* Then again, he’s flip-flopped a lot since the primary…
"Darren Bailey, the Republican nominee for governor of Illinois — who said in a June interview that he did not know if the 2020 election had been decided fairly — responded that “yes,” he would accept the 2022 result" https://t.co/XPwB4oQ0Qf
* The IEA endorsed the Republican candidate for secretary of state…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) Board of Directors recommended five candidates for the state’s constitutional offices.
The IEA board is made up of 93 IEA members from throughout the state of Illinois and the board made its decision at its monthly meeting Saturday in Springfield.
The candidates who have been recommended are:
• Governor: JB Pritzker, Democrat
• Secretary of State: Dan Brady, Republican
• Attorney General: Kwame Raoul, Democrat
• Treasurer: Mike Frerichs, Democrat
• Comptroller: Susana Mendoza, Democrat
“The decision to recommend candidates is one made by IEA members,” said Kathi Griffin, IEA president. “We are an organization that is run by its members and our recommendation process is indicative of this. We have always been proud to be a bipartisan organization that makes its decisions based on what is best for public education in Illinois. We believe this slate of candidates reflects those beliefs.”
Within an hour of becoming governor, Pritzker said [in a speech today to the Laborers’ Union] he issued an order mandating the use of PLAs. Now, Illinois has 800 of them, “more PLAs than the other 49 states combined.”
PLAs indeed raise wages but also raise costs on taxpayers who end up footing the bill, responded Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch. PLAs also can require workers to pay dues that end up going for political causes they may not support and drive up pension costs, Maisch said. “PLAs are not good for taxpayers.” […]
“The average Illinois family pays more than $2,000 in taxes and fees today than when Pritzker took office,” [Darren Bailey] said in a statement that did not break down that figure, but referenced in part gasoline and other hikes passed as part of the governor’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois infrastructure program. […]
Bailey notably did not attack PLAs. They mostly cover workers in the building trades unions, many of whom traditionally vote Republican.
* Bailey is now giving exclusive statements to Breitbart…
Following Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s call to send Illinois Republican candidate Darren Bailey “back to the farm,” the Republican nominee fired back, calling on the Democrat mayor to get off her “elitist high horse” and “remember who puts food on your plate.”
In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News on Sunday, state senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, who is a third-generation farmer, stated his intention to “restore” the Prairie State in light of the “mess” created by Democrat leaders.
“Mayor Lightfoot, I’ll go back to my farm after I clean up the mess you and [Gov.] J. B. Pritzker made and restore Illinois,” he said.
“In the meantime, get off your elitist high horse and remember who puts food on your plate,” he added.
* Catalina Lauf is one of the Latina candidates here…
Just hosted a fundraiser for SIX amazing Latina GOP congressional candidates. We raised over $500k tonight!
Sneed hears via a top source the likely site for the 2024 Democratic National Convention is becoming a battle between Chicago and New York.
And it’s looking more and more likely the event will come to Chicago, according to the Sneed source. […]
The Buckshot: The big problem overshadowing Chicago and New York: public safety and mayors who have been unable to tamp crime down!
“Crime may be increasing in New York; but Chicago’s crime has had the biggest national impact news-wise,” said the source with both feet in DNC doings in both cities. “It’s the proverbial fly in the ointment,” the source added.
Already, nearly 50,000 voters in DuPage–a one-time GOP stronghold that has turned purple–have registered to vote by mail every election, Kaczmarek said. That’s almost one in 10.
Meanwhile, a new round of election skepticism has hit the state board. According to Dietrich, callers and emailers “believe we are selling their (registration) information to Rock the Vote,” a left-leaning group that appeals to young people. The board has neither sold nor given any information to Rock the Vote, Dietrich says.
The Illinois State Fair has released estimated attendance totals for 2022. Over 636,700 visitors walked through the gates this year making it the highest attended fair since industry attendance calculation were put into effect, beating previous records also set under the Pritzker administration. Weekend attendance during the fair saw an increase of nearly 95,000 people over 2021.
The high attendance numbers are also reflected by the over $6.4 million in estimated revenue. While the 2022 estimated revenue figures appear to have fallen just short of the 2019 record of $6.5 million, it is important to point out that these are estimated figures. Percentage-based vendors have yet to begin their payment. It should also be noted two Illinois State Fair events generally held during the fair, the Illinois State Fair Rodeo and the Bettenhausen 100 will be held at later dates in 2022, adding to the overall revenue numbers.
“Once again, the Illinois State Fair was a resounding success,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to the leadership of Director Costello and Fair Manager Clark, thousands of Illinoisans and people throughout the nation descended upon Springfield for eleven days of exciting exhibits, delicious food, and community fun—all while honoring our state’s legacy of strong agricultural traditions. To every attendee: thank you for making the Illinois State Fair a part of your summer. Until next year!”
“The record attendance proves that the Illinois State Fair is more than an event, it’s also a reunion for residents from every region to gather and enjoy the businesses, exhibits, food and entertainment that make our state diverse and a great place to live,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Thank you to all those who put in the work to make the Illinois State Fair amazing, and a must-do experience every year.”
A grandstand revenue record was set in 2022, with over $2.3 million coming in for the nine shows. 2022 eclipses the previous record of over $2.2 million set in 2019. Overall, tickets sold this year for the Illinois Lottery Grandstand came in fourth out of the last five years with 48,104.
“We were blessed with 11 days of great weather, which meant large crowds and even larger smiles for our fairgoers,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “While it is great to have these amazing numbers, it was even better seeing so many people enjoying the Illinois State Fair. We now get back to work planning for 2023 and we hope to see you all back again.”
The 2023 Illinois State Fair is set to run August 11-21.
* The Question: Who would you like to see the Illinois State Fair book at the Grandstand next year? Explain.
When Mexican immigrant Jesus Garza in 2021 became mayor of Arcola, a downstate Illinois city of just under 3,000 people, it caught the attention of more than just folks inside the heart of Illinois’ Amish country.
Garza’s triumph in the conservative community, which overwhelmingly voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020, was highlighted in an extensive Chicago Tribune profile last October.
Among those who read it was Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Chicagoan who herself is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, not to mention the first Latina elected to her current office.
“The last person we ever thought would be mayor of the city of Arcola would be a Mexican immigrant,” Mendoza said. “So it was such an endearing story, and I’m like, ‘I have to meet this guy.’”
