Today PBR PAC released Episode 3 in its series “Real Talk with Charles Thomas.” In the latest installment, Thomas calls for black families in Illinois to “punish” JB Pritzker for failing to live up to his so-called “social equity” promises to black businesspeople when it came to dispensary licenses for the state-created recreational cannabis industry.
“We can’t do this again,” said Thomas. “We can’t let Pritzker take advantage of us again. He insulted us with his words in his first run for governor and then proceeded to spend four years insulting us with his deeds.”
The ad is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.
For 25 years, ABC 7 political reporter Charles Thomas gave you the straight news. Now he’s giving you real talk on the governor’s race.
Charles Thomas: “JB Pritzker promised what he called ‘equity’ when the new recreational cannabis industry opened in Illinois. Blacks got nothing. ZERO. Nothing. He needs to be punished for that. Black people should not vote for JB Pritzker because he didn’t live up to that promise.”
* I totally forgot about this story, but I stumbled across an outline I worked up during the long weekend and I can’t waste it now. WGN…
Last night’s debate between the major party candidates running for Governor of Illinois, Democrat J. B. Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey, was a ratings winner for WGN-TV. The first debate, “YOUR LOCAL ELECTION HEADQUARTERS: ILLINOIS GOVERNOR’S DEBATE,” took place on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. CT, at the Illinois State University campus in Normal, IL.
The debate reached over 240,000 total viewers, finishing #1 in the time period. It also finished #1 in the key Adults 25-54 demographic.
The actual number was 241,313. The WGN numbers above were only for the Chicago media market.
According to the US Census, 22.1 percent of Illinoisans are under 18, and therefore cannot vote. Subtract those 1,661,642 people and you’re left with 5,857,102 adult Illinois viewers in the Chicago media market.
The statewide voter registration rate among eligible voters is 74.4 percent. So, somewhere around 4,357,684 registered voters are in the Chicago media market.
And that means, with 241,313 viewers, about 5.5 percent of registered voters in the Chicago media market watched last week’s debate on TV, assuming all the viewers were 18 and above. More may have watched online, but even so, as I always warn people, the vast majority of folks just don’t watch gubernatorial debates.
However, [Rep. Dan Brady] also discussed his plan to reduce vehicle registration fees by $50 during his first year in office. Brady insisted that this would be affordable for the state and would be a way to help cash-strapped motorists.
But there are 11 million vehicles registered in Illinois. Even if 1 million of those vehicles do not renew their registration in a given year, that still appears to amount to a loss in revenue of some $500 million which would need to be plugged. Brady insisted that this was not the case, but even at the end of our session, we couldn’t fully understand his math. And, since we have editorialized against schemes that look like vote-getting giveaways (already a feature of the mayoral race in Chicago), we found this aspect of Brady’s plan to be problematic.
Giannoulias appeared further along in his thinking on how to enhance the digital capabilities of the office, discussing with us his ideas for a new secretary of state app (long overdue) and developing a digital driver’s license, meaning that you would be able to carry around your license on your smartphone. And, of course, that would also allow for instant updating.
Brady rightly pointed out the real dangers of cybercrime and identity theft, but Illinoisans already carry their credit cards and other sensitive documents on their phones. And digitization (to varying degrees) already has happened in other states, including Arizona, Delaware, Oklahoma and Colorado. Much attention has been paid to security. As Giannoulias said, “Illinois doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
* OK, on to a couple of oppo dumps. Last year…
“I’m not vaccinated,” @DarrenBaileyIL told a room of Republican primary voters last Thursday in Wheeling at the Chevy Chase Country Club. He tells the crowd he wants to see more transparency about what DNA might be in “MMA and rubella.” It’s MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella.” pic.twitter.com/z4eawkCtjH
Somehow, Bailey must’ve forgotten about that statement this week when he was on WPNA Radio…
Host: During the same debate, Gov. Pritzker accused you for not being vaccinated for COVID-19 [laughs]. He said, ‘He, himself is not vaccinated.’ You responded, ‘How do you know that?’ What was the reason for your reply?
Bailey: Well, I’ve had a lot of people suggest that I file suit against him for a HIPAA violation for, for purporting information like that. He has no idea if I am or not. And how dare a governor of a state, such a high position, to go around and talk about someone else’s health and whether or not such you know, yeah, no, I think that’s wrong, but to him…
Host: Yeah personal medical medication. Right. Nobody should know if you got vaccinated, if you got X-ray, tooth pulled out, right?
