are other persistent problems, too. The IDOC health care system still does not have electronic medical records, a basic feature, in 2022, of a functioning medical care system. The IDOC promised in the Lippert settlement that they would have electronic records by now, but there is still no date for such a system to be implemented. […]
Pritzker has been a leader in many areas, but not on prison medical and mental health care. Nothing has changed in Illinois prisons in the last three and a half years — if anything, things have gotten worse.
The Department of Corrections has prevailed on numerous motions in the Rasho litigation, including findings that the Department’s efforts are appropriate and not a violation of its Constitutional obligations. Plaintiffs’ recent motions seeking a preliminary injunction and seeking contempt have all been denied and the prior injunction against the Department was vacated in full by the 7th Circuit. As a result of these rulings, the District Court denied Plaintiffs’ motion to extend the already multi-year consent decree, finding the agreement could no longer be enforced against the Department. The Department recently opened the first ever state of the art inpatient facility this summer and remains committed to ensuring appropriate mental health care and treatment for all individuals in its custody.
Officials from the Illinois State Police faced questioning Wednesday from Republican lawmakers who said the agency had authority to reject a gun permit application from a man who later allegedly carried out a mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park.
The alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, is being held without bond on a 117-count indictment for the mass shooting that left seven dead and dozens more injured.
State Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, criticized ISP for claiming that it had no authority to deny Crimo a Firearms Owners Identification, or FOID card, when he applied for one in December 2019, just three months after he had been the subject of a “clear and present danger” report filed by an individual who alleged Crimo had threatened to “kill everyone.”
“This report clearly, by any independent review, would meet the level of preponderance of the evidence,” Curran said. “It is clearly above the 50 percent threshold, more likely than not, that there (was) a threat of violence in that home.”
The questioning came during a meeting of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a legislative panel that has oversight of the administrative rulemaking process.
According to state Sen. John Curran, what’s unclear, based on public statements by state police, is whether the agency, which is charged with overseeing firearm licensing, reviewed the Highland Park report or just discarded it when it was determined Crimo didn’t have a FOID card or pending application.
Curran, a Downers Grove Republican, raised the issue with state police officials Wednesday in his role as a member of the legislature’s bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
The panel was reviewing an emergency rule change state police announced in the wake of the Highland Park shooting that seeks to clarify the agency’s ability to retain such reports even if the subject doesn’t have a FOID card or a pending application. The agency would be able to use the reports in evaluating future applications.
State police also are drafting a permanent rule to address the issue, but Curran said lawmakers can’t consider whether such a change is adequate unless they fully understand what happened in the Highland Park case.
* Sen. Rezin…
Illinois Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) released the following statement after the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules approved an administrative rule that makes changes to the FOID card system’s review process:
“Today’s rule change makes it clear to everyone that the Pritzker Administration accepts the fact that it had the authority and ability to enforce and strengthen our state’s existing laws and rules, which the Governor himself promised to do over three years ago.
“We all recognize the vital importance of keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals, and it is infuriating to learn that our state had the ability to prevent the Highland Park shooter from obtaining a FOID card if it wasn’t for the Administration tying its hands with its own rules.
“The fact of matter is it took a horrific act of senseless violence for the Governor’s Administration to acknowledge this reality and keep the promise he made to the people of Illinois.”
* Sen. DeWitte…
On Wednesday, a new administrative rule was brought before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) that strengthens the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card system and its use of clear-and-present-danger reports. In response to the promulgation of the new rule, State Senator and JCAR member Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) issued the following statement:
“Today, I supported the new rule that strengthens the FOID card review process to prevent dangerous individuals from legally purchasing or possessing firearms. The Pritzker Administration’s purported review of the FOID card process following the Aurora shooting in 2019 failed to recognize this gap in the interpretation and application of clear-and-present-danger reports submitted to the ISP. Had the Pritzker Administration done what they said they were going to do, which was to review and make sure laws already on the books were being implemented more effectively, the tragedy in Highland Park might never have occurred. Local police in Highland Park did their due diligence to alert the State Police of this individual, but because of the gap, which was overlooked in the Pritzker Administration, the report was discarded.”
* ISP today…
The Illinois State Police (ISP) conducted a firearms enforcement blitz with details in all 102 counties across the state from June 16 through July 31, 2022. The enforcement details are designed to ensure those who have had their firearm rights revoked are in compliance with the Firearms Owners Identification Card (FOID) Act.
“Once again, our ISP officers are making Illinois safer by getting dangerous firearms out of the wrong hands,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Since 2019, ISP has executed hundreds of details—placing thousands of individuals in compliance with the FOID Act. Last month’s firearm enforcement blitz is another example of the ways that ISP is preventing gun violence and protecting our communities. I want to thank Director Kelly for his leadership and the rest of the ISP team for their hard work.”
“The ISP continues to aggressively enforce our laws to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of those posing a significant threat to themselves or others,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Through these enforcement details, our impact on this key factor in gun violence continues to strengthen.”
During the enforcement blitz, ISP completed 201 details statewide consisting of 1,716 compliance checks. As a result of these efforts, 1,014 individuals were placed into compliance by surrendering their FOID Cards, transferring all firearms out of their possession, and completing a Firearm Disposition Record. ISP completed 63 details in northern Illinois (Zones 1, 2, and 3) consisting of 421 compliance checks resulting in 223 individuals placed into compliance.
“We commend the Illinois State Police for working to ensure that individuals whose FOID cards have been revoked are following the law and transferring their firearms,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. “I dedicated a unit to this important work nearly a decade ago, and we are committed to working with ISP to help to keep our communities safe.”
ISP began conducting enforcement details in May 2019.
ComEd today issued the following statement on behalf of CEO Gil Quiniones after the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved the company’s voluntary customer refund:
“Today’s approval of ComEd’s voluntary $38 million customer refund resolves any question of whether customer funds were used in connection with the unacceptable conduct detailed in the July 2020 deferred prosecution agreement (DPA).
The quality and value of ComEd’s service to our customers is arguably the best in the nation, but we recognize that delivering excellent performance and value for the dollar is not enough and we are equally dedicated to earning and maintaining our customers’ trust. We’re committed to maintaining high standards of ethical behavior for our business, our leaders and every employee, and we continue to build on the significant new policies, oversight and rigorous employee training that we’ve enacted since 2020 to make sure that the past conduct that drove this refund can never happen again.”
Commonwealth Edison customers are in line for a roughly $38 million refund — or about, on average, a little less than $5 per residential customer — to address what the utility giant acknowledged was its “unacceptable conduct” in the bribery-related scandal that has swept across Illinois and helped end Michael Madigan’s historic run as the Illinois House speaker.
The Illinois Commerce Commission on Tuesday approved the refund plan on a 3-0 vote, with the ICC’s chairwoman abstaining from the vote because her father-in-law has been embroiled in the scandal.
The $38 million refund was an amount ComEd offered after a previous $21 million proposal in December drew criticism for being too small. […]
The ICC order is designed to resolve two investigations — one the ICC initiated and one required by a sweeping energy law approved last year — that called for examining whether ComEd improperly charged ratepayers costs tied to the Madigan scandal.
The customer refund follows ComEd’s separately negotiated $200 million federal fine that was part of the deal with U.S. Attorney John Lausch that disrupted Madigan’s political career and roiled Illinois politics.
Commissioners determined that ComEd’s deferred-prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago allowed for the $200 million equity infusion and so it shouldn’t be included.
ICC Chair Carrie Zalewski recused herself because her father-in-law, former Ald. Michael Zalewski, was among Madigan’s closest allies whom ComEd put on its lobbying payroll in return for little or no work. The vote was 3-0.
“The item before us is the result of Commonwealth Edison’s unacceptable actions to influence legislators and legislation from 2011 to 2019. Under (the 2021 Climate & Equitable Jobs Act) and this docket, the commission has narrow authority to review ComEd’s actions,” ICC Commissioner Ann McCabe said from the bench. “The scope includes whether ratepayer funds were used to pay the $200 million criminal penalty—no—and whether ratepayer funds were expended in connection with the conduct detailed in the DPA.”
* Press release from Illinois PIRG…
The Illinois Commerce Commission approved on Wednesday a $31 million rebate for ComEd customers for costs directly associated with the utility’s bribery scheme. ComEd customers will receive an additional $7 million rebate through a federal regulatory process, for a total $38 million refund.
