Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 4, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Inflation means stocking up on pencils, notebooks, crayons and clothes for your kids’ return to school is more expensive this year, so Illinois state leaders on Thursday offered a 10-day sales tax reduction on classroom needs.
Beginning Friday, the state sales tax on school materials, including clothing, will be 1.25% for 10 days, down from the usual 6.25%, part of an inflation relief plan put together by Democrats who control the General Assembly. They have said it’s possible because of four consecutive balanced budgets under Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Teachers will also get a break on classroom materials with a $250 tax credit this year and $500 in 2023.
“These past two-and-a-half years — for everyone — of managing through the pandemic has been hard,” Pritzker said Thursday at Roosevelt Elementary School in Broadview, a suburb west of Chicago. “And the last nine months of inflation on top of that has strained the budgets of parents and teachers alike.”
* The Question: What do you remember most about back to school shopping when you were a kid?
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* Russell Lissau at the Daily Herald…
Suburban congressional candidate Keith Pekau is taking heat for accepting an award from a group that called sex education standards “perverse” and has made transphobic social media posts.
Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park and the Republican nominee in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, received an Advancing Freedom Award from Awake Illinois in March for what the Naperville-based group called “his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Pekau and the village board refused to enforce any mask or vaccination mandates from Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Awake Illinois also added Pekau to its list of “Warriors” — people it says are “effecting positive change in their communities and throughout the state” — and it promoted his congressional candidacy.
Pekau went on to win the GOP nomination in June. He’ll face incumbent Democrat Sean Casten of Downers Grove in the Nov. 8 general election.
Casten press release…
Earlier this year, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau accepted an award from the far-right group Awake Illinois for his disregard of public health measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
“Not only did Keith Pekau jeopardize the lives of his constituents throughout the pandemic, but he accepted an award from far-right extremists thanking him for ignoring public health officials,” said Casten for Congress Spokesman Jacob Vurpillat. “That tells you everything you need to know about his style of leadership.”
Awake Illinois has recently been in the news for its connection to the targeting of UpRising Bakery in Lake in the Hills. Members of Awake IL promoted a protest of the drag brunch with a local Proud Boys’ chapter, another far-right extremist group with ties to the January 6th insurrection and anti-LGBTQ+ protests across the country.
“Hate has no home in Illinois,” Vurpillat continued. “If Keith Pekau agrees with that sentiment, he’ll disavow Awake Illinois and their history of homophobia and racism.”
* From a Brenden Moore piece on social media posts by Darren Bailey and JB Pritzker…
Given the candid nature of Bailey’s messages, it would not be surprising if more are flagged for controversial statements.
Yep…
In context and everything. Click here for a link to that Bailey Facebook post.
* Speaking of Bailey…
Bailey released a video to The Center Square in response to Pritzker’s claim [about the $2 million in federal government aid he’s accepted]. In his video, Bailey took a shot at the Pritzker family fortune.
“J.B. Pritzker, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth,” Bailey said. “You inherited billions of dollars from your family. You have millions stashed away on islands that most people have never heard of. Yet, you have never woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat worrying about keeping a job.”
The Republican candidate also said the incumbent Democrat has never experienced a hard day’s work.
“You have never worked a day in your life, and you will criticize me about how I run my farm. How dare you?” Bailey said. “You are the trust fund kid on the school playground pushing all the regular kids around and making fun of their bagged lunches.”
$2 million would fill up a pretty big lunch bag. /s
* MyPillow’s Mike Lindell referenced an Illinois US Senate loser on Steve Bannon’s podcast earlier this week…
Because of these machines, it almost just reminds me of the 2020 election. All of a sudden they’re not done counting now? What? I mean I thought they were machines, boom, here’s your winner, you know. And it’s disgusting. This is called, when you override the algorithms, when you override this, you override the machine sheet, now they’ve got to figure out a way. Is there a way we can backfill this? Is there a way we can backfill? Steve, this just happened to Peggy Hubbard in Illinois. They, they stopped the count in Illinois three weeks ago and they dumped 30,000 votes on her opponent and she and she lost. She was winning.
Oh, for crying out loud. At no time in the evening was Hubbard ahead. This was all debunked here.
