Rich- Last night, during the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum between Raja Krishnamoorthi and Junaid Ahmed, Raja asked Junaid to please stop promoting hate speech against him and our office. Per our last convo, please see the attached document which includes a link to the recent protest and some supporting information to contextualize Pieter Friedrich and to show that, unfortunately, we know that Junaid has been intimately involved in promoting this sort of rhetoric.
Importantly, Secretary of State Jesse White and Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. have issued statements.
* From the document…
Ahmed Promotes Violent Hate Speech Against Congressman Raja
• At a recent protest (on 5/21/22) outside Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s District Office, Pieter Friedrich led a group of Junaid’s campaign staff and supporters in chanting “Nazi’s out, Raja must go” and “death to Krishnamoorthi.” The video can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q6uXSsRC3t02IEpLJjnRpQvzMAMZgJXE/view
• Instead of condemning the speech, Junaid repeatedly promoted the protest on social media (before, during, and after), its leader, Pieter Friedrich, and the hate speech used at the protest
Pieter Friedrich
• Pieter Friedrich is a highly controversial lifelong provocateur who spent much of his life as an anti-gay, anti-abortion advocate. He opposed gay marriage and said that gay rights and homosexuality should be illegal by default. (“08/25/2003: “Why I Hate Democracy”,” Pieter Friedrich, Deus Ego, 8/25/2013)
o Specifically, he said: “as for ‘gay’ rights and abortion, those should never have become issues in the first place. The people and the representatives should be restrained by unchangeable laws from even messing with issues like those. Those things ought to be illegal by default.” (Ibid)
Statement from Secretary of State Jesse White
6/2/2022
“I know Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi to be an outstanding Member of Congress and leader in our state. I was deeply disturbed that anti-gay and anti-abortion activist Pieter Friedrich used violent, extremist, and racist language toward Congressman Raja, and that his opponent, Junaid Ahmed, promoted Friedrich’s activities,” said IL Secretary of State Jesse White. “As an African-American who grew up in the Jim Crow era, I know what it’s like to have your motives unfairly questioned based on the color of your skin or where you were born. This form of stereotyping people of color and minorities, along with Friedrich’s vile rhetoric, have no place in the Democratic Party or in our broader political system, period. This is the Trump playbook, and we are much better than this.”
Statement from Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr.
6/3/2022
“The days of people like Friedrich making threats against non-white people, especially because of the color of their skin, their religious affiliation, or their country of origin must remain behind us. To put it bluntly: saying ‘Nazis out, Raja must go’ and ‘Death to Krishnamoorthi’ is racist, bigoted, incendiary rhetoric that does not belong in our political or civic discourse. I condemn Pieter Friedrich and others who engage in bigoted extremist rhetoric, and I condemn Junaid Ahmed’s actions in continuing to promote Pieter Friedrich, this event, and sharing this hate speech publicly and on social media. In the strongest possible terms I urge all candidates for elected office to use your platform to unite us, not divide us, and to refrain from using hate as a means to scoring cheap political points.”
I’ve asked the Junaid Ahmed campaign for a response.
* Some of these are just a bit dated. This one’s from today, though…
Governor JB Pritzker today signed two pieces of legislation that allow for the expanded use of expressway cameras, empowering law enforcement agencies to investigate criminal activities along expressways and State highways.
“There is nothing more important than keeping Illinoisans safe—in our schools, in our parks, and on our expressways,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The tragic incidences of gun violence on our highways requires aggressive and intentional action. By signing this bill, law enforcement agencies will have the tools to respond to criminal activity in a timely and efficient manner—ensuring the safety and security of our residents, while holding perpetrators accountable.”
“Automated license plate readers play a growing, critical role in ISP investigations and arrests in the Chicagoland area,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP now routinely uses this technology to track down expressway shootings and carjacking suspects, so the expansion of this technology across Illinois expands our ability to protect our interstates and bring violent criminals to justice.”
House Bill 4481 increases the number of cameras along expressways and State highways in the counties of Boone, Bureau, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Macon, Madison, McHenry, Morgan, Peoria, Rock Island, Sangamon, St. Clair, Will, and Winnebago. The state’s FY23 budget included $20 million to expand the technology. This legislation is effective immediately. […]
House Bill 260 allows for the use of expressway cameras along Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive. This gives law enforcement agencies the ability to use images from expressway cameras to investigate vehicular hijacking and other criminal activities, detect highway conditions and facilitate highway safety and incident management services. This legislation is effective immediately.
* Sen. Ellman…
Legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) to make naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug, more accessible was signed into law Thursday.
“Opioids are permeating our communities, and people are dying at record rates. By making naloxone more accessible, we can prevent more deaths as we work to address the root of addiction,” Ellman said. “Naloxone saves lives. You can’t put a price on that.”
House Bill 4408 prohibits insurers and Medicaid from charging a copay for naloxone, an opioid suppressant. Naloxone can be lifesaving for people overdosing on opioids, but can often cost up to $140 for two doses.
According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people in the United States died from an opioid overdose in 2020 – and in one out of three cases, a bystander was present who could have saved the person’s life if naloxone had been accessible.
“Naloxone is a safe and effective medication that saves lives. Many of our communities continue to struggle in the midst of the opioid epidemic. It is important that we take steps to meet our friends, neighbors, and family members where they are at,” said State Representative Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park), House sponsor of the bill. “By eliminating the insurance copay on this essential drug, the General Assembly is doing just that.”
The legislation goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.
* Sen. Simmons…
To better inform and raise awareness for health issues that particularly effect men, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) led a measure to create the division of men’s health within the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Health Promotion.
“We know that men are less likely to go see a doctor or other healthcare professional when they are not feeling right,” Simmons said. “They may end up missing their body’s signs of sickness and eventually progress to disease – especially if they are not educated on signs to lookout for.”
Life expectancy of men remains more than five years less than women, and men lead in nine of the top ten causes of death in the United States. Simmons’ measure would raise awareness of health issues particular to men that are not currently or adequately addressed by IPDH, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, smoking cessation, heart disease, and mental health.
“This law will raise awareness of health issues millions of men suffer from each day,” Simmons said. “I am proud to help usher in a new era of communication and prevention for men across the state.”
House Bill 4589 was signed into law last week and takes effect next January.
* Sen. Bush…
A career-long advocate for the fight against the ongoing opioid epidemic, State Senator Melinda Bush fought during the spring legislative session to make opioid overdose reversal drugs more accessible and provide people with more education surrounding the consequences of opioids.
“We all know someone who has a friend or family member that struggles with addiction — and the thought of that person losing their battle with opioids when lifesaving medication is available is devastating,” said Bush (D-Grayslake). “We must put an end to the red tape and hurdles people have to go through to receive naloxone so we can tackle the crisis head on.”
Bush’s law – House Bill 4408 – prohibits insurers and Medicaid from charging a copay for naloxone – an opioid suppressant. Naloxone can be lifesaving for people overdosing on opioids, but can often be inaccessible with a cost of up to $140 for two doses.
“It’s simple: naloxone saves lives,” Bush said. “The more accessible naloxone is, the better.”
Senate Bill 2535 – also championed by Bush and signed into law Thursday – requires pharmacists to inform the patient that opioids are addictive and offer to give the patient naloxone – a common opioid reversal medication.
More than 75,000 people died from an opioid overdose in 2020 – and in one out of three cases, a bystander was present who could have saved the person’s life, had naloxone been accessible.
Since first entering the General Assembly, Bush has been a steadfast advocate on fighting the ongoing opioid crisis. In 2015, she championed legislation to make naloxone more accessible and affordable to law enforcement agencies. Both measures signed Thursday are another step toward saving lives from the deadly effects of opioids.
“The opioid epidemic is a serious and complicated issue that only continues to get worse,” Bush said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the opioid crisis, especially amongst vulnerable populations. We must tackle this crisis head on.”
House Bill 4408 and Senate Bill 2535 were both signed into law Thursday.
* Sen. Peters…
A measure to help medical professionals get more tests into the hands of individuals who battle opioid addiction was signed into law thanks to the efforts of State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).
“This reform will help save lives,” Peters said. “We still have a long way to go, but removing penalties organizations face when they have access to test strips is a responsible way to address the opioid crisis and to create real public safety for all instead of continuing the misguided policies of the past.”
The new law is designed to expand on the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act of 2019. This measure will increase the number of persons and professions in the medical community who would not be penalized for possessing a limited residual amount of a controlled substance as part of the drug testing process.
Additionally, the supplies will be required to be stored at a medical office with limited access and would be available to designated workers such as an advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant.
“We need to ensure that all communities in our state are protected and that they know what is going into their body,” Peters said. “I’m glad that we are taking this important step to make sure that people will not be left to the wolves of the fentanyl overdose crisis.”
The measure was signed into law on Thursday and takes effect immediately.
* Gov. Pritzker…
Governor JB Pritzker signed HB4165 into law today, marking the creation of the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act. The act, introduced by Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-Chicago), is a crucial step towards addressing recent drownings in Lake Michigan and preventing future accidents by requiring public rescue equipment on all piers or drop-off points on the lake. The act also lays out new guidelines for reporting drowning events and establishing water safety guidelines.
“The stories of recent drownings on Lake Michigan are both tragic and preventable,” said Governor Pritzker. “This law will protect countless families from experiencing those same terrible losses and ensure a safer Lake Michigan for the thousands of Illinoisans who enjoy it every year.”
The act requires both private and government-owned piers and drop-off points to be outfitted with public rescue equipment such as flotation devices. Beyond requiring easily accessible flotation devices, the act also requires local governments to post warnings in high-incident areas and standardizes reporting of drowning incidents to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act was proposed following the death of 19-year-old Miguel Cisneros, who drowned in Lake Michigan in August of 2021. Cisneros’ family and activists in Rogers Park advocated for increased water safety measures after the tragic accident and several other incidents in the neighborhood in recent years.
2020 was one of the deadliest summers on Lake Michigan in years with 56 drowning deaths recorded, prompting legislators and community groups to advocate for laws like the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a water safety advocacy group, cites Lake Michigan as the Great Lake with the highest rate of drownings. Drownings often happen quickly and with little noise. Public safety officials recommend using wearable flotation devices, closely monitoring children at play, and assessing weather conditions carefully before swimming.
“Governor Pritzker’s partnership advancing thoughtful and impactful legislation remains a hallmark of his administration,” said State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago). “Today’s signing of this community-driven problem-solving initiative continues to illustrate his belief in empowering our communities to seek solutions that work. I’m grateful all to the advocates, especially the Cisneros family, who turned their grief into action and brought us to this day.”
“We have had too many tragic and, in many cases, preventable deaths on Lake Michigan,” said State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). “Simple rescue equipment like lifesavers are an effective way to help people get to safety in case they fall or find themselves struggling in the water.”
“The passage of this law is an example of how democracy should work,” said 49th Ward Alderman Maria Hadden. “Thank you to the community leaders who implored us to do more to prevent further tragedies at our lakefront. Having this new standard for saving is the right thing to do to save lives.”
“This is great progress toward a safer Lake Michigan shoreline, with so many more life rings becoming available,” said Jamie Racklyeft, Executive Director, Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium. “This successful bill can now serve as a template for other Great Lakes states, counties, communities, and parks interested in ways to keep their residents and visitors safer around the water.
“In 2018 on a Chicago beach we frantically searched for something that could float while helplessly watching a child fatally submerge and witnessing several would-be-rescuers turn into victims needing rescuing themselves,” said Halle Quezada Rasmussen, Founder of Collective Resource Compost. “This weekend, I stood in front of a life ring at that same spot and whispered to the 13-year girl we lost, ‘this is for you.’ Of course, it is too late for her and I will never stop wishing this could bring her back, but her legacy will live in this law, ensuring that when the unthinkable unfolds, we will have a fighting chance at survival. I am so grateful to everyone who made this progress possible—if we can reduce preventable deaths, we should and now, we are.”
* SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…
We are pleased to commend our legislative leaders, Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Ann Gillespie and Rep. Anna Moeller for the passage and signing of the Illinois Nursing Home Rate Reform bill into law.
Today, as a result of the outspoken voices of our members, allies, and supporters, including former nursing home worker and SEIU Healthcare member, Rep. Lakesia Collins, we are now able to address the nursing home industry’s failure to invest public funds into the most critical component of our care industry, our health care staff. This law will ensure that nursing home funding has a path through to those that provide direct care and crucial services to our most vulnerable populations.