The Commission investigation was dictated by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The law gave the investigation a narrow scope: to only consider costs ComEd customers paid directly attributable to ComEd’s execution of the scheme, not to the significantly higher rates customers paid and profits ComEd reaped because of legislation, such as the 2011 “formula rate” law, passed over the course of the scheme.
The Commission rejected an argument made by the Illinois Attorney General, City of Chicago and Citizens Utility Board that would have refunded customers an additional $7 million. Those parties argued that ComEd boosted its profit rate through the manner the utility paid its $200 million fine to the federal government through its deferred prosecution agreement.
You can read Illinois PIRG’s report on the 2011 Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act here.
In response, Illinois PIRG Education Fund Director Abe Scarr released the following statement:
“While $38 million is welcome relief for ComEd customers, it’s chump change compared to the more than $6 billion in additional revenue ComEd has earned since the outset of its bribery scheme.
“Not only have policy makers failed to hold ComEd accountable, they rewarded ComEd with a new rate structure maintaining key ‘formula rate’ profit guarantee policies that could be even more profitable for the utility
“ComEd customers should prepare for big rate hikes that will dwarf this less than $5 refund for the average customer.
“ComEd even found a way to boost its profits by paying its fine. It’s hard to imagine a better symbol of the failure of Illinois policymakers to hold ComEd accountable.”
* CUB…
We are disappointed in today’s Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) ruling, and we plan to file a petition for rehearing. A $36 million refund falls short of the refund recommended by CUB, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the City of Chicago. Further, this case was limited to direct costs and only partially compensates customers for ComEd’s misconduct—people deserve better in the wake of Illinois’ most significant utility scandal ever. CUB continues to work on behalf of consumers for full restitution, as well as the most pro-consumer implementation of the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) to protect customers from unjustified rate increases.
Background:
• On August 17, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted 3-0 to order ComEd to give its customers a $31,296,338 refund in connection with the company’s bribery scandal that erupted two years before. The refund, about a $4.80 bill credit on average, will be delivered to customers on their April 2023 bills. [Another $5,019,312, plus interest, will be added to the refund, upon Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval, making the total refund at least $36.3 million.]
• In July 2020, ComEd was fined $200 million by federal authorities, after admitting to a bribery scheme to pass legislation in 2011 that implemented a “formula rate” system. That rate-setting system left electric customers vulnerable to hundreds of millions of dollars in rate hikes over the last decade. (Note: In 2013, ComEd went back to the General Assembly to adjust the formula rate because the utility did not approve of how the ICC was interpreting the law. CUB opposed the 2013 bill for the same reasons it opposed the 2011 law.)
• In October of 2020, in a federal lawsuit, CUB alleged ComEd enriched itself “at the expense of Illinois utility customers.” The consumer watchdog joined a similar state class action.
• In September 2021, a judge dismissed the federal class action lawsuit. In December 2021, a judge threw out the state lawsuit.
• The Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which passed in September of 2021, will replace the unfair formula rate system. CEJA also called for an ICC investigation into a refund. During this investigation, which the ICC ruled on Wednesday, CUB, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the City of Chicago argued for a $45 million refund for ComEd customers. The ICC probe was narrow in scope, only focusing on direct costs—not damage done to consumers by paying higher electric rates.
At a shortened rally later on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Pritzker, standing alongside Hernandez and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, once again downplayed the intraparty tension, especially around Durbin.
“Oh, that’s something that you guys in the press are doing,” Pritzker said. “Dick Durbin and I are friends. We’ve worked together on many issues. Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, [Lt. Gov.] Juliana Stratton, our statewide elected officials all work together for the good of Illinois.”
The media isn’t making anything up. The vitriol is real.
Asked about her absence, [ousted state party chair Robin] Kelly vowed to work with Democrats “whether or not we are unified.”
“Whether or not we are unified, I will work with leaders I trust and respect to ensure that Democrats win in my district, this state and our country on November 8th. The stakes are too high,” Kelly said, calling it “the most important election of our lifetime.”
But on a day traditionally reserved for unbridled partisanship, [Pritzker] and other leading Democrats speaking at the brunch exuberantly assailed Republicans, who have their State Fair rally Thursday.
“The lunatic fringe has taken over their party and they’ll say anything, do anything, destroy anything to get elected,” Pritzker said. “You see, the Donald Trumps and the Darren Baileys of this world want us to feel alone in the struggles that we’re all facing together. They want to distract us into believing that marriage equality, Black history, Disney World, and library books are more of a threat to our children than AR-15s. They’re attempting to divide America with hateful words and a radical agenda.”
Targets for Democrats included Rauner’s tumultuous term as governor, marked by a historic two-year budget stalemate; Bailey’s controversial statements, including his contention that the Holocaust pales in comparison to lives lost through abortion; and Trump’s continued hold over the GOP. […]
The attacks on Republicans overshadowed lingering internal strife among Democrats over the choice of Hernandez as chair of the state party. Hernandez ousted U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson who held the post since March of last year following the resignation of scandal-plagued former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Former Gov. Rauner, an Evanston Republican, and former President Donald Trump were mentioned as frequently as Pritzker’s 2022 challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey.
“I was never worried about the finances of this state even during the darkest days of the pandemic,” Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “When my colleagues in other states would ask, ‘How do you seem so calm?’ I would say, ‘Well, it’s easy – the worst virus to ever hit Illinois’ finances wasn’t COVID, it was Bruce Rauner.’ And thank God we now have JB Pritzker.”
Mendoza, who took office halfway through Rauner’s term as governor, frequently sparred with the ex-governor. She looked back on that, saying she would fight every day to “save our state,” and “metaphorically speaking, kick him in the groin with much joy and pleasure.”
A short video presented at the brunch event showed a montage of clips from Rauner’s four years in office before cutting to images of Bailey with the text “he’s worse.”
Happening jointly with the brunch was a press conference at the state fair, advocating for passage of the “Keep Illinois Home” Tenant Protection Act.
House Bill 5390, also being brought up in the Senate with Senate Bill 3992, would prevent landlords from increasing the rent more than once every 12 months – this sole increase not being allowed to exceed the inflation rate for the same time period
The Lift the Ban Coalition combines more two dozen groups statewide to advocate for renter’s rights. Organizer Helena Duncan said the need for this legislation comes as many are facing sudden rent increases of substantial amounts.
“What we’re seeing is landlords, particularly corporate landlords, are raising the rents above the rate of inflation,” she said. “They’re not just keeping of with price, they’re using this an opportunity to price gouge their tenants.”
Though Illinois is a reliably blue state, Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democrats told the hundreds of local party leaders at the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association brunch that the next 83 days were crucial for increasing voter turnout and energy before the Nov. 8 election. Though voters in reliably blue Illinois won’t determine whether the U.S. House and Senate are returned to Republican hands, they still framed this election season through the lens of national issues, including abortion, voting rights and civil rights for people of color and the LGBT community.
“The lunatic fringe has taken over their party and they’ll say anything, do anything, destroy anything to get elected,” Pritzker told the crowd on Wednesday. “You see, the Donald Trumps and the Darren Baileys of this world want us to feel alone in the struggles that we’re all facing together. They want to distract us into believing that marriage equality, Black history, Disney World and library books are more of a threat to our children than AR-15s.”
Pritzker’s comments came one day after his Republican challenger, State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) spoke to a small rally organized by a “parental rights” activist group that earlier this summer called the governor a “groomer” for signing new sex education standards into law. Also on Tuesday, a contentious school board meeting in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Barrington ended with the approval of LGBT-themed books in District 220’s libraries — a loss for activist group Moms 4 Liberty, which had mobilized opponents by likening the literature to pornography.
The governor said he believed in reaching across the aisle “to build a better, less rancorous political climate.” However, Pritzker said, the stakes are too high to not prioritize scoring political victories.
Abortion remains a key focal point, as Democrats in Illinois and nationally try to further protect women’s reproductive rights after the reversal of Roe v. Wade — and help boost November voter turnout.
“Roe Roe Roe Your Vote” T-shirts were for sale for $25 at the Democrats’ annual brunch at the Bank of Springfield Center.
“Our work honestly is far from over. To protect our fundamental freedoms and fight for working families, we have to elect pro-labor, pro-choice, pro-voting rights, pro-civil rights candidates up and down the Democratic ballot,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. […]
Bailey and the state’s Republicans have their turn Thursday to poke Democrats at the Illinois State Fair’s Republican Day. The GOP nominee’s campaign has been drawing daily $100 gas cards at the fair, which it has dubbed the “Repeal the Pritzker Gas Tax Hike” giveaway.