When Garza mentioned that brighter street lights in downtown Arcola could help deter crime, Mendoza connected him with Ameren President Richard Mark, who had his crews install new streetlights.
When Garza mentioned that his small police department could use an additional squad car, Mendoza started looking for one.
“They only have a very small police force and they don’t have a lot of vehicles, they have four vehicles for the police department,” Mendoza said. “If they had an extra vehicle, that might help be able to bring another police officer onto the streets.”
Mendoza’s search led her to call [Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico] to see if he had any squad cars the town was decommissioning. He didn’t have just one; he had two.
“She only told me once, but I remembered,” Serpico said. “We’ve been friends for 20 years. She was kind enough to walk the precincts of Melrose Park with me during my first mayoral campaign and I’ve never forgotten her generosity. The people of Melrose Park are happy to help the people of Arcola.”
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza coordinated a donation, of a police car and city vehicle, from Melrose Park to Arcola.
“The town of Arcola is lucky to have such a hardworking and dedicated public servant in Mayor Garza,” Comptroller Mendoza explained. […]
Garza came from Mexico to the United States. He worked in a broom factory with his father, before an Arcola entrepreneur took a chance on him. The man sent Garza to college to learn business and how to open up his own auto mechanic shop.
Over the years, Garza became more involved in his community- first as a businessman, and then last year as mayor.
* Mendoza press release excerpt…
“How perfect that on Mexican Independence Day, we celebrate the first Mexican immigrant mayor of Arcola, not just because he’s Mexican but because he’s delivering great services, and he’s such a nice guy. Everyone loves him here,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “They didn’t elect him because he’s Mexican. We’re just proud – I am at least. I’m going to do everything I can, not just to help the mayor but to help all his constituents because they are my constituents. Whatever I can do to help people, whether it’s within the purview of my office or through the relationships I’ve built in 20 years of service, today, we get to see the fruits of those labors.”
Garza and Arcola’s police officers were very happy with the new squad cars, a 2009 white Ford Expedition SUV and a 2013 black Ford Taurus.
“We’re so happy to have these police cars,” Mayor Garza said. “The goal is to keep everybody safe, make sure there’s no vandalism. We work together on that. Getting these lights, these cars, are all helping with that.”
Sterigenics, its parent company and a corporate predecessor should pay $363 million in damages for exposing a Willowbrook woman and thousands of others to cancer-causing ethylene oxide pollution, a Cook County jury decided Monday.
After a five-week trial and a day of deliberations, the jury decided breast-cancer survivor Sue Kamuda should get $38 million from the companies. Jurors imposed another $325 million in punitive damages as punishment for decades of toxic air pollution that drifted into neighborhoods near a former Willowbrook sterilization facility.
Sterigenics should pay $220 million, parent company Sotera Health $100 million and Griffith Foods $5 million, the jury decided. […]
Sterigenics closed the plant in 2019 under pressure from community groups, local officials, state lawmakers, members of Congress and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who at one point that year banned the company from using ethylene oxide.
The company also neglected to install safeguards in the Willowbrook facility that could have captured the harmful gases, [plaintiff’s attorney Patrick Salvi II] said. He said the company had those safeguard controls in other facilities across the country but not in Willowbrook.
“If they wanted to protect the community, they would’ve acted on those warnings,” Salvi said. “They would’ve had those controls in place.”
Salvi shared documents dating to the 1980s that showed the defendant companies knew about the harms of ethylene oxide and their alleged attempts to hide those affects from regulators including the Illinois EPA.
He claimed Sterigenics released gas at levels thousands of times above the limits government scientists agreed were safe.
The plaintiffs and their attorneys said Sterigenics is trying to escape having to pay those alleged financial burdens.
They claim the company has funneled $1.3 billion to investors over the last three years. They say they then borrowed cash from banks using the company as collateral, which means if the plaintiffs win in court they would have to get in line behind the banks to get paid.
…Adding… Press release…
Below please find a statement from Sterigenics in response to the jury verdict in the Kamuda trial. This can be attributed to the company or a spokesperson for the company.
“We do not believe the jury verdict in this matter reflects the evidence presented in court. Sterigenics is evaluating the verdict and plans to challenge this decision through all appropriate process, including appeals. We will continue to vigorously defend against allegations about our ethylene oxide operations and emissions. We remain committed to our mission of Safeguarding Global Health. As we have consistently done throughout our history, we will continue to operate in compliance with applicable rules and regulations to ensure the safety of our employees, the communities in which we operate and patients around the world.”
…Adding… Sen. Curran…
Today a Cook County jury awarded a $363 million judgement to the first plaintiff who went to trial seeking damages from Sterigenics, its parent company, and corporate predecessor, for knowingly emitting lethal levels of ethylene oxide into the air near her home. In the ruling, jurors found that Sterigenics is responsible for the breast cancer developed by plaintiff Susan Kamuda, and the non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma developed by her child. In response to the large verdict, State Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove) issued the following statement:
“This is just the first of 762 cases that are currently pending against Sterigenics, and the size of this verdict validates the belief that the cancer cluster in the Willowbrook area is a direct result of toxins released into the atmosphere by Sterigenics. What we suspected all along, and what has now been found by a jury, is that Sterigenics was a bad actor that turned a blind eye to the fact that they were slowly poisoning the residents who lived in the vicinity of their facility.
“This is an astounding verdict that puts facilities that deal with potentially harmful chemicals on notice. Environmental protections must be sufficient to protect nearby property owners, and regular testing and responses to testing data must be prioritized. While no amount of money can truly compensate the victims who have suffered greatly, I applaud and thank Ms. Kamuda for the courage she displays in fighting to hold Sterigenics accountable for their reckless conduct.”
* Now-deleted Facebook photo of 48th House District Republican candidate Jennifer Sanalitro on January 6, 2021…
From Sanalitro…
I visited Washington for the first time and did not participate in any violence at the Capitol. I only learned about the horrific acts that transpired later, on my way back to my hotel. I do not and will never condone violence for any reason. Any person who rioted that day deserves to be punished by the fullest extent of the law.
Nuestro PAC — a national political action committee focusing on Latino voters — is urging Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, D-Ill., to jump into the Chicago mayoral race, commissioning a poll showing Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Garcia tied as the standouts in a big field and Lightfoot saddled with a high disapproval rating. […]
The polling firm Bendixen & Amandi talked to 400 likely voters on cell or land telephones between Sept. 1 and 5. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9%. I’m writing about this poll because I was given the entire survey, not just a summary or a press release. […]
Favorability: Garcia, scores 56% as very or somewhat favorable to 49% for Wilson; 47% for Lightfoot; 46% for Quinn; 38% for Vallas. Everyone else is under 26%.
