* From Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Haine’s open letter to constituents…
The greatest jailbreak in Madison County history will occur on January 1, 2023. On that date, approximately half of our present jail population must be released under the terms of the new SAFE-T Act, and cash bail will be eliminated throughout Illinois. That translates to well over 100 criminal defendants walking free in Madison County alone without paying a dime as they await trial for alleged crimes including aggravated DUI, aggravated battery, failure to register as a sex offender, burglary, and aggravated fleeing and eluding from a police officer.
* The governor responded today. Excerpt…
States Attorney Haine,
I was disappointed to read your letter and watch your television interview defending a criminal justice status quo where accused murderers, domestic batterers, rapists, and other dangerous criminals can buy their way out of jail pending trial if they have enough money.
Unfortunately, you made clear in the KDSK interview that your real concern is not about the serious offenses you falsely claim are non-detainable, but to ensure that low level defendants face punishment before they are found guilty. Your approach – seeking to deter possible future crimes by punishing individuals accused of less serious offenses before they have the opportunity to defend themselves in court – is contrary to the foundation of our justice system and based on outdated research that has been debunked.
You also scoff at the notion that the cash bail system contributes to a criminal justice system that disproportionately punishes Black and Brown citizens, saying to KDSK that “there is no truth to the idea that cash bail has a racially disparate impact.” Contrary to your claim, the bipartisan, independent US Commission on Civil Rights, established by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, recently published a report casting light on “stark racial and gender disparities [in the administration of cash bail],” and noting higher pre-trial detention rates and financial conditions of release imposed on Black and Latinx individuals.
In your response to KDSK reporter Mark Maxwell, you admitted that you have seen instances where a defendant accused of a serious crime “[got out of jail], going on to intimidate a witness, going on to harm someone, going on to commit a repeat offense, while they’re out on bail that they paid.” Conversely, the aforementioned report by the bipartisan US Commission on Civil Rights found that 60% of defendants were in jail pre-trial simply because they couldn’t afford bail. That is the broken system that you are defending through fearmongering and unvarnished mistruths.
The SAFE-T Act ensures that those charged with domestic abuse, murder, rape, and other serious crimes cannot buy their way out of prison – as they can right now – because it bases detention on risk rather than wealth. That’s why domestic violence advocacy organizations support ending cash bail , including the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, who referred to it as reform that prioritizes the safety of survivors.
Furthermore, I was disheartened by your conclusion that you are powerless to keep dangerous people in prison beginning January 1. Your conclusion is not based on the law. Moreover, if your comments are intended to signal that you will refuse to take available steps to seek detention for individuals who present a danger to the community, that would be a dereliction of duty.
Your letter claims that certain offenses become non-detainable under the SAFE-T Act. But your reading of the law has been debunked by multiple non-partisan fact checkers, including the Associated Press, Snopes, and Politifact. Nevertheless, in the interest of justice and safety, I will explain the fallacy in your reading of the law, including your false assertion to Mark Maxwell that prosecutors will have to meet an “unbelievably high standard” to show that a defendant presents a risk of fleeing and must be detained. […]
I trust that your office will use all of the tools available under the law on January 1, and file motions to detain defendants you consider to be dangerous to the citizens of Madison County.
Sincerely,
Governor JB Pritzker
Links and footnotes are in the full original document.
...Adding… Today…
A Granite City man was indicted on firearm charges by Madison County officials on Thursday.
Detchauz Wray, 31, of Granite City, was indicted on charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony; aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony; and aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4 Wray fired a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, intentionally causing injury to another person.
Bail was set at $150,000.
Emphasis added.
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Campaign notebook
Friday, Sep 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC7 Chicago…
Vickie Ponciano feels like breaking her television every time she sees a video clip of her nephew’s murder being used in a Republican ad campaign that seeks to pin violence in Chicago on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the city’s Democrats.
“Every time I see that freaking commercial I just start cursing in front of my kids. And I don’t know how to control it,” Ponciano said Thursday while standing alongside the Rev. Michael Pfleger during a rally at 875 N. Michigan Ave., the building formerly known as the Hancock Center.
Her nephew, Gyovanni Arzuaga, and his wife, Yasmin Perez, were killed following Puerto Rican Day festivities last summer and video of the incident went viral.
“I don’t need to see my nephew getting murdered every day on TV. The pain starts all over again,” said Ponciano, who called for the ad to be pulled. “Stop using our pain and suffering for votes.”
Fox 32
“Stop running and condoning comments and commercials that continue racist stereotyping of the Black and brown communities. We are divided enough in Chicago. There’s enough racism in Chicago. We don’t need you to stereotype Black and brown folk with the violence in Chicago running your commercials,” said Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church.
The Bailey campaign released the following statement in response:
“We have no communication with or control over this pac, but Pritzker and his pal Lightfoot have control over the skyrocketing crime in Chicago, but sadly they don’t care about the more than 500 people murdered this year in Chicago or the fact they’re creating new victims everyday with their soft-on-crime policies. Pritzker has turned his back on law enforcement and left these communities behind. Darren Bailey’s focus is making Illinois safe and affordable for everyone.”
Sun-Times…
The St. Sabina Church pastor criticized the ads as playing off racist stereotypes of Black and Latino communities.
Proft didn’t return messages Thursday.
The ad is intended to criticize the SAFE-T Act, a criminal justice reform package that Pritzker signed into law in an attempt to address longstanding public safety issues and police distrust. Panned by Republicans for its provision to end cash bail, it goes into effect next year.
* Politico…
Also Thursday, WGN and NBC news stations pulled a political ad by the conservative People Who Play By The Rules PAC, which also is run by Proft.
The ad featured Beverly Miles, a little-known candidate in the Democratic primary for governor, claiming Pritzker fired her from a government job.
Pritzker’s legal team wrote the stations saying the ad was “false and defamatory” and demanded the stations remove it “immediately.” Failing to do “is actionable under Illinois defamation law,” according to a letter from the Elias Law Group.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Demmer would prefer not to talk about Bailey. There’s been no endorsement either way, although in a news conference earlier this year, Demmer said he believed Bailey would make a good governor.
“We’ve tried to build a plan that’s very focused on issues of taxes and spending of dollars and cents,” Demmer said. “And so, you know, trying to cut through some of the rest of the clutter that comes out there, just by having a very straightforward message.”
Democratic Party of Illinois pounced…
After endorsing far-right extremist Darren Bailey, Tom Demmer, GOP candidate for State Treasurer, is now flip-flopping on his support — trying desperately to rewrite history to score cheap political points.
Demmer endorsed Bailey earlier in the race, saying he thinks Bailey would make a good governor. Even after Bailey’s horrific comparison of abortion to the Holocaust, Demmer stood by his support of the far-right extremist, saying: “We have this choice between reelecting Pritzker, or making a change going in a new direction. I think we need to go [in] a new direction.”
That “new direction? Darren Bailey, who besides his Holocaust/abortion comparison is best known for his opposition to abortion without exception, his comments encouraging Illinoisans to “move on” from the Highland Park mass shooting, and his record of campaigning with insurrectionists.