Pritzker spoke about a unified party but was asked about possible strife inside the party due to Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, being named the new chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, replacing U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson.
Pritzker said if anyone had any problems, they could come talk to him.
“I do not think there is strife. I think we are all working pretty well together,” Pritzker told media at an event on the fairgrounds. “If people feel that way, they should stand up and come see any of us if they want to talk.” […]
What they’re saying: “We have one message and that’s that Democrats deliver,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at the rally. “We’ve delivered so much over the last four years I had to bring a cheat sheet.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you differently: the Democratic party is the party of fiscal responsibility, the party of individual rights, the party of infrastructure and of public safety.”
By the numbers: The two biggest issues searched online in Illinois, according to Google Trends, are jobs and taxes.
So Democrats may be onto something preaching fiscal responsibility.
Yes, but: The party hasn’t had a smooth election year. The election for the state party chairman was controversial, with accusations of racism.
Pritzker rallied with party leaders on Governor’s Day with a focus on getting out the vote and getting Democrats elected up and down the ticket.
“The last thing we’re gonna do, that I’m motivated about is, we’re gonna beat that Trump-supported MAGA extremist Darren Bailey on November 8th. Let’s do this,” Lt. Governor Julianna Stratton, said to rousing applause.
The governor spoke about the urgency of this election, attacking Republicans over abortion rights and gun control. [..]
Democrats used Donald Trump’s endorsement of Republican nominee Darren Bailey as a rallying cry to motivate supporters to get out the vote. With Democrats outnumbering Republicans in Illinois, they are optimistic.
Rick Pearson, chief political reporter for the Chicago Tribune:
“It was two decades ago at Democrat Day at the fair, but the memory still lingers as do the personalities.
“It had only been a few days earlier that Rod Blagojevich, then the Democratic nominee for governor and likely next chief executive after the George Ryan scandal, had criticized veteran Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for steering $1.6 million in state funds to a college classmate who ran a private livestock show at the fairgrounds.
“Blagojevich termed it an act of arrogance by Madigan at a time when funding for social services and education were being scrutinized and slashed and he vowed to veto a similar grant if he was elected.
“On Democrat Day, Madigan did something unusual. He went out of his way to speak to the media because he wanted to leave a mark.
* A volunteer created this for SoS candidate Dan Brady…
* Other fair happenings over on Twitter…
The @ILStateFair has had an exciting first few days and there’s still more to come. We’re celebrating our great state’s agriculture and people. Make sure to pay us a visit. https://t.co/kAYfnuYzDt
Such a blast meeting so many people who love our Chicago and want to see it return to the city we all know it can be, alongside many of my fellow Chicagoans coming down to enjoy all the Illinois State Fair has to offer! pic.twitter.com/t4mfccIjRs
Dems Day at the State Fair. We brought the energy and the fire 💪🏾. Great to see so many amazing leaders and advocates ready to get to work for the people of Illinois. pic.twitter.com/DfkiTYB40D
Not sure what do on your visit to the Illinois State Fair? Illinois Ag Director Jerry Costello and @LtGovStratton will show you their favorite fair activities to help you plan your trip! #ILStateFair2022pic.twitter.com/TUfiXlj7ZV
Bailey’s campaign flew a plane over the fair trailing the banner, “FIRE.JBPRITZKER.COM” — despite that website not being functional.
We talked about this yesterday as well. The Bailey campaign told me last night that their original order did, indeed, have the correct “FireJBPritzker.org” website address, but the advertising company created a banner that mistakenly contained a “.com” domain address. Oops…
As soon as they saw the photo I took yesterday, they ordered the plane to land. It only circled twice, I think. I wondered at the time why it suddenly disappeared.
Anyway, the plane will return to the skies over the fairgrounds during today’s Republican Day festivities with, hopefully, the proper signage.
And elsewhere during Wednesday’s brunch, a three-minute video played a literal hit, underlying Billie Eilish’s breakout 2019 song “Bad Guy” underneath a highlight — or lowlight — reel of Rauner’s time in office.
The video featured a National Review article from 2017 wherein the conservative magazine named him the “worst Republican governor in America” and said “This much is clear: Illinois hardly could do worse.” At that point, the video pans to black and white photos of Bailey overlaid with text that reads, “Meet Darren Bailey. He’s worse,” synching with the part of the chorus in Eilish’s song when she sings, “I’m the bad guy…duh.”
Bailey, his wife Cindy, and his running mate, Stephanie Trussell, have all come under fire this month for recently unearthed social media posts, including homophobic, racist and Islamophobic rhetoric from Cindy Bailey and Trussell. The Pritzker campaign quickly turned a 2017 Facebook Live video from Bailey into an ad featuring the then-legislative candidate’s comparison of abortion to the Holocaust.
The video featured that footage, plus a Facebook Live gaffe from earlier this summer when Bailey said “let’s move on and celebrate freedom” in the hour after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, when details about the shooting and its victims were scarce.
* Every year, there’s a breakout food or drink at the Illinois State Fair. I hereby nominate the blackberry slushy from the Illinois wine outlet in the Village of Cultures…
What’s on your mind today?
…Adding… Sen. Duckworth has her own nomination…
New food at the .@StateofIllinois State Fair. Apples sticks fried in a crunchy coating with a caramel dipping sauce and whipped cream. Tastes like apple pie! pic.twitter.com/dIx3Op4lwr
Governor JB and First Lady MK Pritzker reprised their routine as the two final bidders for the grand champion steer at the Sale of Champions at the Illinois State Fair.
The first lady again prevailed, tying her own 2021 record with a $105,000 bid.
It’s a prize that will partly go toward the college education of the steer’s shower.
21-year-old Ashtin Guyer of Robinson, Ill. will be a senior at Western Illinois University. She raised King, the steer who received the winning bid.
It was a fitting cap for Guyer’s showing career. She started at the age of 6 and worked her way up to winning a Grand Championship at 21. The Western Illinois University student said the experience was something that went beyond simple words or feelings.
“It’s unexplainable,” Guyer said. “You can’t tell anyone how it feels and the emotions that you have going through you. I’m so proud and so blessed.”
At more than 1,300 pounds, King brings a little bit of an attitude to the show ring. Ashtin said the attitude died down somewhat as he aged, maturing into an impressive-enough specimen to be named Grand Champion at the state fair.
“When we first got him, he had a little bit of a fire under him,” she said. “The older he’s gotten, he’s mellowed.”
You can find pictures from SJ-R’s Thomas Turney here.
These accomplished young exhibitors represent the future of our state’s number one industry and they have dedicated their young lives to this work,” Gov. Pritzker said.
“About 5:00 every morning they come in and go into a cooler room that stays at 47 degrees, and they don’t get turned out until midnight, 1:00,” said Ashtin Geyer, 21, of Robinson, Ill. “That cooler room helps grow their hair. That’s his routine, and his routine’s pretty laid-back. He gets to hang out in the cool while it’s hot outside.”
Geyer, who will be a senior at Western Illinois University, showed King – whose posh life leads to an ignominious end.
There’s a historic number of Asian American candidates on the ballot in Illinois this November. Several of them pose for a picture this morning. @SenDuckworth in the center. #twillpic.twitter.com/6poiNUP2VP
Bruce Rauner’s been out of office for nearly four years, but you wouldn’t know it based on the speeches at this morning’s @ILDCCA brunch. Pretty sure the former governor has been name-checked more than current GOP nominee Darren Bailey thus far. #twill
.@DonHarmonIL tells the large crowd that he has seen a trend in national and state politics. “There’s a party that wines and a party that works.” Harmon stressed that Democrats continue to work for a better Illinois. @ILDCCA#twill
.@RepChrisWelch brings up some old boogeymen, namely Bruce Rauner and the Illinois Policy Institute, to set up the stakes for the upcoming election. He leads room in chant of “We won’t go back.” #twill@ILDCCA@illinoispolicy
.@susanamendoza10 doesn’t mince words when talking about Rauner, saying that she would, when necessary, “metaphorically-speaking kick him in the groin with much joy and pleasure.” Also refers to him as Lord Voldemort. #twillhttps://t.co/riUAwqhvvD
.@MikeForIllinois on his Republican opponent @TomDemmer: “For four years he stood as Bruce Rauner’s floor leader carrying his water in Springfield.” #twill
.@GovPritzker celebrates success of @illinoisdems over the past four years. He recognizes work of the General Assembly and county boards across the state. Pritzker says Illinois must elect Democrats to protect families and avoid the “lunatic fringe” GOP. #twillpic.twitter.com/h77BqvieMA
State Sen. Michael Hastings is suing Frankfort’s Police Department and alleges that unnamed employees of the department or Will County released “a fabricated police report with false claims” of domestic violence against him alleged by his wife, who he said he is divorcing.