Unfavorability: Looking at the somewhat to very unfavorable front where a smaller number is better - Lightfoot, 47%; Wilson, 29%; Quinn, 28%; Garcia, 20%; Vallas, 17%.
What the report doesn’t say: What the head-to-head numbers are between Lightfoot and Garcia. Not revealing those numbers has some wondering if Lightfoot has the edge in the race.
Breaking it down: The poll shows Lightfoot getting 25 percent to Garcia’s 24 percent. Businessman Willie Wilson: 13 percent. Former Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas: 9 percent. And former Gov. Pat Quinn, who hasn’t officially jumped in the race, getting 6 percent.
The poll results show “the steep uphill battle” for the many candidates already in the mayor’s race with 67 percent of those surveyed saying they might change their minds, according to Sweet.
Interesting takeaway: The poll shows Lightfoot is winning with whites and Blacks and is second for the Latino vote.
[Note from Rich: Sweet said she was given the entire poll, so nothing was apparently withheld. Still, releasing a poll showing Garcia trailing Lightfoot, even within the MoE, with the hopes that it will push Garcia into the race without testing those one-on-one numbers is a bit odd.]
* “Clearing the air amid confusion about the Illinois Safe-T Act,” read the CBS2 headline, so I clicked it. And then I laughed out loud because it was another “both sides” piece featuring Tom DeVore.
Still, there was some useful information in the piece. And, frankly, it was infinitely better than the stuff that’s been published and broadcast for the past several months, which have allowed critics of the law to go unchallenged.
* But, man, some of these stories are really long. The Tribune’s piece, albeit well-written, is 2,500 words. It’s tough to combat a simple meme with a novella, but it is what it is…
[House Republican Leader Jim Durkin] warned at the Zoom-based news conference that “for the first time, a defendant will be able to compel a victim to appear at a detention hearing,” a proceeding that will replace a traditional bond hearing.
“I have no idea what, other than intimidation … that would be able to accomplish but to drag a victim, a woman who has been beaten close to death or a child who has been sexually assaulted … (into being) compelled through the defendant to appear at a detention hearing,” Durkin said.
After Durkin’s news conference, the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation alleged over Twitter that the Republicans used “gender-based violence victims to make false and repeated claims” about the law. CAASE cited an excerpt of the statute to argue that the Pretrial Fairness Act actually makes it more difficult for defense attorneys to call victims to the witness stand in court.
According to the statute, the defense “shall petition the court for permission” to call a “complaining witness,” or victim, in its favor. The defense’s request to compel a victim to testify would be granted only if the judge finds “by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant will be materially prejudiced” without the victim’s testimony.
The law also is supposed to make it easier for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking to file protective orders against suspects.
A nonpartisan task force formed under the Supreme Court, meanwhile, is working to assist with implementation in the justice system ahead of Jan. 1 and has identified unclear or contradictory sections of the bill that lawmakers should reconsider before Jan. 1.
“It is frustrating because many aspects of the statute are not clear,” retired Judge Robbin Stuckert, who chairs the Pretrial Implementation Task Force, said at a July town hall meeting. “They may be vague, gray areas. And again, we are charged by the Supreme Court to assist with implementation.”
The law’s sponsors in the General Assembly said they are working with the task force on legislation clarifying some of those matters – particularly when it comes to detainable offenses – for potential passage this fall. […]
Another problem, the task force and others have noted, is that the statute does not address what happens to those already held in lieu of bail when the calendar hits Jan. 1.
“There is nothing in the law that requires those suspected of crimes be let out of prison when it goes into effect,” Pritzker’s spokesperson, Jordan Abudayyeh, said in a statement, suggesting that jurisdictions begin considering what happens to those individuals and scheduling hearings.
Stuckert, however, said the law’s silence on the matter leaves it to interpretation in court.
“Every meeting that I go to… the first thing they say to me, ‘What happens January 1?’ and I say, ‘I don’t know,’” she said.
The General Assembly and proponents should’ve fixed this stuff in the spring session rather than wait until just weeks before implementation day to do something about it.
Four distinct attacks have been launched against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic legislators in the past couple of weeks.
“The Scream:” If you watch Chicago TV, you likely saw a striking TV ad called “The Scream.” The ad featured surveillance camera video of a white woman being mugged in broad daylight by three men in hoodies while she screams. It’s a jarring spot, to say the least. The ad was paid for by Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC, which is backing Darren Bailey for governor.
The ad stirred plenty of controversy, and an attorney for the victim eventually objected to her attack being used in a campaign ad. She’s trying to heal, lawyer Tom Leinenweber told me, “and the Scream ad isn’t helping.” Most Chicago stations had pulled down the ad by week’s end after viewers complained, but the damage was done.
Trespassing: Republicans have claimed the SAFE-T Act has essentially decriminalized trespassing. Bailey said on Facebook police officers could only “write a warning … They cannot forcefully remove these people.” Congressional candidate and Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau went massively viral on TikTok and Twitter with a claim that, “Someone could decide to live in your shed, and all we could do is give them a ticket.” Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley recently told ABC7 that come Jan. 1, his deputies won’t be able to arrest anyone for trespassing.
SAFE-T Act proponents have called this argument a “lie.” And the Illinois Supreme Court’s Implementation Task Force decreed of the new statute: “Law enforcement do have discretion to remove the person from the location of the alleged criminal activity, and then cite and release the person from another location.”
The meme and the “newspapers:” An internet meme about the SAFE-T Act has been widely shared across all social media platforms. The graphic was produced by WFCN News, which, despite the use of authentic-looking call letters, is not a broadcast station but a website with a distinct attitude. It’s also been used by publications designed to look like newspapers that have been linked to Proft.
The meme and the Proft papers list several “non-detainable offenses beginning Jan. 1, 2023,” including second-degree murder, kidnapping, threatening a public official, drug-induced homicide, burglary etc.
SAFE-T Act proponents and the governor have repeatedly said the law’s abolishment of cash bail would mainly benefit non-violent offenders. While they are not actually “non-detainable,” those crimes would indeed qualify an accused person for release, as long as the person isn’t a flight risk, or if the accused is on release for another alleged crime or is on probation or parole.