…Adding… Oops. I totally forgot to include this Tribune story…
A former Illinois attorney who retired to Texas and two conservative political action committees filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging recently approved restrictions on campaign contributions to judicial candidates in Illinois on First Amendment grounds.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago by the conservative Liberty Justice Center on behalf of John Matthew Chancey, Fair Courts America and Restoration PAC, comes three months before Illinois voters will cast ballots in two state Supreme Court races that will determine whether Democrats maintain their 4-3 majority on the state’s highest court.
Seeking to preserve Democratic control of all three branches of state government, Democrats in the legislature approved a measure last year that bars judicial candidates from receiving campaign cash from out-of-state contributors and groups that don’t disclose their donors.
This year, lawmakers approved another measure that bans contributions in excess of $500,000 per election cycle from a single source to independent expenditure committees set up to support or oppose judicial candidates.
In their lawsuit, Chancey and the PACs argue that both laws violate free-speech rights established in cases including the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United decision, which opened the door to unlimited political contributions.
Restoration of America…
At Restoration of America, we know the timeless foundation of America’s peace and prosperity is turning to God and the enforcement of just laws. We know that in our current era our nation’s most significant threats are twofold: internally – the elite, Marxist neo-liberals and, externally – Communist China. We defend our nation by electing like-minded leaders and by creating organizations and campaigns that promote fully transparent elections, economic freedom, limited government, military superiority, secure borders, rule of law, and the sanctity of life.
We do this through an experienced and passionate leadership team that values truth above all else. We apply best in class business practices yielding efficient, effective, and innovative products and results. And we partner with like-minded organizations to create force multiplication, greatly extending both our reach and the return-on-investment for our donors.
We fearlessly pursue the Restoration of America.
Fair Courts America…
Fair Courts America is the nation’s premier organization dedicated to preserving the Founders’ intent that the judicial branch of government renders equal justice under the law.
Through public education and advocacy, Fair Courts America connects voters with vital information about candidates for public offices that affect the courts, both judicial and prosecutorial. Progressive activists seek to take control of the courts away from the people, to enact a liberal agenda resulting in violence and crime in our communities and creating victims of our neighbors. Fair Courts America is committed to standing against this tide, uniting voters across the political spectrum, and restoring America’s courts to their original purpose.
Doug Truax…
Our founder Doug Truax is unorthodox in the conservative political world. He comes at his mission with military and entrepreneurial sensibilities. A graduate of West Point and an Army veteran, Doug transitioned to a successful entrepreneur, building multiple successful businesses. He nearly pulled off a massive upset in the 2014 U.S. Senate primary in Illinois as a political newcomer and learned important lessons along the way. He formed Restoration Action/PAC with those lessons in mind. His organizations exist solely to get things done in the fight to preserve our way of life. Mindful of the importance of providing the highest possible return-on-investment for contributors, Doug does not receive any compensation for running these organizations.
Came up 12 points short to a guy who’s lost a ton of statewide races
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* Celeste Bott at Law360…
An Illinois appellate panel has revived a defamation suit filed by Loevy & Loevy attorney and former Illinois Rep. Scott Drury against a conservative radio host and political action committee, finding a lower court erred in granting the defendants summary judgment before resolving a discovery dispute.
Reversing a summary judgment win for the Liberty Principles PAC and Dan Proft, a Chicago radio host and former Republican candidate for Illinois governor, the appellate court said on Tuesday that a Cook County judge abused their discretion when they resolved the case before ruling on Drury’s motion to compel discovery, saying the defendants have conceded that some of the discovery sought in that request was relevant to the issue of actual malice, a central issue of the summary judgment motion.
* This lawsuit has been around for years. From the appellate opinion…
On October 9, 2014, the trial court issued an order that stayed discovery in this matter until further order of the court. On February 26, 2018, plaintiff filed the second amended complaint at issue. Plaintiff’s complaint alleges that defendants1 made allegedly defamatory statements in a cable television advertisement and a campaign advertisement sent by United States mail. The statements in the cable television advertisement about which plaintiff complained were:
“Scott Drury wants to cut funding for our local schools by as much as seventy per cent. Incumbent State Representative Scott Drury has put his Chicago Democrat Party’s bosses ahead of our schools. Drury’s plan would cut state funding for our schools by more than $6.9 million. Drury’s plan would send our tax dollars to Chicago schools. Scott Drury made the choice to serve Illinois’ political ruling class at the expense of our schools. On November 4, you have a choice. Bring balance back to state government by voting no on Scott Drury.”