As a union of over 90,000 members with over 12,000 being nursing home workers in hundreds of facilities throughout the state, it is imperative we uplift the necessity of investing in a care economy that supports safe staffing and retention as well as livable wages so that the workforce remains viable and most importantly sustainable. This law will establish a culture of accountability that will benefit skilled workers such as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) who provide the majority of direct care to residents and have been underpaid and undervalued for far too long.
We look forward to the life changing impact this groundbreaking law will have on the quality of life for direct care providers and nursing home residents throughout Illinois for generations to come.
* Sen. Fine…
Universities will no longer be able to withhold transcripts from students who have not yet paid off their tuition balance, thanks to a new law led by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview).
“As a former professor, I have witnessed firsthand the immense sacrifices, including taking on debt, students undertake to earn their degree and pursue a fulfilling career,” Fine said. “The practice of withholding transcripts can make it harder for students to find the necessary employment to pay off their debts. This law will ensure students have access to the documents they have earned through hard work, regardless of outstanding debt.”
Under Fine’s legislation, universities will be prohibited from withholding unofficial transcripts as a means of debt collection. Employers will be able to request official transcripts of those students seeking employment. Fine’s legislation will also require colleges and universities to institute a hardship policy, which will help students who have to drop out of a school due to an illness or significant financial burden the ability to re-enroll at a later date. Lastly, SB 3032 ensures debt collection agencies cannot use a past due debt with a college or university against a student’s credit rating.
“Students often go into debt with the expectation that their degree will give them the opportunity to get a well-paying job, which will help them pay off their loans,” Fine said. “Withholding transcripts, a practice that disproportionately impacts low-income or minority populations, creates additional barriers to financial independence. This law will give a pathway for students to pursue a career with the degree they earned while working to repay their debts.”
Senate Bill 3032 was signed into law May 27, 2022. It will go into effect immediately.
* Sen. Simmons…
Youth in Illinois will now begin to receive specialized education on mental health resources after a measure championed by State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) becomes law.
“This measure addresses a critical gap in the support systems that we need to offer our youth to be able to remain emotionally well,” Simmons said. “Our youth have been so resilient during these past few years, but many of the broader issues amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic have put a severe strain on the mental health of our young people. It’s imperative that we prioritize the mental health and well-being of our young people and center the experiences they are voicing and actually living through.”
Senate Bill 4028 will ensure that the curricula for elementary and secondary schools would be required to include how and where to find mental health resources in the state. The measure helps make students aware of mental health services that are available to them and helps erase the broader stigma behind mental health.
The measure was in part inspired by two of Simmons’ Youth People’s Legislative Councils, where Simmons discussed with young people themselves the issues that are salient to them such as violence and access to mental health as part of his mission to empower young people to become more involved in policy making.
“The struggle to find adequate resources for mental health is an issue that I hear time and time again when I meet with young people in the district I represent,” Simmons said. “I am pleased that we will begin to deliver practical resources to support our youth directly in our schools.”
Senate Bill 4028 was signed into law and takes immediately.
* Sen. Fine…
–An initiative led by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), will protect pollinators like bees and butterflies by setting guidelines on the spraying of certain pesticides.
“Pollinators are essential to the health of our environment and our agriculture,” Fine said. “This law guarantees that they are not unnecessarily killed by pesticides targeting mosquitos, allowing them to continue to play their vital role in our ecosystem.”
The legislation restricts when commercial pesticides, also known as “mosquitocides,” can be applied to surfaces where mosquitoes feed, such as plant leaves, turf or mulch. As many other insects often feed on these areas, pollinators can be unintended victims of pesticides during colder seasons when the mosquito population is lower. This law intends to limit the harm to pollinators at the hands of these pesticides.
“Pollinators are a key element of the circle of life. When our young constituent, Scarlett Harper, brought this problem to my attention I knew I had to do something,” said Rep. Gabel. “This bill protects bees and butterflies by ensuring that yard workers are educated about the best and worst times to spray for mosquitos and limiting the time for spraying. Thank you to Scarlett for her organizing and to Senator Fine for helping to shepherd this bill through the process.”
In the event of a public health emergency, like a virus transmitted through mosquito bites, the law allows for pesticides to be sprayed to stop such an emergency. Until then, this law prohibits spraying pesticides from October 16th through April 14th every year. This legislation will also require additional notification for when mosquitocide is sprayed in residential areas and would also prevent it from being sprayed on windy days, preventing pesticide drift. Fine is hopeful that this initiative will set an example for more environmental stewardship in lawmaking.
House Bill 3118 was signed into law May 27, 2022. It will take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Sen. Collins…
State Senator Jacqueline Collins sponsored a new law addressing the collateral consequences of cannabis use criminalization.
“People looking to correct their criminal record should not be stopped from meaningfully participating in society because of a positive drug test for cannabis,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “We have to stop treating its use as grounds for dismissal with respect to jobs and petition-filing.”
Individuals seeking to expunge or seal a felony conviction were previously required to take and pass a drug test to show the absence of illegal substance, including cannabis. House Bill 4392 will now allow petitioners to continue the filing process despite a positive test for cannabis. The new law was signed Friday.
Expungement and sealing are ways of allowing individuals to hide or clear their record, expanding their access to job opportunities and certain spaces. Before the signing of Collins’ law, despite cannabis’ legality in Illinois, a positive test would affect petitioners’ filing outcome prior to case consideration.
“People deserve second chances, and it is important that we afford this opportunity to those whose circumstances may have led them to crime,” Collins said. “This legislation is especially meaningful for our communities of color, who face disproportionate disparities in the criminal justice system.”
The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Finally, a press release from a state Representative…
Children with autism spectrum disorder on Medicaid in Illinois will soon have access to a life-changing form of therapy.
Two years ago, Representative Conroy was responsible for the Illinois General Assembly’s decision to appropriate funds to cover Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy under Medicaid. But because ABA therapists and technicians were not licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), the money set aside to help children who have autism on Medicaid sat in state coffers unused.
ABA therapy can be extremely helpful for children with autism. To make Medicaid-covered ABA therapy a reality, Representative Conroy passed House Bill 4769 to update Illinois’ licensure practices and accommodate the analysts who engage in this important work.
The bill successfully passed both the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate and was signed by Governor Pritzker on May 27th, 2022. This legislation requires the IDFPR to license the behavior analysts, assistant behavior analysts, and behavior technicians that perform this life-changing therapy. As a result, ABA therapy will finally be covered under Medicaid. The legislation went into effect immediately after being signed by the governor.
This essential initiative is the result of over four years of work. Proponents of the new law include Autism Speaks, Mid-State Special Education, and the Illinois Autism Insurance Coalition, among others.
Representative Conroy is committed to promoting a high quality of life for everyone with autism. Those interested in learning more about this legislation are encouraged to contact Representative Conroy’s Villa Park office by calling 630-415-3520 or emailing RepDebConroy@gmail.com.
* Gov. JB Pritzker contributed $500,000 to the Democratic Party of Illinois earlier today. I’ve asked both DPI and the governor’s campaign for a response, but haven’t yet heard back. Pritzker is currently backing candidates who are expected to vote for a new DPI chair and he refused to be pinned down on whether he supported the current chair earlier this week, so that’s why this is noteworthy.
…Adding… “The party is supportive of all Democrats and we’re going to do what we need to do to win and that includes supporting the governor,” said DPI spokesperson Jake Lewis.
…Adding… “The governor is proud to support Democrats up and down the ticket and will continue to work with pro-choice, pro-worker candidates at every level of government to defend against Republican extremism,” said Natalie Edelstein of the Pritzker campaign.
We’ve got to focus on making sure we support our men and women who wear that badge who keep us safe every day. Matter of fact, I’m endorsed by the FOP, state FOP here in the state…
In response, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police issued a press release early this afternoon…
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge, a fraternal organization that proudly represents more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers, has made no endorsement in the primary races for Illinois Governor. The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge has made no such endorsement in the Governor’s race in past primary elections and has continued that non-endorsement practice for the June 28 Illinois primary election.
“Other FOP organizations in Illinois may have made such endorsements this year, but not the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge,” said Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “We encourage any gubernatorial candidate who has received an endorsement to clearly specify the organization in order to avoid confusion among the voters of Illinois, including our members.”
Irvin was endorsed by the FOP Labor Council, which is a different group.
* Irvin, by the way, has a new version of his “focus group” TV ads. Click here to watch a bunch of white folks talking about how the “brave” Irvin has the “core inner strength” to utter the phrase “All lives matter.”
Jonathan Jackson, a frontrunner in the crowded House Democratic primary to replace Rep. Bobby Rush, failed to file a required financial disclosure report though all his leading rivals followed the law.
“That’s an oversight and a mistake that I did not file,” Jackson told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday.
Asked how he did not know he had to file a personal financial disclosure document, Jackson said, “I was not informed by the people that I’m working with.”
From fellow CD1 candidate and state Senator Jacqui Collins…
I’m disappointed Mr. Jackson failed to file his financial disclosure report – something fundamental to running a campaign and required by law. Transparency and ethics are vital components of our democracy. As someone who has served in the General Assembly and fought for ethics reform, I understand how desperately it’s needed. If Jonathan Jackson can’t show us a commitment to ethics now, how can voters trust him in Congress?
Pritzker was asked at a news conference about Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s decision to withdraw from that city’s Pride Parade after organizers decided uniformed police officers may not take part. Irvin is running in the Republican gubernatorial primary in hopes of going on to challenge Pritzker.
“I don’t think we need to be making choices one way or the other. I stand up for our police – for our LGBTQ police officers – and for the LGBTQ community more broadly,” Pritzker said. “I think that’s what we ought to be doing.”
* Jesse Sullivan again pledged last night to cut the state budget by $10 billion. How?…
By doing pension reform, by actually consolidating more units of government than any state in the nation, more per capita government workers than any state in the nation. We need a hiring freeze and we need a corruption and patronage audit that I will do from my office. And we are going to lower the taxes on the people of Illinois look more like Texas and Florida, not New York and California and Mr. Bailey, how
He’d have to basically eliminate all state pension payments to meet that goal. Also, Illinois has one of the lowest per capita rates of state government workers. C’mon, man.
…Adding… More from the debate via the DGA…
In last night’s #ILGov GOP debate, one thing was clear: The other Republicans in the field are fed up with Richard Irvin’s corruption and lies.
The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action is endorsing Richard Irvin in his bid to head the Republican ticket for governor. In a statement, AFP Action senior adviser Jason Heffley cited Irvin’s “exemplary record” as mayor of Aurora. “We need a governor like Richard Irvin who has the experience and courage to pass balanced budgets while cutting taxes.”
— Billionaire Dick Uihlein just gave another $3 million to Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor.
Heffley was a member of the Rauner administration and ran Erika Harold’s 2014 campaign, and Bailey got that money two days ago.
* More…
* Tribune endorses Alexi Giannoulias and Dan Brady for secretary of state: But even if his ambitions might eventually land elsewhere, Giannoulias has the edge here. He has a thick binder of achievements as state treasurer, useful experience for the office he now seeks. And he’s clearly thought through the technological challenges of the potential new job, suggesting the creation of a phone app where Illinoisans could digitally manage their driver’s license, vehicle title and yearly registration chores. He also argued that the long lines at the DMV could be done away with if a digital appointment service was put in place and he rightly pointed out that the private sector (not to mention several other states) already has put in place much of the technology Illinois needs.
* Sen. Darren Bailey made a Facebook video outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora today to announce that his galaxy brain had finally figured out why Richard Irvin won’t clearly answer questions about abortion…
The mayor of Aurora, a governor candidate on the Republican ticket refused to answer the abortion question. And then it dawned on me because you’ve seen me here before, you know my passion for life. And I am standing right now in this city of Aurora. And you can see what’s behind me, a Planned Parenthood facility. That’s why Mayor Irvin won’t answer the question because he’s proud of this facility. And as a matter of fact, you can go on his site, you can go on the city of Aurora site and you can see how proud he is of this facility. He helped get it here. He supports it. That’s why he refuses to answer the question.
* Um, Irvin wasn’t even on the city council when the project was approved, and he protested in front of the building. From September 5 of 2007…
Pro-life advocates are calling on the city of Aurora to launch an official investigation into the application process for the construction of a multi-floor building, revealed to be a new abortion facility.
The pro-life advocates discovered that Planned Parenthood had concealed its ownership of the new building, set to open soon in the Chicago suburb. Planned Parenthood officials admitted they concealed ownership to avoid opposition to the construction, reported WorldNetDaily.com.
About 1,200 pro-life advocates assembled over the Aug. 27-28 weekend to protest the structure that had initially been described in the permit application as an office building. The project was proposed to the city by Gemini Office Development.