Second-degree murder was added to the list because in the year prior to the SAFE-T Act’s passage, nobody was initially charged with the crime in Cook County. It’s almost always used as a fallback position for plea deals.
And burglary, according to a proponent of the new law, “is most often a charge used on the homeless who are sheltering in abandoned buildings,” and those folks end up languishing in jail because they cannot make bail.
Some state’s attorneys and sheriffs also claim they will have no choice but to release people from their jails when the law takes effect Jan. 1, but SAFE-T Act proponents say local authorities can make a case to a judge that it would be unsafe to release the accused.
Migrants: As with previous influxes of asylum seekers, the state, Chicago and Cook County are using hotels for temporary housing, including in the suburbs. Fox News has fearmongered about the migrants for months, and some worry they’re bringing guns and fentanyl with them. Two suburban mayors have complained that hotels in their towns are being used to house the migrants, and local TV news eagerly lapped up the story. One of those mayors, Craig Johnson of Elk Grove Village, demanded to know whether the migrants had been searched for guns, according to the governor’s office.
Individual Democrats and activists have tried to push back on all of this, but they’re swimming up Niagara Falls.
The governor didn’t help matters by admitting last week the SAFE-T Act may need to be tweaked and then wouldn’t say what he wanted changed.
The Democrats say crime isn’t moving any needles in their campaigns. But the Pritzker campaign finally launched a new TV ad on Sept. 16 that attacks Bailey’s legislative voting record on crime. It’s a start.
We’ll have more on the SAFE-T Act aspect in a bit.
* I seriously doubt there was some sort of conspiracy…
Dem Pritzker administration cuts multimillion-dollar land deal with GOP rival Bailey’s mom, dad and sister—a political oddity one ex-official says he’s “never heard of” https://t.co/ZJhnybV30xpic.twitter.com/TdPUlajApg
Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey regularly rails against government spending while accusing Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker of trying to solve the state’s problems merely by tossing money into “the four winds.” […]
But absent from Bailey’s criticism is recognition that his father, mother and sister have benefited from two transactions over the last two decades worth more than $8 million in federal and state funds tied to a sprawling spread of property the trio owned in southern Illinois, including $4.32 million from, oddly enough, the Pritzker administration, according to records obtained by the Tribune.
In the little-noticed transaction in 2021, Pritzker’s Department of Natural Resources bought from the Baileys more than 2,290 acres of mostly wetland about 100 miles south of Urbana-Champaign. The land is slated to become a public recreation and hunting area, according to state officials and financial records.
Beyond the proceeds for selling the land, Bailey’s relatives also collected sizable federal government payments tied to most of that same property. They entered a contract to receive $3.74 million through a 2005 federal wetlands easement that required them to preserve the land as a natural habitat, according to local, state and federal records.
Democratic Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow filed a lawsuit Friday against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other top state Democrats alleging that they violated the state’s constitution when they pushed through sweeping criminal justice reforms last year. […]
Glasgow has been accused of spreading misinformation about the SAFE-T Act, particularly by claiming that murder suspects currently in custody will automatically be released when the no-cash bail policy goes into effect.
“Sadly, I have received veiled threats over my opposition to this legislation, but I must put the safety of my constituents first,” Glasgow said in his statement Friday. “On this issue, I’ll grab a line from (the late rock star) Tom Petty — ‘You can stand me up at the gates of Hell, and I won’t back down.’” […]
Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh on Friday called the lawsuit a “weak attempt” to protect an outdated system that lets murder suspects and others accused of violence pay their way out of jail.
“The legislation violates Article 1, Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution which provides that ‘all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties ….” and Article 1, Section 8.1 which provides ‘the right to have the safety of the victim and the victim’s family considered in denying or fixing the amount of bail,” the State’s Attorney’s lawsuit declared.
Furthermore, Glasgow noted:
The legislation violates Article II, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution, the separation of powers clause, which prohibits one branch of government from exercising “powers properly belonging to another.”
The legislation violates Article IV, Section 8(d) of the Illinois Constitution which provides that “[a] bill shall be read by title on three different days in each house .…”
People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “Parental Notification.” It is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.
Bello: My name is Dr. Brook Bello, and I’m not a political figure, I’m a survivor. When I was a young girl I was trafficked, drugged and raped. The traffickers forced me to have multiple abortions. Last year I begged Governor Pritzker to preserve the right of parents to know if their daughters were about to undergo an abortion. Governor Pritzker didn’t listen to me, but I hope that you will.
PROTECT GIRLS. REPEAL PRITZKER.
-
About Brook Bello:
Dr. Brook Parker-Bello is an author, actress, ordained minister, and survivor champion against human trafficking. She is the author of several successful books and educational curriculums aimed at the prevention of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence.
She was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama at the White House, the Advocate of the Year Award from Florida’s Attorney General Pam Bondi and Governor Rick Scott, named by United Way Worldwide as a Hero for her work, and most recently was named by Google as a Google Next-Gen Policy Leader 2017-2020.
For More on Brook Bello, visit: https://www.heroeffect.com/heroes/brook-bello/.
Brook Bello explains her opposition to Pritzker’s repeal of the parental notification law last year (May 2021): https://vimeo.com/535026088
TikTok’s rise as a discovery tool is part of a broader transformation in digital search. While Google remains the world’s dominant search engine, people are turning to Amazon to search for products, Instagram to stay updated on trends and Snapchat’s Snap Maps to find local businesses. As the digital world continues growing, the universe of ways to find information in it is expanding.
Google has noticed TikTok edging into its domain. While the Silicon Valley company disputed that young people were using TikTok as a replacement for its search engine, at least one Google executive has publicly remarked on the rival video app’s search capabilities.
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,” Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president, said at a technology conference in July.
* The Question: Other than this blog, of course, what’s your social media of choice?
Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso on Wednesday demanded an apology from Gov. J.B. Pritzker over the migrant issue.
Last week, Pritzker’s office suggested village officials showed “xenophobia” in reaction to the arrival of migrants.
On Sept. 7, Burr Ridge officials received vague reports that an unknown number of refugees were headed to Burr Ridge from Chicago, Grasso said. They were part of the hundreds of migrants sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
I appreciate your commitment to be more welcoming to these asylum seekers than your initial comments suggest. I certainly would have preferred for my administration to be in contact with your office earlier, and I apologize for the inadvertent delay in contacting your office while my team was scrambling to find a place for these 64 people – mostly women and children – to sleep.