Now, Tom Demmer’s trying desperately to walk back his endorsement of the far-right extremist — and hoping voters don’t notice. In an interview with Crain’s, Demmer dodged: “Demmer would prefer not to talk about Bailey. There’s been no endorsement either way, although in a news conference earlier this year, Demmer said he believed Bailey would make a good governor.”
Does Tom Demmer want to take Illinois in a “new direction” with Darren Bailey or not? Voters know the truth — and they’ll remember it at the ballot box in November.
* Patch…
A number of Elmhurst politicians, including the local state representative, are not taking part in candidates forums on Sunday, a local group says.
The League of Women Voters of Elmhurst aimed to hold forums for state representative, state senator, DuPage County Board and DuPage County Forest Preserve board. […]
According to the league, Mazzochi, who is vying for the District 45 seat, did not respond to its invitation. Her Democratic opponent, Jenn Ladisch Douglass, who agreed to take part, has been invited to make a two-minute statement. Mazzochi’s campaign did not return Patch’s message for comment.
Sen. Suzy Glowiak-Hilton, an Elmhurst Democrat running in District 23, said she would take part in the forum, according to the league.
However, the league said her Republican opponent, Dennis Reboletti of Elmhurst, failed to respond to the invitation. Glowiak-Hilton will be given two minutes to speak, the league said.
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Caption contest!
Friday, Sep 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC is now sending books to voters. The author is fellow Florida resident Dennis Byrne…
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* As we discussed earlier this week, Rep. Mark Batinick has a pension funding proposal. Here’s Crain’s…
Batinick would dedicate a chunk toward property tax relief. Specifically, in any year in which required pension spending drops below 25% of total general funds spending, an amount equal to a quarter of the drop would automatically be used to reduce property taxes. […]
Batinick’s proposal drew a mixed reaction from Laurence Msall, head of the watchdog Civic Federation.
“What happens if the state’s pension contribution increases to above 25% of the budget?” if, for instance, stock market returns go down as they are this year, Msall asked. “We see some significant potential positives in the proposal, but also have questions about whether it will work as indicated if the state economy slows or slips into recession in the coming years.”
* I asked Rep. Batinick to respond to Msall…
I very much appreciate the Civic Federation and specifically Laurence Msall for taking the time to review my proposal. A couple of important points. I’ve been working on this and thinking about scenarios for at least 6 months. The Civic Federation and others have had less than a day to digest the proposal. While the plan is a simple concept, implementation is more complicated. I understand the questions and thoughts many have had and have had those same questions. I’ve had the time to think them through. I recall much blowback when I first introduced the pension buyout proposal years ago. This summer Governor Pritzker signed an extension of the program because it is working well.
Laurence Msall’s concern is what happens if the state’s pension contribution needs to go back to 25%. It is a legitimate concern although an unlikely scenario. But my plan would actually help that situation. By designating 25% of the budget to go towards pensions first with the remainder going to property tax relief you are creating a buffer zone. If we don’t create that buffer zone, future politicians will not make the tough choices to keep spending in check. The savings opened up in the budget will be spent on new or expanded programs. Under Msall’s scenario something would have to be cut from the General Revenue Fund. Under my scenario the property tax relief would simply be less than expected or delayed.
Several others have commented that the local school districts would just continue to spend the money and no relief would reach taxpayers. Any proposal needs to include language that requires the levy to be reset dollar for dollar. Simply put they won’t have the opportunity to do that.
There certainly will be ideas others will have to improve the plan. As always I welcome the collaboration. But since I have been involved in politics people have talked about fixing our high property taxes. It’s a regressive tax that hurts the poor the most. If the Civic Federation anyone else has a better idea I’m all ears.
Thoughts?
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* Background is here. From the Illinois Constitution…
SECTION 11. COMPENSATION AND ALLOWANCES
A member shall receive a salary and allowances as provided by law, but changes in the salary of a member shall not take effect during the term for which he has been elected.
So, when the General Assembly voted to forgo scheduled cost of living pay increases after they were sworn into a new term, that clearly violated the constitution.
* But the Illinois Supreme Court completely sidestepped that question when it struck down a lawsuit filed by two former legislators who had voted to cut their pay. Here’s Capitol News Illinois…
But in a 6-0 decision, the court declined to rule on the constitutionality aspect, saying the former lawmakers undercut their own case by voting in favor of the measures, touting them to the public and waiting too long to file their claims.
“We conclude that under the facts here, where plaintiffs, former legislators, agreed to, acquiesced in, and voted for the Salary Reduction Laws, plaintiffs cannot now be allowed to challenge the reductions in their salaries during their previous terms in office,” Justice P. Scott Neville wrote for the court. […]
During oral arguments, Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, representing Mendoza, did not challenge the finding that the legislative acts were unconstitutional, but argued that the former senators had effectively waived their right to any relief by voting in favor of the pay reduction bills.
It also argued that the former lawmakers waited an unreasonable length of time before filing their claims and that their claims should be barred by the statute of limitations, which is generally five years.
And the Supremes agreed.
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* Center Square…
A consensus is forming that there needs to be clarifications to the SAFE-T Act set to take effect in Illinois in the new year, but whether any changes will be substantive is still up in the air. […]
During a Springfield City Council meeting this week, city officials heard from lobbyist Art Turner about expectations that lawmakers will return in the fall session as early as the week after the Nov. 8 election to address various issues.
“It’s a lot around implementation, there’s just no real clarity around that and all parties on both sides are able to agree to that point,” Turner said. “I believe that that will be one of the top priorities for the veto session in November or scheduled early December. Then, we’re going to have to work really fast to bring our local clerks and courts and counties up to speed on the adjustments that I anticipate to be made behind it.” […]
State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, who advocates for the law, acknowledged some changes are needed to clarify its implementation. But, he said all parties need to come together in good faith.
“The Democrats are working every day with advocates, with law enforcement to make sure that if there needs to be tweaks, we will tweak them before January,” Ford said. “But we will not roll back the entire SAFE-T Act.”
Former Rep. Art Turner was a major proponent of criminal justice reforms when he was in the House.
* Meanwhile, click here for the background if you need it. From Sen. Don Dewitte…
Rich,
I read your column on the blog [yesterday]. Needless to say, I’m disappointed in your characterization of my intentions regarding my petition effort. Had you called, I would have gladly referred you back to, and explained in detail, my press release from 2 weeks ago that spelled out my intentions with this petition effort. I’m guessing you chose not to refer back to it for more accurate background, or just never read it to begin with.
My only response at this point would be the following;
1. When given the opportunity, I ALWAYS negotiate in good faith. I challenge you to find anyone in the Capitol (except perhaps Sen. Peters who thinks we’re all a lynch mob) who would suggest otherwise.
2. The comment made to Alice Fabbre at the Daily Herald, was made responding to her reference to a current House bill that calls for a complete repeal of the entire SafeT Act.
My repeal petition is an effort to continue discussions on the problematic aspect of its implementation, based on input received from Police Chiefs, States Attorneys, and the Judiciary, with only Police Chiefs and Sheriffs asked to provide input during the Act’s creation, but were never seriously or responsibly included in negotiations with the Act’s authors.