Alderman Richard Irvin was among the protesters. He was not on the board when the project was approved, but says he is concerned that the building was brought into the city under false pretenses. The municipality could sue Planned Parenthood for being deceptive, he said.
An Oak Park and River Forest High School administrator had just finished a presentation last week about student assessment when school board member Ralph Martire nervously seized upon a phrase that had popped up several times.
“Equitable grading practices — people are going to hear that and not understand it,” he said. “We are going to get some very uninformed comments about this.”
He was right. Within days a website called West Cook News used the presentation as the basis for a story that claimed the school was creating a race-based grading system that would require teachers “to account for the skin color or ethnicity of its students.”
Nothing in the presentation suggested such a policy, and school officials say the story is false. But the account, magnified by influencers and conservative media, still rocketed around the internet, leading to volleys of insulting comments and what the school called “unnecessary confusion.”
The story also spilled over into Illinois politics. Darren Bailey, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, told West Cook News the supposed grading policy was “the latest example of ‘woke’ ideology polluting our schools” and promised to stamp it out if he wins election.
“As Governor, I will put a ban on destructive, “woke” policies that create inequalities and unfairness in our classrooms. Any school district attempting to infect wokeness into the grading policies will be ineligible for state funding.”
Candidate for IL Attorney General Thomas DeVore has filed a defamation suit against David Shestokas (also running for Attorney General), Bobby Pitton (running for US Senate), and 2 other parties. It alleges that the mother of DeVore’s girlfriend (Craig) colluded with Shestokas, Shestokas’ sister, and Pitton in the defamation effort.
In the civil lawsuit filed May 16th, they are alleged to be behind a circulated substack post that accused DeVore of domestic battery among other activities, all of which DeVore says are false and caused harm to his reputation.
The petition was posted to Bobby Pitton’s campaign site and may be downloaded below. The civil lawsuit requests that all parties preserve electronic records for discovery.
DeVore, an Awake IL Warrior, is seeking damages in excess of $50k. We support him getting every dime in damages along with a Republican primary victory for Attorney General.
* He’s also suing Julie Craig, the mother of his girlfriend…
NOW COMES the Plaintiff, THOMAS DEVORE, by and through his attorneys, Polinske & Associates, P.C., and Brian L. Polinske, and in support of his Complaint for Defamation Per Se against Defendant, Julie Craig, and against the Respondents in Discovery, David Shestokas, Jill Shestokas, and Bobby Piton […]
Defendant Craig created a defamatory article alleging the Plaintiff had committed criminal offense(s) such as (Domestic Battery, Obstruction of Justice, Sexual Predator). At no time has the Plaintiff committed a Domestic Battery or any other offense alleged by Craig.
There has never been any investigation against Plaintiff for Domestic Battery, or any other criminal offense proclaimed by Craig. There has never been any complaint made against Plaintiff for Domestic Battery, or any other criminal offense proclaimed by Craig.
Defendant Craig’s post also proclaims the Plaintiff is under investigation by the Attorney Regulation and Disciplinary Commission for, inter alia, complaints against him by current or former clients. There are no complaints pending against Plaintiff with the Attorney Regulation and Disciplinacy Commission made against him by any current or fonner clients. Her claims therefore alleged that the Plaintiff is unfit to practice as an attorney.
Defendant Craig’s post also proclaims that the Plaintiff was intoxicated in public (above the legal limit) on or about April 20, 2020. At no relevant time was the Plaintiff intoxicated.
The publication is attached hereto and labelled Plaintiffs Exhibit 1. Defendant Craig has continually expressed public animus towards the Plaintiff on multiple occasions due to her disagreement with the fact that her daughter is dating the Plaintiff. Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1 was sent by Defendant Craig to Respondent Shestokas.
Upon information and belief, Respondent Shestokas and Defendant Craig acted in concert in the production and dissemination of Exhibit 1 in an effort to harm Plaintiff to the personal satisfaction of Craig and to the political benefit of Shestokas. Respondent Shestokas then circulated a copy of the defamatory publication to other members of the general public.
Further Respondent Shestokas caused his staff, Respondent Jill Shestokas, to circulate the defamatory publication to the general public. Respondent Shestokas then, in concert with Respondent Piton caused the defamatory publication to be published to the general public via a fictitiously named Substack account under the name “Roger Casteel, Writer.”
Upon information and belief, Respondent Shestokas, who is also is a candidate running for the elected public office of Illinois Attorney General, has with actual malice caused to be disseminated false information to cause hann to the reputation of Plaintiff in order to further his own political ambitions.
And, yes, the exhibit is at the link.
I saw that story back in April and reached out to DeVore’s girlfriend on Facebook. Here’s her response…
None of it’s true. Thank you.
Tom wasn’t drunk and he never touched me. It’s completely false. Have a nice day.
Inaccurate *
The allegation she made at the time was that DeVore smashed her phone. Video is here and here.
* While we’re on the topic of attorney general candidate DeVore…
The key is this. The PREP Act basically provides liability protection up to the point that it becomes obvious to the person or organization giving the shot that they are killing or harming people. Once you cross that line, you become criminally liable.
So if the CDC says the vaccines are safe, and everyone you give it to dies, and you keep giving it anyway, you are criminally liable. Then your fate is up to the jury.
The PREP Act was never intended as a license to kill.
In addition, there is something known as “jury nullification” where a jury can invalidate an unjust law. This is typically used to exonerate someone, but it can also be used in the reverse direction to convict someone as noted in the Wikipedia article: “It may also happen that a jury convicts a defendant even if no law was broken.”
So once a pharmacy chain in their area/state is put on notice by a district attorney or attorney general or their local Sheriff that the vaccines are killing people and that if they persist in giving the shots and someone is seriously injured or dies, they could be criminally prosecuted, what do you think most pharmacy chains will do?
* Remember that Daily Herald editorial board endorsement of Steve Kim?…
His opponents — David Shestokas of Orland Park and Thomas DeVore of downstate Greenville — are talented attorneys and skilled critics of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s authority to mandate COVID-19 restrictions
Corrupt politicians have ruined Illinois and put special interests over people. But I’ve spent my life fighting special interests abd putting the people of Illinois first, I’m Dan Brady, and I’m running for Secretary of State to make government work for you. As Secretary of State, I want to put you first by modernizing your office, reducing wait times and supporting law enforcement. By partnering with the brightest innovators and technology experts, we can make the Secretary of State’s office work for you. Vote Dan Brady, Republican on June 28th.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin defended himself Thursday evening against primary rivals he said were “threatened” by his frontrunner status — while chief adversary Darren Bailey grinned broadly as he alternately lobbed attacks and tried to paint himself as a friendly farmer who “is actually going to tell the truth.”
“You should not become governor,” Bailey told Irvin, who responded by saying he wouldn’t be “lectured” by the downstate state senator. […]
Sullivan — who called himself the outsider candidate — was the first to go after Irvin, claiming the Aurora mayor stood alongside Pritzker in supporting lockdowns and mandates during the pandemic.
Bailey frequently interrupted Irvin and the others as they spoke. At one point, during a question about mandates, Bailey turned to Irvin and told him he shouldn’t be elected governor because he’s a “Democrat” and a “corrupt Democrat.”
“I won’t be lectured by someone like Darren Bailey who had a mask mandate on his own farm,” Irvin shot back. […]
“If you want a farmer to lead the state, Darren’s your guy. If this is a beauty contest … Jesse wins by a landslide. If you want a Democrat to lead the Republican Party, Richard is your guy,” [Gary Rabine] said.
“There’s nobody else running up here that’s freed up rapists as well as wife beaters,” Rabine said of Irvin’s tough-on-crime imagery. “I can’t see how you’re going to govern the state that way.”
But Irvin largely refused to engage his rival’s attacks.
“My opponents here on the stage are attacking me and I understand and I get it,” he said. “They’re threatened by the fact that I’m violating their political aspirations and I’m hurting their political aspirations.” […]
Sullivan criticized Irvin for once again refusing to go further and say if he thought the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permitted abortion without extensive government regulation should be overturned.
“I think conservatives around the state need to take this opportunity to hear from Richard Irvin. Do you support the overturning of Roe vs. Wade? Do you support taxpayer funded abortions? This is a clear conservative value that people deserve to hear from you on.”
“I’m not interested in defeating you just because you’re a Democrat,” state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, said as he turned toward Irvin. “I’m interested in defeating you because you’re a corrupt Democrat.” […]
As he has before on abortion, Irvin never explicitly said whether he’d take steps to ban the procedure in Illinois or if he would allow certain exemptions like rape and incest. The only on-topic response he made to the question was a vow to reimpose parental notification for minors seeking abortions, a requirement that Pritzker abolished and that took effect this week.
“Did you answer the question yet?” Rabine interjected during a meandering response Irvin delivered on abortion.
“Richard Irvin, the great imposter,” Bailey scowled moments later after noting his own litany of anti-abortion endorsements. […]
“We must offer…mental health solutions and help these people to be able to get help and to be able to function in life,” Bailey said, laying out his abstract plan to target potentially unhinged gunmen before they strike. “I think that’s the only solution we have.”
Without offering specifics of his own, Irvin cited the need to make sure “we keep these guns out of the hands of criminals and keep these guns out of the hands of people with mental illnesses.”
Moderator Alan Krashesky asked about requiring masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as cases rise.
Bailey, who sued the state in 2020 over masking, said, “I’m the only person here who actually did something.” […]
Irvin, seen by some political experts as the front-runner in the race, deflected jabs about taxes and crime in Aurora.
“My opponents here on the stage are attacking me, and I understand and I get it,” he said. “They’re threatened by the fact that … I’m hurting their political aspirations.”
Bailey got some heat for claiming he defeated Pritzker. Both Rabine and Schimpf noted that the case had been tossed.
More later.
…Adding… Oops. I forgot about the Mike Miletich story…
Candidates were also asked if they were able to work across the aisle with Democrats to get their policies passed in Springfield. Bailey claimed he has worked in a bipartisan manner as a state lawmaker and even believes some Democrats are afraid to defy Pritzker.
“There are many Democrats that think like we do around this circle,” Bailey said. “But unfortunately, they feel hindered that they won’t get re-elected if they subscribe to these policies of freedom, and lower taxes, and safe streets. When I have that pulpit and when I’m able to express that message, I think that we’ll have many come along.”
Irvin emphasized that he was elected as a Republican mayor in a Democratic stronghold. He said that there has been bipartisan work with Democrats on the Aurora city council and lawmakers in Springfield to bring resources back to his community. But he quickly contradicted that statement by focusing on having GOP control in Springfield.
“I’m going to use our resources, I’m going to use our infrastructure. I’m going to use our ground game, not just to help myself and my running mate, Rep. Avery Bourne, but to help every Republican up and down the ballot to make sure that we get rid of that supermajority that the Democrats have,” Irvin said.
A lawsuit challenging a proposed state constitutional amendment on the November general election ballot saw its first hurdle. Plaintiffs argue the amendment violates federal law governing labor relations and the U.S. Constitution.
Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow denied the petition brought by the plaintiffs in Sachen v. the Illinois State Board of Elections, et al. The Chicago parents and teachers bringing the legal challenge to remove Amendment 1 from the ballot are represented by attorneys at the Liberty Justice Center and Illinois Policy Institute. Attorneys plan to appeal the decision.
Statement from Jacob Huebert, president of the Liberty Justice Center, a national nonprofit law firm:
“The state is asking voters to consider an amendment that contradicts federal law and is therefore unconstitutional. The parents and teachers bringing this legal challenge have the right to block the state from using public funds to promote an unconstitutional ballot measure. We will make this argument on appeal and continue to work toward removing this unlawful measure from the ballot.”
Statement from Mailee Smith, director of labor policy and staff attorney at the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization:
“We are committed to pursuing our claims in court and ensuring Illinois voters are not forced to vote on an unconstitutional amendment. The law is clear that Amendment 1 would do more than the state is allowed to do. Illinoisans deserve to have this addressed now. Not later. Not after their tax dollars have been wasted putting an unconstitutional measure on the ballot. We look forward to our next opportunity to argue on behalf of taxpayers.”
The lawsuit was filed on April 21, 2022, in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Sangamon County.
Even accepting as true all of Petitioners’ allegations, there are no reasonable grounds to permit suit. Petitioner’s claims fail as a matter of law, and impermissibly seek an advisory opinion as to “constitutional issues … [which] may never progress beyond the realm of the hypothetical.” Slack v. Salem, 31 Ill. 2d 174, 178 (1964).