As we move forward constructively together, I also hope you reflect on the negative environment you created for these asylum seekers with your public comments and take this opportunity to apologize to them for creating such an unwelcoming reception.
I would like to share a few examples of statements that these migrants could have heard from you:
• You said that they were “supposedly” here legally. They are actually here legally, under a process established for decades.
• You threatened the business license of the hotel that is contracted by the state for emergency housing. This attempt at fear-mongering has a chilling effect on businesses and raises community concerns.
• You said that no additional asylum seekers would be welcome “without Village consent and planning – if at all.” The state has a contract with the hotel to provide emergency rooms. We used this contract for Afghan refugees in February and March of 2022.
My administration will continue to be in touch with you and your office to help address any questions that you have. In fact, my office called twice on Thursday, Sept. 8 and then put you in direct contact with an official at the Illinois of Emergency Management Agency who can quickly answer most of your questions. As one of the state’s lead agencies, they have the best ability to provide accurate and timely information, and track down any additional information you seek.
However, I note for the record that your initial questions focused on the asylum seekers’ legal status, not the obligations of your municipality or desire to help them.
As you are well aware, the State of Illinois has significantly more responsibilities to these asylum seekers than the Town of Burr Ridge, but I am pleased to see that you believe we all share the moral responsibility to be more welcoming.
* Meanwhile, the Tribune asked a group of asylum-seekers if they felt they’d been coerced to board the buses from Texas…
But in Elk Grove Village, the Navarro family and other migrants — all sitting outside the hotel where they have been placed for temporary housing by city and state efforts — said they didn’t feel coerced to board the buses that were made available to them. But they agreed that with the lack of comprehensive help or options to travel to different cities, they felt forced to take whatever route was presented to them after their monthlong journey to safety.
“They (immigration authorities) didn’t force us to get on the bus, but they didn’t give us other options to go elsewhere,” Navarro said. “We were told that at least once we arrived at New York, there would be people that could help us get to Chicago.”
One Venezuelan migrant who arrived at Martha’s Vineyard identified himself as Luis, 27, and said he and nine relatives were promised a flight to Massachusetts, along with shelter, support for 90 days, help with work permits and English lessons. He said they were surprised when their flight landed on an island.
He said the promises came from a woman who gave her name as “Perla” who approached his family on the street outside a San Antonio shelter after they crossed from Mexico and U.S. border authorities released them with an immigration court date.
He said the woman, who also put them up in a hotel, did not provide a last name or any affiliation, but asked them to sign a liability waiver.
“We are scared,” he said, adding he and others felt they were lied to. “I hope they give us help.” […]
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said at a news conference her office would be “looking into that case” and speaking with the Justice Department.
* More…
* Countryside Mayor Sean McDermott: Texas Gov. Abbott sends asylum seekers here to sow chaos, but Illinois is better than that: The busloads of people sent from Texas are legal asylum seekers, with every right to temporarily reside in our country while they apply for more permanent refuge. The border agencies have done their work and provided these refugees with legal entry into this country with a future court date to present their asylum claims. Let me repeat: These people are correctly following a legal process that has been in place for decades. When my grandparents emigrated from Ireland, they followed a similar path of uncertainty and turmoil before finally making the United States their home. It’s one of the proudest American traditions — the idea that anyone can become part of this great country if they work hard, play by the rules and take the necessary steps to become part of our larger community.
…Adding… Grasso’s response…
September 16, 2022
Governor Pritzker
Your September 15th response, although addressed to me, was forwarded to me from a local Patch reporter who had received it directly from your press secretary last evening. I only received the letter late this morning from your staff. Upon reading the letter, had it ended where it began - with appreciation of my commitment to be welcoming to the refugees and your apology for your office’s “inadvertent delay” in contacting the Village I would have accepted them as sincere, and moved on. But the rest of your letter contained a different tone. So, here are a few replies:
• The IDHS employee who has continually been present and engaging on site this morning (during my third visit to the hotel since Saturday to check on the refugees) volunteered, without prompting, that the Village really “came through” in welcoming the refugees; so it’s apparent that your comments about us not having welcomed the refugees is wrong - I can produce a volume of emails (not to mention a list of callers) who have offered food, clothing and jobs to the refugees without hesitation;
• Of course, as we discovered the hotel had a contract with the State that was the apparent reason it had agreed to house the refugees for the State for at least 30 days, I emphatically told the hotel that long-term housing of refugees should be cleared with the Village and Board and I want to know the basic information your office wanted to know about them in order to inform the residents and make decisions based on that information - long term housing of refugees for the State is not customary hotel business, as you no doubt know;
• You state this action was done “… while my team was scrambling to find a place for these 64 people - mostly women and children - to sleep.. .” through a contract with the hotel”.. . to provide emergency rooms”. The State should not be scrambling and should have had a plan to handle a few hundred intermittently received refugees - it’s an emergency because there was no plan;
• Of course, my initial questions - after learning they were already checked into the hotel - included their legal status - I learned of their asylum status only then - being here legally is a fundamental, initial piece of important information to anyone in my position;
• The two calls you mention came only after I discovered from a friend in the DuPage Board of Health that there was a conference call of state, county, and city officials - but again, not including my staff at which I made my displeasure with the process abundantly clear.
Finally, i too note for the record that your press secretary has not apologized for the disparaging characterization of our community. Given your heritage (not too dissimilar to mine) - such a comment should never be lodged against a community, and here quickly retracted.
Governor, I wish you the best in a difficult time, but must state in closing that the significant responsibilities you men^ep that th^tate has to the refugees cannot eclipse the rights of the municipal communities and citi^fer^fe of lllin^s/A/ho are your first priority.
The NRA says it casts a blind eye to party affiliation, but of course all the Democrats were given F’s (and one D).
Top of the gun class: Two Republicans, Congressman Darin LaHood and Congresswoman Mary Miller, received A’s. And Congressman Mike Bost earned an A-, of all things. Republican challengers who filled out the questionnaires received AQ’s (A on questionnaire).
Worth noting: In a year that’s been plagued by mass shootings, including in Highland Park, there are some Republican candidates who didn’t fill out the questionnaire at all.