[Pleasant personal aside redacted.]
Thanks,
Don DeWitte
I stand by the post.
* Didn’t Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow tell us that eliminating cash bail would bring the “end of days”? From the AP…
More than two dozen people have been charged in Illinois with fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief money, with authorities alleging that some of them were behind bars when they used their relief money to post bond and free themselves from jail.
Joliet Police Chief William Evans said Wednesday that 25 people were part of the alleged fraud scheme to get Paycheck Protection Program checks while not operating actual businesses.
Fifteen of the defendants had been arrested by Wednesday, and arrest warrants were pending for 10 other people. They all face charges including wire fraud, theft and loan fraud, officials said.
Evans said each fraudulently obtained loan was for between $19,000 and $20,000, with the fraud costing taxpayers upwards of $500,000.
Investigators found that some of the defendants were inmates at the Will County Jail in Joliet, a Chicago suburb, when they applied for and received loans through the pandemic program, and then used the money to bond out of jail on their felony cases.
* From a Fox News interview with retired Chicago Police Department Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy…
“Anybody can just make a complaint against an officer. The department or the investigating body does not have to tell the officer who it is, which hinders their ability to respond to the complaint accurately and honestly. It has a bad effect on morale.”
The police routinely and actively solicit and encourage anonymous tips, including paying cash rewards. I mean, have they never heard of Crimestoppers?
* More…
* Truth Test: Will ending cash bail in Illinois cause a rise in crime?: The Illinois GOP added that in New York “as a direct result of the new bail law, 20.1% of ‘felony arraignments’ were rearrested in 2021, with 16.1% failing to appear at arraignment.”’ However, [Insha Rahman, Vice President of Advocacy and Partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonpartisan, pro-bail reform group in New York City] said the Illinois GOP statement is “inaccurate” and lacks context. She sees it as an attempt to score “cheap points” by “fear-mongering.” “They (the Illinois GOP) didn’t actually name what the appearance rates and rearrest rates were before bail reform, and they didn’t name from what period or how they are picking that data,” Rahman said. “Failing to appear at arraignments is not a measure anyone tracks in NYS (New York state) courts. Arraignment is the first court appearance following an arrest.”
* State’s Attorneys Representing 3 Illinois Counties File Lawsuits Against SAFE-T Act: [ McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally’s] lawsuit also alleges that the SAFE-T Act undermines a constitutional amendment that requires judges to consider a victims’ safety and wellbeing when setting bail. [Sen. Elgie Sims], however, said the SAFE-T Act will make a “marked” difference for victims as some victims’ rights groups have attested to. For example, by ensuring that someone convicted of domestic violence isn’t released just because they’ve got the cash to get out of jail. Sims says these lawsuits are a waste of taxpayer money.
* Jersey County files suit over cash bail change: “We have been working on diplomatic solutions with key legislators to try and fix some of the most dangerous aspects of this act,” he said. “Lawmakers need to understand we prefer to work together on a legislative fix.”
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* WGEM…
Illinois state lawmakers continue to discuss the best strategies to address rising gun violence across the state. The House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force heard more ideas from gun control advocates and supporters of the Second Amendment Thursday. […]
Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) told the task force that it is also important to think about gun violence caused by people who are licensed. Ford said he was disappointed that several people told lawmakers Thursday that FOID holders and a right to carry don’t commit crimes.
“I wouldn’t say that,” NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde interjected. “I would say that they’re on the lower end of the percentages where that occurs.” […]
“I think that’s our goal and it should be all our goals to make sure that we protect people and protect our communities,” Ford said. “Hopefully, we can continue to have these dialogues and conversations about ways to do that and not have a stonewall against finding common ground.”
* Meanwhile, here’s the Daily Herald…
In the wake of this summer’s mass shooting in downtown Highland Park, Democratic state Rep. Martin Moylan of Des Plaines and his Republican challenger, Michael M. Lupo of Park Ridge, shared differing views on what the state might be able to do to curb gun violence, including whether a ban on assault weapons should be a part of a solution. […]
Lupo said Illinois and Chicago already have some of the nation’s strictest gun laws. But stepped-up scrutiny of the validity status of firearm owners’ ID cards could be one way to make improvements, he added. […]
“As far as the mass shootings, I believe we need to come up with a comprehensive plan,” he said. “Maybe with a committee or a council in Springfield — bipartisan with some mental health experts as well. And to be honest with you, I wouldn’t be opposed to temporarily halting the sale of high-powered and high-capacity rifles while that’s getting done. … It’s something that we need to take seriously and we need to take the mental health aspects seriously as well.”
Moylan said he supports the proposed statewide ban on assault weapons.
“That’s a first step,” he said. “But there’s more than just the ban on weapons. Individuals like this person (in Highland Park) will find some type of device to inflict harm on as many people as possible. So besides the ban on assault rifles, we have to get back to the mental health issue.”
* The Center Square…
Republican lawmakers who say they are fed up with Democratic efforts to lessen the penalties for drug dealers in Illinois have introduced new legislation.
Last April, the House narrowly passed a measure that lowered the criminal penalties for what they call low-level possession of drugs like fentanyl and heroin. Misdemeanors under the bill include possession of less than five grams of cocaine, less than five pills of most scheduled III substances such as Xanax and Valium, and less than 40 pills of oxycodone and similar painkillers. […]
Republicans have introduced legislation designed to allow state attorneys to prosecute fentanyl dealers. […]
The measure also provides that, “in addition to any other penalties imposed for the manufacture or delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, not less than 6 years and not more than 30 years shall be imposed for any amount of carfentanil in excess of 150 milligrams that is stored or transmitted as a powder, blotter paper, tablet, patch, or spray if the product fails to include a warning label and an accompanying rescue level of naloxone.”
* WAND…
The Illinois State Police is awarding $1 million in grants to 32 local law enforcement agencies across Illinois.
The grant money will be used to conduct firearm enforcement efforts to help keep guns out of the hand of people who pose a significant threat to themselves or others.
“While the Illinois State Police has had great success in reducing expressway shootings in the Chicago area compared to this time last year, we continue to face a gun violence epidemic in this country and we need every possible resource at our disposal to combat it,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These grants to local law enforcement agencies can help prevent a potential tragedy in our communities and I want to thank agencies across the state who have signed up to help with enforcement efforts.”
In July, ISP offered grants to law enforcement agencies to conduct enforcement operations for individuals whose Firearm Owner Identification Card have been revoked or suspended as a result of being prohibited by state or federal law.
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* Press release…
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) released the following statement on Governor JB Pritzker’s hypocrisy on ethics reform and the price that is being paid by his inaction:
“The Governor’s recent comments on ethics reform are nothing more than an attempt to paper over his poor record on public corruption as he seeks re-election. The truth of the matter is, he has sat silently by as Democratic legislators failed to even discuss, let alone allow a vote on many anti-corruption measures that have been filed in the General Assembly this legislative session. The hypocrisy is rich. If he really believes that work needs to be done on new ethics legislation, where has he been?”