First, under Article XIV, section 2 of the Illinois Constitution, “[a]mendments approved by the vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house shall be submitted to the electors at the general election next occurring at least six months after such legislative approval, unless withdrawn by a vote of a majority of the members elected to each house.” Ill. Const. art. XIV, § 2(a). The requirements of section 2 are plainly met, and the constitutional command is clear. The proposal must be submitted to the voters for adoption or rejection. […]
Second, the Court has no power to restrain a referendum on the grounds that, if the proposed law were enacted, its enforcement would be unconstitutional. […]
Third, even if the Court had power to offer an opinion as to the prospective validity of an enacted Workers’ Rights Amendment, and even if Petitioners are correct that application of an enacted Workers’ Rights Amendment to private employees would be preempted by the NLRA, Petitioners plainly concede the Amendment would have valid applications, specifically application to public employees. … The Amendment would also prohibit the passage of laws restricting union security agreements, a subject about which “Congress …. left the states free to legislate.” These are plainly substantial applications of the Amendment. Petitioners offer no basis for preventing the Amendment’s submission to the voters merely because some anticipated applications may be preempted by federal law. The rule is exactly the opposite. […]
At most, federal preemption would merely render the Workers’ Rights Amendment dormant, not invalid, because it would still apply to situations not covered by the NLRA and would become enforceable even as to preempted applications in the event the NLRA were ever repealed. […]
Thus, the proposed Amendment would serve at least three permissible purposes. First, it would create rights for public employees, which Petitioners concede is not preempted by the NLRA. Second, it would restrain the power of the General Assembly to pass laws restricting union security agreements, a subject left open to the states. Third, it would act as a state-law failsafe to preserve rights for private-sector employees in the event the federal government ever decided to abandon the NLRA. There are no grounds for denying the voters the opportunity to decide whether to add the Workers’ Rights Amendment to the Illinois constitution.
Accordingly, the Petition states no reasonable grounds for filing suit. The Court has no power to pass on the validity of the proposed Amendment unless and until it is adopted by the voters. To do so would constitute an improper advisory opinion. … Moreover, even if the Court could entertain Petitioners’ challenges to the anticipated enforcement of the proposed Amendment, Petitioners plainly concede it has substantial applications unaffected by any federal preemption. Petitioners are therefore not entitled to an order prohibiting the placement of the proposed Amendment on the ballot. The Petition is denied.
* The Daily Herald endorsed Steve Kim for attorney general. But check out the soft-pedal job on the other GOP candidates…
His opponents — David Shestokas of Orland Park and Thomas DeVore of downstate Greenville — are talented attorneys and skilled critics of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s authority to mandate COVID-19 restrictions, but neither is apt to attract the broad support necessary to make them electable in November.
Um.
* CD1…
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) voted today to throw its support behind Jonathan Jackson, candidate for Congress in the 1st Congressional District race, giving him a full endorsement. The CTU is a 25,000-member organization of teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians that work in the Chicago Public School (CPS) system.
“I am honored and extremely grateful to receive this endorsement as I am a longtime supporter of the hardworking and dedicated members of the Chicago Teachers Union,” Jackson said in response to the endorsement announcement. “The importance of the roles CTU members play in our children’s education and thereby the future of the 1st District cannot be overstated.
* CD1…
Alderman Matt O’Shea of Chicago’s 19th Ward is announcing his endorsement of Pat Dowell for Democratic Nomination for Congress in the First District of Illinois.
“I have worked closely with Pat Dowell for the past 11 years. She is hardworking and dedicated to her constituents and is a person of great character. Pat will be a strong voice for our community in Congress,” said Matt O’Shea, 19th Ward Alderman.
* CD6…
Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL) released a new ad highlighting his work to address gun violence and his pro-choice record. The ad will run on Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Hulu through Election Day as part of a six-figure digital ad buy. This is the latest in a series of digital ads the campaign is running to highlight Rep. Casten’s work to protect a woman’s right to choose, pass real gun safety measures, and lead the charge on ethics reform. […]
My Congressman Script
“18, a big year. Lots of milestones. Like voting for the first time. But not just for anyone. Sean Casten is working to pass real gun reform, like universal background checks, to protect our neighborhoods and our classrooms. He’s fighting to make sure women can make their own healthcare choices. And he’s leading the charge on ethics reform because we deserve leaders we can trust. Sean Casten. My Congressman. But I just call him Dad.”
Mike Lawrence, former director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and a longtime observer of Illinois politics, lives in the 15th Congressional District and says he is concerned.
“Some people are writing off Mary Miller’s candidacy – I’m not one of them. I think she can win. I don’t trust the polling that is being done. And I know in primaries, both parties draw their most extreme elements out to vote. And if Donald Trump comes and campaigns for her, she very well could win.”
Lawrence noted that in his flyers, Davis is playing up his support for Trump.
“The only reason I can think that he is doing this is to mitigate any damage that might be done to his candidacy if Trump does come to the district and campaign for Miller. But he runs the risk of alienating more moderate Republicans by doing this,” he said. […]
Former U.S. Rep. John Shimkus still gives the edge to Davis.
“So, you’ve got a lot of the new district that has been in the media markets that Rodney has served,” he said. “And that means they’ve seen millions of dollars in ads for and against him. Even though they didn’t have to vote for him, he’s a known commodity. In that new area I’d guess that other than Trump, they don’t know much about Mary.”
* We’ve seen more out of district endorsements this year than usual, but this one takes the cake…
Today, Jonathan Logemann, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, announced the endorsement of former Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and former State Senator and candidate for Lt. Gov. and Congress Rita Hart (D-IA). Loebsack is a seven-term former Representative of Iowa’s Second District which covered Southeast Iowa including the Iowa side of the Quad Cities. Hart is a two-term former State Senator from Iowa’s 49th Senate District covering Southeast Iowa.
“It’s truly an honor to have the support of fellow educators and public servants Rita Hart and Dave Loebsack,” said Jonathan Logemann. “Dave and Rita each served their communities–locally in the State Senate, and nationally in Congress–with common-sense, results-driven leadership. Their work in bringing jobs and investments to their constituents is exactly what voters throughout Illinois’ 17th Congressional District expect from their next Representative. I am inspired by their lifelong commitments to education as well, both serving as educators in their communities.”
Four candidates who won court battles to stay on the June 28 primary ballot are now facing appeals by challengers. Supreme Court candidates Nancy Rotering, Mark Curran and Susan Hutchinson, and Cook County Sheriff candidate Carmen Navarro Gercone, were removed from the ballot when objectors argued they didn’t have enough signatures (in the high court races) or the qualifications (in the sheriff’s race). Judges overruled the decisions and all four were put back on the ballot. But now the objectors are appealing that decision.
The cases are on an accelerated court docket because of the approaching election. Briefs are due today and tomorrow, and the court could rule as soon as Monday. Depending on the outcome, the candidates could take their cases to a higher court.
And the contest is less than three weeks away: “At this point, their names already are on the printed ballots. If ultimately the courts remove them, votes cast for those candidates would not be counted,” Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, told Playbook.
She also had the Indo-American Democratic Organization’s endorsement list.
* Speaking of the Supreme Court…
Former IL State Senator and Elected Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen Endorses Judge John Noverini for IL Supreme Court
CARPENTERSVILLE, IL - Honesty, integrity and ethical behavior are promised to voters by candidates running for public office. Citizens are ready to support candidates who have demonstrated during their careers solid professional competence and consistent adherence to core traditional principles. This is why former Illinois State Senator and Elected Kane County Board Chairman is encouraging residents to vote for Judge John Noverini for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District in the June 28th Republican Primary.
“I respect our local long-time Kane County resident Judge John Noverini because he personifies the Code of Judicial Conduct in his character and behavior, regardless of circumstance. I trust that Judge Noverini will preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution”, stated Lauzen.
* DGA…
In a candidate profile, Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin dodged a question about his top campaign contributors — trying to hide the well-known fact that megadonor Ken Griffin has been bankrolling his struggling campaign.
But Ken Griffin isn’t hiding his influence — in fact, he’s flaunting it. Griffin officially became the largest GOP megadonor in the country for combined federal and state campaigns this election cycle, a title he earned by dumping a record-breaking $50 million into Irvin’s campaign.
When asked who his top three campaign contributors were, Irvin employed the trusty old duck-and-dodge, saying his three main contributors are those who plan to vote for him, those who volunteer for him, and those who “contribute financially.”
Missing in that answer is $50 million worth of support from the wealthiest person in Illinois — a sum that constitutes the largest chunk of Griffin’s local spending. In return, Irvin concocts pay to play schemes to enrich Griffin and rewrites history to align himself with the megadonor’s platform.
“Richard Irvin will stop at nothing to hide from voters and obscure the truth,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Illinoisans deserve a transparent, honest leader — not one who ducks and dodges even when asked an easy, straightforward question. Illinoisans deserve better than Richard Irvin.”
* DGA…
With an endorsement from former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Illinois GOP candidate for governor Darren Bailey is doubling down on his stance as the single uber-conservative, far-right extremist candidate in the race.
Following an interview with Bailey on his “War Room” podcast, Bannon said: “Darren Bailey in Illinois, Doug Mastriano in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Andrew Giuliani in the state of New York — I tell you, if you get these guys in office, you’re going to turn this thing around.”
Here’s a refresher on Steve Bannon: he’s the former executive chairman of Breitbart News who served as chief executive of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and chief strategist for the Trump White House — holding so much power over Trump and the administration that he was nicknamed “the Great Manipulator.” That’s who just endorsed Darren Bailey.
The far-rights of the far right think Bailey is the true conservative for Illinois, and he’s embracing their support. Earlier this month, he announced former Trump advisor Steve Cortes’ support of his campaign, and he’s still vying for Trump’s endorsement ahead of the June 28 primary.
“With another MAGA endorsement under his belt, Darren Bailey’s doubling down on his stance as the single uber-conservative, far-right candidate in this race,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Darren Bailey is far too conservative for Illinois — and voters know it.”
* This is so wild…
the richard irvin campaign is running an ad hitting darren bailey featuring a clip from a @WCIA3 news report…but they digitally altered the chryon to spell bailey's name incorrectly?
Democratic Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia announced today that she has earned the endorsement of Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. The announcement comes as Valencia continues to build a broad, statewide coalition ahead of the June 28 primary election.
“Anna Valencia is a dedicated public servant with a proven track record of fighting for working families, and I’m proud to endorse her for Secretary of State,” said Treasurer Conyears-Ervin. “Anna’s passion for helping our communities—and her ability to deliver for them–are evident through her many accomplishments as Chicago City Clerk, such a modernizing city government and establishing the CityKey municipal ID program. As our next Secretary of State, she will build upon these successes to help Illinoisans across our state.”
* Open letter to MWRD President and Democratic candidate for Cook County Assessor Kari Steele…
Dear President Steele,
Given recent discussions about anti-semitic language used on Mr. Jackson’s show, we feel compelled to raise our own concerns about a long history of homophobic and anti-Trans rhetoric used by Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson has stoked fear that trans people are leading an attack to delegitimize cisgender identity, claimed that LGBTQ+ people seek to “indoctrinate” children, and used the term “gay” as a pejorative.
President Steele, while we recognize that this language has not come directly from you, Mr. Jackson regularly uses his show as a platform to promote your campaign. He is often your most vocal surrogate and recently spoke to the Chicago Tribune on the record on behalf of your campaign. You have not repudiated his comments in your capacity as an elected leader or as a political candidate.
We were heartened to see that you both issued apologies following revelations about Mr. Jackson’s anti-semitic statements. We feel you must also take steps to address the impacts on other communities, including ours.
In addition, there are members of the LGBTQ+ communities, of course, who are also Jewish and thereby have been targeted by this bigotry from multiple angles. It is our hope that you will acknowledge that harm and take steps to rectify it.
As you may know, the LGBTQ+ community has been severely impacted by overt bigotry and direct violence for decades, and in particular anti-Trans violence has been rampant in recent years. Already this year, at least 7 Trans people have been killed across the country. In 2021, we saw record violence against Trans and gender non-conforming people. It is important to note that Black Trans women in particular have been targeted for hateful attacks at disproportionate levels. As you see, Mr. Jackson’s kind of rhetoric can have real consequences for our community. This isn’t theoretical to us. Words and platforms like Mr. Jackson’s create a clear and present danger to vulnerable people.