Bailey: And I think that shows how dangerous this man is by what he’s potentially looking for in the future that we might carry some card or wear some kind of a badge to say, you know, we’re vaccinated or you know, give our health status. It’s dangerous.
* More over the transom stuff, this time on Bailey-related gun raffles. One of Bailey’s schools…
‼️ We are having our 2nd annual gun raffle! ALL proceeds go back to pay off our new gym.🤩
Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee Launches Six-Figure Campaign to ‘Halt The Assault’
Following months of public outcry demanding policy change, today the Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee launched a new campaign to bolster and build legislative support around a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines dubbed ‘Halt The Assault.’ A statewide effort supported by leading national gun violence prevention organizations, Halt The Assault will utilize tools to organize and activate supporters to reach their state lawmakers and ultimately advance the life-saving measure in the coming months. […]
Halt the Assault will pair digital advocacy and paid media to reach concerned residents and drive them toward action. Campaign assets are attached, and you can learn more about the affiliated political action committee, G-PAC, in this video profile.
The campaign will focus its efforts on DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, McHenry, Suburban Cook and Will counties, as well as the Bloomington, Champaign, Metro East, Peoria, Springfield and Quad Cities metro areas. An updated legislator contact tool will be employed to connect constituents with their lawmakers and put facts front and center in the policy conversation. GVPAC is investing six figures into the campaign and will activate its advocacy network of nearly 200 organizations that have organized behind past efforts to hold gun dealers accountable, require universal background checks for all gun sales, and make ghost guns illegal.
Organizations supporting Halt The Assault include GVPAC, One Aim Illinois, Everytown, Giffords, Moms Demand Action and Brady.
* Democrats are counting on Duckworth to help them keep control of the U.S. Senate: Although Salvi has said she expects “full well” to win the November general election, a defeat to Duckworth would be far from the first electoral setback for the Republican nominee and her husband, Al Salvi. […] But in a state where Democrats far outnumber Republicans, Duckworth has eagerly highlighted the differences she has with Salvi on virtually all of the biggest political issues of these times, including gun control, abortion and immigration.
* Close election expected for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District: The district, which was held by U.S. Rep. Cherri Bustos before she announced she wasn’t seeking another term, was redrawn by Democrats in what some say was a blatant case of gerrymandering, but the move may backfire. Bustos, D-Moline, is backing Democrat Eric Sorenson, a former TV weatherman. He faces Republican Esther Joy King, an Army veteran who narrowly lost to Bustos in 2020.
* The election for Illinois’ attorney general comes at a dramatic legal moment: The attorney general’s race rarely grabs front-page headlines — but experts and advocates across the political spectrum say the position is one of the most essential in the state. In addition to the hot-button issues of crime and criminal justice reform, Illinois’ next attorney general could play a key role in everything from abortion to LGBTQ rights.
* Police groups endorsing different candidates for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District: “I am proud to announce that with our 34,500 plus members out there whom we represent … we unanimously endorse Regan Deering as the candidate for U.S. Congress for the 13th Congressional District,” said Illinois Fraternal Order of Police President Chris Southwood during a news event this week. […] Earlier this year, the Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois announced their endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District.
* Endorsement: Casten for Congress from Illinois Dist. 6: [Casten] is articulate as well as passionate about issues including abortion rights, gun control and, with his particular expertise as the former head of an energy business, climate policy. And, he is a frequent presence in the district, having conducted more than 60 town halls in his two terms to discuss his ideas with constituents. We would have liked to have seen more thoughtful engagement during the campaign between these two candidates, but we’re confident that Casten’s background and congressional experience make him well suited for a third term. He gets our endorsement.
* Daily Herald opinion: Wheeler for Illinois’ 83rd House district: Wheeler, the House assistant minority leader, has impressed us as a thoughtful, business-oriented legislator who maintains solidly conservative values while understanding the need to work across the aisle. He is measured and compassionate on the issues, including being open-minded about proposals in response to mass shootings and supporting the need to keep guns away from those who should not own them. When voicing concerns about provisions of the Safe-T Act, he does so with reasoned arguments, steering clear of the hyperbole and ugly rhetoric that have dominated the debate for so many of the act’s opponents.
* Judicial races include 2 write-ins: Six candidates are seeking three judicial seats Nov. 8 in a sometimes controversial election in Madison County. Current Associate Judge A. Ryan Jumper, a Democrat, and attorney Tim Berkley, a Republican, are competing for the seat of retiring Chief Circuit Judge William Mudge, who is stepping down in December.
