As governor, Mr. Pritzker said he also will work to pass a capital bill to fund infrastructure across the state.
“Illinois has gone almost a decade without infrastructure investment,” Mr. Pritzker said. “It’s past time we had a capital bill in the state and we built up our infrastructure again. We are the supply-chain hub of the nation. We can only maintain that status if we invest in our roads, bridges and waterways.
“We are going to continue to build on that when I’m governor. We’ve got to have a capital bill that’s going to rebuild our infrastructure to a place where people want to come back to Illinois and build up jobs.”
* I asked the Pritzker campaign how he intends to pay for his plan. I was referred to Pritzker’s website where I found this…
My plan will leverage as much federal money as possible to bring significant investment to our surface, rail, water, broadband and community infrastructure. It is time to imagine what Illinois can be in the 21st century and get this done.
Um, isn’t President Trump demanding an 80 percent state and local match for his mythical infrastructure plan?
* So, I suppose it’s back to Pritzker’s only revenue proposal: a progressive income tax. Considering all the spending promises he’s making, that’ll have to be huge.
Candidate Rauner touted his support of infrastructure spending without identifying a funding source. And Gov. Rauner has since talked often about passing a capital bill and hasn’t really ever said how he’ll pay for it.
George Ryan promised he’d do a capital bill without a tax hike during his campaign. He passed a capital bill, but he paid for it by hiking liquor taxes and vehicle license fees. Gov. Quinn passed a capital bill not long after being sworn into office, and taxes were imposed on candy to pay for part of that program.
Putting a progressive income tax on the ballot is not going to be easy because of GOP opposition and some Democratic reluctance. Passing it won’t be a simple matter, either. Infrastructure upgrades cost real money. And they have to be paid for with real money. Magic fairy dust doesn’t actually exist. /rant
Asked by a reporter how he could sell Illinois to overseas investment after repeatedly saying the state was in a “death spiral,” Rauner said, “We sell all the advantages we have to sell — people, location, transportation, education, agriculture, heart of manufacturing, heart of American economy in the Midwest.”
Asked if Illinois was in a “death spiral,” Rauner declined to use the term but said Illinois has been “uncompetitive on our regulation and taxes for decades,” which has stunted the state’s economic growth.
The head of the state’s economic development arm expects good things—hundreds of new jobs here, possibly thousands—in the wake of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s big trade mission to Japan and China last week. […]
But the overall news is good, he said, involving everything from a Chinese sovereign wealth unit to a Michigan Avenue retailer and investments in the state’s growing biotech business. The trip “absolutely” will pay dividends within the next year, he said. “My guess, it will be in the hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs” in Illinois.
I haven’t seen any announcement trumpeting those “hundreds, if not thousands” of new jobs. But that was “only” seven months ago.
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and Illinois Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) filed joint resolutions today to adopt a revenue estimate in order to begin the budgeting process for fiscal year 2019.
“It is our constitutional duty to taxpayers across Illinois to spend within our means – something we have not done in decades here at the Capitol,” Durkin said. “The rejection of certifying a revenue estimate in Springfield is not acceptable and is legislative malpractice. We owe it to Illinois taxpayers to take this first step in finally balancing the state’s checkbook and putting Illinois on the right track towards fiscal stability.”
House Joint Resolution 124 adopts a revenue estimate of $37.672 billion for fiscal year 2019, based on the estimate provided by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA).
* I might take them more seriously if the Senate President’s office hadn’t been told of their idea by a reporter…
Cullerton’s spokesperson said he welcomes the Republican leaders’ interest in being part of the budget process and he’s even more optimistic we’ll have an on-time budget deal. He adds the estimate is the first Cullerton had heard of it.
* I’m hearing that the budgeteers haven’t even gotten to a revenue estimate for next fiscal year because the administration wants to focus the talks on a supplemental approp for this fiscal year…
“Gov. Rauner has made his priorities clear on behalf of the people of Illinois, we need a balanced, full-year budget with no tax increases,” Rauner spokesperson Rachel Bold said in an email. “The governor presented a balanced budget to the General Assembly. It’s time for the General Assembly to work with us – acknowledge what revenue is available and control spending.”
Durkin said if House Speaker Mike Madigan doesn’t advance a revenue estimate resolution, his members will work to slow things down.
“We’ve shown this week and the last two weeks that when the Democrats are not going to be fair with us, that we could make the process not so easy,” Durkin said. “But the point of this is it is a damn state law that we do not follow.”
This is all so goofy. Yes, they should eventually pass a revenue estimate, but the GOGFA and GOMB estimates are nearly identical - less than 0.3 percent apart. They’re kicking all this dust in the air over what’s basically a premature process argument.
And, yeah, I get it. They’re the minority party. So, that’s what they do. But for once I’d like to see the Republican leadership triumvirate in this state actually negotiate in good faith on a budget without all the press conference nonsense. Former Leader Radogno did that last year, but the other two did not.
State Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, said a revenue estimate is required, but “the only revenue estimate I will support, the only one, is one that repeals the Madigan-Rauner tax hike.”
Rep. McSweeney is not alone. Some are claiming that any Republicans who vote for a revenue estimate bill are essentially endorsing last year’s tax hike. It’s just silly political gamesmanship, but it might be something that Durkin’s co-sponsors who are also targets (*cough*Parkhurst, Long, McAuliffe*cough*) might want to consider.
AFSCME Council 31, the largest union of public service workers in Illinois, today endorsed J.B. Pritzker for governor and Juliana Stratton for lieutenant governor.
“Bruce Rauner has caused conflict, refused to compromise and can’t be trusted. Working families are unquestionably worse off now than when he took office,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said.
“Repairing the damage done by Rauner is a big job. Illinois needs leaders like J.B. and Juliana who will bring people together and who care about working families,” Lynch said. “They’ve taken the time to travel the state and to listen to working people. They know the importance of public services and they value the women and men who provide those services in our communities every day. We look forward to working with J.B. and Juliana to rebuild our state.”
The Pritzker endorsement was made today in Springfield at a meeting of the executive committee of the union’s political program, known as AFSCME PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality). The committee is comprised of rank-and-file union members from every part of Illinois.
Union members on the committee shared why they unanimously support Pritzker and Stratton.
“Everybody who works for a living has been harmed by Bruce Rauner. We need someone who will sit down with everyone and come up with solutions that are fair,” said Garry Cacciapaglia, a water plant operator in Rockford. “J.B. has already gone out and built bonds with many different groups all over the state. We’re excited to stand together to beat Bruce Rauner.”
“For working people tired of the last three-plus years of Bruce Rauner attacking us and never being on our side, J.B. Pritzker will bring dramatic and welcome change. For state employees, I believe J.B. will be someone who’s open and willing to work together and treat us fairly,” said Stephen Mittons, a child protective investigator in Chicago. “J.B. has a progressive platform to raise the revenue Illinois needs from those who can afford it.”
“Bruce Rauner starved universities, doing incalculable damage to university employees and the students we serve. We need a governor who will prioritize higher education,” said Ellen Larrimore, an archivist at Northeastern Illinois University. “I know that J.B. Pritzker believes in funding public higher education and understands the important role it plays in our state.”
“Under Rauner we’ve had to fight just to get a living wage. He doesn’t understand the work we do and never walked in our shoes,” said Yolanda Woods, a caregiver for children with disabilities in Springfield. “We need someone like J.B. Pritzker who’s compassionate enough to take the time and understand a single mother who works two jobs and still can’t make ends meet. We need someone who’s willing to stand up for what’s right and get the job done.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 represents some 100,000 active and retired employees of city, county and state governments, public universities, school districts and not-for-profit agencies statewide.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Pritzker campaign…
“I’m honored to have the support of AFSCME and the tens of thousands of workers it represents in Illinois,” said JB Pritzker. “While Bruce Rauner undercuts our workers and attacks their families at every chance, I will restore the respect our public sector workers deserve. I will defend collective bargaining rights for our unions and protect hard earned pensions. With the support of AFSCME members throughout Illinois, we will build on our statewide, grassroots campaign that is ready to put Springfield back on the side of working families and get our state back on track.”
The head of the agency that oversees the state-run veterans’ home that’s been plagued by Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks is resigning, according to an email obtained Friday by WBEZ.
Erica Jeffries, who was Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s pick to lead the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, has been at the helm of the agency during a series of Legionnaires’ outbreaks that have resulted in 13 deaths since 2015.
Troy Culbertson, a senior administrator with IDVA, told colleagues via email that Jeffries had accepted a new position and her final day leading the agency would be May 18. Culbertson told staff that Jeffries was leaving for a job with Johnson and Johnson, and that assistant director Harry Sawyer would become interim director.
Representatives from the IDVA and the governor’s office did not immediately confirm news of Jeffries’ departure.