Please see below for a detailed list of sample instances of homophobic and transphobic comments from Mr. Jackson on his show. If these are the things he is saying in the light of day on his radio broadcast, we are deeply concerned about what he is saying or doing in private. The Democratic Party is a big-tent party that stands for full respect and inclusion of its many diverse constituencies. We hope you stand up for this value, and for your LGBTQ+ constituents, by denouncing what your surrogate and campaign advisor Mr. Jackson has claimed.
Thank you for your consideration. We are open to a dialogue to discuss our concerns with you further.
Sincerely,
Brian C Johnson, CEO, Equality Illinois
Michael Ziri, Director of Public Policy, Equality Illinois Mony Ruiz-Velasco, Deputy Director, Equality Illinois Former State Sen. Heather Steans
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy
State Rep. Sam Yingling
Commissioner Kevin Morrison
Ald. Tom Tunney (44)
Ald. James Cappleman (46)
Committeewoman Maggie O’Keefe
Note: Mr. Jackson’s show begins daily with a song that includes the line “[Chicago Mayor Lori] Lightfoot seems more lesbian than Black.”
Feb 26, 2021
● “Eventually, removing gender will be an acceptable thing.” (00:39:50)
● “Being a man is part of life. Being a woman is part of life. Now they’ve added all of these adjectives in between, but literally, we are at a point where they are saying that it they are teaching children, that it is wrong to be a man or a woman.” (41:40)
● “Where are we that it is now wrong to be a man or a woman? Like, it’s not that we are not including all of the alphabet in between. After we include the [LGBT] alphabet in between, they want to eliminate the original letters.” (43:37)
● “So there’s M and there is F, right? We have always lived with male and female. We have now added LGBTQ and whatever else. I’m OK–I have learned to be OK with that. But the moment that the [LGBT] letters in between are now saying that they want to eliminate the bookends. I’m lost! Am I supposed to just be OK with this?! I don’t want my son to go to the store and not see Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head.” (43:47)
● “Are you literally telling me that we’re now at the point where Mr. and Mrs. makes people so uncomfortable…what about all the Mr. and Mrs. that love being Mr. and Mrs. or Mr. and Miss can?” (45:50)
● “There are way more people that identify as male and female than that do identify all those other letters combined, and how are all of those other letters combined now seeking to eliminate, minimize, emasculate–literally the two outsides [M and F]? Like, I feel like having this conversation, somebody’s gonna say I’m having hate speech.” (46:33)
● “Life has changed. I’m OK with that. But I am not OK with being told in any way shape or form that it is wrong to identify that being identifying something as a male or a female should make anyone uncomfortable.” (49:50)
● “There’s your truth and then there’s facts. Now you can add to the facts but until you can prove to me there’s no such thing as a man or a woman, then they’re trying to create an alternate reality.” (52:52)
● “I think it starts with a toy. I think it’s [a toy] because they want to educate and indoctrinate the next generation.” (53:17)
● “We are getting to a place that is bordering on obscene to me” (54:26)
● “I think it’s ludicrous that we have to defend the concept of a Mr or Mrs.” (56:00)
● “This right here is how you get to your Handmaid’s Tale. When you start deaffirming men and women, they are the majority.” (56:30)
● “This whole concept that there is this worldwide movement to eliminate gender, because somebody decides it’s the new, hot button issue to prove that you’re equal, it’s freaking crazy to me.” (57:33)
● “Are we really moving to a point where we’re saying there are no men and no women—that everything is just the same? And are we really accepting that? This is where a Maze Jackson would be meeting in the parking lot with Hillbilly Jim. ‘Hillbilly Jim, me and you, we’re on the endangered species list.’” (57:53)
55:19, September 27, 2021
“I don’t like [director Lee Daniels] either. I don’t like how he turned everybody gay.”
I’ve asked for comment from the Steele campaign. I’ll let you know if there’s a response.
Some of her colleagues in the Illinois state general assembly thought she was being “hyperbolic,” she says — maybe even “hysterical.” But the Chicago Democrat, a longtime reproductive rights advocate, saw the “fertile seeds” that the antichoice movement had spent years planting starting to blossom into a grave threat to abortion rights, and led an effort to build a “firewall” of laws to protect and expand access to the procedure — including the Reproductive Health Act she sponsored, which was signed by Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2019 to make abortion a “fundamental right.”
That legislative push helped turn Illinois into a national leader in reproductive healthcare. It is also likely to soon make it a refuge for people in states as far away as Texas, who will face even less access to abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as it is expected to do. Indeed, Illinois already serves large numbers of out of state patients, who often face significant barriers to abortion even with Roe in place. But the state is bracing for a post-Roe surge: Cassidy and others in Illinois helped secure freedom of choice here in Illinois before reproductive rights came under existential threat nationally; now, healthcare advocates here are working to ensure they can meet patients’ needs after those threats come to pass. […]
“We are an island,” says Democrat Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, an Illinois state representative who as a freshman lawmaker helped get the Reproductive Health Act and other pro-choice legislation to Pritzker’s desk. “I think our sense of responsibility feels larger, because as an Illinois legislator, I now feel a responsibility to women outside of my own borders.” […]
In Connecticut, Democratic Governor Ned Lamont in May signed a law protecting people from out of state who seek or provide abortions there, allowing those facing legal action against them in another state for receiving or providing abortion care to sue for damages. “I am very appreciative to the majority of lawmakers in Connecticut who had the foresight to draft this legislation at a time when the right to a safe legal abortion in America is in jeopardy,” the governor said. Cassidy says she and her colleagues are looking not only at protecting providers, but trying to find ways to make it easier for abortion providers from states where the procedure is outlawed to “reestablish themselves” in Illinois. […]
The trouble is, they’re not only scrambling to meet the needs of those from outside their states — they’re fighting to ensure their own protections they’ve passed stay in place. “We can’t sleep on this firewall by any means,” Cassidy says. Challenges to the RHA and other Illinois laws will likely crop up in the wake of a Roe decision, Cassidy says, and rights like marriage equality could come under threat next. And the safeguards Illinois has in place could be dismantled by a single election — if Democrats lose their majority in Springfield, for instance, or if Pritzker loses reelection in November to one of the Republicans who have spent primary season trying to pass a conservative purity test. “We did everything we could do, but now we’ve got to keep doing it,” says Cassidy.
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* It really is everywhere. I know so many people with it…
I'm looking forward to tonight's debate. While I'm disappointed that I won't be able to participate in person due to ABC's COVID protocol, I'm excited to continue sharing our positive vision for Illinois' future via Zoom. Here's how to watch: https://t.co/nAvEdSk8Bppic.twitter.com/3xhXDR1Bti
Midcontinent ISO (MISO) faces a capacity shortfall in its North and Central areas, resulting in high risk of energy emergencies during peak summer conditions. Capacity shortfall projections reported in the 2021 LTRA and as far back as the 2018 LTRA have continued. Load serving entities in 4 of 11 zones entered the annual planning resource auction (PRA) in April 2022 without enough owned or contracted capacity to cover their requirements. Across MISO, peak demand projections have increased by 1.7% since last summer due in part to a return to normal demand patterns that have been altered in prior years by the pandemic. However, more impactful is the drop in capacity in the most recent PRA: MISO will have 3,200 MW (2.3%) less generation capacity than in the summer of 2021. System operators in MISO are more likely to need operating mitigations, such as load modifying resources or non-firm imports, to meet reserve requirements under normal peak summer conditions. More extreme temperatures, higher generation outages, or low wind conditions expose the MISO North and Central areas to higher risk of temporary operator-initiated load shedding to maintain system reliability.
MISO A capacity shortfall in the North and Central areas poses high risk of energy emergencies during peak summer conditions. The shortfall is largely driven by a peak demand increase of 1.7% percent and 3,200 MW less generation capacity than summer 2021
Southern Illinois is among the most vulnerable places in the country heading into the summer, according to a newly published forecast by the North American Electric Reliability Corp., a regulatory authority that monitors risks to the grid.
The area, along with large parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and other states linked to the regional grid, has been put on notice in the forecast that it is facing a “high risk of energy emergencies during peak summer conditions.” A major reason is that some of the coal plants that regulators assumed would keep running for another year or two are instead coming offline. Some plant operators are choosing to shut down rather than invest in upgrades for coal plants that do not fit with states’ and the federal government’s long-term goals for clean energy.
“We are seeing these retirements occur at a faster pace than expected,” said Jim Robb, chief executive of the regulatory authority. “The economics aren’t great, so coal plant operators are saying ‘uncle.’”
As demand across the Midwest is increasing, the amount of power available to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid that services a large swath of it has dropped, leading regulators to warn that outages could accompany extreme summer weather.
Retiring coal plants are just one of many challenges putting unprecedented stress on the nation’s electricity network.
“It’s a soup of things,” Robb said. “The grid is transforming. We are putting on a lot of new resources and learning how they behave.” That is compounded, Robb said, by prolonged stretches of extreme weather, the inability of utilities to get badly needed transmission lines built as they wrestle with land-use disputes, and difficulties delivering natural gas supplies to the power plants that are a crucial backstop to wind and solar energy when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. […]
Some political leaders and utilities in the Midwest are assuring residents that their connections to neighboring grids can provide a backup of energy to avoid blackouts if the Midcontinent system gets overstressed. But energy experts warn those power transfers may not be available in the event of a prolonged heat wave that stretches across many states, as California learned when part of its grid became overwhelmed in the summer of 2020.
The [Marie Newman dog poop] ad amounts to a little bit of proactive offensive defense.
Perhaps the largest issue in the campaign has been the fact that Newman is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly offering a staff job to a potential election opponent if he’d drop out of the race. However, Casten has pretty much ignored that in his own TV ads, instead focusing on positive aspects of his career.
Did Casten know that he could take the high road while an ally—in this case, the Democratic Majority for Israel super PAC—went low?
Casten denies that, and the super PAC so far hasn’t responded to requests for comment. But both the Casten and Newman camps confirm that the group has made a $261,000 cable TV buy for a spot that’s believed to focus on Newman’s ethical problems.
Under investigation for corruption. Is that really what we want in our member of Congress? The Office of Congressional Ethics was unanimous: There’s “substantial reason to believe” Marie Newman may have violated federal law by promising a taxpayer-funded job to an opponent if he agreed not to run against her. Newman even put it in a signed contract. Say ‘No’ to a corrupt politician representing us. Say ‘No’ to Marie Newman. DMFI PAC is responsible for the content of this ad.
Not a gigantic amount of money behind that ad so far, but oof.
Irvin has also run ads discussing his response to incidents of looting and rioting in Aurora in May 2020, but State Sen. Darren Bailey says that his opponent has misrepresented his actions during that unrest.
“When the riots broke out in Aurora, he told police to stand down,” Bailey said. “And nobody is talking about that.”
Officials enacted a curfew during that incident, which saw individuals engaging in violent clashes with police in the wake of the George Floyd shooting in Minnesota. […]
“He was a passionate supporter of Black Lives Matter,” Sullivan added. “When cop cars were being burnt, he said he was ‘conflicted’ on whether to take action.”
Irvin, who has said during the campaign that he does not support Black Lives Matter, defended his record on the FOID legislation.
“Those FOID card changes that Pritzker talked about were not enough to go beyond what we needed to fix,” he said. “It’s broken, and when I’m governor I’ll fix it.”
* OK, let’s take these one at a time, starting at the bottom of the story and working up. Here’s Irvin’s full quote on the problems with the FOID card system…
…And then myself, not just a year ago, my FOID card expiring during the pandemic and I wasn’t able to get a FOID card for a full year. Now there’s a Second Amendment here in this country that says that you know, all of our citizens, law abiding citizens, you know, have the ability to own to own firearms, and the FOID card system is broken and needs to be fixed to ensure that that Constitution that constitutional amendment is [garbled]
Not gonna speak to the constitutional issues, but the FOID backlog has been eliminated, according to Illinois State Police spokesperson Melaney Arnold…
Hi Rich,
Since the middle of January, ISP has met all statutory turnaround times for processing new FOID as well as FOID renewals.
FOID new - 30 calendar days
FOID renewal - 60 business days
Thanks
Melaney
Maybe the candidate should check things out before saying that the next time.
* Let’s move on to Sullivan’s accusation that Irvin said he was “conflicted” during the riots. The Sullivan campaign pointed me to a video excerpt from August of 2020. Click here to watch…
…around the ountry, destroy our downtown, you know, in a matter of minutes what it took us years to build. And as I sat there in the police situation room, which was our EOC Emergency Operation Center, and I saw the drones going overhead as you know, things on fire, police cars on fire, my downtown just on fire, people running around destroying things. You know, I was conflicted. In one sense, I’m the mayor and I’m saying ‘This can’t happen my city’ and I refuse to accept that this is happening. On the other hand, I recognize that unless there’s some type of disruption, you know, in what they want here in our country, things won’t change. Just to simply knock on somebody’s door and say, you know, ‘I want equity and fairness,’ you know, without disruption, without anything behind. It doesn’t work.