A petition for discovery, filed last month, seeks records from Frankfort and Will County regarding who may have accessed the June 20, 2021, police report in which his wife alleged that Hastings was verbally abusive toward her and had, several months earlier, battered her at the Frankfort home they shared.
State Sen. Michael Hastings lost a round in court Thursday when a Will County judge ruled that potential sworn testimony by a Tinley Park police officer and Mayor Michael Glotz were irrelevant to the senator’s divorce case at this time.
Judge Dinah Archambeault quashed subpoenas that sought to depose Glotz and a police officer who took a report from Hastings’ estranged wife on Father’s Day 2021 at the Tinley Park Police Department.
Attorneys for Hastings argued the prospective witnesses might shed light on alleged efforts to damage the senator’s political career.
An ethics investigation launched last year at the behest of state Sen. Michael Hastings found his former chief of staff engaged in prohibited political activity and misappropriated state resources by using her official email account to conduct personal business.
The legislative inspector general concluded that allegations Hastings made against Cassandra Matz, who worked for him from 2013 until he fired her in 2018, were “factually well-founded” and that her termination was “supported by the facts,” according to an investigative summary report.
In a letter dated August 12, 2022, to Secretary of the Senate Tim Anderson, Senate President Don Harmon wrote:
“Senator Michael E. Hastings has stepped down from his role on Senate Democrat Majority Caucus Whip. I have accepted this resignation and it is effective immediately. If you have any questions, please contact Jake Butcher, Chief of Staff.”
In 2019, Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings and the Illinois State Senate were sued by Cassandra Matz, who was Hastings’ former Chief of Staff (See Chicago Tribune article).
The Cook County Case Number was: 2019-L-6369 and alleged she was paid less than her predecessor and was treated differently than his other employees, which constituted harassment. Count I complained of Violations of State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. […]
On December 8, 2021, the court docket shows a “Stipulation to Dismiss” was filed.
According to the Stipulation to Dismiss, “Each party shall bear their own attorney’s fees, costs, and expenses.” This Stipulation was signed by both party’s attorneys. […]
* And Sen. Hastings posted this on his Facebook page earlier today…
#perspective
Life can be like that. It kicks us around. The stuff we expected to be simple turns out to be tough. The people we thought were friends let us down. A couple storms or unexpected weather patterns just add a whole bunch of difficulty on top of whatever we’ve been doing.
How could that possibly be seen as a good thing? You have to squint a bit to see it, but there is one way: if you see what’s been happening as practice, as training.
Seneca wrote that only the prize fighter who has been bloodied and bruised—in training and in previous matches—can go into the ring confident of his chances of winning. The one who has never been touched before, never had a hard fight? That’s a fighter who is scared. And if they aren’t, they should be. Because they have no actual idea how they’re going to hold up.
His point was that the boxer who has, “seen his own blood, who has felt his teeth rattle beneath his opponent’s fist…who has been downed in body but not in spirit…”—they know what they can take. They know what the darkness before the proverbial dawn feels like. Only they have a true and accurate sense of rhythms of a fight and what winning is going to require them to do. That sense comes from getting knocked around. That sense is only possible because of the hard times—the hard knocks—they’ve experienced before.
So yeah, things might not be great right now. Obviously it’d be nice if they were better. But if they were, you’d also be weaker for it. Less informed. Less in touch with yourself and the fight you’re in.
So squint and see that.
*** UPDATE *** Sen. Hastings’ resignation letter indicates that his resignation was requested by Senate President Harmon…
While the governor quickly announced he would call a special session after the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade was overturned in June, lawmakers have thus far not scheduled any return to the Capitol.
Last week, Pritzker wasn’t any clearer as to when he expected lawmakers to return to address issues such as abortion rights and gun violence.
“As you know, the working groups are hard at work in the House of Representatives, working on various aspects of legislation, working with advocates, listening to them,” he said. “And so we’re cautiously optimistic that they’ll be able to come up with ideas for us to be able to bring forward in a special session, or in veto session, or some of it may even be in the new year.”
On Tuesday, Pritzker was asked about session again, noting he was in favor of banning high-capacity magazines and assault-style weapons like the ones used in the Highland Park July 4 shooting.
Well, let me be clear, I am in favor of banning assault style weapons in the state of Illinois. I’m in favor of gun safety measures like banning high capacity magazines, like the ones that we saw used in Highland Park, for example, in that terrible tragedy. So I have told this to legislators. I know that they’re in working groups now to try to figure out what they can get done. As you know, in the current time period, it requires to get something done, you really have to get a supermajority of legislators voting for something. And in the new session in January, fewer. So the question is, can they come up with a compromise or bills that will meet my requirements that could get done before the new session, and that’s what I’m looking for.
Q: Do you plan on debating your opponent? Where do you stand?
A: We’re definitely going to debate. And, you know, we’ll be making decisions about that sometime over the next several weeks. And by the way, welcome to Springfield. Glad to have you at the state fair.
Q: It is the tradition that the incumbent usually gets to pick. I mean, that’s how it goes, whether that’s fair. The challenger always wants more. Do you see yourself doing 2, 3, 4?
A: I don’t know. Decisions haven’t been made yet about that. But we surely will debate. There’s no doubt about that. I’m looking forward to that. I am I look forward to debating.
Q: Why do you think that’s important?
A: Why is it important to debate? Well, I mean, there are clear differences between Darren Bailey and me. I’m standing up for working families, making sure that we’re protecting women’s rights, reproductive rights, fighting to make sure that we have gun safety, but also that we’re actually supporting our police and public safety. And that’s something that I’ve done throughout my term in office. Darren Bailey has not, so there’s a lot that we’re going to be debating about, no doubt about it. And I look forward to demonstrating that when we’re together. But I will point out, I stand up in front of the press, I don’t know, virtually every day, certainly on average, once a day, answer any questions that come. I don’t tell you, I’m not going to answer questions. And the fact is that Darren Bailey doesn’t want to answer questions from members of the media, walks away, tells you that he’s not going to answer questions. It seems to me that he ought to answer the questions that you put forward. And certainly a debate will be one opportunity. But I think it ought to be every day on the campaign trail. If you’re out there, and you’re open to having people attend your events. You ought to be open to having the press ask you questions.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey on Tuesday said he’d prioritize eliminating “critical race theory” and “egregious” sex education standards from Illinois schools if elected to replace Gov. JB Pritzker in November, courting a relatively new coalition of voters radicalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bailey made those comments to a small rally outside the state Capitol building in Springfield organized by activist group Awake IL, which in recent weeks has come under fire for its social media posts, including a tweet in June that called Pritzker a “groomer” for signing new sex education standards into law.
Awake IL also took credit for “blast[ing]” a planned drag show targeted at families at a bakery in Chicago’s far north suburban Lake in the Hills in July, calling it “perverted,” and warning, “they’re coming for your kids, McHenry County.” But after UpRising Bakery was vandalized the night before the scheduled event — including broken windows and graffiti that said “f*gs rape kids” — the group distanced itself from Joseph Collins, the alleged perpetrator with ties to the Proud Boys.
Awake IL founder Shannon Adcock on Tuesday reiterated to NPR Illinois that her group “had nothing to do” with the vandalism and doesn’t condone violence. The day before the scheduled show, Awake IL’s Twitter account praised the pressure campaign that forced UpRising to make ticket information harder to find. […]
Bailey declined to speak to reporters while departing from the rally
This messaging emphasis and associating himself with that group won’t ever get him close to 50 percent plus one in Illinois. Maybe, I dunno, in Mississippi, but not in Illinois. I mean, it’s mid-August and he’s still publicly pandering to the micro-base of the base of the base. The object is to depress the other side’s base and appeal to the middle. All he’s going to do with stuff like this is further fire up the other side’s base, which is considerably larger than his, and frighten the middle.
Under signs that read “GENDER IS NOT INTERCHANGEABLE! GOD CREATED MALE/FEMALE,” and “dad /dad/ noun a human male who protects his kids from gender ideology,” Bailey on Tuesday stressed the importance of fighting for “these freedoms that are being taken away from us.”
“Children are our most valuable asset but our children and our rights as parents, they’re being stripped from us,” he said during an eight-minute speech.