*** UPDATE *** From the governor’s office…
Director Jeffries has indicated to the Governor that she is accepting an offer in the private sector. We thank her for her tremendous service to the State of Illinois and will be vetting appropriate successors in the coming weeks.
Health care advocates are urging Illinois legislators to reverse some of the policies enacted as part of a massive shift of Medicaid clients into managed care.
The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, was dated Monday and addressed to key lawmakers who have their own questions about the state’s transfer of 800,000 people to the HealthChoice Illinois system of managed care organizations. MCOs coordinate health care and a focus on prevention, aiming to cut medical costs.
HealthChoice Illinois is the State’s largest public procurement, and it aims to place up to 80% of Illinois’s Medicaid population in managed care. Though HealthChoice Illinois is in its infancy, we already have concerns that HFS is abdicating its role as regulator. Indeed, a recent Illinois Auditor General report demonstrated that HFS lacks the data it needs to oversee the managed care program.
Media reports, House Appropriations-Human Services Committee hearings, and the Illinois Auditor General have already exposed numerous critical issues with HealthChoice Illinois. For example:
● The Department of Children and Family Services does not have an adequate plan for coverage for children who are Medically Fragile;
● Narrow provider networks will force beneficiaries to travel long distances for routine care;
● Cuts to already low reimbursement rates for medically-necessary supplies and equipment such as diabetes equipment, breast pumps, nutrition supplies, and oxygen equipment will hurt patient access and choice, as well as potentially diminish the quality of the medical supplies themselves;
● Poorly-written contracts between MCOs and nursing homes may violate state and federal regulations; and
● Deficiencies in HFS’s data collection processes impede the Department’s ability to oversee the managed care program.
Given the risks to patients, as well as our overall healthcare system, we call upon you, as leaders who understand the needs of the chronically ill and disabled, to impose new transparency and accountability guidelines on HealthChoice Illinois. Absent a significant improvement in HFS’s efforts, we believe that the General Assembly must act to hold MCOs accountable to guarantee our state’s most vulnerable citizens receive the quality care they deserve. We specifically request that any new MCO regulations take into account the reforms currently being considered by the General Assembly, including HB 4736, which would remove children who are Medically-Fragile from HealthChoice Illinois, and SB 2262, which would require MCOs to use the state fee schedule for medical supplies and equipment.
Andrea Durbin, CEO of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth, which represents young people under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services, more generally bemoaned that “there’s not enough information and almost no substantial planning.”
“All of these children have trauma,” Durbin said. “They have specialized needs, and who is caring for them? Who is reporting to courts on their progress? Who is making sure there’s coordinated care between children and perhaps the biological family?”
Proposes to amend the Finance Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that in no fiscal year shall the rate of growth of General Revenue Fund appropriations over the preceding fiscal year exceed the rate of growth of the Illinois economy.
Provides that if the General Assembly by adoption of a resolution approved by a record vote of a majority of the members of each house finds that an emergency exists and identifies the nature of the emergency, the General Assembly may provide for appropriations in excess of the amount authorized.
Rate of economic growth is defined as the “average annual growth rate of per capita gross domestic product in the State over the preceding ten calendar years, using data reported by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, or its successor agency, before December 31 immediately preceding the beginning of the fiscal year.”
* The DuPage County Democrat has been working with the Illinois Policy Institute on his proposal…
Illinois Policy Institute’s Adam Schuster said changing the constitution to cap state spending to the rate of growth in Illinois’ economy is needed.
“We see this from states ranging from California, to Texas, to Florida, so you could see that this is not a partisan measure, it’s not an ideological measure,” Schuster said. “It’s a good government, common sense way to control the rate of spending.”
* The Question: Should the state limit budgetary spending increases to the state’s rate of economic growth? Don’t forget to explain your answer in comments, please.
*** UPDATE *** The poll is being Freeped so I deleted it…
Friday, Apr 27, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Did you know that health plans are changing Illinois families’ benefits while consumers are locked into their plans for the year? People in Illinois, especially those living with chronic conditions, carefully shop for a health plan which covers the treatments they need at prices they can afford. But health plans aren’t delivering the benefits they have marketed and sold to Illinois consumers.
House Bill 4146 Fixes the Health Plan Bait-and-Switch
House Bill 4146 would simply prevent insurers from making unfair – and potentially unsafe – benefit changes while Illinoisans are locked into the plan. The legislation, however, would still allow insurers to utilize generics, add treatments to their formularies and also remove them for safety reasons.
Insurers need to deliver on the policies they sell. The Illinois Legislature should support HB 4146 to make health coverage fair.
* Governing has published a long piece by my old buddy Dan Vock entitled “Who Ruined Illinois?”…
However bad you think government might be,” Bruce Rauner tells an audience, “it’s worse.” Rauner, a Republican governor seeking reelection, has plenty of reasons to portray his state as fundamentally broken. It’s a way to explain why he hasn’t been able to make the big changes in Illinois he promised when he ran four years ago. But it’s also a great line for a knowing audience, and the crowd of call center workers in Moline, on the Mississippi River, laughs appreciatively.
Illinois voters have endured a lot from their state government. It hasn’t been just one recession or one administration that’s done the damage, either. It’s been nearly a generation of political upheaval and dysfunction at the state Capitol. “Springfield has not been working for them, and I think voters, residents of Illinois are frustrated and angry. They should be,” Rauner tells me after his Moline event. “Always unbalanced budgets. Not paying pensions. Not growing the economy and creating good-paying jobs. Massive corruption, cronyism and patronage. And four of my nine predecessors have gone to prison. It’s a broken system.”
Nearly everyone agrees with Rauner that the system is broken, but there’s no consensus about why the system is failing. Pick your favorite culprit — legislators, unions, pensions — and you may have a case. But the one thing that current and former elected officials, academics and Springfield insiders cite most is perhaps the most painfully obvious: “Illinois government did work,” says former Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican who presided over what now looks to be the state’s heyday in the 1990s. “But then we had bad luck with a couple of governors.”
Illinois governors are powerful. They have many executive tools at their disposal that their counterparts in other states don’t possess. As chief executives, they have the biggest say on the state’s financial situation and the biggest platform to tend to the state’s economy. But over the last two decades, public confidence, financial stability and economic growth in Illinois have all suffered.
During that time, Illinois has had four governors: two Republicans and two Democrats. George Ryan came first, starting in 1999, and despite substantial achievements in Springfield, erased the public’s trust in state government with a corruption scandal that landed him in prison. Rod Blagojevich swept into power in the wake of Ryan’s scandal, promising reform and renewal, but exited in disgrace after an FBI arrest and subsequent impeachment trial, leaving a state woefully unprepared for the Great Recession. Illinoisans breathed a sigh of relief when Pat Quinn stepped in, but the relief died quickly, as a major tax increase failed to steady Illinois’ finances, and low-level patronage scandals undercut his reputation as a reformer. Rauner capitalized on Quinn’s unpopularity and defeated him in 2014. But Rauner saw his own standing collapse last year when rank-and-file GOP lawmakers abandoned his cause after a two-year budget standoff.
Four crucial decisions were made during Gov. Jim Thompson’s tenure that we’re still feeling today: 1) 3 percent compounded pension COLA; 2) Exemption of retirement income from the state income tax; 3) Exemption of food and medicine from the state sales tax; 4) Reduced overall state support for K-12.
We vastly widened our spending base while greatly narrowing our revenue base. And by not adequately funding K-12 (because of that widening/narrowing), property taxes were forced up (which legislators responded to by approving exemptions, which made everyone else pay more). Not to mention that as the state was beginning to transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service economy, services were not (and still aren’t) taxed.
* I happen to admire Gov. Thompson very much and hindsight is 20/20, as they say. Way too many state pensioners in those days were dirt poor, so that 3 percent compounded interest was a lifesaver to many. Helping senior citizens every way possible was all the rage everywhere back then and they weren’t nearly the percentage of the population they are now, so the income tax exemption wasn’t as big a budget issue as it is today. Sen. Richard M. Daley fought hard for those very popular sales tax exemptions and overrode Thompson’s veto ahead of his first mayoral bid. And the state just didn’t have the money (until it approved a temporary tax hike) to adequately fund K-12.
Gov. Jim Edgar passed a bill to make the pension payments, but he backloaded the schedule until after he was safely out of office. Edgar famously left George Ryan with a billion-dollar surplus instead of putting that into the pension funds. Ryan spent that billion dollars almost before he finished taking the oath of office.
And none of the three governors since Ryan have managed to get a handle on our stark fiscal and economic problems.
Sources have told Prairie State Wire that Bob Winchester has retained counsel to challenge the voting procedures used in his race for Republican State Central Committee in the 15th Congressional District, which the Illinois Republican Party claims was won by Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet).