So, yeah, that’s accurate. And, frankly, I kinda like that Richard Irvin. Too bad he’s now running away from his past.
* Bailey’s claim that Mayor Irvin ordered the police to “stand down” comes from an interview that Jeanne Ives did of former Aurora Ald. Rick Lawrence…
I’ve seen his commercial. He talks a lot about what he did during the riot. Our police officers were told to stand down and not engage in the riot. And over 30 businesses were destroyed in Aurora. And so that’s the real record. It’s frustrating to watch you know a made-up character by a marketing department because that’s not the person that I know and it’s not the person I worked with.
I reached out to Lawrence via Twitter, Facebook and email. “How do you know this to be true?” I asked. “And when was this order allegedly given?” I have not yet heard back. I’ll let you know if I do hear something. Lawrence has tangled with Irvin in the recent past over Irvin’s alleged corruption. I don’t think his claim yet rises to the level of evidence in a gubernatorial campaign. But if there’s evidence or another witness, I’m all ears.
* Coverage roundup from yesterday’s Irvin press conference, which went a lot more smoothly than his previous one…
* Republican Irvin’s anti-crime plan rests on repealing law Democrats say he supported: Pritzker’s camp was referring to a letter Irvin sent to state Sen. Elgie Sims, one of the bill’s Democratic sponsors. The letter, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, commends Sims on his leadership on the bill’s passage and also lauds the measure’s goals. Irvin’s campaign told the Chicago Tribune in March that the letter wasn’t “laudatory,” and was simply Irvin “being polite to a state senator when asking for revisions to a law” that affected police in his city.
* Illinois governor candidate Richard Irvin promises to repeal criminal justice reforms: But while Irvin calls crime an epidemic, new statistics released by the Chicago Police Department show that shootings are down 15.6% from the start of this year through the end of May. Murders are down 7.7% compared to the same five months last year. Irvin also found himself on the defensive about his recent criticism of the FOID, or Firearm Owner’s Identification System, which he called “broken.” That despite praising Pritzker when he signed a bill in Aurora last August to expand background checks, a move in response to calls for gun reform after the mass shooting the Pratt manufacturing plant.
* Irvin promises to repeal criminal justice reforms, gubernatorial rival calls him a ‘fraud’: “I’m the mayor of a city — second-largest city in the state — who not long ago was one of the most violent cities in the state of Illinois, per capita with over 30 murders a year,” Irvin said. “Now make Aurora one of the safest large cities in America.” But Irvin’s rivals in the Republican primary said that claim is outdated, citing the most recent statistics about crime in Aurora. “Actually, criminal assault is up 129% in the city of Aurora. Aggravated assault up 44%. Violent crime up 38%. Those are the facts and he has to be held accountable for his record. Aurora is not even in the 100 safest communities in the state of Illinois. Mayor Richard Irvin is really a fraud,” said Jesse Sullivan (R), candidate for governor.
Why is Rodney Davis attacking Mary Miller’s Christian faith? When Miller talked with Tony Perkins about the border, she noted the lessons of the Good Samaritan. Now Davis twist her words to attack her on immigration. Davis cut out: ‘The role of our government is to enforce our laws.’ Davis should apologize. The fact is Davis voted for amnesty, not Miller. Mary Miller, strong on the border, Trump endorsed. Conservative Outsider PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising
They have a point, but when you’re explaining, you’re not winning.
Does Rodney Davis think you’re stupid? His pals say Mary Miller hates our military. Horse manure. Miller opposed Joe Biden’s woke military makeover plan loaded up with diversity training, gender perspectives, even a report on discriminatory uniforms. Perfect for a squish like Davis, not a conservative like Miller. President Trump backs Miller and says she’s strong for our military. Conservative Outsider PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising
Last March, the state’s child welfare agency received a report through its hotline that an 8-year-old girl in Uptown might be in danger.
Her parents had gotten into a fight at a restaurant, the report said, and an investigator with the Department of Children and Family Services was assigned to check on the parents and the child, Amaria Osby.
The investigator tried the girl’s home the next day, on March 24, but was unable to see anyone, the agency said. It was not until two months later, on May 24, that the investigator finally checked on the child.
“There were no noted concerns for physical abuse or neglect,” the agency said.
The next day, Amaria was dead, allegedly killed by her mother, Andreal Hagler, who also tried to kill herself.
Charles Golbert with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian spoke out Wednesday on Amaria’s death. Her mother, 38-year-old Andreal Hagler, is now charged with her daughter’s murder. Prosecutors say she confessed to killing the girl.
“Amaria is the sixth child to die in Illinois (since last December) despite DCFS’ involvement with the families,” Golbert said. “This case screamed out for intensive mental health services for the mother, for drug services for the mother and at least some type of protective supervision plan.”
Police found Amaria dead in her uptown apartment last Wednesday.
Police said they found the mother high on PCP with a bag around her head when they arrived. According to prosecutors, Hagler told officers she felt her daughter didn’t love her anymore and loved her father more. She said she put the bag over Amaria’s head similar to how she had placed it over her own head, prosecutors said. […]
Records revealed that a caseworker failed to visit the Uptown home for two months. Investigators cited no concerns for abuse or neglect upon making contact two months later.
“When you have investigators laboring under untenable caseloads in an inept bureaucracy without the support they need, the ball is going to get dropped on investigations with tragic results like what happened here,” Goldbert said.
The public guardian told WGN News that DCFS has a current investigator vacancy rate of 21%, according to a consent decree. It’s supposed to be no more than 6%.
Audit: DCFS failing to track kids in care
When WGN News asked DCFS to explain that two-month gap from March to May, a spokesman said that contrary to policies, the investigator, in this case, did not continue to make attempts to see the family. The spokesman added that the employee and a supervisor are not performing child protection duties at this time and the department is determining appropriate personnel action.
“They dropped the ball and did not do anything for two months,” Golbert said. “Their own regs say that they have to see the child within 24 hours.”
DCFS administrative code says in cases like this, “Good faith attempts must be made every 24 hours or sooner, including weekends and holidays, until the child victim is seen, unless a waiver is granted by the Child Protection Supervisor.”
A DCFS spokesman said the investigator working on the case did not make attempts to contact Amaria’s family as the code requires – and thus, disciplinary action is expected against the investigator and supervisor in this case:
“Contrary to DCFS policies, the investigator in this case did not continue to make attempts to see the family. Both the supervisor and the investigator are not performing child protection duties at this time and the Department is determining the appropriate personnel action. The allegation in this case stemmed from an incident of domestic violence between caregivers, and the investigator noted no signs of abuse after speaking to the mother and daughter.”
“All of this is interrelated and goes to DCFS’ illegal investigator caseload ratios, and just the inept bureaucracy that it is,” Golbert said.
09/08/2017 A hotline report was made identifying Amaria, age 3, as the child victim. The mother was being investigated for allegation 60-Substantial Risk of Physical Injury/Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare by neglect. This allegation stemmed from a DUI charge where the mother was arrested and charged with child endangerment.
09/09/2017 The investigator visited the child and observed no signs of physical abuse or neglect. Amaria was entered into a safety plan with a family member.
10/30/2017 A worker saw the child and there were no signs of physical abuse or neglect.
10/31/2017 The Investigator and assigned Intact worker met with the family to initiate a transition to Intact Family Services.
11/04/2017 The investigation was completed, and the mother was indicated for allegation 60-Substantial Risk of Physical Injury/Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare by neglect stemming from the DUI arrest. The family continues to participate in and receive supportive services through the Intact Family Services program.
3/21/2018 The family continued to participate in Intact Family Services. The assigned Intact worker saw the family on 11/07/17, 11/ 15/17, 11/21/17, 11/29/17, 12/07/17, and 12/19/17,1/10/18, 1/30/18, 2/15/18, 2/28/18, and 3/21/2018. During this time the mother participated in substance abuse treatment and community service. When the Intact worker visited the home on 02/15/18, the mother noted that the child had a seizure on 02/03/18 and was in the hospital for 3 days. The visit with the family on 3/21/18 was the final home visit There were no noted concerns for abuse or neglect during any of the home visits and the Intact Family Services case was closed.
03/23/2022 A hotline report was made identifying Amaria as the child victim. The mother was being investigated for allegation 60-Substantial Risk of Physical Injury/Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare by neglect. This allegation stemmed from Amaria allegedly witnessing a domestic violence incident between the mother and father in a public setting. There were no allegations of abuse involving Amaria. Law enforcement responded to the scene of the incident at a restaurant and made no arrest and did not press changes related to the incident.
03/24/2022 An investigator made a good faith attempt to visit the child victim and family without succes.
05/24/2022 An investigator visited the family and spoke with the mother and the child. There were no noted concerns for physical abuse or neglect.
So, the DCFS worker didn’t follow clear rules. The supervisor apparently didn’t notice. The regional supervisor apparently didn’t notice.
* I told subscribers last week that House Republican Leader Jim Durkin had taken the highly unusual step of endorsing Sen. Win Stoller’s Republican primary opponent Brett Nicklaus. Durkin followed up with a check. Here’s Politico…
Intra-party politics and dysfunction are playing out in the Illinois Republican Party.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin just gave $25,000 to Republican Brett Nicklaus, who’s challenging incumbent Win Stoller — a fellow Republican — for the 37th District state Senate seat.
You read that right. The House Republican leader is meddling in a state Senate GOP primary, doling out cash that might otherwise help Republican candidates fight off Democrats in the upcoming General Election. Republicans are a minority in Springfield, after all.
“It’s absolutely unheard of,” a GOP insider told Playbook.
Durkin’s move is retribution because Stoller donated to Republican Travis Weaver, who’s challenging House Rep. Mark Luft (who you might know for his other job as the mayor of Pekin).
There was a reason for Stoller’s move. He and Weaver are family friends. In fact, Weaver’s father is former state Sen. Chuck Weaver — who hand-picked Stoller to succeed him in the Senate. […]
And Rep. Toni McCombie is endorsing Nicklaus over Stoller, too. She gave Nicklaus $16,000. McCombie at one point had considered running against Stoller but was persuaded by leadership to stay in the House. That cleared the lane for Stoller to run without a primary. But his support for Travis Weaver changed that.
And for doing Stoller and the Senate Republicans that favor, Durkin wound up with an expensive primary race against one of his freshmen.
Illinois residents are eligible to receive part of a $100 million class-action settlement involving another tech giant.
As with the class-action complaint against Snapchat, Google was accused of violating the Biometric Information Privacy Act regarding its use of a face regrouping tool in the Google Photos app.
Google used the tool to sort faces it spots in photographs by similarity. However, according to the suit, the company did not receive consent from millions of users before using the technology.
As a result, Illinois residents who appeared in a photo on the app between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, may be eligible for payment.
The University of Illinois Flash Index fell in May, declining to 105.7 compared to 106.0 in April.
The lower index reading does not mean the Illinois economy is contracting because any reading above 100 indicates growth.
“The uncertainty in the state and national economies discussed last month is still unresolved,” said University of Illinois economist J. Fred Giertz, who compiles the monthly index for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “Two contrasting pictures emerge. Unemployment is falling in Illinois to a post-recession low of 4.6% in contrast to 6.6% a year ago. Consumer spending remains strong, job openings are plentiful and tax receipts exceed forecasted levels.”
Giertz said that this suggests a growing economy, however, there is increasing concern about a recession in the next twelve months. This is based on the intention of the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy to deal with the unexpectedly high and persistent inflation along with the gradual reduction of various Federal stimulus programs that grew to unprecedented levels during the Covid crisis.
“The current situation is unlike most recent downturns in that the problem is largely supply induced rather than one of deficient demand. The Covid crisis resulted in supply chain problems and exits from the workforce. This has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.”
Individual income tax receipts were down substantially from the same month last year after adjusting for inflation because of the different filing months in the two years. Corporate and sales tax receipts were little changed. See the full Flash Index archive.
The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income as estimated from receipts for corporate income, individual income, and retail sales taxes. These are adjusted for inflation before growth rates are calculated. The growth rate for each component is then calculated for the 12-month period using data through May 31, 2022. After more than two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, ad hoc adjustments are still needed because of the timing of the tax receipts resulting from state and Federal changes in payment dates.