Over half of the 102 State’s Attorneys in Illinois have filed lawsuits against the act.
Knox County State’s Attorney, Jeremy Karlin said the process is unconstitutional.
“There are good arguments the statute is unconstitutional, because first of all, the Illinois constitution talks about a cash bail being used,” he explained. “So it’s specifically mentioned in our constitution. The statute doesn’t take into account, adequately, the rights of victims. These crime victim rights are institutionalized in the Illinois Constitution. So it’s the separation of powers issue. I think the most significant constitutional problem is that because the statute is more worded poorly and so vaguely, implementation of the statute is going to look different in every county.”
State’s Attorney Karlin is one of many who filed a lawsuit but said there are plans to consolidate all lawsuits into one.
With a Jan. 1, 2023, enforcement date looming on the Pre-Trial Fairness Act component of the SAFE-T Act, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said she hopes that changes to the bill in the State House can provide some clarity on how parts of the law should be enforced.
Signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year, the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act implements sweeping reform impacting many aspects of the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial, sentencing, and corrections.
Mosser said the Pre-Trial Fairness Act (PFA), which is best known for eliminating cash bail, helps replace an “antiquated system.”
“We are moving toward a system that is actually better, that will detain people who should be detained,” she said.
McLean County’s top prosecutor says that her lawsuit aimed at stopping the criminal justice reform law known as the SAFE-T Act is not a negotiating tactic and that she’s not “opposed to responsible bail reform.”
Erika Reynolds, who was appointed state’s attorney last month, filed the lawsuit last week along with McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage. Both are Republicans; the four defendants are the Democratic governor, attorney general and two legislative leaders. Their lawsuit, assigned to Judge Rebecca Foley, is very similar in language – identical in parts – to those filed by law enforcement officials in other Illinois counties, including Tazewell.
The intention is to consolidate those complaints into a single lawsuit, said Reynolds.
“This is just one tool that we have in our tool chest to try to address the concerns we have,” Reynolds told WGLT. “But no, it’s not a negotiation tactic.” […]
In their press release, Reynolds and Sandage said a “reasonable compromise” is possible and that they support “meaningful, responsible bail reform.” Reynolds on Wednesday declined to describe what that might look like. She said the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association was involved in negotiations with stakeholders, including lawmakers, and she didn’t want to undermine that.
Pritzker is right that there’s a lot of bad information being spun out there about what the SAFE-T Act does and doesn’t do. And he has political reasons not to provoke his base right before an election by calling for wholesale changes in the bill.
But if the perception that crime is out of control is hurting business—helllooooo, Ken Griffin—Pritzker’s job is to change the perception. And posturing about a tweak here or there while letting the General Assembly take the lead isn’t going to change the perception. Only a governor can be bold, not a gaggle of legislators.
We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks. But you can bet your ballot box that rival gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey will have something to say about this when he meets with the Crain’s edit board later today.
The two men running for Kane County Sheriff have concerns about the SAFE-T Act and support offering drug treatment programs for those in the county jail. […]
[Incumbent Democrat Ron] Hain said he’s spent the last 2½ years understanding the act, how it will be implemented and making lawmakers aware of concerns about it. He estimates about one-fourth of the current jail population would be eligible for release under the cashless bail system that would take effect Jan. 1 under the law.
He said he has continued to “press the issue” but also has worked to be prepared for whatever changes may come Jan. 1.
[Jeff] Bodin said he believes the SAFE-T Act has some good aspects — such as mandating body cameras for police officers — while other parts of the Act are troubling. He is concerned the law limits what offenses would qualify for detention pretrial.
“It’s going to be a disaster,” he said, echoing critics’ claims that some serious offenses may not be eligible for detention. “I’m fine with a low-level offense being released … but to let a serious offender out of jail … is going to be an absolute disaster.”
For months, the Public Safety Working Group has been meeting regularly with stakeholders from across the state to discuss ways we can improve and ensure successful implementation of the SAFE-T Act. Ford and Hurley’s task force has never been tasked with these conversations. https://t.co/YluyvUymy9
State Representative Deanne Mazzochi (HD 45), along with candidates Jack Vrett (HD 53), Stefanie Hood (HD 42), and Michelle Smith (HD 97), will host a news conference via zoom and broadcast on BlueRoomStream on Thursday, October 13 at 10:30am.