The first step in the legal action is expected to be an appeal to the Illinois State Board of Elections, which under law, must certify the votes in party elections. Among other charges, Winchester is expected to challenge the use of votes by acclamation in some counties — a move that gives the candidate with more than half of the votes the entire final tally, which violates party rules and may violate state law. […]
“Just because the party said Chapin won doesn’t mean he won,” [Mark Shaw, Lake County Republican chairman and central committeeman in the 10th Congressional District] said. “Until May 19, there is no party governing board, and Chaplin can’t just show up on that day and act like he’s a committeeman. The results have to be certified first, and I expect the board will find a lot of irregularities in the voting process.” […]
Results of the election show that Winchester received zero votes in nine of 33 counties, including four of the 10 most populated, a result that Shaw and others said would be impossible. […]
In all, 22 of 33 counties voted by acclamation, representing 63 percent of Rose’s vote and 59 percent of Winchester’s.
Why is this all significant? The outcome of the 15th district race could determine the next statewide chairman and likely the direction of a party that nearly threw out its incumbent governor in March. Enter the newly-elected Republican State Central Committeemen, who are to meet May 19th to vote on the next chairman. Each of the votes is weighted. The district with the greatest weighted vote? The one under dispute in the 15th. While Rose supports Schneider, Winchester had pledged his support to challenger Mark Shaw, who is Lake County’s GOP Chairman. GOP sources tell us that the unofficial breakdown is pretty closely divided between Schneider and Shaw, making the 15th district outcome all that more impactful.
Disunity: If Schneider cannot hold onto power, that’s a direct reflection on Rauner’s weakened grasp of his his party. That’s a particularly stinging rebuke since Rauner has almost single-handedly funded the Illinois Republican Party apparatus. Even if Schneider wins another term, this latest turmoil only shows there’s a long road to repairing the rift in the party.
* As it stands now, the opposition believes incumbent chairman Schneider has a 51.5-48.5 lead over Lake County’s Shaw if Sen. Rose is declared the victor and former party chairman Jack Dorgan votes for Schneider as well (and that’ll be an interesting moment if Rauner’s chairman is saved by a - gasp - Statehouse lobbyist).
But Rose’s district appears to have enough weighted votes that Shaw will likely beat Schneider if Winchester is seated (barring any flippers).
Winchester is being represented by a lawyer at Tony Peraica’s law firm. His letter to the state party is here. The attorney’s letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections is here.
* Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady claims Sen. Sam McCann resigned from the SGOP caucus the day he announced his gubernatorial candidacy. McCann flatly denies he did that, so now we get this…
State Sen. Sam McCann, R-Plainview, who last week announced he’s running a third-party campaign for governor, said Thursday that he is being denied regular services provided by Senate staff, and he may file a lawsuit to fight that denial on his constituents’ behalf.
“It’s totally unconstitutional,” McCann said. “I think the taxpayers need to know that … currently, in the 50th District, you are enduring taxation without representation.”
McCann said that services he’s talking about range from use of staff photographers to communications, to help in writing bills and coordinating their movement through committees.
“I had a group of Girl Scouts here this morning,” McCann said, but a staff photographer would not take a picture.
Speaker Michael J. Madigan, House Democrats and advocates for the middle class are calling out Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republicans for refusing to consider fair tax reform that would provide relief for the middle class while making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share.
Madigan and Democratic lawmakers from across the state introduced House Resolution 1025 Wednesday, challenging Republican lawmakers to stop protecting millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations and instead work with Democrats to enact a fair system that cuts taxes on middle-class and low-income taxpayers. Rauner and legislative Republicans are defending a status quo that allows Rauner to pay at least $5 million less than he would in a state like Iowa.
“Governor Rauner is willfully misleading taxpayers because he doesn’t want anyone to see that he’s blocking tax relief for the middle class, all in an effort to protect a special deal for millionaires and billionaires like himself,” Madigan said. “Today, we set the record straight: A fair tax for Illinois is about putting more money in the pockets of middle-class families. If our Republican colleagues are serious about cutting taxes, creating jobs, and strengthening our economy, they will join us in creating a fair tax system that rewards families who work hard and play by the rules, instead of one that benefits Bruce Rauner, Donald Trump and their billionaire friends.”
Madigan’s resolution cites findings from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that Illinois’ constitutionally mandated “flat tax” is one of the most regressive tax structures in the country, forcing low- and middle-income residents to pay a larger share of their incomes in taxes than the very wealthy. A taxpayer earning less than $19,000 pays 13.2 percent of their income in state taxes, while those with an income of $498,000 pay only 4.6 percent of their income in taxes.
House Democrats are calling for a progressive tax like those currently in place in 33 other states—including Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana—which would put more money in working families’ pockets, allowing them to reinvest in local economies and stimulate business growth and economic development.
“There’s no excuse for the current tax system that forces struggling families to pay more than the very wealthy,” said Roberta Lynch, executive director of AFSCME Council 31. “Illinois working families need fair tax reform. By standing in the way, Governor Rauner and the politicians who follow him are protecting a status quo full of loopholes for those who are already at the top.”
“Last year Democrats and Republicans stood together because they knew we cannot continue to follow Bruce Rauner’s agenda of slashing critical services for our communities so his billionaire and millionaire buddies can get a tax cut,” said Greg Kelley, president of SEIU Healthcare Illinois. “Their votes to end the Rauner budget crisis were votes to put middle-class families ahead of the ultra-wealthy. Now we need a tax system that reflects this same value. I applaud House Democrats’ stand for a fairer system, and we look forward to working with them to get a progressive income tax passed in the future.”
“Throughout our state, parents who want their children to receive a world-class education and homeowners who want relief from rising property taxes can agree on one thing: the system is unfair and needs to change,” said Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and a high school English teacher. “This is the change we need, and this is the opportunity for all who claim they’re on the side of taxpayers and educators to prove it.”
“As Donald Trump stacks the deck even more in favor of the ultra-wealthy, Governor Rauner and his allies can no longer pretend to stand with the middle class while also protecting a tax system that so clearly reinforces inequality,” said Clem Balanoff, chair of Our Revolution Illinois. “If they are ready to build an Illinois that works for everyone instead of just the top 1 percent, they will stand with us to enact a fair tax system that reflects that.”
The resolution is here. It picked up a bunch of co-sponsors this morning, including a couple of semi-targets (Marty Moylan, who is always an anti-taxer, and Deb Conroy).
* Rauner campaign’s react yesterday…
“The Pritzker-Madigan ticket has officially endorsed a graduated income tax hike because they want to take more money out of the pockets of hardworking Illinoisans. A vote for JB Pritzker is a vote to give Mike Madigan total control of the state and to raise taxes yet again.” -Will Allison, Rauner campaign spokesman
* Rauner campaign this morning…
The Pritzker-Madigan ticket has formally announced its support for a graduated income tax hike after Mike Madigan issued a statement supporting the policy yesterday. This follows months of JB Pritzker campaigning on a tax hike – even stating that it would be a central theme of his campaign.
But the Pritzker-Madigan ticket still doesn’t want to say how high taxes will go. Pritzker has repeatedly dodged on specifics and Madigan responded with a firm “NO” when asked if he had any rates in mind.
How can Illinois families trust Pritzker and Madigan when they have provided no details for their plans?
Harvey won’t be getting its hands on more than $1.4 million in tax revenues withheld by the state over pension funding failures any time soon, it appears.
On Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court ordered that an earlier appellate court ruling in Harvey’s favor be vacated and sent the case back to the circuit court for a hearing, “at the earliest possible time.” […]
The comptroller’s office, which since February has garnished more than $1.4 million in city tax revenues at the request of the police pension fund, will continue intercepting those funds and holding them unless directed by the court to do otherwise, spokesman Abdon Pallasch said.
Because the comptroller’s office never had a chance to implement the appellate court order directing it to return the withheld funds to Harvey and refrain from garnishing any more, Thursday’s Supreme Court order will not change anything on their end, he said.
In neither the Supreme Court’s order, nor in the First District court’s order, did any justice offer an explanation or basis for their court’s respective rulings.
However, after the appellate court issued its ruling, lawyers for the Harvey Police Pension Fund intervened in the case, petitioning the Illinois Supreme Court to step in and vacate the appellate court’s ruling. In its briefs filed with the state high court, the Harvey pension fund attorneys asserted the appellate court had overstepped its authority, saying they believed the appellate justices had issued a ruling which had no basis in law to order the comptroller to turn over the funds demanded by Harvey.
“The appellate court’s Order is stunning in its breadth and was entered without explanation because there is no explanation that supports the Order,” the pension fund’s attorneys wrote.
“…Summarily reversing the trial court, and then directing the court to grant all the final relief the City seeks, without explanation why such relief is warranted, or why the trial court abused its discretion in denying the City’s emergency motion in the first instance, is not only wrong it is fundamentally unfair.”