He acknowledged the small size of the crowd, which he blamed on economic conditions that prevented some from traveling to Springfield.
“Some of you had to make the decisions today, and some of you had to sacrifice whether or not you even come here,” said Bailey, a state senator from Xenia. “And I’m going to contend that may be one of the very reasons why this crowd size is smaller than we know it ought to be because people in this state are now making decisions whether we put food on our table or whether we fill our gas tanks up.”
C’mon. The gathering was small because the real-life crowds generated by that social media group are, as far as I can tell, pretty much always small. This isn’t a presidential race. Counties don’t vote.
The campaign for Darren Bailey, the GOP nominee for Illinois governor, is once again publicly distancing itself from a suspect charged in the attack on the U.S. Capitol after new video emerged showing the man campaigning alongside a paid Bailey campaign staffer.
So far, the FBI has charged 28 people from Illinois for alleged crimes at the Capitol on Jan. 6. One of them is Lawrence Ligas, who was charged last December with three criminal counts for storming the Capitol. Ligas has signaled he intends to face the charges at trial. He’s scheduled to appear in court again next month. […]
Bailey’s campaign lists Corrigan’s name in campaign finance documents under the category “staff salaries.” On Tuesday, Bailey campaign officials downplayed Corrigan’s role in the campaign, describing him as a 17-year-old paid intern who was not authorized to speak on behalf of the campaign.
Still, if Bailey intended to put distance between his campaign and Ligas, it’s clear Ligas never got the message.
“I believe in Darren Bailey so strongly that I’m out here trying to wake up the people that don’t get it,” Ligas said into the camera.
“He does not represent the campaign and anyone who breaks the law should be held accountable for their actions,” DeBose reiterated on Tuesday. […]
Ligas is not the only avid Darren Bailey supporter who was seen at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
5 On Your Side has also confirmed the identities of an Illinois couple seen in a video outside the Capitol on January 6th. Because they’re private citizens, not listed on campaign payroll, and have not been charged with a crime, we are not publishing their identities. But the comments they broadcasted on Jan. 6 reveal how strongly they felt when the crowd of rioters learned Mike Pence certified the election results:
“Do your (expletive) job or swing!” the man shouted, an apparent reference to the common chant from Trump supporters on that day, “Hang Mike Pence.” […]
“Darren does not condone this kind of language,” the Bailey campaign responded.
Does Bailey believe Mike Pence did the right thing on Jan. 6?
“Mike Pence followed the constitutional process,” DeBose said. “Joe Biden is the duly elected president, and he and JB Pritzker are failing Illinoisans.”
It’s one thing for a spokesperson to say something like that. But Bailey has a very bad habit of quickly and forcefully backtracking after his campaign issues official statements. Put the candidate himself in front of reporters on a regular basis and let him speak to all of this. Politico…
Darren Bailey has made a major pivot. His team told reporter Mark Maxwell that “Mike Pence followed the constitutional process” and “Joe Biden is the duly elected president.”
Patting Bailey on the head because his spokesperson (not the candidate himself) admitted the bare minimum is what used to be known as the soft bigotry of low expectations. If Bailey himself had made those remarks during his speech to that tiny right-wing group, then that would’ve been a “major pivot.”
Governor Pritzker along with leading global diversified chemical company LG Chem, and ADM, a global leader in nutrition and biosolutions, today announced that pending regulatory approval, two planned joint ventures for U.S. production of lactic acid and polylactic acid will be located in Decatur. The projects will help meet the growing demand for a wide variety of plant-based products, including eco-friendly bioplastics.
The first joint venture, GreenWise Lactic, would produce up to 150,000 tons of high-purity corn-based lactic acid annually. ADM would be the majority owner of GreenWise, and would contribute fermentation capacity from its Decatur bioproducts facility to the venture. The second venture, LG Chem Illinois Biochem, will build a new facility that will use product from Greenwise Lactic to produce approximately 75,000 tons of polylactic acid (PLA) per year. Decatur serves as ADM’s North American headquarters. The joint ventures are expected to create more than 125 jobs.
“I am thrilled that LG Chem and ADM have chosen Decatur as home for their joint ventures,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our state’s talented workforce coupled with our mission of sustainability makes Illinois the best place for these lactic and polylactic acid production facilities. To LG Chem and ADM: thank you for your commitment to our state. It is innovative, plant-based solutions like these that will help us tackle the climate crisis head on.”
Lactic acid is used broadly in food, feed and cosmetics in addition to industrials like bioplastics. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, eco-friendly plastic. Both lactic acid and PLA have seen significant growing global demand as more companies and consumers seek sustainable products.
The joint ventures, which are subject to required regulatory approvals, anticipate beginning operations in late 2025 or early 2026, with construction on the new facility planned for 2023. Both ventures are participating in the State of Illinois’ Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program, which provides incentives to job creators who plan to make large-scale investments in Illinois.
“Sustainability is one of the enduring global trends that is powering ADM’s strategy and growth,” said ADM CEO Juan R. Luciano. “Our BioSolutions platform is helping us meet that demand by redeploying Carbohydrate Solutions production capacity to fast-growing, higher margin segments including pharmaceuticals and personal care, textiles and paper products. BioSolutions is already growing rapidly, with $136 million in year-over-year revenue growth in the first half of 2022, and with these two new joint ventures, we’re planning to take the next growth step, greatly expanding our ability to meet growing demand for plant-based solutions. We’re pleased to expand our collaboration with LG Chem, and we’re excited at the opportunity to bring this new intended production and all of its economic benefits to Decatur, our North American headquarters.”
“The establishment of this joint venture is a sustainable growth strategy that can directly contribute in solving environmental issues such as climate change and waste plastics,” said LG Chem Chief Executive Officer Hak Cheol. “LG Chem is the first Korean company to build a PLA plant with integrated production capacities ranging from raw materials to the final product. With the establishment of this JV, LG Chem will not only procure production capacities for highly pure lactic acid needed for commercial-scale PLA production, but will also be able to apply biomaterials in the development of various high value-added products. Based on eco-friendly materials, which is an axis for new growth engines, we will respond to the rapidly changing market and customers, while becoming a market leader.”
“Demand for plant-based products is on the rise and it’s no surprise Illinois is attractive to companies looking to expand in this industry,” U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said. “As the federal government seeks opportunities to invest in greener buildings, it will look to states like Illinois that are leaders in the production of eco-products. Today’s news is a positive step and I appreciate the efforts of state and local leaders to bring even more jobs to Illinois.”
“When I led a congressional delegation to South Korea earlier this year, I met with the CEO of LG Chem, Hak Cheol Shin, and shared how Illinois is uniquely positioned for greater investment as a growing hub for innovation, manufacturing and technology. I’m proud my advocacy helped bring this important investment to Illinois,” said Senator Duckworth. “LG Chem recognizes what I’ve long known: Illinois is a great place to do business. Building on ADM’s 120-year history in Illinois, I’m glad the leaders at ADM and LG Chem made this decision to help our state lead the transition to a clean energy economy and create good-paying jobs right here so we can help build a better, more sustainable future for communities throughout Illinois. I will continue to spread the message across the country and around the world that entrepreneurs and innovative companies should call Illinois home.”
“This new venture will create good-paying jobs and stimulate economic growth in Decatur,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “This is an excellent opportunity to bring growth to the region and revitalize our communities. Additionally, a shift towards biodegradable, eco-friendly plastics promotes sustainability and provides our communities with a brighter tomorrow.”
“The LG Chem Project is a major victory for Decatur and the environment,” said Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe. “It’s more than 100 new jobs, $400 million invested, and their innovative green technology is synergistic with ADM’s operations. Everybody wins! Today’s announcements would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of the city, the State of Illinois, ADM and the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County.”
“Innovative companies continue to locate in Illinois because of our world-class infrastructure, skilled workforce and leadership in key industries, like biochemical production,” said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia. “We’re looking forward to LG Chem and ADM’s innovative joint ventures locating in Decatur, which will create jobs, bring significant investment to the region and continue growth in this key sector.”
The Highland Park City Council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution urging state and federal bans on assault weapons, high capacity magazines and other actions to curb gun violence, with the move stemming from the July 4 parade massacre where a shooter with an assault rifle killed seven people and wounded 48.
The Highland Park vote came after the Lake County Board, mainly on a party line 16-5 vote on Aug. 9, passed a measure adding to its legislative agenda a call for the state of Illinois and Congress to take action.