Senate Republicans have proposed several measures to address the systemic corruption issue within the Democratic Party, yet the Senate Ethics Committee did not meet a single time this year. Additionally, not a single piece of ethics legislation was heard in the entire General Assembly this session.
“The Governor wants to talk big on integrity and ethics within our government, but his record has shown little desire to put action where his mouth is. His silence and failure to lead on this issue continues to enable the corruption in his own party that is so toxic to us all.”
Following a watered-down ethics package that passed in 2021, and after Democrats promised “their work wasn’t done,” Senate Republicans reintroduced their preferred measures in Senate Bill 3636, Senate Bill 3030, and SJRCA 16 this spring legislative session, only to be met with silence and inaction.
Senate Bill 3636 would:
• Prohibit a General Assembly member, their spouse, or any immediate family member from lobbying as long as the individual is a member of the General Assembly.
• Prohibits a legislator during their term of office from negotiating employment with a lobbying firm (such as a job after their term of office), if that firm lobbies the General Assembly.
• Strengthens the revolving door for General Assembly members to prohibit them from lobbying for 12 months after leaving office (currently 6 months with a major loophole allowing GA members to lobby a day after their term ends).
• Limit a lobbyist’s political activity so that anyone who is a lobbyist cannot be an officer for a candidate’s political committee or be a candidate supported by a political action committee.
• Expand the authority of a statewide grand jury to investigate and indict offenses involving the corruption of a public official, to include theft, fraud, extortion, or a violation of the official misconduct and public contracts articles of the criminal code of 2012.
• Expand Illinois’ R.I.C.O. law to include bribery, official misconduct, solicitation of misconduct, and legislative misconduct.
Senate Bill 3030 would:
• Give the Legislative Inspector General (LIG) the ability to issue subpoenas without prior consent of the Legislative Ethics Commission (LEC).
• Require Legislative Ethics Commission meetings to be open to the public and meetings must be publicly posted.
SJRCA 16 would:
• Amend the Illinois Constitution to allow voters to recall more elected officials, including members of the General Assembly and local government officials.
“There is a high societal cost to corruption when people don’t have faith in their government. That cost is a weakening of democracy, where no longer are elected officials looking out for the public’s best interests, but their own instead.”
In the last several years, four members of the Senate Democratic Caucus have been indicted and/or convicted on federal corruption charges.
That prohibition against negotiating employment with a lobbying firm is needed. Your thoughts?
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Open thread
Friday, Sep 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Happy Friday! What’s on your mind today?
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Live coverage
Friday, Sep 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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* Excerpt from an open letter by the “Senior Management of Paddock Publications”…
Paddock Publications has made the decision to cancel commercial printing jobs with LGIS. As an independent newspaper publisher, we want no part of the flame-throwing accusations taking place between Gov. J.B. Pritzker and LGIS. Many critics cannot or refuse to differentiate between a commercial printing operation, for which the parent company Paddock Publications has many customers, and the Daily Herald’s editorial mission to be unbiased and fair.
On Thursday morning came a public news release from Pritzker’s campaign manager, Michael Ollen, excoriating Paddock for the print job. No one from Pritzker’s office had contacted the company regarding its concerns and instead sent out a news release announcing it would withdraw from an upcoming online forum with his Republican opponent, Darren Bailey, because of the printing issue.
The Daily Herald arranged for the forum on behalf of the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors group, which represents dozens of newspapers around the state. The joint forum was created to provide a variety of papers access to the candidates.
Senior company leaders sought an audience with Pritzker Thursday afternoon, but he was unavailable. Instead, campaign manager Ollen agreed to meet. Senior management outlined Paddock’s position on the printing, but Ollen would not commit on the governor’s behalf to participate in the forum.
Withdrawing from the forum would be a grave disservice to voters.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign…
Millions of Illinoisans have received copies of fake newspapers supporting the Bailey campaign—much of the damage to credible, local journalism has already been done. However, our issue was never with the IAPME and in light of the Herald dropping Dan Proft like the lying grifter he is, we are reconsidering the Governor’s participation in the forum.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Proft says he was a “longstanding client” of the Daily Herald…
People Who Play By The Rules PAC President Dan Proft has issued a statement in response to Pritzker now “reconsidering” the Daily Herald Candidate Forum:
Proft: “Little Lord Fauntleroy threw a tantrum and got his way. The Daily Herald is just another staffer in Pritzker’s comm shop which masquerades as the Chicago press corps. They were exposed as, horror of horrors, capitalists so now they must renounce a longstanding client. The whorish response from the Herald is surprising? Hardly. Like Cato’s Letters, the papers will continue to be printed and distributed even if we have to return to the Gutenberg press and must enlist fair-minded people across Illinois who want the truth, not Pritzker’s ‘truth,’ to hand deliver them door-to-door. The truth of Lord Pritzker’s reign will be told.”
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Campaign notebook
Thursday, Sep 22, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* New poll in CD17…
Today, 314 Action Fund released toplines from a new poll of likely voters in IL-17 that shows meteorologist and climate communicator Eric Sorensen with a commanding lead over his opponent, Republican Esther Joy King.
An initial horserace finds Sorensen with nearly a majority of voters behind him with 47% of the vote to Esther Joy King’s 38%. The poll found 15% of voters not sure of who they would vote for in November. The poll also found that 86% of voters believed abortion should be legal or legal in cases of rape, incest and to save a woman’s life – a contrast to Joy King’s support of a total abortion ban.
The poll was conducted from September 21-22, 2022 and surveyed 642 likely voters in IL-17 with a margin of error of +/- 3.9%.
“Esther Joy King and her extremist views on abortion are wildly out of step with those of the people she wants to represent,” Josh Morrow, Executive Director of 314 Action Fund, said. “Voters in Illinois deserve to hear just how radical Esther Joyce King and her anti-abortion backers are before they step into the ballot box on Election Day.”
According to the Public Policy Polling survey, President Biden is underwater in the district. His approval rating is 41 and disapproval is 49. Gov. Pritzker leads Darren Bailey by 5 points, 47-42 with 11 percent undecided. He won it by 9 points four years ago. Also…
Which comes closest to your view on abortion:
Abortion should always be legal 35%
Abortion should be legal most of the time 16%
Abortion should be illegal except in cases of rape, incest, and to save the mother’s life 35%
Abortion should be illegal without any exceptions 7%
Not sure 7%
The poll also asked respondents for whom they voted in 2020, and Biden voters were 7 points higher than Trump voters. That basically matches the actual results.
* Back to the release…
Last week, 314 Action Fund announced its 2-week, $700k TV buy in IL-17 slamming Republican Esther Joyce King for her extreme views on abortion, as well as the anti-abortion, right-wing radical donors bankrolling her campaign. 314 Action has endorsed meteorologist and climate communicator Eric Sorensen for Congress in the 17th District.
The spot, titled “NOPE” will run across all markets in the district for two weeks and total 1150 points. The ad hits King on her past lies about her resume which was exposed by Politico in 2020, as well as her vocal support of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision which ripped away women’s right to choose across the nation. The spot also focuses on King’s backers, who are in favor of a total ban on abortion.
n 2020, 314 Action Fund spent $25 million on behalf of its endorsed candidates and raised a total of $5 million in grassroots donations for scientists and engineers running for office.