Thumbs Down: To Democrats for again electing Michael Madigan as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
Madigan, D-Chicago, has been speaker of the Illinois House for all but two years since 1983. He’s been elected chairman of the state party since 1998 by the Democratic State Central Committee. His most recent re-election to that post was Monday by the 36-member committee, which consists of a man and a woman from each of the state’s 18 congressional districts. There was only one no vote.
Being both House Speaker and party chairman has given Madigan unprecedented control for decades over the Democratic Party. In the House, he decides which elected members get chairmanships and whose bills get called. As party chairman, he decides which campaigns to help with staff and funding. His ability to punish or reward is unchecked. Those who have tried to push back are either made irrelevant in the House or given party-backed primary challengers.
This doesn’t happen elsewhere in the country, because most people realize one person should not hold that much power. Yet Illinois Democrats continually refuse to provide checks and balances on Madigan’s power. Shame on party members for not having the guts to give voters the change they both want and need.
Asked if he viewed [Sen. Sam McCann] as a re-election threat, Rauner said: “McCann is being used as a pawn by Pritzker and Madigan. We’re going to win in November.”
When a reporter noted that McCann was seeking support from the conservative GOP base like Ives, the governor repeated, “(McCann) is being used by Pritzker and Madigan, and we’re going to win in November.”
Linking McCann to Madigan is part of Rauner’s political playbook of trying to tie opponents to the veteran House speaker, his chief political nemesis. Most recently, Rauner used that strategy during the primary campaign, attempting to tie Ives to Madigan despite vast ideological and partisan differences between the two.
McCann faces a difficult challenge of obtaining at least 25,000 signatures from registered voters by June 25 if he’s to appear on the Nov. 6 ballot. Asked Thursday if his campaign would challenge McCann’s petition signatures, Rauner replied: “I’ve talked about that individual. Any other questions?”
* Press release…
This morning, Governor Rauner twice called Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann a “pawn” to Speaker Michael Madigan and Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker. Sam issued the following statement:
In an effort to divert attention from another failed overseas economic development tour, Governor Rauner resorted to petty attacks and name calling against me and my campaign.
Without a successful record of his own, Rauner has spent the last three-and-a-half years spreading lies and myths, including lying to Cardinal Cupich over the signing of House Bill 40, which provided publicly funded on-demand abortions.
I am nobody’s pawn, but rather a proud servant to Illinois’ hardworking middle class men and women. Governor Rauner has spent his term in office doing the bidding of wealthy elitists who bought a party and tried to buy a state. The bad news for Rauner is that the citizens of Illinois are smart enough to see through his liberal record of supporting publicly funded on-demand abortions, allowing transgender people to change their birth certificates and making Illinois a sanctuary state.
Voters can’t tell the difference between the policies of Rauner and Madigan because there is no difference. Voters are demanding a candidate who takes a different path from this liberal agenda that is why I am running.
Rauner is promising some big announcements on the [11-day trade mission]. Though his team isn’t giving many details yet, I’m told the list includes a substantial new factory here and an announcement that should substantially help a major McCormick Place trade show.
* But what about that “substantial new factory”? Here’s the DGA’s take…
Today, Governor Bruce Rauner held a press conference to admit that he was coming home from his almost two-week European economic development trip empty-handed. Instead, Rauner had to answer question after question about the entrance of another Republican in the governor’s race, state Senator Sam McCann.
There were high hopes prior to the trip – Crain’s Chicago Business reported a new factory was expected to be announced, but Rauner had to concede today that many conversations were still in “various stages of commitment.” In the end, Rauner’s only accomplishment was the re-announcement of a trade show first made public 237 days ago.
“Bruce Rauner went to Germany and all he got was a new opponent,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Illinois already has the highest unemployment in the region and is still suffering from the consequences of a two-year budget crisis, and Rauner once again failed to deliver for the state. It’s clear why Republicans like Sam McCann and Jeanne Ives have signed up to run against him.”
* The blanket claim that he came home empty-handed doesn’t appear to be true. If you watch the DGA’s own video, Gov. Rauner said this…
I do want to make a lot of announcements, but they’ll be coming over the next few weeks. We have several really exciting announcements, new factories, new economic growth in this state from the trip.
The governor said said the new jobs would be “at different locations throughout the state,” and added…
They are all in various stages of commitment and signing, agreements and whatnot. And we’re gonna be making announcements at the appropriate time.
So, they thought they had something lined up in advance and it didn’t work out that way. Such is life in business. However, I’m hearing the project remains on track. Announcements are coming. Maybe all of them won’t happen in “the next few weeks,” and the results won’t be economically transformative for the state as a whole, but this was a productive trip overall, despite some possible embellishments today.
In other words, let’s see what happens before we pounce on the guy.
* We lock the mentally ill in prisons and then don’t properly care for them. Pantagraph…
The constitutional rights of mentally ill inmates have been violated by the Department of Corrections, a federal judge told attorneys Wednesday, citing the state’s failure to comply with an agreement to improve conditions for thousands of prisoners.
In an oral decision delivered during a telephone conference with lawyers for the state and mentally ill inmates, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mihm ruled IDOC violated five major areas of a 2016 settlement agreement reached in a lawsuit filed on behalf of about 11,000 mentally ill inmates.
The judge said a written ruling calling for a preliminary injunction will be filed before a May 22 hearing to consider remedies to the state’s violations. […]
The five areas of deficiency are treatment planning, segregation, crisis care, psychotropic medication and general quality of mental health care.
A court-appointed monitor testified in December that a critical shortage of psychiatrists has created huge backlogs of psychiatric appointments for inmates.
* You can’t legally drink until you’re 21, so Ambassador McCarter’s logic is a bit off, unless he wants to lower that age threshold, too. I don’t recall him introducing such a bill, but I could be wrong…
The Illinois Senate on Wednesday voted to raise the minimum age to buy cigarettes, vaping devices and other tobacco products from 18 to 21, amid personal pleas from supporters who have lost loved ones to smoking or are struggling to quit. […]
Opponents including Sen. Kyle McCarter contended that while the dangers of smoking are well-documented, 18-year-olds can make decisions for themselves. He noted that’s the threshold for voting and serving in the military. […]
“I started smoking when I was 19. It’s a dirty habit, a habit I wish I would not have picked up. But we all know where I got it from,” [Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago] said to laughs. His father, former Senate President Emil Jones Jr., used to bum smokes on the Senate floor from fellow lawmakers.
“I hope in the future that you remember this day and that you’ll remember about health as you vote on legalization of marijuana,” state Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, said. “Because my firefighter friend here says that all smoke in your lungs is bad for you.”
And yet after all his concern about the lungs of pot smokers, Sen. Bivins voted to allow 18-20 year-olds to continue smoking cigarettes. I suppose this means my pal Tim is gonna vote for legalized marijuana, particularly since edibles and vaping are viable options. /s
* I wonder what’ll happen to this bill in the House, where a large faction of Democrats staunchly oppose any penalty enhancement proposals…
Inmates who repeatedly expose themselves while in custody would have to register as sex offenders under a plan that is moving in Springfield.
The measure was proposed by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who oversees the County Jail where indecent and lewd behavior by detainees has become a significant problem. Since the start of last year, there have been more than 620 incidents of indecent exposure and lewd conduct by jail detainees, according to a news release from Dart’s office.
The Illinois Senate advanced the bill Wednesday, less than six months after female assistant public defenders filed a lawsuit alleging authorities have not done enough to stop male detainees from exposing themselves, masturbating and threatening the attorneys in courtroom lockups and the county jail. A judge later ordered further precautions be taken to prevent such behavior.
The bill would require that jail detainees and prison inmates register as sex offenders upon their second conviction for indecent exposure in a penal institution.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in a report obtained by The Associated Press Monday that Illinois has run up late-pay fees of $1.14 billion since mid-2015. That’s $100 million more than in the previous 18 years combined.
Right now there’s a bunch of baloney – that’s a nice word for it – from our comptroller, saying somehow our administration is responsible for interest, for unpaid bills for decades [laughs]. That is the most ridiculous, most preposterous statement.
And our comptroller was in the General Assembly for years under Mike Madigan. She voted for the deficits that have created the unpaid bills. She voted to support Blagojevich’s pension holiday that created huge liabilities that we’re funding now.
She created the problem, and now she’s, she puts out a memo and says, ‘Oh it’s the Governor’s fault.’ Are you kidding me?
We gotta get real here, ladies and gentlemen. There’s rascals and scoundrels who are misrepresenting the truth, and who are really responsible, and they’re trying to brush off that responsibility.
Mendoza did, indeed, vote for that Blagojevich pension holiday, which cost the state dearly (click here for the oppo).
But Rauner did, indeed, run up the bill backlog more in three years than in the previous 18 years combined. That’s what Mendoza was saying. She didn’t claim Rauner was “responsible for interest, for unpaid bills for decades,” so it was preposterous to claim such a thing today.