The measures from Highland Park and Lake County are advisory — and throws the spotlight on Democrats in Springfield, where they hold a supermajority in the state House and Senate and the governorship.
There is internal debate over whether to bring up legislative proposals before the November election — and expose some Downstate Democrats to a vote they would rather avoid — or wait for the fall veto session, which takes place after the election. The state House needs 71 yes votes to make any bill effective immediately and 60 votes for a 2023 effective date.
* Must’ve overslept…
It’s 2:39 (so, nearly 40 mins late) and the event still hasn’t started but the crowd has grow. By maybe 15 and @JesseSullivanIL has shown up. pic.twitter.com/BBAS2vCdc7
Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest Tea Party political action committee, is pleased to announce its endorsement of Esther Joy King in Illinois’s 17th Congressional District.
Tea Party Express Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Sal Russo said, “Esther Joy King is a commonsense leader with the drive and commitment needed to advocate for the Midwestern values of Illinoisans, and we are proud to endorse her campaign.
“Esther is a true servant leader who has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others. She served as an aid worker in Afghanistan fighting for the dignity of oppressed women, and she is a vocal critic on the disastrous way Biden botched the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
“After finishing her time helping women in Afghanistan, Esther desired to serve our great country in a new way, and joined the U.S. Army Reserve. Not only is she a JAG Officer, but she also practices law as an attorney and focuses on real estate and economic development. Her law background and real-life experience working with everyday Americans allows her to understand the challenges and struggles Illinoisans face under Biden and Pelosi’s regime.
“Illinoisans have been hit hard with record-high inflation and skyrocketing prices in every area, and with massive tax hikes and reckless spending flooding out of Washington, D.C., the hits will only keep coming unless we elect battle-ready leaders like Esther to reverse the course. Esther knows the thousands of farms in the 17th District are the heart and soul of the local economy, and she’s determined to fight to protect the rights of local family farms so they can thrive and create new jobs.
“The people of Illinois need a Representative like Esther who will put their interests first and get the government off their backs. Tea Party Express applauds Esther’s pledge to stop reckless spending and her commitment to force Congress to live within their means, and we are proud to offer our endorsement to Esther Joy King as the next Congresswoman from Illinois,” Russo concluded.
* I missed this Fox32 interview with Republican US Senate nominee Kathy Salvi while I was on vacation, but then a commenter pointed it out yesterday…
Salvi is a staunchly pro-life activist who says it’s the pro-choice Duckworth who is an “extremist” on abortion.
“The law in Illinois is nine-month elective abortion, taxpayer-funded. This is the law in Illinois that my opponent supports. And she wants to let this law be the law throughout all 50 states. This is extreme, radical,” Salvi said.
But Salvi declined to answer when FOX 32 Chicago asked several times if there are any circumstances — rape, incest or to preserve the life of the mother — in which abortion should be legal.
“I’m going to go on to what the issue is, I think I’ve answered this well enough. And you can press me on and on,” Salvi said.
The Republican running against Senator Tammy Duckworth called Wednesday for cutting off American aid to Ukraine.
“This is another example of the Washington elite just sending our money, spending our money to oblivion,” said Kathy Salvi.
* From US Rep. Mary Miller’s district newsletter…
WE STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
Every American should be alarmed and outraged by what’s happening in this country. The raid on a former President’s home is unprecedented and has all the markings of a total abuse of power.
The policies of the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats have led us into a recession with open borders, a massive crime wave, food shortages, supply chain issues, a destruction of our youth, and a foreign policy crisis showing extreme weakness on the world stage. In an act to make us all forget, the Department of Justice is now engaging in partisan politics by smearing President Trump, creating lasting and permanent damage to our democracy.
The Biden DOJ officials involved in this attack on the democratic process must be held accountable by Congress under a new majority. If this is what they’re able to do to the former president of the United States, think about what they could do to you.
We have to always remember the swiftness with which the Republicans turned, savagely, on the FBI, on the Justice Department. In a totalitarian state, the leader is the king, and his word is truth. His word is law. Period.
GOP candidate for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) expressed concerns about rising school supply prices, and says Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s policies are “hitting these hardworking families the hardest.”
He notes that while Pritzker talks about helping middle and lower-income people, his policies have disproportionately harmed Illinoisans.
“The cost of school supplies is so high that some people are looking at using buy-now, pay-later plans just to get their kids the supplies they need for the new school,” Bailey said. “These costs are up 40 percent, and many families are struggling to be able to afford the increase. The paltry sales tax holiday Pritzker is touting is not enough to help working families.”
A Will County judge ruled Thursday that Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz and a police officer will not be required to comply with State Sen. Michael Hastings’ subpoena request made as part of his divorce proceedings.
Judge Dinah Archambeault dismissed the subpoenas, saying that any potential testimony would not be relevant to Hastings’ divorce case, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
The requests were made in connection with a police report Hastings’ estranged wife reportedly filed with Tinley Park Police on Father’s Day 2021, the Tribune reports.
In a copy of the subpoena issued to Glotz obtained by Patch, the request called for Glotz to disclose any and all communications between him and Hastings’ wife Kathleen, including text messages, social media messages, emails, phone messages, and other digital communications. It also called for Glotz to share any communications discussing the dissemination of the “defamatory statements and documents, receipt of photos, audiotapes, videotapes” pertaining to the couple, and any documentation of money owed to or by either Glotz or Hastings, or money gifted or loaned to Hastings.
— Rich Janor is scheduled to be introduced today as the new Republican nominee for state representative in the 41st District. Janor will join House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and state Sen. John Curran on the steps of Naperville City Hall for the announcement. Janor will replace Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, a Naperville city councilwoman, who dropped out of the House race earlier this month for personal, family reasons. Janor will face Democratic incumbent state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr in November. The 41st District includes parts of Naperville and Warrenville and spans DuPage and Will counties. […]
— Democratic Congressman Sean Casten has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in his bid for the newly drawn IL-06.
— Judge Elizabeth Rochford has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in her bid for the Illinois Supreme Court’s Second District seat.
Former Gov. Pat Quinn, who is considering a run for mayor, called on City Hall to release an inspector general’s report on the botched 202 implosion of a power plant smokestack that left Little Village smothered in dust.
Quinn wanted to hand-deliver a letter Monday to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Corporation Counsel Celia Meza at City Hall, seeking the public release of an investigative report that was completed last year but which Lightfoot’s administration has kept secret. The Chicago City Council and Little Village community activists have made similar demands.
But the former governor got no farther than the lobby, denied permission to go upstairs because he didn’t have an appointment. Someone came to the lobby to get the letter.
The Chicago Board of Ethics voted to fine South Side Ald. Derrick Curtis $1,000 for using his city email account to invite residents to a campaign breakfast for Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The board voted to fine Curtis on Monday. They did not name Curtis, who represents the 18th Ward, but the pattern of facts released in the board’s probable cause statement fit conduct first reported by the Tribune in June.
Chicago’s Lower West Side best known as a backdrop for the 2014 Hollywood blockbuster “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The state will accept bids this fall for Damen Silos at 2900 S. Damen Ave., along the South Branch of the Chicago River, a 23.4-acre property familiar to drivers on the Stevenson Expressway for its towering old grain silos.
Officials said selling Damen Silos will relieve the state of a financial burden, and a buyer could transform it into a data center, telecom facility, cannabis business or an industrial complex, giving surrounding neighborhoods an economic lift.
“The sale of this surplus property will generate significant economic opportunities in Chicago’s Lower West Side and McKinley Park communities while also saving the State the cost of annual operating expenses,” said Anthony Pascente, acting director of the state’s Central Management Services, in a prepared statement. […]
The state is selling the property in “as-is” condition, and initial bids, which must be a minimum of $3.25 million, are due by Oct. 19. Officials will choose the winning bid by November, according to a marketing flyer from commercial real estate firm JLL.
The state Department of Central Management Services hired Rick Levin & Associates Inc. to sell the property at 2900 S. Damen Ave. in an online auction Nov. 2 through Nov. 7. The site just north of Interstate 55 includes several abandoned silos and was used as a movie set last September, when Transformers crews filmed explosions there.
The property is in an industrial area and sits just west of the former Chicago Sun-Times printing plant, which is being converted into a data center. An industrial use “would certainly seem logical” for the site, though retail is a possibility too, said Rick Levin, president of the Chicago-based auction house. […]
Levin tried to auction the property in 2007 and received interest from barge and transportation companies, Mr. Levin said. But no buyer was willing to pay the state’s minimum bid of $17.3 million.