The ad is here.
* Sean Casten…
Earlier this month, Keith Pekau posted a video on Facebook of himself discussing the SAFE-T Act. This video has now been flagged as misinformation by independent fact-checkers.
“Keith Pekau has no issue with misleading voters and using fear as a campaign tactic,” said Casten for Congress spokesman Trevor Nyland. “Meanwhile, Rep. Casten is voting in DC this week to pass a robust public safety package that will help police departments recruit more officers and bolster their ability to solve violent crimes. Instead of fear-mongering, Rep. Casten is actually doing the work to keep the 6th District safe.”
The flagged post is here.
* Bailey on a bus…
Darren Bailey is hitting the road on a bus tour — totaling nine stops along the way — with five being in Chicago.
With a little less than seven weeks to go until election day, Bailey is attempting to appeal to voters by painting incumbent JB Pritzker as big on taxes, but soft on crime with his backing of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today law, otherwise known as the SAFE-T Act, set to go into effect on Jan. 1.
“Under my administration, we will repeal the SAFE-T Act because we must,” Bailey said. “We will eliminate letting murderers back on the street as they await trial.”
On the opposite end of the ticket, Pritzker received an endorsement from the Theatre and Moving Picture Union, criticized Bailey’s anti-abortion stance, and provided a rebuttal on the SAFE-T Act.
* Rep. Tom Demmer goes after Incumbent Michael Frerichs’ support for a 2020 graduated income tax amendment (that was rejected by voters) Crain’s…
Frerichs made a comment at a forum in 2020 in which he said a graduated income tax could allow for a broader conversation about taxing high levels of retirement income.
“Treasurer Frerichs can go out and make the case for why we should tax retirement income, I’ll make the case for why we shouldn’t tax retirement income,” Demmer said.
Frerichs has consistently said he doesn’t support a retirement tax.
He said he made the 2020 comment in a discussion with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch at a forum to debate the graduated income tax. Frerichs said he was trying to convey that he doesn’t support a retirement tax, but anybody looking to tax pensions should support a graduated tax structure which would allow for taxation only on higher levels of income, rather than the flat rate required under current law.
“I have been very clear, and my opponent knows this, that I didn’t support a retirement tax. I don’t support a retirement tax, and I will not support a tax on retirement,” he said, claiming Demmer repeats the claim to distract from his anti-abortion record and placement on a Republican ticket topped by controversial candidate Darren Bailey.
* GOP press release with more attacks on Frerichs and Secretary of State candidate Alexi Giannoulias…
Treasurer Mike Frerichs and candidate for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias are both hiding from their records and are hoping voters won’t notice.
Giannoulias’ past is well-known as he attempts his rebrand 12 years after last being rejected by Illinois voters on account of his abysmal record as Treasurer and allegations of his shady past. Under then-Treasurer Giannoulias, Illinois parents lost millions in college savings. According to NBC Chicago from January 6, 2010:
“Bright Start was supposed to be Alexi Giannoulias’ shining achievement. Instead, the beleaguered fund, which lost more than $150 million through risky Oppenheimer investments, is radiating trouble for the Illinois State Treasurer and his Senate campaign.”
Giannoulias’ family bank also gave loans to mob bankers when Giannoulias was Senior Loan Officer, “The family bank of Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias loaned a pair of Chicago crime figures about $20 million during a 14-month period when Giannoulias was a senior loan officer,” according to the Chicago Tribune from April 1, 2010. Later, federal regulators seized the Giannoulias family bank.
Meanwhile, his eventual successor Mike Frerichs is attempting to hide his own abysmal record and troublesome policy statements. Under Frerichs, once again the Illinois College Savings Programs have lost millions. When questioned, Frerichs’ office passed the buck onto struggling families, “[I]ndividuals choose their 529 investments based on their own risk tolerance, goals and time horizon”.
Further, a second term of Frerichs could be costly for Illinois retirees. Frerichs has floated potential support for taxing retirement income. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, “Frerichs made a comment at a forum in 2020 in which he said a graduated income tax could allow for a broader conversation about taxing high levels of retirement income.” Additionally, Frerichs was one of the biggest proponents of Governor Pritzker’s failed 2020 tax referendum.
“Treasurer Frerichs and Alexi Giannoulias owe Illinois voters answers. Treasurer Frerichs must defend his record and past statements of potential support for taxing retirement income. Former Treasurer now SOS Candidate Giannoulias must fully explain how voters can trust him to lead Illinois’ largest state office, despite his past fiscal mismanagement of Bright Start and his family bank loans to Chicago crime figures and subsequent bank failure,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
* Politico…
— Pricey party: Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Illinois Democratic Party Chair Lisa Hernandez headline a Democratic Party fundraising reception Sept. 28. Prices to attend range from $1,000 to $22,000. Here’s the invite
— Eric Sorensen just launched a new ad, titled “Neighbor.” Sorensen is the Democratic nominee for Congress in the IL-17 Congressional District now held by Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos. The ad is airing in the Quad Cities, Peoria and Rockford media markets.
— Congressman Sean Casten, a Democrat, has released his second digital ad of the cycle in the IL-06 congressional race.. The ad features a doctor talking about Republican opponent Keith Pekau’s views on abortion.
* More…
* Raoul racks up endorsements from gun control groups
Many thanks to Isabel for compiling a lot of these stories.
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* WBEZ…
A northwest suburban school district Tuesday night voted narrowly to reject a bid to remove two books in the district’s high school library.
In a 4-to-3 vote, the board kept Flamer, a semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a Filipino-American teen struggling with his gay identity. They also retained This Book Is Gay, a non-fiction book about gender and sexuality. The board accepted a recommendation by a school advisory committee of experts to keep the books after determining they didn’t meet the standards for obscenity and pornograpy.
“It’s our job to represent the more than 8,000 students in our district,” said Board member Erin Chan Ding. “What are we saying if we pull a book like this that has already been vetted, that has already been selected to be available — not taught, not explicitly shown — but available to students who want to read it?”
But during a lengthy and sometimes heated debate, board members were split over whether the books were appropriate content in school. At one point, someone in the audience called a board member who supported keeping the books a “pedophile.” The board members discussed the current options for parents to restrict their children from checking out certain books, but some were concerned they didn’t go far enough.
* Public News Service…
This week marks the American Library Association’s annual Banned Books Week, and this year’s theme is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” The association has conducted polling on the issue which showed 71% of Americans oppose efforts to remove books from public libraries, and 67% oppose efforts to remove books from school libraries.
Kristin Pekoll, conference and continuing-education manager for the Illinois Library Association, said she has been surprised by some of the challenges.
“The challenges that are coming into our younger nonfiction picture-books materials, like about Rosa Parks, young biographies of Martin Luther King,” Pekoll recounted. “We’re seeing biographies about Michelle Obama being challenged. Yeah, those always surprise me.” […]
The [American Library] Association estimates between 82% and 97% of book challenges go unreported.