One Republican candidate who did answer is Chris Dargis, who’s running in the 8th Congressional District against Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (He got an F from the NRA.). Krishnamoorthi’s campaign has written a letter urging Dargis to publicly release the questionnaire so voters know why he got the A. Dargis’ campaign dismissed the letter as a “political ploy.”
Today, pro-gun extremist Darren Bailey received an A rating from the National Rifle Association––an organization that is bankrupt both morally and literally. Whether he is raffling off AR-15s at campaign events, or telling mass shooting victims to “move on and celebrate,” it is clear Bailey’s radical positions are out of touch with a vast majority of Illinoisians.
Bailey is so pro-gun that teachers at his private school, Full Armor Christian Academy, were armed with guns with signs at the school’s entrance reading: “Staff heavily armed and trained. Any attempt to harm children will be met with deadly force.”
Bailey has consistently used violent and callous rhetoric when discussing firearms, even in the face of devastating tragedy. While speaking at the Illinois Gun Lobby Day in 2019, Bailey riled the crowd by saying, “I promise you, when that line is drawn on the sand, we are going to be one of the first ones there…because I will never, ever, give up my AR-15, or any other gun.” In 2021, Bailey proclaimed, “I will die on my porch before I give up my guns.”
Rather than express sympathy and mourning after a shooter killed seven and wounded dozens at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Bailey was unsympathetic, calling for everyone to “move on and celebrate” a mere 90 minutes after the shooting.
As a legislator, Bailey has repeatedly pushed reckless legislation that would have made it easier to acquire firearms in Illinois while eliminating key safeguards. Bailey has led efforts to repeal the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, which requires Illinois residents to have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card in order to possess or purchase guns or ammunition. He again sponsored a bill to accomplish this goal in 2021, claiming that the cards “serve absolutely no purpose.” Bailey has even supported efforts to lower the age required to purchase a gun.
“Darren Bailey would rather shoot down the budget than pass a balanced one,” said Pritzker Campaign Spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein. “Bailey should be ashamed of his A rating from the NRA, an organization that has consistently blocked common sense gun legislation that is supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans.”
* Allow an unnamed “political insider” to accuse a state legislator of committing an illegal act on the slimmest of reeds. Just another day in the Proft paper world…
State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) is being accused of offering jobs for political support as she faces GOP challenger in the 92 House District.
Gordon-Booth is the Deputy Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives.
“This is an example of how Illinois Democrats have learned to operate after decades without accountability,” a political insider said of the tape.
Tape of the robocall by Gordon-Booth is being used an example of how the political playing ground in the state is controlled by Democrat interests given applicants were asked to obtain more information at Gordon-Booth’s campaign headquarters.
“One day, one day only I am partnering with IDOT to host a hiring pop-up open house at my community headquarters in Campus Town, suite 7 this Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. – this Sunday 1 to 3 pm. IDOT is hiring for the highway maintainer position,” Gordon-Booth said in a message to voters.
“Of individuals in this region, to be eligible for this job, you have to have a valid driver’s license and a CDL. It is an amazing opportunity for someone who’s always wanted to get one of those big jobs working for IDOT. It’s a great way to get you foot in the door.”
Gordon-Booth invited WMBD-TZV into her headquarters to promote the event.
IDOT personnel were on command to process applicants.
Brandon Higgins told WMBD he felt the event was geared towards minority hiring.
We first showed video of a woman being attacked on a North Center community sidewalk because the robbers were wanted for a dozen other attacks.
But then, the video went to another level when the woman became the center of a political ad. And we have now learned the woman was never contacted to be a part of the advertisement. […]
Kozlov: “I’m here to talk to you about if you feel that it was the right thing to do ethically to use that video in an ad without getting the victim’s permission, considering victims’ advocates…”
Proft: “I don’t need their permission.”
Kozlov: “I know you don’t need it legally, but ethically – considering victims’ advocates also say that its use – the use of that video – was abhorrent in this purpose.”
Proft: “Like I said, when everybody’s sensibilities are such that they’re not going to broadcast acts of violence, then you can come back and talk to me. But until then, nope.”
* ABATE…
ABATE of Illinois Political Action Committee (ABATE PAC) announced their endorsements of candidates in the November 2022 General Elections today. ABATE PAC grades candidates and makes endorsements based on candidate responses to surveys, existing relationships with ABATE of Illinois members, voting record, and advocacy on behalf of motorcyclists and off-road riders in Illinois. The full ABATE PAC voters guide including grades for all candidates will be posted on the ABATE of Illinois website at www.abate-il.org in the next few days.
Kwame Raoul has been endorsed for another term as Attorney General alongside Susana Mendoza for Comptroller and Michael Frerichs for Treasurer. All three candidates have a long legislative history of working with ABATE and being responsive to issues affecting motorcyclists in their current roles. Attorney General Raoul has shown interest in protecting the civil liberties of motorcyclists, while Comptroller Mendoza and Treasurer Frerichs have been responsive to ABATE concerns surrounding the Cycle Rider Safety Training, and Off Highway Vehicles Trail funds.
In the race for Secretary of State, ABATE PAC has endorsed Dan Brady. Representative Brady met with ABATE several times demonstrating a nonpartisan, service-oriented approach to running the office of Secretary of State. His knowledge of the office, combined with previous experience in advocacy for modernizing similar offices, along with a campaign focused solely on issues related to the Secretary of State’s office leads ABATE PAC to believe that he would be a great Secretary of State.
ABATE PAC did not make an endorsement recommendation in the race for Governor. Senator Darren Bailey is a rider who has been an advocate for motorcyclists ever since joining the General Assembly as a Representative with a spotless voting record on ABATE supported bills. Governor JB Pritzker has signed every ABATE supported bill presented to him into law, along with working to get motorcycle safety classes restarted during the pandemic, and having ABATE represented on autonomous vehicle issues. ABATE PAC had concerns with statements attributed to the Pritzker administration regarding motorcycles not being a primary mode of transportation, but recent moves to include electric motorcycles in infrastructure and incentives programs along with improved communication are seen as a positive step. Both Candidates are rated A by ABATE PAC.
* Press release…
Besides featuring the Party’s first-ever Spanish-language ads, a new Democratic Party of Illinois ad campaign launched this week targets Black and downstate voters in over 230 zip codes across the state ahead of the November election.
“As Chair, one of my top priorities is to ensure that we’re connecting with diverse, often-underrepresented communities across Illinois,” said Chair Lisa Hernandez. “Our new ad campaign, which is reaching Black and downstate voters in over 230 zip codes, is just one of the many ways that we’ll continue to engage with voters in every corner of our state ahead of November and beyond.”