McCann is a pawn. He’s being used by Pritzker and Madigan. And we’re gonna win in November.
I’m betting he’ll say that a lot in the coming months.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
“Rauner lies. The numbers don’t. The truth hurts. The truth is, it took Governor Rauner only 2 ½ years to do more damage to Illinois’ finances than all the Democratic and Republican administrations and legislatures over the previous 18 years combined.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Pritzker campaign…
After returning from an 11-day “jobs mission” with no job announcements, Bruce Rauner spiraled out of control when asked about his confrontational rhetoric at a press conference this morning.
Rauner failed to explain why he says Illinois is in a “death spiral” while trying to attract jobs and doubled down on calling legislators “rascals” as budget negotiations continue in Springfield. Rauner even desperately attacked Comptroller Susana Mendoza for publishing “baloney” numbers on the over $1 billion in late fees and interest penalties he’s racked up, calling her and legislators “rascals and scoundrels who are misrepresenting the truth.”
“Today, a failed governor returned from a failed trip to give a failed press conference, lashing out at the press, the Comptroller, and the General Assembly,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Instead of lying, Bruce Rauner should try looking in the mirror before slandering his coequal branch of government as ‘rascals and scoundrels.’”
Libertarian Candidate for Governor Kash Jackson and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Sanj Mohip will attend the Illinois Marathon in Springfield on Friday, April 27.
Both candidates will be speaking with the public, and obtaining signatures for ballot access in November. Jackson and Mohip will be available for interviews all day Friday, and by appointment on Saturday. Please contact Campaign Manager Brian Lambrecht for scheduled times.
Senate Democrats on Wednesday opted to skip an attempt to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a measure that would have required gun dealers to be licensed by the state — giving the governor and fellow Republicans who opposed it a glimpse of victory.
As thousands took to the streets in Springfield to support their Second Amendment rights to own guns, bill sponsor state Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said he made the “difficult decision” not to ask the Senate to override the veto. Wednesday marked the last day to do so. Rauner vetoed the measure on March 13, just days ahead of the primary election.
* Harmon press release…
Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement today on his decision not to call a vote to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of the Gun Dealer Licensing Act:
“Today, I made the difficult decision not to ask the Senate to override Gov. Rauner’s veto of the gun dealer licensing bill.
“While I am confident that I had the votes in the Senate to override the veto, I could not assure my colleagues that the House would vote against the governor, particularly given his vociferous and unreasonable opposition to this measure.
“In the past few days, I have had productive conversations with suburban Republican members, in particular Senator Chris Nybo, that make me believe we can create a new path to regulating gun dealers in Illinois.
“I have also recently received overtures and encouragement from unexpected and unconventional allies who can better inform our decision making as we move forward towards a successful resolution.
“While making this decision, I frequently reminded myself that ‘victory’ is not overriding Gov. Rauner’s veto or winning any other political battle in the Capitol. Victory means protecting the people we represent from the senseless violence fueled by the ready availability of guns in our communities.
“Today, I am reintroducing the substance of the Gun Dealer Licensing Act as an amendment to an existing bill, Senate Bill 337, and I will begin work immediately on gathering support for the measure.
“Licensing gun dealers at the state level is a sensible step to reduce gun violence, and I will not give up. I am sure we will enact this measure – under this administration or the next.”
“All any father or mother really wants to know is that their family is safe. We need to focus on illegal gun trafficking, school safety, how to best keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. These are bipartisan issues that we are working on collaboratively in our Public Safety Working Group to drive real solutions. We will keep working to keep our families safe,” Gov. Rauner said in a statement Wednesday evening.
State Democrats’ hopes of overriding a veto of firearms-dealer licensing fizzled Wednesday, swamped by the inaction of a Senate and House afraid to take the vote without cover from the other. […]
But the measure’s sponsor, Sen. Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, said several of his colleagues’ commitments to vote for override were contingent on knowing that the House would follow suit. […]
“I’m pretty sure I have 68 votes without the Senate going through, but the three more members that I need,” said [Rep. Kathleen] Willis, an Addison Democrat [and House sponsor of the bill].
Now the thinking is that Rauner may be less inclined to reject the proposal a second time as he seeks to appeal to a wider audience ahead of a November matchup against Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker.
“When he’s looking at a general election, maybe it’s not in his best interest (to veto the bill),” said Rep. Kathleen Willis, a Democrat from Addison who is carrying the bill in the House. “So maybe we do run another bill that takes in a little more compromise on some stuff and gather a few more members. It may not be a veto-proof majority, but maybe enough that it makes the governor say, ‘In this climate, I don’t want to veto it.’” […]
Among the changes being considered is no longer exempting big box stores from state oversight, which small business owners said would put them at a disadvantage as they were less able to absorb the costs related to complying with the proposed rules.
Gun owners gathered in the Illinois capitol Wednesday for the annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day as a plan to override a controversial gun control measure failed. […]
Libertarian candidate for governor Kash Jackson also spoke. He said he learned something in his 20-years of service in the military.
“The greatest threat to our constitution and to our freedoms does not lie on a foreign shore,” Jackson said. “The greatest threat to our freedoms lies in the pen of a legislator in that building right back there.”
Jackson also talked about gun ownership as “our natural, God-given right to protect ourselves, to protect our families against a tyrannical government.” And after saying that “greatest threat” stuff, he said “By, God, whatever it takes, I’m going to fight to restore freedom in this state. If it’s the last thing that I do, I will fight to restore freedom.”
Rep. Margo McDermod, R-Mokena, called Democrats “hysterical no-nothings” while Rep. Reggie Phillips, R-Charleston, told rally participants that “when you’re looking at these (legislators) measure ‘em twice, what side they’re on. Make sure you hold their feet to a fire because they speak with a forked tongue.”
In Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Rodney Davis has an approval rating of 40%, and 39% disapprove of his job performance. President Trump has an approval rating of 45% and a disapproval rating of 50% in Davis’ district. Speaker Paul Ryan is unpopular with 34% of voters saying they approve of the job he is doing and a majority (50%) responding that they disapprove.
In an initial hypothetical matchup, Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan receives 42% of the vote and Davis receives 45%. Although Dirksen Londrigan is down, 48% who are ‘very excited’ to vote plan to cast their ballot for her, while 44% support Davis. A large majority of voters (78%) indicate they have major (62%) or minor (16%) concerns after Davis voted for a health care plan that allows insurance companies to impose an unfair age tax on people over 50. After voters were given more information about the tax and health care plans, the race ties up with both candidates receiving 43% of the vote. […]
PPP surveyed 726 IL-13 voters from April 16-17, 2018. The margin of error is +/- 3.6%. This poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews.
In Illinois’ 14th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren has an approval rating of 30%, and 43% disapprove of his job performance. President Trump has an approval rating of 43% and a disapproval rating of 52% in Hultgren’s district. Speaker Paul Ryan is unpopular with 35% of voters saying they approve of the job he is doing and a majority (55%) responding that they disapprove.
In an initial hypothetical matchup, Democrat Lauren Underwood receives 41% of the vote and Hultgren receives 45%. Although Underwood is down, 52% who are ‘very excited’ to vote plan to cast their ballot for her, while 40% support Hultgren. A large majority of voters (83%) indicate they have major (66%) or minor (17%) concerns after Hultgren voted for a health care plan that allows insurance companies to impose an unfair age tax on people over 50. After voters were given more information about the tax and health care plans, the race ties up with both candidates receiving 42% of the vote. […]
PPP surveyed 682 IL-14 voters from April 16-17, 2018. The margin of error is +/- 3.8%. This poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews.
DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján today announced that clean energy entrepreneur and IL-06 Democratic nominee Sean Casten has earned a spot on the DCCC’s highly competitive Red to Blue program.
Sean Casten has worked hard in his suburban Chicago district to earn a spot on Red to Blue by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization and fundraising. Beyond his demonstrated abilities to build a winning campaign infrastructure, Casten has a record as a job creator and deep ties to the community he aims to represent.
“With a principled and commonsense approach, Sean Casten will put economic opportunity and affordable healthcare for families ahead of special interests, which has clearly resonated in this district,” said DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján. “Sean is a scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur whose experience creating jobs and solving problems is something we need more of in Congress. With a strong grassroots campaign at his back, Sean Casten is ready to flip this district in November.”
Red to Blue is a highly competitive and battle-tested program at the DCCC that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to run strong campaigns. Additionally, the DCCC provides strategic guidance, staff resources, candidate trainings, and more.
In 2018, the DCCC will make more targeted and frequent additions to the Red to Blue program than in previous election cycles.
Today, Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann released a video introducing voters to running mate Aaron Merreighn. The video focuses on Merreighn’s family, upbringing, military service and political platform.
“I’m excited to introduce the people of Illinois to Aaron Merreighn, a man who has dedicated his life to helping others and serving his country,” said McCann. “I am proud to call him my running mate and I will be even prouder to call him Lieutenant Governor.”