Mazzochi will introduce three House Republican candidates running against machine-backed politicians and how this election cycle represents the best opportunity in decades to remove the stain of corruption from our state politics.
* Isabel ran the press conference audio through Otter.com and the rough transcript shows 40 mentions of former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s name in 25 minutes, including this question submitted by a reporter and read aloud…
Q: We have our first question from the media and I’ll put it out there. Do you folks think Madigan is pulling any strings behind the scenes? Or is it an all new group which has learned the machine ways?
Rep. Mazzochi: I’m not going to speculate as to what Mike Madigan is or isn’t doing. You’d probably get a better answer through some recordings at the US Attorney’s office or at a table near a bathroom hallway in a Southside restaurant. But what we have seen is, when it comes to the vendors, the tactics, the styling, it’s the same, the same old, same old Madigan routine and machine politics that’s going on. You know, again, when you look at where people are getting their funding, it’s the same old special interest groups. It’s the same old demands. And it’s the hope is that the people in Illinois decided they don’t want the same old outcome, and that they’re finally going to look past what I would call the shrieky emotional negative advertisements and the false statements that are always made about Republican candidates that never accurately represent our record, and which always distort the records of the candidates on the Democratic side of the aisle, we can actually get some real change in Illinois.
Sen. Dick Durbin, who heads the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., and presided over confirmation hearings for the first African-American woman nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, is getting involved in Illinois judicial politics.
D.C. delivery: The Senate Democratic whip is endorsing Lake County Judge Elizabeth Rochford for Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd District. […]
On camera:Durbin has cut an ad that promotes Rochford’s experience but also takes shots at Curran. “He’s anti-choice, believes the 2020 election was stolen and his mind is bubbling over with screwball conspiracies,” Durban says in the ad. […]
Why he’s getting in the mud: That Durbin would get involved in a state race is an indication of how important Democrats view the contest.
* “Ad” must be loosely defined because you’re not gonna see this on TV or streaming. For one, it’s well over a minute long. And the lighting is just… I mean… Half the background is a door. His delivery leaves a lot to be desired, to be kind. I kid, but my first impression was that this looked like a hostage video taken by an older smart phone…
Hello, I’m Senator Dick Durbin. One of the most important races on the ballot this November is to fill the vacancy on the Illinois Supreme Court. I’m supporting Judge Elizabeth Rochford to fill that vacancy. She has a record which reflects real confidence in the ability of women to make the most important decisions in their lives.
She’s endorsed by Planned Parenthood, labor organizations and many legislators in the area. In contrast, she’s running against Mark Curran. I know him well. He ran against me for the United States Senate. I know his positions. He’s anti-choice. He believes the 2020 election was stolen. His mind is bubbling over with screwball conspiracies. That’s why the Illinois State Bar Association, a bipartisan group, says Mark Curran is not recommended. He has no experience as a judge. When it comes to Judge Rochford, they gave her a highly recommended position. And that is a result of a bipartisan vote by the State Bar Association.
When it comes down to it, Elizabeth Rochford is reasonable and respected and will be the right person for the Supreme Court.
“His mind is bubbling over with screwball conspiracies,” is a truly great line. Maybe re-take that and put it in an actual ad. Also, I think the ISBA prefers to think of itself as non-partisan.
Today the Illinois Republican Party was made aware of a ballot issue in Schuyler County, where Early Voters were given ballots containing the name of a former Republican candidate instead of current Republican nominee for Senate Kathy Salvi. As well, over 300 Vote By Mail ballots containing this same defect had been disseminated to Schuyler County voters. Kathy Salvi’s campaign was justifiably upset over this error.
From the Salvi campaign press release earlier this afternoon:
“On Tuesday, October 11th, it was brought to my attention that ballots drafted by the Schuyler County Board of Elections, and approved by the Illinois State Board of Elections, incorrectly listed one of my primary opponents as the Republican nominee for United States Senate. Our campaign legal team immediately took action and worked with the Schuyler County State’s Attorney. While we came to the best remedy - to sequester the hundreds of ballots that were distributed - this does not solve the most pressing problem of election integrity and transparency.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy issued the following statement in solidarity with Salvi and her campaign:
“Voters need to have confidence that our election process is conducted fairly and transparently. This is an unacceptable error by the Schuyler County Clerk. While we are lucky that we caught this error early, this doesn’t change the fact that it could very well disenfranchise dozens of her voters. Officials responsible must be held accountable professionally, and Schuyler County must come up with a solution to remedy their mistake and ensure these voters have a say in who represents them in the United States Senate.”