The campaign, focused on minimum wage and support for working families, consists of six 16-second digital videos running on YouTube. The campaign includes variations on each piece of creative to separately highlight the following candidates: Susana Mendoza, Kwame Raoul, Mike Frerichs, and Alexi Giannoulias.
“I’m proud to see the Democratic Party of Illinois’ bold investment in reaching Black communities across Illinois,” said State Representative and State Central Committeeperson Maurice West. “Every day, Democrats are working to uplift and support working families. It’s critically important that we share our message, our progress, and our vision with voters in every corner of our state — especially those who are too often left out of the conversation. That’s what we’re doing with initiatives like this targeted ad campaign, and it’s what we’ll continue to do with more programs to come.”
“With this new ad campaign, the Democratic Party of Illinois is speaking directly to our downstate communities on the issues that matter,” said State Central Committeeperson Vivian Robinson. “I’m glad to see this investment in downstate Illinoisans, and I look forward to our continued work to engage and mobilize voters in every part of the state ahead of November.”
With two months to go until the election, the Democratic Party of Illinois is making bold investments in traditionally underrepresented communities across the state. The Party will continue to invest in creative, innovative initiatives like these to reach and mobilize diverse voters ahead of November.
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser: The first thing that I do want to say is that I am absolutely in favor of eliminating cash bail, because it has caused problems within our criminal justice system. So I’m a proponent of the criminal justice reform. The problem that we’re having with this is it limits who we can ask to be detained as state’s attorneys and who judges can detain. In the example you just gave, they talk about forcible felonies, but there’s also provision that specifically says that it has to be forcible felonies that are non-probationable… So the ones that we can hold are people who are going to go to DOC if they’re found guilty of the crime. But there are many forcible felonies that are probationable. That includes robbery, second degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated battery, arson, burglary, intimidation, threatening a public official. And when you go outside of the realm of forcible felonies, there’s so many other offenses that because of the way the SAFE-T Act is drafted, we can’t ask to be held. Any drug offense, including our Super X amounts where people are dealing fentanyl that is killing people, they can’t be detained. People who have done a drug induced homicide who have dealt a drug to somebody else, and that person has lost their life cannot be detained because of the way it’s drafted. […]
Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell: There are multiple paths that a prosecutor can pursue when it comes to detention or petitioning for detention. So what we’ve talked about is safety, but prosecutors can also ask for detention on the grounds of flight. And prosecutors can also ask for attention on the grounds of violation of release. So we will see people after January 1, that are charged with those offenses, where prosecutors can make the petition who are on detention. […]
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis): Ms. Mosser and Mr. Mitchell were both correct in what they said. But I would say one thing to distributional is point rather, willful flight is supposed to be applied in a very limited fashion. In fact, the prosecutor has to learn more than just simply a past failure to appear in court. Prosecutors have to demonstrate that this person from out of state and they have a plane ticket to leave with a passport. It’s going to be very limited and very rare. Of course, the prosecutor can also ask for someone to have their pretrial release revoked when they commit another crime, but we shouldn’t have to wait for a second crime to be committed when somebody’s committed a burglary or robbery or an arson. That should be enough for them to be held pretrial and the disposition of the case. […]
Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell was asked about flight risk: Well, we know that there are a whole states that only have flight as a reason for detention. So for instance, New York, they don’t have a public safety exception for detention. Flight is the only reason why a person shouldn’t be detained. So I don’t think the prosecutors will have that difficult of a job. And with that said, I think it’s also important to note that we are talking about individuals that are accused of innocence. And we know that here in Cook County, only about, I think it was 2019, only about 60% of people who are accused of a felony were actually found guilty. There were people who were dismissed. There were people who were found not guilty. And that’s a flawed system. That’s the way the system is supposed to work. These are allegations. And we are before trial. That’s supposed to be the exception to the rule. We know that from a conservative Supreme Court. It’s actually Justice William Rehnquist, who said that detention is supposed to be the exception to the rule and not the rule.
All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for the following offenses where the proof is evident or the presumption great: capital offenses; offenses for which a sentence of life imprisonment may be imposed as a consequence of conviction; and felony offenses for which a sentence of imprisonment, without conditional and revocable release, shall be imposed by law as a consequence of conviction, when the court, after a hearing, determines that release of the offender would pose a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person.
Bail: The process of releasing a defendant from custody with conditions set to reasonably assure public safety and court appearance. […]
“Bail” is often used to refer to the amount of cash that a defendant must post as a condition of release. “Bond” is sometimes treated as a synonym of “bail.” Understood properly, “bail” – which literally means, “release” – is a process of releasing a defendant from custody on conditions designed to assure both public safety and the person’s appearance in court. A “bond” occurs whenever a defendant enters an agreement with the court. The agreement may, but need not necessarily, include a financial condition, but can also or instead include a variety of other conditions such as electronic monitoring, curfews, supervised visits or appointments, etc.
* Related…
* More political pressure mounts to amend Safe-T Act which will end cash bail in Illinois: Republican nominee for Illinois attorney general Tom DeVore, along with other political leaders, are calling on changes to be made to the Safe-T Act. DeVore joins a list of other nominees and politicians pushing for the law to be amended before it takes effect come January 1, 2023.
* Cash bond reforms will make Illinois more fair: I saw this firsthand when I attended bond court hearings a few weeks ago along with community advocates and other elected officials. The judges heard from the prosecutor about the charges but didn’t ask for additional details or background information.It really did just come down to whether they could pay bail.What I saw was disappointing and only reaffirmed my support to eliminate money bond in Illinois.
* Funding anti-violence efforts across Illinois: Ten months ago, in the midst of a pandemic-era crime surge, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker declared gun violence a public health crisis and pledged $250 million over three years to reduce shootings. The legislature was followed by the creation of the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention. State Senator Roberts Peters sponsored the bill. “We’re going to target areas where violence is at its worst, where people have to deal with violence on a regular basis and we’re not going to get bogged down in talking in conjecture about what’s happening,” Peters said.
* The conservative backlash to the SAFE-T Act is nothing new: Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell Jr. witnesses the impact of cash bail on Black communities daily. He routinely sits down with families, most often a mother, grandmother, aunt, or woman partner, he said, and negotiates what he calls a “ransom.” Essentially, that’s the amount of money families need to come up with to bond their loved ones out of jail. “Having a conversation of, ‘do you have $1,000? Do you have $5,000 or $10,000? Can you save a few checks up? Can you not pay a bill?’” he said.