McCann contrasted Merreighn’s military service with Governor Rauner’s failure to respond to the 13 fatal cases of Legionnaire’s Disease at the Quincy Veterans Home, and Rauner’s inability to release a plan to prevent it from happening again. Merreighn served five tours of duty as a Marine.
“As a veteran, Aaron has committed to giving our heroes the respect and care they’ve earned,” said McCann. “One of the reasons I chose Aaron as a running mate was to give Illinois veterans relief from the deplorable treatment they’ve received from Governor Rauner, whose catastrophic response to the fatal outbreak at the Quincy Veterans Home is an insult to every American who has ever worn a military uniform.”
“Aaron’s commitment to veterans and strong work ethic are what Illinois needs,” McCann continued. “Aaron is a proven leader who has served his country as a Marine, his community as a volunteer firefighter, and his state as a proud state worker.”
It goes without saying that Mike Madigan isn’t a fan of term limits. Their absence is the reason he’s been in office since 1971 and has been the Speaker for all but two of the last 35 years.
JB Pritzker claims to be a supporter of term limits, but not if it upsets Mike Madigan. Just check out what he said during the NBC debate back in January: “I am not in favor of term for limits for everybody in the legislature.”
Pritzker knows all too well that he needs the support of Madigan and his Chicago political machine to get elected. That’s why he doesn’t support term limits.
* I watched their attached video and they left out something that’s pretty important. See if you can spot it…
Pritzker: I’m in favor of independent maps so you’ll have more competitive elections. I’m in favor of legislative leader term limits so that we don’t have people serving in office for tens and tens of years.
Carol Marin: On this you agree with Gov. Rauner?
Pritzker: I am not in favor of term limits for everybody in the Legislature. I think leaders should, leadership should turn over because I want competitive elections. I think if you like your legislator you should be able to reelect them, but it should be in a competitive election.
It goes without saying that Speaker Madigan ain’t no fan of legislative leader term limits.
* OK, let’s revisit a few Travis Reinking stories. Pantagraph…
“The police reports speak for themselves. I think anyone can conclude after reading them that there’s evidence (Reinking) has mental health issues,” said Tazewell County Sheriff Bob Huston.
In case you missed them, the Reinking police reports are here.
“Travis is hostile towards police and does not recognize police authority. Travis also possesses several firearms,” said the [police] incident report. It also said Reinking believed he has autism, had made “suicidal comments” and was eventually taken away for mental evaluation.
Officers tried to convince Reinking to seek help at UnityPoint Health-Methodist, and told him he could not leave the scene because he was in protective custody due to suicidal comments he made. Reinking allegedly attempted to leave again before he was made to go to [UnityPoint Health-Methodist].
The Chicago Police Department was accused Wednesday of a bureaucratic oversight that threatens to make an already violent Chicago a more dangerous place to live and work.
Inspector General Joe Ferguson accused the department of failing to comply with the “clear and present danger reporting requirements” of the state law governing Firearms Owners Identification Cards.
The law requires cops to notify the Illinois State Police within 24 hours whenever they encounter an individual who poses a “clear and present danger” — either to themselves or to the general public.
But that is not what’s happening, according to an explosive new report released Wednesday that was the first by the public safety section of the inspector general’s office.
If a person is determined to pose a clear and present danger to himself, herself, or to others… by a law enforcement official or school administrator, then the law enforcement official or school administrator shall, within 24 hours of making the determination, notify the Department of State Police that the person poses a clear and present danger… The Department of State Police shall determine whether to revoke the person’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card under Section 8 of this Act.
So, I think the answer to the headline’s question is probably “Yes.”
Reporter: Governor, you’re still meeting today with the four legislative leaders?
Gov. Rauner: I’m headin’ to Springfield around 10:30 this mornin’. And I’ll be meetin’ with legislators today and tomorrow. We gotta get these rascals to do a balanced budget — they just don’t want [laughs] to do it. They never have, they’ve never had a balanced budget the last three years, but they’ve never really had one for 30 years. They just don’t do that. It’s not how they think. And the reality is we have to change. We’ve got to get balanced budgets. We’re not the federal government, we can’t print money. And it’s hurtin’ us, so we’re gonna push it.
An innovative proposal from State Senator Heather Steans could help businesses and state government at the same time by paying down Illinois’ backlog of bills more quickly.
Steans’ measure would allow the state treasurer to take over debts more than 90 days old, pay the vendors and clear the bills from the state’s ledgers. The approach would enable Illinois to pay off old debts more quickly, slow the accrual of interest penalties and inject money into local economies where businesses have been harmed by the state’s ongoing budget difficulties.
“This is a winning strategy to make more headway on the bill backlog. Every taxpayer benefits,” said Steans, a Chicago Democrat and a Senate point person on budget matters.
“If the treasurer has funds sitting there unused, why shouldn’t that money logically be available for this need? It won’t solve the entire bill backlog problem, but it will get us to a resolution more quickly.”
The proposal, Senate Bill 2858, would allow the state treasurer to pay bills more than 90 days old if the vouchers in the comptroller’s office exceed funds available by $1 billion. It would save the state additional money by implementing a 0.3 percent monthly late payment interest penalty – rather than the 1 percent under current law – on balances paid off by the treasurer’s office through the Vendor Payment Program.
Last year, Illinois paid more than $1 billion in late interest penalties – an outrageous and inefficient use of taxpayer dollars that could have been directed to other needs, Steans said.
“This legislation will help stop the accrual of interest on late payments and enable us to turn around payments to companies that do business with the state in a more reasonable amount of time,” Steans said.
Senate Bill 2858 passed the Senate today and now advances to the House for further consideration.
The Treasurer’s Office manages the State Investment Portfolio, with assets of approximately $12-$15 billion, providing the necessary liquidity to meet the state’s daily obligations while investing remaining funds in authorized short/long-term investment opportunities.
* The Question: What do you think of Sen. Steans’ proposal?
It’s official – Illinois Democrats are #TeamPelosi.
Sean Casten, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, and Lauren Underwood have been silent on whether they’ll support Nancy Pelosi. That changes tonight at 5PM – DC time, not IL time.
Nancy Pelosi is headlining a fundraiser on Capitol Hill for them. The fact that they decided raising cash with Pelosi is more important than talking to voters in Illinois is a full-throated endorsement if I’ve ever seen one.
Looking forward to watching Casten, Londrigan, and Underwood parade around Illinois promoting Nancy Pelosi’s agenda.
List of upcoming events in IL-06, IL-13, and IL-14:
• Roundtable: repealing and replacing your tax cut, raise, and bonus.
• Panel: Impeach Trump Now!
• Debate: what is the definition of a crumb?
• Discussion: making room for a $32 trillion single-payer system.
For whatever reason, the release didn’t mention Brendan Kelly, who is also one of the beneficiaries (click here).
* The ILGOP didn’t make that mistake…
Hey Rich,
Not sure if you’ve seen, but wanted to flag an article and a DCCC fundraising invite (image attached) for you re Brendan Kelly:
Real Clear Politics - (4/25/18): Non-Supporter of Pelosi Benefits From Her Fundraising
You’ll recall… The Southern - (3/26/18): If he wins, Brendan Kelly wants a change in leadership — meaning finding options other than Pelosi
So Kelly tells voters in Southern Illinois that he opposes a Pelosi Speakership, but fundraises with her in DC? Hmm…
Other things of note from the RCP article: Sean Casten of IL-06 and Betsy Dirksen Londrigan of IL-13 were both noncommittal on supporting Pelosi for Speaker.
…Adding… I didn’t get this NRCC statement about Kelly…
“It is astounding that Brendan Kelly thinks he can get away with bashing Nancy Pelosi in Southern Illinois while also raising money with her in DC. Kelly is already the worst kind of politician – he says one thing to voters back home, and does the complete opposite in Washington. Voters should be misled no longer: a vote for Brendan Kelly is a vote for Nancy Pelosi.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Maddie Anderson
…Adding… From Brendan Kelly…
“I’ve been clear, we need new leadership in Washington in both parties. Some folks may agree with my position, some may not. I’m glad to to have the Illinois delegation’s help in fighting for Southern Illinois and I appreciate them inviting me.”
One of the resources the [Sean Casten] campaign used [in the Democratic primary] was a political action committee called “My Committee,” according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
“My Committee” funded attack ads on another Democratic candidate in the race, Kelly Mazeski. As a super PAC, the committee is permitted to raise unlimited sums of money and has no cap on spending either - but federal election law prohibits super PACs from coordinating efforts with the candidate they’re supporting.