Plaintiff’s complaint further alleges that on or about October 4, 2014, defendants caused to be published to voters a mail campaign advertisement containing the following statements:
“Scott Drury supports defunding our schools so that party bosses will fund his campaign,”
“Incumbent State Rep. Scott Drury is doing the bidding of Illinois’ Political Ruling Class at the Expense of our Local Schools,”
“Scott Drury has made the choice to serve Illinois’ Political Ruling Class at the expense of our schools,”
and that Drury had a plan to cut approximately $7 million from local schools.
On April 3, 2019, plaintiff filed a motion to vacate the stay of discovery. On April 25, 2019, the trial court issued an order finding that defendants did not oppose plaintiff’s motion, granting plaintiff’s motion to vacate the stay of discovery, and ordering that all written discovery was to be completed on or before July 29, 2019. […]
Plaintiff’s affidavit averred, in part, that defendants’ failure to produce documents in response to plaintiff’s discovery requests had prejudiced plaintiff’s ability to conduct discovery and made his ability to conduct depositions less effective. Plaintiff averred that defendant Proft was a defendant in the litigation, was a hostile witness, and that plaintiff could not speak to Proft directly. Plaintiff also averred, in part, that if sworn defendant Proft would testify that “[p]rior to publishing the Defamatory Statements he [(Proft)] did not make an inquiry to ascertain whether it was his inference that [plaintiff] supported Senate Bill 16 (the bill associated with the conduct described in the allegedly defamatory statements), and did so for corrupt reasons, rather than another one that was the correct inference to draw,” “[p]rior to publishing the Defamatory Statements, he failed to make inquiry to ascertain whether the inference he drew that [plaintiff] supported Senate Bill 16, and did so for corrupt reasons, was correct where there were other inferences that may have been drawn from the same events,” and “[p]rior to publishing the Defamatory Statements, he did not inquire into whether: (i) [plaintiff] was a Democrat because his values more closely aligned with those of the Democratic Party than other parties; (ii) INCS Action PAC supported [plaintiff] because he was an incumbent legislator who supported charter schools; or (iii) [plaintiff] did not co-sponsor House Resolution 1276 (attacking Senate Bill 16) because he was unaware of it, he rarely co-sponsored House Resolutions, and House Resolution 1276 was introduced when the House of Representatives was not in session and was not assigned to committee. […]
We find the trial court abused its discretion by ruling on defendants’ motion for summary judgment before ruling on plaintiff’s motion to compel [discovery]; therefore, we have no need to reach plaintiff’s remaining arguments. For the following reasons, we reverse the trial court’s judgment ruling that it could “proceed to hear the Motion for Summary Judgment before resolving the Motion to Compel,” reverse the trial court’s judgment granting summary judgment in favor of defendants as premature, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this order.
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* Press release…
–Today Governor Pritzker announced an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortion services and a new expansion of Title X funding through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for family planning and reproductive health service providers across the state. The 20% Medicaid reimbursement rate increase will give additional resources to providers facing new burdens in the wake of increased restrictions on reproductive care in surrounding states. The Governor also eliminated a requirement for providers to receive a Medicare denial before requesting Medicaid payment, expanding provider options for patients receiving both Medicare and Medicaid.
“Illinois abortion providers have been working overtime since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “They need support as they take on this new burden on the frontlines of this fight. Supporting them with reimbursement increases allows them to focus on their important work without worrying about rising costs of supplies and services.”
The rate increase, which goes into effect September 1, allow abortion providers to recoup more costs and enable providers and clinics to provide more care without financial strain. The 20% increase in reimbursement will cost around $3 million annually. The elimination of the Medicare denial requirement will allow those who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid, many of whom are people with disabilities, to access these services without going through a layered, time-consuming denial process.
Medicaid covers abortion services in Illinois, one of only 16 states to do so, and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services requires Managed Care Organizations to include information about abortion service coverage in Medicaid member handbooks and to be able to answer questions about abortion service coverage.
There are currently 98 family planning clinics across the state offering Title X supported services, serving over 150,000 patients in the last two years. The new $2 million investment announced today by the Governor will expand the number of providers offering Title X-funded services to the client base of these clinics, 80% of whom are below the federal poverty line. Providers can apply for grant funding to expand the statewide network of clinics providing Title X funded reproductive health care including HIV testing, breast and cervical cancer screening, STD and pregnancy testing, infertility counseling, and other family planning services and counseling.