* Illinois’ SAFE-T Act explained: Changes to bail policy have been implemented in smaller doses around the country, including the county in Texas that covers Houston. A University of Pennsylvania study found earlier this year that the jail time and repeat offenses both decreased, since that policy was put into place. Researchers at Loyola University Chicago will be tasked with studying the ongoing impact of the SAFE-T act here in Illinois.
* Bamani Obadele: Darren Bailey Needs to Stop Using the City for Political Rhetoric
* 2 Police Officers Charged After Shooting Unarmed Man In Pilsen, Prosecutors Say: ‘Unprovoked Violence’: The officers have been charged with three felonies. They shot an unarmed man and then lied to prosecutors by saying they’d been fired upon first, Kim Foxx said. … The officers told authorities they’d been shot at first — but videotape of the incident directly contradicts that, and neither of the wounded people fired shots at the officers, Foxx said. The two officers were relieved of their duties by the Police Department, as well.
* There’s no ‘Purge Law’: Debunking right-wing propaganda about the SAFE-T Act: The SAFE-T Act doesn’t explicitly address what will happen to people currently incarcerated on money bonds on Jan. 1. But prosecutors have the ability under the law to petition for people charged with murder and other violent crimes to be jailed pretrial. Currently, those people would already be released if they came up with the money for bail. Also, under the current law, prosecutors such as Glasgow could have filed motions for people charged with serious violent crimes to be detained without bail, said Sharlyn Grace, a senior policy adviser for the Cook County public defender’s office. In Cook County, prosecutors, public defenders, and judges are working together to plan for the transition to an “in-or-out” system starting Jan. 1, Grace said.
It’s a scenario that Republicans hope will sway voters in November’s midterm elections.
A new ad by the GOP Senate nominee in Illinois is capitalizing on the GOP’s messaging this summer to warn voters that new Internal Revenue Service funding approved by Democrats will lead to overzealous IRS agents targeting middle class Americans over their taxes.
“We love the new house, but we have a little problem with the agent. All of them,” say actors portraying a couple sitting on the couch, as their home is invaded by IRS agents, in the first general election TV commercial by Kathy Salvi. […]
The commercial shows the actors portraying the IRS agents combing through the couple’s, searching for unreported income, including finding 64 cents under a couch cushion and two dollars in winning lottery tickets.
“At least we have the election to fire Tammy Duckworth,” the actors say.
Salvi, an attorney and former Lake County assistant public defender, faces a steep climb in her long shot bid in the blue state of Illinois to upset Duckworth, a first term senator and former congresswoman who lost both of her legs while serving in combat as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the Iraq War. Salvi’s campaign says that the spot, which it shared first with Fox News on Friday, will run statewide in Illinois, and is backed by a high six-figures ad buy.
Following the introduction of a national abortion ban this week by GOP Senator Lindsey Graham, Kathy Salvi — the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat held by Tammy Duckworth — has refused to reveal where she stands on the proposal that could rip bodily autonomy from millions of women in Illinois.
In the past, Salvi has come out in favor of a total abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. She’s even gone so far as to call these instances “hypotheticals.” But now, she refuses to let Illinoisans know where she stands on a very real proposal to establish the ban she previously supported.
Senator Duckworth, a champion for women’s rights both in Washington and here in Illinois, is working to enshrine reproductive rights into federal law and came out in forceful opposition to the ban immediately after it was introduced.
Illinoisans have made clear their strong support for protecting abortion access, so Salvi’s trying desperately to dodge her own extremist anti-choice views. But voters deserve an answer as to whether she would support this new proposal, which would strip women of their access to critical reproductive care — and which could become law if Republicans take back the Senate.
As a U.S. Senator, would Kathy Salvi vote in favor of Republicans’ national abortion ban? Illinoisans deserve to know.
* The Champaign County Clerk’s office has had more than its share of problems since Aaron Ammons was elected. But instead of nominating someone who could fix the problems, the Republicans went with this guy…
GOP county clerk candidate Terrence Stuber told The News-Gazette in August, “I don’t know,” when asked if Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
After that remark, Aaron Ammons, a Democrat and the incumbent clerk, accused Stuber of being “unqualified, ill-informed, and unprepared to serve.” […]
However, [Stuber] remains skeptical about the 2020 election process.
“We know they stopped counting in Georgia, we know they stopped counting in Arizona,” Stuber said. “These are all different places and they may not even be…all of them. Who knows? I wasn’t in the Brookens building (the administrative building for Champaign County government) or in the election center. Champaign County may have stopped counting. I don’t know.”
David Becker, election security expert for CBS News, called Stuber’s claim “completely false.”
“It’s documented that they kept counting votes diligently until all were counted, in those states and every other one,” Becker, who founded the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a non-partisan group that works with and supports election officials, said. “And that’s how they’ve always done it, including in 2016.”
Anybody know of any other deniers running for county clerk in this state?
Social media posts are sounding the alarm about a change in Illinois law that they suggest will radically undermine public safety.
“Things are gonna get crazy on January, 1, 2023,” read a Facebook post on Sept. 9. “The state of Illinois passed a bill that will go into effect on January 1, 2023, these following crimes would be considered non-detainable. Burglary, robbery, arson, kidnapping, DUI offenses, even DUI involving a fatality, most drug offenses, and even 2nd degree murder.”
But before Illinoisans start packing their bags, we advise taking a closer look at the law these posts are talking about.
In February 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a sweeping 764-page criminal justice bill called the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity Act, or Safe-T Act. The law makes changes to police and court practices and detainee rights, among other things.
Part of that law, known as the Pretrial Fairness Act, will change bond court practices across the state. It would eliminate cash bail, or money paid by a defendant to get out of jail while awaiting trial. That change goes into effect Jan. 1 and will make Illinois the first state to completely do away with cash bail.
But these posts mislead by suggesting that people charged with the crimes listed cannot be detained under any circumstance.
So, please, spare me the pat on the back, Politifact. You busted a smallish fake news site, but left intact basically the same post on a site with millions of followers.
* Rep. Gonzalez asked if this photo of himself and Speaker Welch at a Legislative Latino Caucus event last night could be a caption contest. So, blame him…