That rule brings “My Committee” under scrutiny, as a key supporter was Casten’s father Tom Casten, who records indicate donated $150,000 to the super PAC, which was previously called the “Sunshine PAC.” […]
New polling released by Casten’s campaign on Wednesday indicated that the race appears to be a dead heat, with Roskam polling at 45 percent to Casten’s 44. […]
“Sean Casten using his daddy’s money to ensure that a qualified female candidate has no shot to make it out of a primary is both unoriginal and deeply concerning,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maddie Anderson said in a statement.
That poll should help explain why this little bit of oppo was dumped.
Federal authorities on Monday said they are investigating the father of Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking after he returned his son’s guns to him after they were confiscated by Illinois authorities last year. Reinking was arrested for using one of the weapons, an AR-15 rifle, to massacre four people Sunday.
The actions of the suspect’s father, Jeffrey Reinking, have also highlighted an Illinois gun law that one state senator calls a “loophole” in the system.
Democratic State Sen. Julie Morrison told BuzzFeed News on Monday that the state’s Firearm Owners Identification card (FOID) Act, which allowed the father, 54, to keep his son’s weapons, and then return them to him, “should be looked into.”
“It does highlight a problem,” she said, adding that not relinquishing weapons to a family member “is something to consider.”
The legislation, which should be made public later on Tuesday, is meant to deter a family member from returning a firearm to a relative whose gun licence has been revoked, Illinois State Senator Julie Morrison told Reuters. […]
Morrison’s legislation would require a person taking possession of guns to sign an affidavit acknowledging that it is a felony to give a firearm to a person who does not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) gun permit.
The proposed legislation goes some way towards closing a loophole identified by gun control groups.
The proposal is here. It pretty much just allows local law enforcement to cover their behinds.
* In other news, the local state’s attorney seems to be proceeding with utmost caution against the father, a prominent local business owner…
Jeff Reinking [the father] was legally allowed to take the weapons because he had a valid FOID card at the time. In addition, it is permissible under Illinois law to “gift” a firearm to a family member. It might not be legal to own that weapon, but there is nothing against the law from a person giving a family member a firearm, said Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stu Umholtz, who stressed he didn’t know if the weapons taken last summer, specifically the AR-15 style rifle, were used in the shooting early Sunday.
But Nashville police have said that Jeff Reinking “has now acknowledged giving them back” to his son, according to the Associated Press.
But if it was the same weapon, it still might not be a violation of Illinois law for Travis’ father to have given the weapon to his son, the prosecutor said. Illinois allows “bonafide” gifted firearms to family members, even those who don’t have a valid FOID card. In that case, it’s illegal to possess, but there is nothing in the law to stop the transfer of ownership, the prosecutor said.
“It would not appear to be a violation of Illinois law if Travis was a resident of Tennessee and his father delivered the firearms in Tennessee,” Umholtz said, again stressing that he didn’t have all the facts and was making his observations based upon initial reports.
That whole “gift” to a family member thing is the real loophole, and it’s not addressed in any legislation I’ve yet seen. I have no problems with gifts of guns to relatives. But gifts of guns to relatives whose FOID cards are revoked is a whole other story.
* Meanwhile, it would be nice if we could get to the bottom of this evaluation…
In 2016 Illinois police took Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking into protective custody after he was found in a CVS parking lot “delusional.” […]
Family members said he had threatened to kill himself and told police he “owns and had access to many firearms at his residence.”
Reinking, who was 27 at the time, was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation. It’s unknown what the evaluation found or when he was released.
* Related…
* Waffle House suspect’s ex-bosses asked FBI to keep, help him: The co-owner of a Colorado crane company where the suspect in a deadly weekend shooting at a Nashville restaurant once worked said she had urged federal officials to keep him in custody after he was arrested at the White House last year… “We told them, ‘Hang onto him if you can. Help him if you can,’” Sustrich said.
* Waffle House shooting suspect left trail of bizarre behaviors in Colorado: Turley said Reinking also called himself a “sovereign citizen” - a group the FBI defines as anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States.
* Obsessed with Taylor Swift, arrested outside the White House, and afraid police were following him: One of the employees at the [Colorado] crane company, Ken Sustrich, told police that he reached out to Reinking’s father with concerns about his son’s mental health. He said the father replied that he was aware of the issues and “had been recently trying to rekindle his relationship with Travis,” the police report said.
* Jeffrey Reinking, Travis Reinking’s Father: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know: [Reinking’s mother] also shared a note on a homeschool convention shared by the Association of Peoria Area Christian Educators, although it’s not clear whether Travis Reinking was homeschooled. She shared a video from Christian Life Academy called Seeds Family Worship. Judy also shared a Fox News article titled “’Calibration error changes GOP votes to Dem in Illionois County.”
Jen Suter is a single mom, activist and the Co-Founder of Illinois Coalition for Informed Consent… a group made up of over 1,000 Illinois residents, that stands for medical freedom, parental rights, vaccine safety and informed consent. In the Spring of 2017, alongside hundreds of dedicated Illinois activists, Jen took part in stalling a FLU mandate for healthcare employees. When she isn’t meeting with local legislators and working with all of the people of IC4IC to stop medical mandates in Illinois for both students and employees, she is homeschooling her 6 year old son Jackson.
* From the Illinois Coalition for Informed Consent’s web page…
IC4IC works closely with National Vaccine Information Center. NVIC is the number one organization with the most legislative experience regarding vaccine law in the country.
The nonprofit NVIC says it “does not advocate for or against the use of vaccines” and describes itself as a proponent of “vaccine safety and informed consent protections in the public health system.” However, its campaigns portray vaccines as risky and encourage people to consider alternatives, like hand-washing. In his book “Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives,” Michael Specter calls the group “the most powerful anti-vaccine organization in America.”
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a U.S based anti-vaccination organization which has been widely criticized as a leading source of vaccine misinformation and fearmongering. While NVIC describes itself as the “oldest and largest consumer led organization advocating for the institution of vaccine safety and informed consent protections”, it promotes false and misleading information including the fraudulent claim that vaccines cause autism, and its campaigns portray vaccination as risky, encouraging people to consider “alternatives”.
…Adding… Press release from the sponsor…
After an increase in hospital visits during what was reported as an extremely harsh flu season, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) increased efforts to provide students and parents research and prevention materials regarding influenza.
“There was a very rapid increase in the number of people going to see their doctors or health care providers with flu related symptoms,” said Hunter. “We have to get in front of this issue by providing children and families the information they need to live healthy lives.”
Senate Bill 2654 requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop informational materials about influenza and flu vaccines for school districts. Additionally, school boards would be required to provide that information to parents when notifying them of other health related matters.
“Influenza is a dangerous illness that can have serious consequences, but people can take steps to protect themselves,” Hunter said. “We need to make sure no one ends up severely ill because they lacked information on preventative measures they can take.”
According to reports, there have been, a total of 114 pediatric deaths related to the flu; 30 deaths so far this year. Doctors’ offices and emergency rooms experienced visits at levels almost as high as during the 2009 swine flu epidemic.
The bill passed 40-12 and will head the Illinois House of Representative for further consideration.
Families suing the state over Legionnaires deaths at the Quincy vets home get a boost. By a 50-0 vote, the Senate sent the House a bill to up the Court of Claims awards cap from $100k to $2 million. Sen. Hastings: "This bill will help those families in their grieving process."
Senator Bill Brady has just introduced Senate Amendment 1 to SB 2680, which replaces everything after the enacting clause.
His amendment would amend the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act to provide that the design, implementation, and administration of a health insurance plan shall not be the subject of negotiations between the State of Illinois and any union representing public employees, and that the duty of the employer “to bargain collectively” shall not include any obligation to negotiate health insurance or health benefits.
This legislation would let Gov. Bruce Rauner set employee health care premiums based on the devastating terms he has been trying to impose on state employees.
* Illinois Board of Higher Education Chairman Tom Cross…
Illinois Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, has introduced a bill for the creation of a single state board with responsibility for higher education (SB 2597). I believe it outlines a positive means toward a stronger administrative structure for facilitating useful action steps to address priorities for Illinois’ higher education system. I urge members of the Illinois General Assembly to join with Senator Rose in reviewing this proposal further.
As a single board of higher education, leading a strategic process for development of statewide goals and recommendations for allocating state resources will be more effective. Simply put, one board, one staff, and one organizational structure streamlines the effort. Illinois higher education faces challenges concerning college costs; enrollment shifts resulting from increasing outmigration and changing needs of college students who are older, parenting, and working; and establishing effective and forward looking governance of Illinois’ higher education system. A unified board and staff organization can better focus on these challenges by being inclusive in representing the needs of students, public community colleges and universities, private institutions of higher education; and the faculty and staff serving the higher education system.
The legislation proposes a merger of boards and administrative operations of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. From my role as chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, I am convinced that collaboration of common activities is not only necessary but also should prove more efficient.