Title X was established in 1970 to provide federal support for family planning services for low-income populations. The $2 million in funds would be in addition to $5.4 million in federal HHS funding and an existing $5.8 million in state funds, for a total budget of $13.2 million.
The state rejoined the federal Title X program earlier in 2022 after a repeal of a Trump administration law banning recipients of Title X funds from referring patients to abortion providers or counseling patients on abortion services. Title X funds cannot be used for providing abortion care. During the three years the state declined to participate, the gap in funding was filled using the state’s General Revenue Fund.
“As women’s reproductive rights are being decimated across this nation, this additional Title X Family Planning Program funding is critical in providing voluntary comprehensive family planning services to low-income individuals of reproductive age,” said State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake). “While we are devastated each time we turn on the news and see yet another state taking away the reproductive rights of women, Illinois continues to be clear that we uphold choice and access to reproductive health care.”
“Once again, Illinois is proving itself a standout state in the nation for supporting reproductive health,” said State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin). “Not only that, we are making sure equity is at the forefront of our policies—increasing Medicaid rates for services will ensure that people can access abortions and make the best decisions for their own bodies.”
“Making reproductive health care accessible and affordable, particularly to women in vulnerable communities, is of the utmost importance as these rights are being stripped away at the federal level,” said State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “Today’s investment upholds Illinois’ position as a leader on preserving women’s rights and will expand services to underserved communities throughout the state.”
“Without meaningful access, we can’t describe something as a right. The announcement this week improving access for patients without the financial means to access abortion care is critically important. I am so proud to work with Governor Pritzker and our pro-choice majority in Illinois to protect and increase access to reproductive health services both for residents and inbound patients from restrictive states,” said State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).
“Expanding access to reproductive care in our state is more essential now than ever,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago). “At a time when women’s rights are under attack at the national level, I am proud that Illinois is taking the lead in expanding rights and access to care here.”
“As our neighboring states restrict bodily autonomy and personal freedom, Illinois continues to protect abortion rights,” said State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago). “The funds announced today will help make sure our abortion providers have the capacity to provide this vital medical care to all Illinoisans and to those coming to our state seeking care.”
“A woman’s right to exercise control over her own body should never be restricted by her income,” said State Representative Theresa Mah (D-Chicago). “Threats to abortion access are growing, and while we resist those threats, we must also continue to remove any existing obstacles to the right to choose in Illinois. Increasing financial support for women who want an abortion will remove a financial hurdle that many women have had to clear in the past.”
“This summer’s decision by an extremist Supreme Court underscores the need for Illinois to be the Midwest’s leader on the issue of reproductive health,” said State Representative Sonya Harper (D-Chicago). “We have to be proactive in directing resources to those who need help the most right now. By working to expand our state’s provider network, we’re going to be able to reach more residents and will save lives.”
“Now that there is no longer a federal guarantee of reproductive freedom, state-level policy is more important than ever,” said State Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago). “That’s why the steps being taken today by Governor Pritzker and the Department of Public Health are so great. More Medicaid funds for reproductive healthcare, elimination of red tape, and additional funding to increase the number of providers statewide are all in keeping with our post-Roe commitment to ensuring that every person who may become pregnant has access to reproductive healthcare and family planning services.”
* ACLU of Illinois…
Abortion remains safe and legal in Illinois. As states surrounding Illinois continue to place cruel bans on abortion care, we applaud Governor Pritzker’s decision to increase resources directed towards essential reproductive healthcare. Increased resources means increased access. It is especially hopeful to see a much needed increase in the reimbursement rate provided by the Illinois Medicaid system for those providing abortion care during this critical time.
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Extended open thread
Thursday, Aug 4, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I thought I’d finally finished up my dental work earlier this week, but something didn’t quite fit right and I’m in enough pain that I decided I need to get this fixed so I can work. I have a noon appointment, so I’ll try to be back when it’s over.
Be nice to each other, please.
…Adding… I’m back and feeling much better. Need to have some lunch because I haven’t been able to eat anything for a while. Gimme a few.
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LIVE COVERAGE
Thursday, Aug 4, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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