* Patch…
In Illinois, the books and the school districts that banned them are:
“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe: Community High School District 117, Lake Villa
“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobae: Harlem School District 122, Machesney Park
“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas: ROWVA Community United School District 228, Oneida
In Lake Forest, school officials decided to keep the book “Gender Queer: A Memoir” in the high school’s library following an extensive review process by the school’s standing advisory Book Review Committee. […]
PEN America identified 50 groups, many that formed in the last year, that have led the charge to ban books at the national, state, and local levels. They include local groups on Facebook and other social media to established conservative groups, including Moms for Liberty, which started in Florida, the No. 2 state for book bans, and now has 200 chapters.
Moms for Liberty, which has Illinois chapters in Lake County, Cook County, DuPage County, and Henry County, is “linked directly” to 20 percent of the book bans enacted in the last school year, the report said.
* The Atlantic…
At a packed school-board meeting near Rockford, Illinois, earlier this year, a woman waved blown-up images from Maia Kobabe’s illustrated memoir Gender Queer in front of the Harlem School District board. “If my neighbor were to give this to my child, guess what? He would be in jail,” she said to scattered applause. She was among dozens of students, parents, and community members who’d shown up to weigh in on whether the district should ban eight titles, including Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. “I do not take the banning of books lightly … but frankly, these particular books contain child-sexual-abuse material,” said one of the participants, echoing others who claimed that Gender Queer, which is about being nonbinary and asexual, amounted to “child abuse.”
Even though the room was evenly split, the board ultimately voted to ban Gender Queer and keep the other seven, adding even more notoriety to the most-challenged book of 2021. Gender Queer has become a national lightning rod for book banning in schools and libraries, which has reached the highest recorded level since 1990 when the American Library Association began tracking challenges. In 2021, the number of attempts to remove books jumped from 156 the previous year to 729; it’s on track to be even greater this year.
What is the fate of a book like Kobabe’s after it is debated and banned? It might seem, on the face of it, desirable: One children’s-book author on tour in Virginia told me that she hoped her book would be censored, citing widely reported accounts that bans drive sales. Many people share this assumption. Stories in the media have gleefully trotted out examples of how censorship efforts backfire and lead instead to enormous demand. It’s a narrative that mitigates fears about an American culture grown hostile to provocative books. It makes us feel a little better.
* NYT…
Attempts to ban books are accelerating across the country at a rate never seen since tracking began more than 20 years ago, according to a new report from the American Library Association.
So far in 2022, there have been attempts to ban or restrict access to 1,651 different titles, the group found, up from challenges to 1,597 books in 2021, the year with the highest number of complaints since the group began documenting book challenges decades ago.
Book banning efforts have grown rapidly in number and become much more organized, divisive and vitriolic over the past two years, splitting communities, causing bitter rifts on school and library boards, and spreading across the country through social media and political campaigns.
Public libraries have been threatened by politicians and community members with a loss of funding for their refusal to remove books. Members of the Proud Boys, an extremist right-wing group, showed up at a school board meeting in Illinois, where book access was on the agenda, and at a drag queen story hour in California. Librarians have been accused of promoting pedophilia. In its recent analysis, the library association cited 27 instances of police reports being filed against library staff over the content of their shelves.
…Adding… From Secretary White’s office…
Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White strongly opposes any effort to ban books. Such an effort prevents the public from freely accessing reading materials of their choice, which goes against the ideals of a free and democratic nation.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 22, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From SB1297, filed during the 101st General Assembly…
Thirty days after the effective date … the [Illinois Department of Transportation] shall conduct a study evaluating automated traffic law enforcement systems in this State. … (T)he Department shall file a report with the General Assembly which shall include input from local law enforcement on the overall operation, usage, permit process, and regulation of automated traffic law enforcement systems and any recommendations the Department deems necessary.
That’s the bill that got Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) in trouble with the federal government. A SafeSpeed executive freaked out about it, so Jones allegedly agreed to amend the bill in exchange for a bribe and a job for an as-yet unnamed individual.
And that got me to thinking that maybe Illinois should mandate a comprehensive study by IDOT of red light and speed cams along with specific recommendations for focusing the usage on actual public safety rather than on dollars and cents.
* The Question: Should the General Assembly pass a similar bill next spring? Explain.
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Today’s quotable
Thursday, Sep 22, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Attorney Thomas DeVore, who is a Republican running for Illinois attorney general, said at a news conference Wednesday that Democratic legislators overstepped their legal bounds with the SAFE-T Act.
“The court that we have is set up to administer justice. They get to decide how that justice is administered. Bail is one of the primary components of which they have inherent authority and constitutional authority. The legislature cannot impede that or get in the middle of that,” said DeVore.
* If you watch DeVore’s oftentimes odd and disjointed press conference, he’s basically saying that SAFE-T Act proponents were too tough on alleged criminals by denying bail…
Our legislature through the SAFE-T Act is trying to create these categories of bailable offenses, new bailable offenses that exceed those that the Constitution allows. They cannot do that. […]
Attempting to tell our judiciary, our judges, that if someone has allegedly committed a category of crime that’s enumerated in the new statute, that you should detain them, you can detain them, notwithstanding the Constitution says you cannot. That’s what the legislature is trying to do, and that should not be allowed.
A novel argument, for sure.
…Adding… To be clear, DeVore appears to be arguing that people such as accused domestic abusers who, in the court’s opinion, pose a clear threat to someone should be allowed to bail themselves out of jail if they have the money.
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* Click here to read the opinion. Mendoza press release…
The Supreme Court of Illinois ruled Thursday that former state legislators have no right to claw back raises they voted to reject, vindicating Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza’s 5-year-long fight against paying the former legislators.
“I’m so grateful the Supreme Court said “No” to these two former legislators who voted to forego their raises, then issued news releases praising their self-sacrifice in declining those raises as they asked their constituents to re-elect them. Years after they left the legislature they shamelessly sued me – and by extension, you, the taxpayers – saying they had no constitutional right to decline those raises and wanted them back.”
The unanimous bi-partisan decision holds that Comptroller Mendoza was right to raise the “Laches” legal doctrine which says you forfeit your rights if you wait too long to take action. In this case, former state senators Mike Noland and James Clayborne waited too long until after they voted to reject raises or left legislative office to file their suit, the court held.
“We conclude that under the facts here, where plaintiffs, former legislators, agreed to, acquiesced in, and voted for the Salary Reduction Laws, plaintiffs cannot now be allowed to challenge the reductions in their salaries during their previous terms in office,” Justice P. Scott Neville wrote for unanimous court. “Further, we vacate the circuit court’s orders finding that the Legislative Salary Clause prohibits mid-term changes in legislators’ salaries during their terms in office.”
“Today’s ruling is a victory for taxpayers, who could have been on the hook for $10 million or more had these former legislators prevailed,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “I want to thank Attorney General Kwame Raoul for standing with me and for taxpayers in this lawsuit.”