* Schuyler has a total population of about 7,000 people. It’s small, and the number of votes at this early date is even smaller, according to this report in Center Square…
In a letter Salvi’s campaign shared with media, her attorney John Fogarty Jr., indicates the Schuyler County State’s Attorney provided information that a total of 45 people have cast early votes using the incorrect ballot.
“I have requested, and you have agreed, that these ballots will be sequestered and processed separately,” Fogarty said.
The letter also indicates 307 vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed out with the incorrect candidate listed.
“I have requested, and you have agreed, that any such returned ballots are sequestered and are not permitted to be counted,” Fogarty said. “You have indicated that while the Clerk’s plan for a remedy is not yet final, it is her current intention to send corrected ballots and an explanatory letter to those three hundred seven (307) voters who have already been mailed an errant Vote By Mail ballot.”
* I reached out to Matt Dietrich at the Illinois State Board of Elections about the plan to unilaterally sequester ballots…
We were told initially that that is what they planned to do and we recommended that they not do that unless they are ordered to do so by the courts. There have been 45 early votes cast so far and, barring a court order to do otherwise, any votes for Hubbard will be disregarded when tabulation begins at 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Schuyler County plans to re-send the 307 vote-by-ballots that have been sent to voters so far with an explanation of the ballot error and instructions to re-submit the ballot if a voter so chooses. Though some 200 vote-by-mail ballots had already been completed by voters and returned to the clerk’s office, none of those ballots had been processed for tabulation. They remain sealed in the signed, secure envelopes in which they were returned. Those ballots will be held pending replacement by the corrected ballots.
“This is national news,” the insider said. “How many more votes would have gone to Kathy Salvi if her name had been on the ballot as it should be?” […]
Will the Schuyler County ballot blunder affect the US Senate race and possibly the delicate political party balance of the now-tied US Senate?
I’ve said it before, but maybe it’s time the state looks at regional election authorities and get away from its current hyper-localized system, which can be comically inept at times.
…Adding… The State Board of Elections pushes back on Salvi’s statement…
The statement issued yesterday on the Schuyler County ballot error states that the Illinois State Board of Elections approved the county’s incorrect ballot:
Kathy Salvi said: “On Tuesday, October 11th, it was brought to my attention that ballots drafted by the Schuyler County Board of Elections, and approved by the Illinois State Board of Elections, incorrectly listed one of my primary opponents as the Republican nominee for United States Senate.
The ballot certification that we sent to all local election authorities on Aug. 26 was correct. The printing error was made at the local level subsequent to our certification. The Board of Elections does not approve local ballots after certification. If possible please amend the candidate’s statement to make this clear.
* Naperville’s high-powered weapons sale ban hangs over 41st House race: Yang Rohr, a sponsor of state legislation that would ban “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines, supports the strengthening of “red flag” laws to prevent potentially dangerous people from owning weapons… Janor, while embracing local control for communities like Naperville, also is focused on maintaining Second Amendment rights. He said law enforcement agencies must be supported in attempts to take weapons from people who should not have them, like in cases of revoked FOID cards.
* Challenger Philip Nagel seeks to curtail government authority; incumbent Patrick Joyce cites ‘extreme political agendas’: The Republican candidate in the state’s 40th Senate District says COVID-19 mandates and the education system in Illinois prompted him to challenge Democratic incumbent Patrick Joyce. Philip Nagel said he drafted legislation last year called the Parental Medical Choice Act, filed by his representative, that would’ve taken away the governor’s emergency authority to mandate medical treatment for students in K-12 schools or higher education institutions.
* Patrick Thomas Brouillette: 2022 candidate for Illinois House District 44: Abortion is a state issue, as the high court has determined. Abortion remains legal in Illinois, and no changes will take place. Illinois already has the most permissive laws on abortion in the country. One item I take issue with is the repeal of the parental notification law last year. I believe the repeal of that law is extreme and wrong. Parents have every right to know if their minor child will be undergoing any health care procedure. That said, I also support ensuring there are protections built into the law for those cases involving abuse of a child.
* Fred Crespo: 2022 candidate for Illinois House 44th District: “As far as term limits is concerned, I supported term limits for legislative leaders and helped add these limits to the House rules. However, I’m concerned about the impact of term limits in general. As I talk to out of state legislators who are term limited, they express concerns that the lack of institutional knowledge enables lobbyists and staff to exercise undue influence on policy issues,” Crespo said.