Seven years and one real estate crash later, the new minimum bid is $3.8 million. The state set the bids by averaging three appraisals of the parcel, Mr. Levin said.
* New City tells how the silo went from “feeding the world” to abandoned relic…
Located off the Damen Avenue exit of I-55, this massive city within a city was built in 1906 just off its namesake rail line. It had an overall capacity of 400,000 bushels of grain, with five shipping and receiving legs that were able to accommodate four separate rails. It also had thirty-five concrete storage bins, a 1,500-horsepower electrical plant, a marine tower and eight vessel loading spouts. All in all, the plant could process 75,000 bushels of grain per hour. […]
This was the case in 1977, as a massive explosion and fire, along with over thirty years of abandonment, turned the Santa Fe grain elevators into a burnt-out relic which could serve as a set for every neo-futuristic end-of-the-world movie from “Mad Max” to “The Matrix.” To the west of the ruins is a stagnant channel where the Chicago River meets the I&M Sanitary and Ship Canal. The grey, murky water, filled with white foam, industrial driftwood, plastic grocery bags and used condoms serves as a moat guarding the east and north end of the ruins. To the south is a rusted, barbed-wire fence adorned by a small sign that reads: “State Property, No Trespassing.”
Beyond the fence is a field of weeds, rusted steel beams and hundreds of blocks of cement the size of small cars. Towering over them are rounded silos climbing over a hundred feet in the air. Next to it is a square, cement building fifteen stories high. Its rotting walls are filled with broken windows and chunks of hanging, rusting rebar, all ringed by a steel ribbon on top which has been completely painted by graffiti artists who somehow got on top of the sheer cement walls.
* The silos are a popular spot for urban explorers…
The 15-story grain silos at 2860 S. Damen Ave. have been useless since a 1977 explosion. They were built in 1906 by the Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and they had capacity for 400,000 bushels of grain.
There are lots of curiosity seekers like Kinsch. Dave “Gone” Brault, then a 23-year-old college student, even lived in the silos earlier this decade. He dubbed it, “post-apocalypse park.”
Kinsch said one of the more popular areas is the basement, “which is comprised of a series of tunnels that you can easily get lost in.”
“There are thousands of square feet of tunnels which stretch under half the 24-acre lot,” Kinsch said. “The maze of tunnels can make for some very creepy yet stunning photographs, also while exploring down there you find some pretty interesting rooms.”
* According to WBEZ the movie brought in money to the state…
The filming of the third Transformers movie brought about $24 million in spending to Illinois. The reviews of Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon aren’t so glowing, but the filming of the movie was a success for Illinois. Transformers was filmed in Chicago last summer and brought in hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the state.
Betsy Steinberg is with the Illinois Film Office. She says a 30 percent tax credit for film productions played a big part in attracting filmmakers.
“Without a serious tax credit, it’s very difficult to get any kind of film industry to town. Currently, over 40 states have some sort of film tax credits or incentives in place,” she said.
Steinberg says the film industry as a whole brought in a record $161 million to the state in 2010. She says more projects are in the works this year, including a Superman movie being filmed around Plano, Illinois.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that Illinois is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 state attorneys general to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States. This bipartisan national task force has one goal: to cut down on illegal robocalls.
“Robocalls aren’t just an Illinois problem. They are a nationwide problem. That is why I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general in launching this task force,” Raoul said. “Robocalls cost consumers time and money, as well as violate their privacy. I will continue to protect the rights of Illinois consumers by fighting against this illegal practice.”
The task force has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic. Gateway providers that bring foreign traffic into the U.S. telephone network have a responsibility to ensure the traffic is legal, but these providers are not taking sufficient action to stop robocall traffic. In many cases, they appear to be intentionally turning a blind eye in return for steady revenue. The task force will focus on the bad actors throughout the telecommunications industry, to help reduce the number of robocalls that Illinois residents receive, which will also benefit the companies that are following the rules.
Raoul is committed to stopping illegal and unwanted calls. According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include Social Security Administration fraud against seniors, Amazon scams against consumers, and many other scams targeting all consumers, including some of our most vulnerable residents. An estimated $29.8 billion was stolen through scam calls in 2021. Most of this scam robocall traffic originates overseas. The task force is focused on shutting down the providers that profit from this illegal scam traffic and refuse to take steps to otherwise mitigate these scam calls.
Nothing has been able to kill scam robocalls — not federal regulation, not individual state lawsuits, not private software. Each effort has made a dent, but the unwanted calls keep on coming, much to the consternation of Americans on the receiving end.
Now, all 50 state attorneys general, Republicans and Democrats, have come together through a newly formed task force to go after U.S. telecommunications companies that allow robocalls originating overseas to reach their customers.
Stopping nuisance calls from foreign countries has been particularly challenging. The AGs have put telecom companies on notice that they must stop the scam calls before they go through to customers, or face prosecution. Experts say that strategy just might work. […]
“The problem has been that the (Federal Communications Commission) fines someone … one at a time, or one AG shuts down a carrier,” [Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, a robocall-blocking software company] said. “Now, it’s 50 going after them and 50 court proceedings and 50 fines. I’m optimistic that this will make some impact. Enforcement really is key.”
You know me by sight: I was an IIS/ IOCI cameraman for over 30 years, under 7 governors, retired in November. (I’m the big guy in back in the poster) We spent a lot of time cooling our heels outside the Gov’s office waiting for the 4 tops to come out of meetings, over the years. This is the band I belong to, playing at the Senior Center at the Illinois Building at the Fair today, 4 PM. All electric ukuleles, playing a broad variety of genres on our third concert for Dept. On Aging. Pop by on your way to the Sale of Champions maybe? 4:00 PM in the exhibit hall. We’d appreciate a plug to get more folks to come see us. Mahalo!
The enclosed poster…
All electric ukuleles? Sounds kinda cool.
* Press release…
Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) representatives, including Secretary Jennifer Ricker, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the second annual Tech Prairie STEAM Expo at 10 a.m. on Aug. 17 at the Illinois State Fair.
The Expo will provide a forum to highlight K-12 and postsecondary education, business, industry, research, and development related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics in Illinois with a goal of allowing the community space to engage, interact, and explore with exhibitors from across the state.
“STEAM plays a major role in our day-to-day lives and I’m thrilled to debut this year’s Tech Prairie STEAM Expo,” said DoIT Secretary Jennifer Ricker. “At DoIT, we believe exposing STEAM to kids at an early age helps them build a strong foundation to become successful innovators and future leaders. We hope you’ll join us as we kick off this exciting educational opportunity at the fair.”
The Expo will highlight the incredible innovation and emerging career and educational opportunities in STEAM fields throughout the state during the great celebration that is the Illinois State Fair.
WHAT: Tech Prairie STEAM Expo Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Orr Building, Main Stage
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Tent will be a destination for fairgoers during the 2022 Illinois State Fair. Free food samples, apple cider slushies, USDA Beagle Brigade, free kids crafts, free caricatures and balloon animals, peddle tractors and the corn sensory-play table celebrates agriculture’s impact on Illinois.
“Over the course of the last year and half our locally grown products have become more important than ever,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello. “People want to know where their food is coming from and to give them the chance to meet the farmers growing it is even better. We will have farmers from traditional to urban, covering the full scope of Illinois agriculture.”
Activities taking place at the IDOA Tent include:
Artisan Market-Enjoy FREE samples from local food artisans, August 12th-14th! Featuring: Uncle Joe’s BBQ, Rolling Lawns Ice Cream, Ropp Jersey Cheese, A Lil Sumpin’ Special Desserts, Fruit of the Spirit Jams, Glaciers End Shrubs, Golden Hour Bake House Baked Goods, Grand Oak Farm Breads, Hello Water Drinks, JR’s Seasoning, Peter’s Produce Snacks, Spiceocity Seasoning, Umland’s Crunchy Cheese, and Whisk Me Away Baked Goods.
AgVenture Kids Area-Take your children on an AgVenture and learn the importance of Illinois agriculture through play. Featuring: pedal tractors, crafts, piglets, the corn sensory bin and opportunities for FREE balloon animals and caricatures, check the daily schedule for times.
Illinois Specialty Growers Farm Stand- Serving apple cider slushies, watermelon, soft-serve ice cream, sweet corn, and peaches.
Illinois Farm Bureau Stage-Check the daily schedule for the exciting things happening on the Illinois Farm Bureau Stage, including the USDA Beagle Brigade, Hemp-crete demonstrations from the Illinois Hemp Growers Association, the Lego Bee-Hive Build, Farmer Phil, and much more!