* From the opinion’s conclusion…
We conclude that under the facts here, where plaintiffs, former legislators, agreed to, acquiesced in, and voted for the Salary Reduction Laws, plaintiffs cannot now be allowed to challenge the reductions in their salaries during their previous terms in office. We find that the defense of laches bars plaintiffs’ mandamus counts for their disputed salaries. Because laches bars plaintiffs’ mandamus counts, we do not need to reach the circuit court’s findings that the affirmative defenses of waiver and statute of limitations lacked merit or that plaintiffs’ request for cross-relief on behalf of the nonparty legislators lacked merit. Further, we vacate the circuit court’s orders finding that the Legislative Salary Clause prohibits mid-term changes in legislators’ salaries during their terms in office, finding the Salary Reduction Laws unconstitutional, and granting plaintiffs’ mandamus relief in the amounts of $71,507.43 for Noland and $104,412.93 for Clayborne. Judgment is entered for the defendant.
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* Background is here if you need it. The Pritzker campaign sent a letter today to Daily Herald publisher Doug Ray…
Mr. Ray,
I am writing on behalf of the JB For Governor Campaign to express our extreme disappointment and utter shock regarding Paddock Publications Inc., the employee-owned parent company of the Daily Herald, allegedly lending its bulk mail permit to Local Government Information Services.
As you know, Local Government Information Services (LGIS) is the right-wing organization headed by Republican political strategist Dan Proft that is responsible for the onslaught of fake and misleading newspaper-style mailers that have been arriving in mailboxes across Illinois. These mailers are specifically designed to mislead readers into thinking they are legitimate journalism when in reality they are unlabeled ads attacking political candidates. Many residents who’ve received these pink slime reports shared that they never subscribed to LGIS and had no interest in receiving them in the first place.
These fake newspapers represent an existential threat to quality, independent journalism––making it all the more unfathomable Paddock would cast its journalistic responsibility aside in the name of profit. Furthermore, by allowing these fraudulent mailers to share a permit with the Daily Herald, Paddock is actively undermining the good work that the legitimate reporters at the Daily Herald do every day to combat the rising wave of misinformation and fake news.
Let me be clear: this is not an indictment of the hardworking journalists that accurately report the news for the Daily Herald. Rather, this is a five-alarm fire for those who thought it was acceptable to inundate Illinoisians with partisan propaganda and downright lies––threatening the important role trusted journalism plays in our media ecosystem.
We simply cannot participate in a forum organized by the same organization that seems to have willingly shared a postage permit with a partisan political entity dedicated to slandering the governor and his policies. Moreover, we believe that Paddock owes it to Daily Herald readers to publicly disclose exactly what arrangements were made with Dan Proft and LGIS.
The governor would be glad to sit down with one of the independent reporters at the Herald. As the third largest paper in the state, the Herald is a trusted news source for many across Illinois. However, until the issue of permitting is resolved, Governor Pritzker will not be participating in the Daily Herald’s Candidate Forum.
At a time when trust in media is at historic lows, and independent journalism is more important than ever, we must demand more from those responsible for disseminating the news. We look forward to working together to oppose these partisan efforts to deceive the very citizens truthful journalism is meant to serve.
Sincerely,
Mike Ollen
Campaign Manager
JB For Governor
*** UPDATE 1 *** Well, this is interesting…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
People Who Play By The Rules PAC President Dan Proft has issued a statement in response to JB Pritzker pulling out of a Daily Herald Candidate Forum:
Proft: “Governor Pritzker believes his money guarantees him control of government and entitles him to make all media subservient to his government. He lords over Illinois through executive orders. He sees the Fourth Estate as no different than his equestrian estate in Wellington, FL. If he doesn’t like a television ad, it must be taken off the air. If he doesn’t like a newspaper, it must not be printed or circulated. Lord Pritzker is the truth. All commentary that deviates from his decrees shall be expunged and the offending commentators declared illegitimate. In short, he is a bedwetting, spoiled brat who thinks an election is about his ambitions rather than Illinois families’ aspirations.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Press Release from the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced today he would not participate in a governor candidates interview with members of the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors that was previously agreed to and scheduled for Sept. 30.
The JB For Governor Campaign sent a letter to Paddock Publications Inc., the employee-owned parent company of the Daily Herald, “demanding answers related to why they allowed Dan Proft’s pink slime journalism to share their postage permit. The Governor will not be participating in any candidate forums hosted by the Daily Herald until Paddock publicly discloses exactly what arrangements were made with Dan Proft and his company, Local Government Information Services.”
The Illinois Associated Press Media Editors is the host of the forums involving candidates for Governor, U.S. Senate, Attorney General and Secretary of State, not the Daily Herald, said Dennis Anderson, IAPME President and Vice President of News & Content Development for Shaw Media.
Videos and news coverage of the forums is to be shared through Capitol News Illinois and more than 20 newspapers across Illinois this fall in advance of the Nov. 8 election. The Daily Herald is an IAPME member.
“The Daily Herald, the State Journal-Register in Springfield and Capitol News Illinois were each involved in planning the interview with the governor’s race candidates,” Anderson said Thursday. “A Daily Herald representative sent out the invitations to Gov. Pritzker and Republican candidate Darren Bailey.
“On behalf of our membership and our readers throughout Illinois, it is IAPME’s hope the governor has a change of heart and takes part in the interview. The interviews are meant to share the candidates’ views on issues impacting all Illinoisans. This is an important election for the future of Illinois and it’s vital that voters have a chance to hear from the candidates directly.”
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IDOC grilled over audit with 46 repeat findings
Thursday, Sep 22, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WGEM…
State auditors found 60 issues within IDOC during the two-year audit ending June 30, 2020. Yet, 46 of those issues were repeated findings from previous audits.
Auditor General Frank Mautino said his office had to wait months to receive the required paperwork from IDOC.
“There’s no reason for four letters from me,” Mautino said. “There is no reason for those types of delays when a normal FOIA request would be answered in five days.”
[IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys] explained that IDOC did not have a chief internal auditor during most of the auditing period. Although, the agency hired someone to fill that role and provide documents to the state in a timely manner as requested. Mautino hopes the agency will be able to come into compliance before the next audit is finished.
“You would not have had 60 findings in this round had we not had to give exceptions for information that we didn’t have,” Mautino said.
* The Center Square…
One of the issues discussed was focused on guard safety. State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, asked questions about specific incidents inside the department.
“We have had issues of inmates throwing human waste, urine, on guards,” McCombie said. “What is the DOC doing to one, stop these problems and two, help us put a legislative fix to that?”
IDOC Chief of Operations Justin Hammers said the safety of their guards is a top priority and that they are making changes to the buildings to prevent further incidents.
“Currently, we are doing some construction where we have modified the boxes we put over their food ports that is open to pass stuff to prevent any further opportunities for this to happen,” Hammers said.
* WAND…
State Senator Jason Barrickman, (R) Bloomington, and the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, Rob Jeffreys, clashed Wednesday over the handling of an inmate move in February.
Citing a consolidation of resources Jeffreys had dozens of inmates moved from prisons in Pontiac and Vandalia due to a lack of staff. That move touched off rumors and fears the two facilities would be closed economically crushing the small communities.
Barrickman complained Jeffreys had committed to go to Pontiac to explain what happened. Jeffreys stated he would go to Pontiac for a job fair to hire new employees. […]
IDOC says it currently has 1,100 job vacancies within the department.