The annual Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award is presented to a former or current state or local government official in Illinois who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
Former Governor Jim Edgar and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute invite you to nominate an Illinois elected official who has displayed this kind of exceptional leadership.
We created the Simon-Edgar Statesmanship Award to shine a spotlight on remarkable public service that is taking place in our state and local communities. Please join us as we celebrate the Prairie State’s best traditions. Nominate an Illinois statesperson by June 1.
Today, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker endorsed Democratic candidate for State Senate Mary Edly-Allen.
“I am thrilled to endorse Mary Edly-Allen for State Senate in Illinois’ 31st District,” said Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. “Mary has been a fierce advocate for women’s reproductive rights and critical investments in mental health care, childcare, and violence prevention programs that strengthen public safety. She has been an invaluable leader in the legislature, and I look forward to our continued partnership to keep Springfield on the side of working families.”
“I am honored to be endorsed by Governor Pritzer, who has been a life-long advocate for women’s healthcare. In 2019, Governor Pritzker and I worked together to strengthen Roe v. Wade into Illinois law to ensure that reproductive health care will never be in jeopardy in our state,” said Democratic candidate for State Senate Mary Edly-Allen. “Under the Governor’s leadership, I am ready to continue the fight for the health and safety of all Illinois families. Governor Pritzker’s endorsement serves as proof of my commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose, supporting common sense gun reform, and being the hardworking, ethical leader our community deserves.”
Mary Edly-Allen has also been endorsed by State Senator Melinda Bush, AFL-CIO, Brady PAC, Gun Violence Prevention G-PAC, Giffords PAC, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Indo-American Democratic Organization, Lake County Federation of Teachers Local 504, LiUNA! Chicago Laborers’ District Council, Personal PAC, and The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150.
* Press release from Edly-Allen’s primary opponent, Rep. Sam Yingling…
It is ironic that on the first day of LGBTQ+ PRIDE month Governor Pritzker attacked the only openly LGBTQ+ legislator outside the City of Chicago, State Representative Sam Yingling.
Yingling, who fights every day for the rights of all his constituents, straight and gay, every color and every creed said, “As a gay man, I am used to being bullied. But, I did not expect to be attacked on the first day of PRIDE month by a fellow Democrat.”
Yingling continued, “I was the first Lake County elected official to endorse Governor Pritzker in his contested primary four years ago. I have and will continue to support his legislative agenda. But let’s be clear, this is not about policy or our Democratic values. This is about the Governor making moves to control the Illinois Democratic Party. When I joined with 18 of my colleagues to replace former House Speaker Michael Madigan it was to start a new day where voters decide the outcome of elections.”
Gov. Pritzker has attacked Yingling and sided with Yingling’s opponent in the race for State Senate, Mary Edley Allen, who has voted against working families and the communities of color.
Mary Edly-Allen, who was a chosen candidate of Madigan, has opposed Democratic legislative priorities including: voting against minimum wage which had support from labor and working families. She refused to show up for work after losing her reelection as state representative, missing a series of important votes on budgetary matters, pandemic relief, and the Black Caucus’ historic SAFT-E Act. The Act’s narrow passage succeeded because Representative Yingling stood with the Black Caucus.
Thoughts?
This press release, by the way, was sent by the same PR firm which handled media for that mostly bogus hit on Sen. Melinda Bush, who is backing MEA.
Also, too, Yingling had plenty of backing from the Madigan crew over the years. C’mon, man.
Alderman Gilbert Villegas announced the endorsement of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White today in the race for the 3rd Congressional district of Illinois.
White, the only veteran elected a constitutional officer of Illinois, released the following statement:
“I’m proud to endorse fellow veteran Gil Villegas for Congress. I know he will be a tireless advocate for working families and will fight to protect our rights and communities” said Secretary Jesse White.
Villegas responded to the news.
“Jesse White is a man of honor, integrity, and commitment to public service and I’m so proud to receive his endorsement. There are few people in Illinois’ history who have served with such distinction and I will do my very best in Congress to live up to the example he has set for all of us,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin will not march in the Aurora Pride parade because event organizers have forbidden police officers from marching in the June 12 procession while in uniform.
Irvin also withdrew the city’s float from the parade, he said late Tuesday.
And city officials will conduct a gay pride flag-raising ceremony without the Aurora Pride organization, he said.
Irvin, also a Republican candidate for governor, said police officers and commanders disagree with an option to march while in a “soft uniform,” such as a polo shirt with police department insignia. Aurora Pride had suggested that last week after Irvin criticized the group’s decision about not allowing police uniforms and police vehicles in the June 12 parade.
All six Republican candidates for governor of Illinois have agreed to participate in a one-hour debate Thursday hosted by ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. Starting at 7 p.m., ABC 7 news anchor Alan Krashesky will moderate the forum among Darren Bailey, Richard Irvin, Gary Rabine, Paul Schimpf, Max Solomon and Jesse Sullivan. It will air live on ABC 7 Digital Channel 7.2 and stream on abc7chicago.com and the ABC 7 Chicago News app. ABC 7 will replay the debate on its main channel at 10:35 p.m. Friday. The appearance of all six candidates is a major improvement over the fiasco May 24 when NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 and Nexstar Media WGN-Channel 9 held dual debates on the same night, splitting the field in half. Panelists Thursday will be ABC 7 political reporter Craig Wall and Univision Chicago news anchor Erika Maldonado. The debate also is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Illinois and Univision Chicago.
What’s likely to be the final GOP debate before the June 28 primary will be hosted by Salem Media news/talk WIND 560-AM June 23 at the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Confirmed participants are Darren Bailey, Gary Rabine and Paul Schimpf. AM 560 news director Mike Scott will moderate the debate from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Panelists include AM 560 morning co-host Amy Jacobson and Illinois Radio Network’s Greg Bishop.
* Not unexpected at all…
After two direct questions, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker would not say he supports U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly's bid for a second term running the Democratic Party of Illinois. Control of the state party could be up for grabs as it courts the DNC to come to Chicago in 2024. pic.twitter.com/vtKuDuBL9g
Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced today that he wants the state to ensure that transgender and non-binary Illinoisans are able to access gender-neutral markers on their driver’s licenses as soon as possible.
In 2019, Illinois legislators approved a bill, giving residents a gender-neutral option on their identity documents. However, those Illinois residents wanting gender-neutral markers on their driver’s license or state ID card have to wait until 2024 when the state ends its contract with IDEMIA, the vendor that won a state contract to implement REAL IDs.
“The fact that a private company is receiving taxpayer money to administer our state’s REAL ID program and is ‘unable’ to provide a simple identity-designation change that is so important for the safety and security of the transgender and non-binary community is simply unacceptable,” said Giannoulias. “Every Illinois resident should have the right to obtain an official document that reflects and affirms who they are, and they should not have to wait five years after this law was approved to get it.”
The Secretary of State entered into a contract with IDEMIA in 2018 to administer the REAL ID program, lasting through 2024. IDEMIA has claimed that it is unable to add a gender-neutral marker – an “X” instead of “M” or “F” – to REAL IDs administered by the Secretary of State until the end of the current contract in 2024.
For the transgender and non-binary communities, having the proper gender marker on an identification is a matter of safety. In 2015, the National Center for Transgender Equality reported that 34 percent of trans and non-binary Illinoisans reported harassment when their gender identity didn’t match the gender on their identification.
More than 20 states have passed legislation allowing for gender-neutral options on state-issued IDs and driver’s licenses. Last week, New York announced that it would allow residents to choose an “X” as their gender marker on their state-issued IDs, beginning June 24.
Giannoulias vowed to closely review the current contract in place with the Secretary of State’s office, including examining what early termination provisions are in place or what contract amendments could be applied.
Giannoulias made the announcement at the beginning of Pride Month, adding that he would continue to fight for equality for members of the LGBTQ+ communities across the state.
Shortly after taking office as State Treasurer in 2007, Giannoulias changed office policy to allow office employees in same-sex domestic partnerships to receive the same health benefits as married employees and their dependents. At the time, the Treasurer’s Office had been the only constitutional office not to give health benefits to same-sex partners of state workers.
In 2010, the Treasurer’s Office became the first state constitutional office in Illinois to establish that LGBTQ+ employees in domestic partnerships would have all the
same rights and benefits as married employees, including unpaid time off to care for a sick partner or relative or for the birth or adoption of a child.
* I had to check twice to make sure that I wasn’t looking at a 2020 web page when I read the Daily Herald editorial board’s question of all state legislative candidates. Here’s an example posed to Democratic House candidate Matt Hanson…
Q: The graduated income tax is designed with the intent to reduce taxes for 97 percent of Illinoisans. Do you believe that will happen? Why or why not? What assurances can you offer voters?
I do not hold an office in Springfield at this time, but I am not aware that a graduated income tax is being discussed. Tax relief for middle class families and workers is my focus. Billionaire insiders and massive corporations paying little to no taxes need to pay their fair share. Incentivize work rather than wealth. This can be done by closing corporate loopholes and offering tax credits for middle class families.
* People’s Fabric has produced yet another big oppo dump. Like the last one, this is about 19th House District Democratic candidate Tina Wallace. Here’s the quick summary…
After the Northwest Side real estate agent was sued over her dog’s unprovoked mauling of a kennel worker, a judge found Wallace’s actions indicated “a wanton disregard for the safety of others.” She later unsuccessfully lobbied Alderman Raymond Lopez to change the city’s dangerous dog ordinance to prohibit kennel workers from suing in the future.
As before, this is a long narrative, but here is an excerpt…
Julia’s attorneys described this as a campaign “tailored for the precise purpose of embarrassment and harassment under the pretext of investigation.” They asked the judge to intervene. The judge agreed and granted a protective order prohibiting Wallace from sending any more letters.
Wallace even subpoenaed individuals not directly related to the case—at one point she attempted to depose Chicago Blackhawks player Bryan Bickell a year after winning the 2013 Stanley Cup. At that time, Julia worked for the Bickell Foundation, which was founded to help combat public misconceptions about pit bulls.
Julia’s lawsuit initially sought reimbursement for her medical bills and lost wages. Julia was uninsured and had racked up medical expenses exceeding $40,000.
After more than two years in court, she asked the court to allow her to also seek punitive damages, citing a “pattern of misrepresentations [that] has continued throughout this litigation, as Wallace represented under oath… that she had no knowledge of any bite, attack or injuries caused by her dog.”
The judge agreed that they met the bar to request punitive damages against Wallace, writing, “[T]he evidence establishes that Tina Wallace and Barriers Against Repeated Cruelty were aware that ‘Sam’ previously bit two other individuals, but failed to disclose this information to Found or [Julia]. The acts of Tina Wallace and [BARC] indicates a wanton disregard for the safety of others.”
After this ruling from the judge, the case was immediately settled. The exact terms of the settlement are unclear, but according to a source with knowledge of the case, who asked to remain anonymous, the first payment from Wallace’s liability insurance was $400,000—roughly ten times the initial damages sought.
More…
Besides the lying & callousness toward the victim, this bit of gaslighting was🤯.
Tina Wallace stopped a rescue from euthanizing a dog—after it's second attack on a human—then when the dog attacked someone again & she was sued, Wallace blamed the org for not euthanizing the dog. https://t.co/6zBqprTv9Rpic.twitter.com/p0TaAwjOTm
— The People's Fabric (@peoplesfabric) June 1, 2022
— Gov. JB Pritzker is endorsing state Senate candidate Mary Edly-Allen, a former state rep, in the 31st District Democratic primary against Sam Yingling, a state rep. “Mary has been a fierce advocate for women’s reproductive rights and critical investments in mental health care, childcare, and violence prevention programs that strengthen public safety.”
— Sam Yingling is out with a digital ad in his race for the state Senate in the 31st District that includes Lake County. The ad, titled, “Report Card,” addresses guns, abortion rights, and being an LGBTQ elected official. […]
— Pat Dowell has been endorsed by Posen Mayor Frank Podbielniak in her bid for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 1st District.
— Progressive or not: State House rep candidate Kevin Olickal says he’ll join the Illinois House Progressive Caucus if elected to represent the 16th District. His point: Incumbent state Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback didn’t join the caucus after tweeting that she would.
* CD17…
Former state representative and 17th District Democratic Congressional Candidate Litesa Wallace on Tuesday called on Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance to resist pressure from a right-wing Republican advocacy group and restore its support for the GenderCool Project, an educational group that supports transgender children.
Consumers’ Research, a right-wing Republican outfit opposed to LGBTQ rights and other Civil Rights, targeted State Farm and its support for the youth-led program which, among other things, provides books and other materials to promote understanding of transgender youth.