HyVee Illinois Product Store-Shop your favorite local products at the HyVee Illinois Product Store! Featuring: Donny B’s Popcorn, Turasky’s Meats, Ropp Jersey Cheese, Riley’s Seasoning,
Prevail Jerky, Froozeballs, Spiceocity Seasonings, Peter’s Produce Snacks, and Whisk Me Away Baked Goods.
The IDOA Tent will be open daily 10am to 8pm and 10am to 6pm the last Sunday of the fair. Check the daily schedule for details.
Events today in Springfield: Democratic Party leaders will elect officers to work with new party Chair Lisa Hernandez.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) will host a Farm Bill roundtable with state Sen. Patrick Joyce at the fair at 11:30 a.m.
The Illinois AFL-CIO Vote Yes for Workers Rights group is having a cookout.
Darren Bailey headlines a GOP Unity Event at Mariah’s Steakhouse & Pasta.
And Senate President Don Harmon and the Senate Democratic Caucus will rally at the Illinois Association of Beer Distributors.
Bailey’s unity event is tomorrow. All you’ll get at Mariah’s today is good food.
* And the Willie Nelson show starts at 8 with his special guest Elle King. I haven’t been to the fairgrounds yet, so I haven’t seen the renovations…
The 2022 Illinois State Fair is open in Springfield with over $48 million worth of renovations to the fairgrounds. […]
The project included paving the roadways in front of the cattle barn, swine barn, and the Avenue of Flags as a part of the first phase of renovations.
Costello also announced a multi-million dollar construction project to renovate the fairground’s multi-purpose arena.
“Construction is underway right now, restoring and renovating the multi-purpose arena,” Costello said. “That is an $8.6 million project.” […]
“I would also mention that the second phase of The Coliseum renovations will start in September,” Costello said. “These are just a few of the projects we are working on to attract visitors year-round.”
The Republican nominee for Illinois governor has held multiple events involving the gun store where the alleged Highland Park shooter acquired the semi-automatic rifle he allegedly used during a Fourth of July shooting spree.
Illinois GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey held a January event at Red Dot Arms, a gun store in Villa Park that’s about a 45-minute drive northwest of Highland Park. And in April, the company was involved in a gun raffle to benefit Bailey’s campaign. […]
Bailey’s campaign held a gun raffle campaign fundraiser in late April and posted footage of it online, but later deleted it. Red Dot Arms was listed as a partner for the event on a campaign flyer, along with two other gun stores. […]
One of the guns Bailey auctioned off at the event was an AR-15, which he described as “a beautiful rifle, certainly one that emulates freedom here in our country.”
“The shooter is still at large, so let’s pray for justice to prevail and then let’s move on and let’s celebrate the independence of this nation,” Bailey said immediately after the Highland Park shooting occurred on July 4.
And there was the Facebook comment after the July 4th mass shooting in Highland Park, in which he said, “Let’s move on and celebrate.” To his credit, Bailey pulled back on the comment, issuing a statement: “I apologize if in any way we diminished the pain being felt across our state today.”
As I told subscribers last week, the news media is getting into the unfortunate habit of merely quoting Bailey’s initial apologies. As we know all too well, he has walked back two of those apologies, saying, in the case of Highland Park that the media took his remarks out of context and claimed he explained all this to a Highland Park Democrat. They’re only telling part of the story.
* WGN reporter…
GOP candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey is not alone in using social media to share his cultural views - his running mate Stephanie Trussell also posts on Facebook and Twitter. A closer look and reaction tonight WGN News @ 5:30. pic.twitter.com/jBziCR52ic
Trussell has used Facebook posts to mock Planned Parenthood.
“President Obama became the first sitting president ever to address Klanned Parenthood,” she posted. […]
Trussell is sharply critical of politicians that back the “gay agenda.”
“Since Bill Clinton was called the first black president can we call Barack Obama the first gay president?” she tweeted in 2015.
Political analyst Paul Lisnek says answering questions about social media posts is the last thing Bailey and Trussell want to be focused on as they ramp up for the general election.
“Crime is skyrocketing and jobs and families are fleeing under JB Pritzker’s watch. But his campaign and the media are making a big election about old social media posts. Darren Bailey and I are focused on making Illinois safer and more affordable for every Illinoisan,” [Trussell] said in a statement to WGN News.
“I challenge J.B. Pritzker to come down to my farm and spend a day planting, plowing, and harvesting. We’ll see how much energy he has at the end of an 18-hour work day to lob his pathetic attacks.”
I’d just like to see Bailey put the energy into holding a press conference more than once in a blue moon while answering questions on all topics.
Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign says he’s committed to debate Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker on Sept. 22 on NBC 5. Pritzker’s campaign hasn’t confirmed that face-off, though a spokeswoman for the campaign told Playbook that “yes,” Pritzker is planning to debate Bailey.
…Adding… Press release…
Hateful rhetoric has no place in Illinois. That’s why I joined my fellow members of the Illinois Jewish Caucus to condemn Darren Bailey’s anti-semitic, Islamophobic, and homophobic comments that tear down the very Illinoisans he seeks to represent. pic.twitter.com/ko3SfxnFEK
Rudy Giuliani, a Bailey campaign ally, was informed yesterday that he is the target of a criminal investigation seeking answers related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Darren Bailey, a proud supporter of Donald Trump and his allies, has pushed the Big Lie, understated the January 6 insurrection, and questioned the integrity of the FBI and the Department of Justice during their probe into the former president’s misconduct.
Does Darren Bailey stand by Giuliani’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and keep Trump in power, even amid this criminal investigation?
In May, Bailey and Giuliani campaigned together on behalf of Scott Kaspar, a Republican Congressional candidate who, like Bailey, has downplayed the January 6 insurrection and stated that he would not have ratified Joe Biden’s presidency.
“Darren Bailey needs to disavow Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, and their attempts to undermine our democracy,” said JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer. “Bailey continues to tie himself to individuals who threaten our free and fair elections. Any candidate who cannot stand up to election deniers and insurrection defenders is unfit for public office.”
* My family was stationed in Germany during the late 70s, early 80s, so I have been barred from donating blood. I’m really happy to see this change…
Thousands of potential blood donors who previously could not donate can now roll up their sleeves thanks to the lifting of a decades-long FDA restriction.
Anyone who traveled to or lived in Europe for more than five months in the 1980s and 90s were automatically disqualified someone from giving blood in the U.S. thanks to Mad Cow Disease. It meant that people who donated blood regularly suddenly had to stop.
Champaign Mayor Deb Feinen, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Reitz and Visit Champaign CEO Jayne DeLuce were among those people.
“I donated previously and was shocked to learn when I couldn’t anymore that I wasn’t allowed to,” Feinen said.
Recently, the FDA announced they were lifting that restriction, allowing at least 5,000 people in ImpactLife’s region to donate blood when they previously couldn’t. Feinen, Reitz and DeLuce were ecstatic to hear the news they could donate again.
[Rep. Dan Brady], a state representative from Bloomington, has run on a platform emphasizing technological upgrades within the Secretary of State’s Office, and says he will address other areas where financial savings and improved services can go hand-in-hand.
“We have to look at somewhere around $10.5 million that we spend on leasing 96 driver’s services facilities,” he said. “How can we improve upon that?”
Giannoulias has also promised to use his power as secretary of state to find ways to leverage technology to help citizens throughout the state.
“(Voters ask) ‘how can you make sure government works better, easier and quicker for me?’” he said. […]
When asked if he supported Bailey, [Brady] didn’t answer directly.
“Well, Darren Bailey is running for governor on the Republican ticket, and I’m a Republican,” he said.
Democrats, who recently held a contentious inter[sic]-party battle for the new party chair, showed a unified front for the Bud Billiken Parade, known as the largest African-American parade in the United States. […]
The message: Democrats are moving past the divisiveness and coming together for November.
We also caught Alexi Giannoulias, the Democratic secretary of state candidate, greeting Pritzker and his team with hugs on the parade route. Pritzker had endorsed Giannoulias’ primary opponent, Anna Valencia.
Message received: Democrats are united.
* Dan Brady’s thoughts on the new license plate stickers via the Daily Herald…
Brady said he understands that the scaled-back sticker was a temporary solution but reinforced “the original way with the month and year is the best for consumers and for law enforcement. Overall, it’s the most efficient way to proceed with renewal stickers.”