* Back to WGEM…
Commission Chair Fred Crespo (D-Downers Grove) said he hopes something productive comes out of the conversation Wednesday to help hire more employees and address the future of the Pontiac facility. Meanwhile, Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said Jeffreys has to understand that lawmakers speak on behalf of taxpayers.
“Sometimes we can ask tough questions and sometimes we’re gonna ask heated questions. But the bottom line is, we have the authority to ask those questions on behalf of the people we represent,” Rose said. “The way the interaction occurred with Sen. Barickman is unbelievable to me. You, I, he - all of us - serve the taxpayers. And he has a right to ask any questions that he wants to ask. Frankly, sir, you should go and speak to the taxpayers as well.”
* AP…
A report Tuesday by a state inspector general found that an Illinois prison system administrator improperly ordered the hiring of a family member for a Department of Corrections position that was never authorized.
Larry Sims, the agency’s southern region investigations commander, received a 30-day suspension after the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor. It found he had designated a relative be hired as an intelligence officer even though that person hadn’t applied and someone else had already been chosen.
The review also found that Corrections has for years manipulated hiring for the post of intelligence officer — there are 80 currently on staff and historically, 268 have had the job. Officials deemed the position an extension of the position of prison guard.
But the inspector’s report found that most appointments weren’t temporary. And its duties differ substantially from that of correctional officer, qualifying it as a separate position improperly created. Openings were not advertised and candidates were typically recruited.
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* Sept. 9 press release…
With the implementation of no-cash bail and other controversial elements of the SAFE-T Act set to take effect across Illinois in less than four months, State Senator Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) is calling for a full repeal of the Act so that legislators can iron out significant issues that will place Illinoisans’ safety at risk and place unaffordable burdens on the court system. He is also offering a petition that Illinois residents can sign to urge the repeal.
* Center Square last week…
Saying Illinoisans’ safety will be at risk, an Illinois senator is calling for a full repeal of the Safety, Accountability and Fairness Equity Today Act, or SAFE-T Act.
State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, also is providing a petition online where Illinois residents can urge the repeal.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law last year, which will abolish cash bail on Jan. 1, making Illinois the first state in the country to do so. Pritzker has celebrated the legislation as one that supports police departments with funds and equipment such as body cameras, and that the elimination of cash bail will prevent low-level criminals from sitting in jail for months.
* Kankakee Daily Journal editorial from yesterday…
We side with Rowe and Glasgow, as the SAFE-T Act isn’t good for the safety and well being of every Illinoisan.
State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St.Charles, has an online petition where Illinois residents can support the repeal of the SAFE-T Act.
* Daily Herald…
Though the petition calls for repealing the act, DeWitte said he doesn’t support “full-blown repeal and elimination.” He says he wants lawmakers to work together to address the concerns raised about the legislation.
I like Sen. DeWitte, but it’s difficult to see how he is now interested in negotiating in good faith.
…Adding… Like I said…
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* I’m told they gave Senate leadership a heads up on this and wanted to wait until after Sen. Jones’ leadership and committee issues were dealt with before stepping in…
Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement in response to misconduct allegations against two legislators.
“Integrity is essential to public service, and corruption for personal gain and abuse in private or public is unacceptable. Illinoisans deserve to have elected leaders who are focused on representing them - not on holding office when facing serious and credible charges.
Sen Jones is accused of accepting bribes. And Senator Hastings is accused of abusing women. They should answer the charges and have their day in court. But in the best interests of their constituents, these men must resign from their offices. Resigning only their leadership roles falls short of what the public should expect. I want to send a clear message to the people of Illinois: corruption and abuse have no place here.”
…Adding… ILGOP…
“What is this ‘high ethical standard’ in today’s Democrat-controlled Senate?” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “Is everything short of a federal indictment and conviction ok? Senate President Harmon should call on Sen. Hastings and Sen. Jones III to resign.”
…Adding… Tribune…
Asked for examples of recent political corruption among GOP officials in Illinois, Pritzker’s reelection campaign responded with list that included the conviction of former Bloomingdale Township Highway Commissioner Robert Czernek, who pleaded guilty in March to accepting $282,000 in kickbacks, and the resignation last year of a former Winnebago County coroner who pleaded guilty to felony charges including theft from the government and official misconduct.
The list also included a member of the City Council in downstate Paris who was arrested in 2020 on sexual assault and abuse charges and two Senate GOP staffers who were charged with misdemeanors the same year for allegedly resisting arrest after they were found drinking beer at the Illinois Capitol.
…Adding… I should’ve said this earlier, but throwing those two staffers in with corrupt officials is over the line. Do better.
…Adding… This is kinda hilarious. I doubt anyone can get a poll in the field and results back this quickly and, even if you could, why would you bother testing this question? Of course it’s gonna be popular…
*** UPDATE 1 *** I asked for a response from Senate President Harmon. Here’s John Patterson…
The gravity of the accusations required immediate action and consequences, which is why the Senate President demanded and received resignations from their leadership posts. Now it is up to these individuals and their constituents to determine their futures.
*** UPDATE 2 *** I’m told that Harmon’s office reached out to the Legislative Inspector General’s office to make sure they’re aware of the allegations against Hastings and to offer cooperation if needed. Harmon is not supporting Hastings’ reelection.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Hastings refuses to resign…
*** UPDATE 4 *** Jen Walling with the IEC says others are “terrified” of coming forward to talk about Sen. Hastings…
Last week’s coverage outlined Senator Hastings’ clear record of angry and violent behavior in his personal and work life. I understand the risk that I’ve faced coming forward to underscore my concerns and tell the stories about how he has mistreated me, but it’s important that the Illinois State Capitol be a safe working environment for all.
I have heard from many others with similar stories who are terrified by possible consequences of coming forward. I am grateful for the public support of Governor Pritzker and want to echo his call for Senator Hastings to resign and be removed from any positions of power in the Capitol, such as the role of committee chair. I hope other senators will support this call and support anyone else that comes forward. This individual is a liability to the state of Illinois and the lawmaking process.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Hastings’ Republican opponent…
Patrick Sheehan, candidate for State Senate in the 19th District, issued the following statement calling for the resignation of State Senator Michael Hastings:
“I have done my best to run a positive campaign on my record of supporting and defending our families and community,” said police officer and State Senate candidate Patrick Sheehan. “However, the abuse allegations against my opponent have become too serious to ignore. I join Governor Pritzker in demanding that Senator Hastings resign from the State Senate.
“As the Governor said in his statement today, ‘Senator Hastings is accused of abusing women. He should answer the charges and have his day in court. But in the best interests of his constituents, he must resign from office.’
“Taxpayers should not have to continue paying for Senator Hastings’ unacceptable behavior, and they definitely should not have to continue paying his Senate salary while he deals with these serious allegations. The people of the 19th Senate District deserve better.
“As a police officer for over 16 years, I have consistently defended women from their domestic abusers and harassers. I can tell you, the kind of people who conduct this type of behavior have no place in our government.”
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Live coverage
Thursday, Sep 22, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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