“State Farm is a valued employer and partner in Illinois. Consumers’ Research is a fake “research” group designed to grind Republican axes, which takes money from the tobacco industry and which is known for its vastly misleading propaganda reports. The GenderCool Project, meanwhile, provides some kindness and understanding to gender neutral, nonbinary and trans kids trying to make their way in a world of cruelty that we see getting crueler by the day. I urge State Farm to revisit their decision to appease this right-wing advocacy group. This is caving to the kind of bigotry that makes life so cruel for so many of our children.”
— The People's Fabric (@peoplesfabric) June 1, 2022
Yep.
* From the Daily Herald endorsements of Alexi Giannoulias and Rep. Dan Brady is this little gem…
Milhiser is the only member of billionaire Ken Griffin’s well-funded slate that Republican House Leader Jim Durkin has not endorsed.
Milhiser stresses time and again that as a career prosecutor, he knows how to root out corruption.
As Brady points out, Milhiser probably should be running for attorney general then. We agree.
Um, Leader Durkin isn’t endorsing Milhiser because Brady is a top member of Durkin’s leadership team.
* CD13…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced his endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional district. Since being elected as the 43rd Governor of Illinois, Governor Pritzker has raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour, protected reproductive freedom, got the state’s fiscal house in order, and made education more accessible and affordable for all.
Governor Pritzker made the following statement: “I am proud to endorse Nikki Budzinski for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Nikki has dedicated her life to fighting for workers and working families and has a unique ability to bring people together from all walks of life to get big things done. Nikki was invaluable in our fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, and played a major role in expanding reliable, high-speed broadband to every corner of Illinois. With Republicans hellbent on taking us backward, it is more important than ever that we send strong Democrats like Nikki to Washington to fight the tide of rising right-wing extremism.”
Nikki Budzinski made the following statement: “When JB was running for Governor, he made a commitment to put Springfield back on the side of working people and in his first term, he delivered on that promise. Governor Pritzker shares my commitment to organized labor and working people. That’s why I was proud to work with him to increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 an hour. I look forward to building on that work in Congress as an advocate for working families.”
…Adding… Darnit. I promised Sen. Wilcox I would post this and then I forgot. Sorry about that…
McHenry Township Republicans will be hosting a candidates’ forum on Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Richardson Farm, 909 English Prairie Rd, Spring Grove, IL.
These forums will be scheduled throughout the day at one of four stages located at Richardson Farm. Some of the forums including Republican Candidates for the United States Senate, McHenry County Board, Illinois Comptroller, Illinois Treasurer, Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois Attorney General, various United States Congressional districts, Illinois Supreme Court, McHenry County Clerk, McHenry County Treasurer, McHenry County Regional Superintendent of Schools, various Illinois General Assembly districts, and Illinois Governor.
Gubernatorial Candidates scheduled to be at the forum include Darren Bailey, Gary Rabine, Paul Schimpf, and Max Solomon. This portion of the forum begins at 6 p.m. at the Amphitheatre and will be the concluding event of the day.
In addition to hearing the candidates speak there will be food trucks, concessions, and a beer tent at the event. Grab your lawn chair and plan to spend the day at the Grand Old Party at the Farm!
For more information about the event please visit mchenrytownshipgop.com.
Just about everyone is going to be there, except Richard Irvin.
* More…
* Daily Herald endorsement: Giannoulias and Brady for Secretary of State: Anna Valencia has similar views. But she is handicapped by the fact she failed to disclose her husband’s lobbying activities on her ethics forms. She waved it off as an oversight, but she’s running for a position that has oversight of the registration and activities of lobbyists. That’s a difficult flaw to overcome.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker met with pro-choice advocates and service members from Illinois and Missouri to discuss the importance of protecting abortion rights and to reaffirm his commitment to safe, accessible reproductive health care for women everywhere. As radical Republican-controlled states surrounding Illinois implement harsh bans on women’s bodies, Illinois remains an island for reproductive freedom thanks to Governor Pritzker’s leadership.
“Whether you’re an active duty soldier, a single mom, a working woman, or just a woman who wants to have control over your future––we are with you.” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In Illinois, we trust women and so long as I am governor that will always be the case.”
“Illinois is a critical access point now and in a post-Roe future,” said Chief Medical Officer at Reproductive Health Services at Planned Parenthood of the St Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. “We have an opportunity to rebuild a broken system, a system that has never been equitable or accessible for everyone who needs it.”
Governor Pritzker stands with women in every corner of the state and nation in the fight for equal rights, including women faced with existing barriers to access like active duty and retired service members. While every single GOP candidate running for governor cheers on the Supreme Court’s imminent and disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Governor Pritzker recognizes that women’s bodily autonomy is on the ballot and remains resolute in his belief that all people deserve the right to make their own health care decisions and live a life by their own design.
A recorded copy of the event can be found at JBPritzker.com/live
* Richard Irvin was asked about the governor’s comments on the Republican gubernatorial candidates at his press conference today…
You know, it’s a shame that JB Pritzker is using something that is such an important issue for us to be talking about as political fodder. He does not have anything other to talk about then trying to make something like that about politics. He doesn’t want to talk about his failures in the state. He doesn’t want to talk about the fact that crime is spinning out of control in the state of Illinois. Taxes and wasteful spending is spinning out of control. He doesn’t want to talk about the corruption that has prevented us from going forward and progressing as a state. He wants to talk about things that are already determined to be codified law in the state of Illinois. He is using that as politics.
OK, on the “codified law” bit, but then Irvin was told that the state’s parental notification law ends today and was asked: “When you become governor will you reinstate it?” “Absolutely,” Irvin said, and then the press conference ended.
Seems like a contradiction, but maybe you disagree.
* Speaking of the PNA repeal, here’s the ACLU of Illinois…
Abortion access in Illinois expanded today with the end of the Parental Notice of Abortion (PNA) law. This measure required a minor seeking abortion care to notify a designated family member, often putting young people in unsafe and harmful family situations in further danger when they sought to access this health care.
“Prior to today, pregnant young people could make any medical decision without barriers except abortion. Now thankfully they have the same right to make a confidential decision about their health care as everyone else” said Emily Werth, staff attorney at the ACLU of Illinois. “Today abortion is treated just like all other forms of health care in this state.”
This end of the parental notification law comes at a pivotal moment in the fight for abortion rights. A draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court early this month suggests a majority of Justices are poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating access to abortion in much of the country. A number of states are rushing to pass – or preparing to enforce previously adopted – bans on abortion if Roe falls.
The Parental Notice of Abortion Act has been enforced in Illinois since 2013. During that time the ACLU of Illinois has run the Judicial Bypass Coordination Project which ensured that those effected by the law were still able to access abortion care in this state. Volunteers helped operate a hotline to answer questions on the law and provide resources, and pro bono attorneys and ACLU staff represented minors who needed to get a waiver from a court in order to have an abortion without forced family involvement.
“During the nearly nine years the harmful law was in effect we helped more than 625 young people get the court approval they unfortunately needed to have an abortion. Only one of our client’s judicial bypass waiver requests was ever denied by a judge. All people, regardless of their age, know what decision is best for them. And everyone should have the right to decide for themselves,” Werth added.
The measure taking effect today is HB370 – the Youth Health and Safety Act. The bill which repeals the Parental Notice of Abortion Act was sponsored by Senator Elgie Sims and Representative Anna Moeller, and was approved by the General Assembly in October of 2021, and signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in December 2021.
It's May 31st and I spent the holiday weekend in Chicago and have dinner plans tonight at 6:30. Feels weird to not be in a suit and tie and working at the Statehouse all weekend and tonight. Not bad, mind you. Not bad at all. Just… really weird
* Both use a focus group theme. Click here and here for the background on the first one…
* And I don’t believe there’s any need to supply any background for this one…
The only thing I would say about these ads is that, taken together, the word “Bailey” is either spoken or flashed on the screen a total of nine times, while the word “Irvin” is said once and then flashed on the screen in the paid-for slots at the end of the spots.
Two years ago, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin quietly co-founded a consulting firm with a top city aide, who’s also a lifelong friend, and two men from Virginia.
The arrangement has raised several potential conflict of interest issues for Irvin: There’s a mayor going into business with a city employee who is so close to Irvin that the mayor calls him a stepbrother. There’s the employee skirting through a process requiring city approval for side jobs. And there’s the two Virginia men, who went on to get a $15,000 city contract without their ties to Irvin being disclosed. […]
That scrutiny now includes questions about the consulting firm Aurora Dynamic Solutions, based two blocks from City Hall. Irvin owns it with Michael Pegues, who Irvin hired right after being elected mayor in 2017 to be Aurora’s chief information officer. While the two are not related by blood, Irvin considers Pegues a stepbrother because Irvin’s biological father — who did not raise Irvin — at times raised Pegues, and Irvin has said he and Pegues have been close since childhood.
Irvin never announced his ownership in Aurora Dynamic Solutions, and it isn’t disclosed on the state ethics form he filed when he ran for governor. As of Tuesday, the consulting firm had a half-finished website that’s designed to be hard to Google but — if someone could find it — advertised a wide swath of services, including government consulting.
Go read the whole thing. The Irvin campaign makes a valid point that their guy has lost money on this company. But he’s also keeping the company alive, including paying for office space, until he leaves politics.
GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin may portray himself as a political outsider ready to clean up corruption, but his past tells quite a different story.
Two years ago, Irvin co-founded a consulting firm with a top city aide and two men from Virginia, the Chicago Tribune reported. The firm’s conflicts of interest are endless, from the mayor of the second-largest city in the state going into business with a city employee so close that he calls him a stepbrother, to said city employee dodging the formal reporting process for side jobs, to the Virginia men scoring a $15,000 city contract without disclosing their ties to Irvin.
And to make matters worse, Irvin never reported his ownership in the firm, and it isn’t disclosed on the state ethics form he filed at the start of his gubernatorial campaign. The business isn’t even in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.
This is just the latest example in a long string of corruption and pay to play scandals. There’s Scientel, which donated over $100,000 to Irvin’s campaign and committees connected to him, and in return, received millions in city contracts and permission to build a high frequency trading tower that sparked concern it would interfere with fair access.
There’s the time Mayor Irvin arrived at the scene of an arrest of his then-girlfriend, accused of hitting a security guard at a marijuana store — promising the charges against her “would be taken care of.”
And now, there’s apparently a sham consulting firm he founded with a city aide and two Virginia men that scored city contracts during Irvin’s mayoral term.
“While Richard Irvin parades around as an anti-corruption political outsider, the exact opposite is true,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Time and time again, we’ve seen Irvin bend the rules to enrich himself, his friends, and his donors. That’s how he behaved as mayor of Aurora, and that’s exactly how he’ll behave as Governor. Illinoisans deserve better.”
Lightfoot, in a statement from her campaign via supporter Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32d, “welcomed” Vallas to the race:
“Paul Vallas running and losing has become a stunt. Chicago doesn’t want his failed experiments that closed schools, hurt already struggling neighborhoods and ignored police misconduct that cost the City millions. He hasn’t been taken seriously by voters because his outdated and destructive ideas would only make the most challenging issues facing the city worse.”
* American Jobs and Growth Fund was formed in Delaware in mid-April. It apparently hasn’t yet filed for 501(c)(4) status with the IRS. It’s impossible to tell who is behind this, but have a look and maybe ask yourself who would have a lot of money to burn on a hit that they do not in any way want to be connected with…
Mayor Richard Irvin promised to reduce violent crime in Aurora. But as mayor, homicides have nearly doubled. Rapes have increased. Aggravated assault increased. Even arson. And while activists burned Illinois cities, Richard Irvin told voters ‘I support Black Lives Matter strongly and passionately.’ He also said, ‘I believe this past summer was a wake-up call to America.’ It’s time Mayor Irvin had a wake-up call. Tell Mayor Irvin to do something about rising crime.
…Adding… From Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign…
We are absolutely in no way involved with that org or that ad and I am happy to unequivocally say that on the record.
*** UPDATE *** If you click here, you’ll see that the advertisement agreement form is signed by Eva Mah, who’s with Axiom Strategies. As we’ve already discussed, that firm does work for Jesse Sullivan’s campaign and earlier this year it created an independent expenditure committee in Illinois to oppose Richard Irvin. The firm has a history of consulting for both candidates and their allied super PACs.
So, why would Sullivan want to hide his involvement? Well, Sullivan has pledged to run a “positive-focused campaign.” This way, he can kinda sorta keep that promise and still benefit from a negative hit.