* ACA-Related Bill Fails in Illinois House: The measure would prevent Illinois from seeking waivers from the federal law’s requirements - like the one that say insurance companies cannot exclude people with pre-existing conditions. It would also keep the state from imposing work requirements on people in the low-income Medicaid program. The Trump administration has been encouraging both moves.
* Rezin’s robocall bill passed through Senate: Under Rezin’s Senate Bill 2573, robo callers would face a separate violation if they disguise or falsify their caller ID in any way, which is commonly known as “spoofing.” In addition, Rezin’s legislation would require prior written consent before robo callers could use auto-dialer software. The Illinois Attorney General would be given the responsibility of enforcement.
Organizers of a newsroom union at the Chicago Tribune have informed its publisher that colleagues have given such overwhelming formal support for their effort that the paper’s parent company should recognize the guild voluntarily and start to negotiate a contract.
The organizers gave the Tribune’s parent company, Tronc, a day to make a decision.
According to a letter from the Chicago Tribune Guild organizing committee obtained by NPR, the nascent union has received signed union authorization cards from more than 85 percent of staffers who would fall under the bargaining unit.
“Voluntary recognition would allow us to begin contract negotiations, saving the company the cost and inconvenience of a campaign and an election that will result overwhelmingly in our favor,” read the letter, sent Tuesday morning to Bruce Dold, the Tribune’s editor and publisher.
* The answer came today…
Chicago Tribune Editor-in-Chief and Publisher @BruceDold has told the @CTGuild that the newspaper WILL NOT voluntarily recognize the guild as a union. The matter will head to the National Labor Relations Board. pic.twitter.com/UckC0pPhLy
Despite the progress made on cannabis policies within legislative chambers and ballot boxes across America, the rollout of successful regulated cannabis markets has been stymied in several jurisdictions, and the illegal market has remained strong. The single biggest reason why is legislative fear of creating sufficient retail access to meet market demand. Simply put: if cannabis consumers cannot conveniently access the regulated market, they will continue to purchase from the illegal market, be it the unlicensed dispensary across the street, or the dealer around the corner.
Real cities provide real examples of this. In Denver, where medical cannabis became legal in 2000 and adult use in 2012, city leaders licensed one cannabis retail establishment per 3,091 residents. The illegal market rate quickly fell to 30 percent. But in Seattle — which legalized medical cannabis in 1998 and adult use in 2012, and had a state-imposed cap of just 21 retail licenses and a resulting density of one dispensary per 30,373 residents — the illegal market rate was an astounding 70 percent. Subsequent declines in city’s illegal market rate came about only by doubling the number of licensed retail outlets, but they are still elevated.
Reasonable tax rates, availability of delivery services and social consumption lounges, as well as rational advertising standards that allow licensed businesses to differentiate themselves from illicit operators also play a role in the strength of the legal cannabis market. But bottom line: if the legal market is less accessible to the average consumer than unlicensed businesses, the regulated industry will struggle and likely fail.
State and local officials in California and Massachusetts, which are in the throes of launching their respective adult-use cannabis systems, would benefit from the experiences of other states with adult-use policy frameworks. To date, lawmakers in California have grappled to shift unlicensed operations into the legal market in the wake of opening its legal market in January 2018. Local governments have severely thwarted the ascendance of a regulated industry that is reasonably accessible to consumers. Almost 85 percent of local jurisdictions have placed bans on cannabis retail operations. Not surprising, as a result California is missing its cannabis tax revenue projections and many potential licensed operators have been forced to freeze operations and lay off staff.
Our own independent research of licensed jurisdictions indicates that the optimal density ratio is roughly one legal cannabis retail storefront or delivery service license per 7,500 residents. Once density falls below this level, the illegal market maintains a strong presence, and the legal market struggles to establish itself — to the point where traditional law enforcement efforts remain ineffective at containing unlicensed operators and the failed outcomes of the decades-old war on cannabis continue.
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association said Monday that it had obtained emails showing that municipal officials illegally shared local businesses tax information with an outside company that makes money auditing businesses on behalf of local governments.
Illinois Retail Merchants Association President and CEO Rob Karr read off emails the association acquired from local officials that shared tax information from local businesses with Chicago-based auditing firm Azavar. In a series of FOIA requests, Karr’s organization found officials from Elgin, Lockport, Homer Glen and Rockford being solicited by Azavar to participate in potentially illegal sharing of local businesses sales tax data to allow Azavar to do audits to potentially recover sales tax revenue a business would owe the local government.
“Sharing this information is outside of the law,” Karr said. “We wouldn’t do this to our individual taxpayers. Why would we do this to our businesses?”
In the emails, city officials were instructed by Azavar employees to turn over documents to the firm via a compact disc.
“Please do not copy us on the email, as we are still working with IDOR to be able to contact them directly on behalf of our clients,” Azavar Vice President Scott Shamberg wrote in an email to Lockport Finance Director Erik Brown.
Azavar President Jason Perry refused to comment on the emails.
Business tax information is generally regarded as confidential and municipal officials often go to lengths to make sure it is kept secret. Sharing such information could be costly for the local officials. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, releasing information shared with the local officials via their reciprocal agreement on exchange of information is punishable with up to a $7,500 fine.
[Opponents] also charge the bill largely is the creation of Azavar Government Solutions, a Chicago-based auditing and consulting firm that has been politically active in recent years. The company has donated more than $200,000 since 2012, most of it to state lawmakers, including $11,000 to House Speaker Mike Madigan and $4,000 to House GOP Leader Jim Durkin.
One major watchdog is siding with the business groups in this fight.
Azavar is “a bounty hunter” that gets a contingency fee of as much of 50 percent of what it collects, says Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois President Carol Portman. The bill “would essentially outsource a government function to someone whose interests are not aligned (with the public interest),” she added.
Also opposed to the bill as it’s now written is the Revenue Department. “Third-party entities would be able to determine how the department uses its audit resources,” with the agency potentially swamped with private requests for probes, said spokesman Terry Horstman.
But Paul Rosenfeld, a lobbyist who represents the Illinois Coalition of Local Governments and lobbies for Azavar in Cook County, said the Revenue Department “has made mistakes. They don’t like it when someone looks over their shoulder.” Rosenfeld, who’s also the 47th Ward Democratic committeeman, said it’s not true, as Portman suggested, that the bill is the first step toward privatizing Revenue Department collections. […]
Rosenfeld said his group examined 66 cases and found in nearly half of the instances, the Revenue Department made mistakes, some involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Revenue Department objections “are a scare tactic by the (Rauner) administration,” Welch said. And in fact, the bill will strengthen confidentiality by shifting data from CD roms to an encrypted website, he said.
Just over a month after her narrow primary election loss to incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, state Rep. Jeanne Ives said she’ll continue to spread her message across the state.
“I have a responsibility. I can’t just hide,” said Ives, a Wheaton Republican, during a stop at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel to address members of the Restore Our Constitution political group. “I’m not going to hide or go away. I’m not going to do that.”
Ives said she plans to tour the state raising awareness of issues such as pensions and fiscal responsibility, and campaigning for fellow Republican candidates in an effort to win a majority in the state House of Representatives. […]
Ives said it is likely she will also start to make campaign visits with Republican candidates as the election season heads into the summer. […]
Asked who her supporters should line up behind [for governor], Ives said it was up to them to decide.
“Bruce Rauner tried to ignore her, lie about her, and hide in Europe from her, but his Jeanne Ives problem will be front and center in this race,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Ives just told her supporters they could vote for anyone, including Sam McCann, and her continued presence on the campaign trail for anyone but Rauner is just a reminder of his failure.”
Governor Bruce Rauner’s poor primary performance keeps moving the Illinois governor’s race up the rankings as the National Journal’s Hotline ranked it the #1 most likely race to flip parties next year (it was previously ranked #5). Zach Cohen and Kyle Trygstad of Hotline wrote:
Rauner is the most vulnerable governor, and his seat is the Democrats’ best pickup opportunity. Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker won 200,000 more votes in his decisive March primary than Rauner, who won renomination by just 2 points […] in a state that Hillary Clinton won by a similar margin, and his odds further improved when Rauner’s alienation of the Right led to a third-party challenge from GOP state Sen. Sam McCann…
The new ranking coincides with Rauner return from Europe to find his base problem even worse. Before his trip, Rauner was merely failing to reunite his divided party after state Representative Jeanne Ives took 48% of the primary vote. Now, he returns home to find even more challenges after Republican state Senator Sam McCann joined the race and immediately began courting disgruntled Ives voters.
“Three years of failed leadership and a party unity problem add up to make Bruce Rauner the most vulnerable incumbent in the nation,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s record of failure has turned off Democrats and Independents — and has inspired Republicans to line up and hold him accountable. It’s no wonder Illinois is ranked as the most likely governorship to flip in America.”
* Pritzker campaign…
Today, the Pritzker campaign is introducing a weekly series to hold Bruce Rauner accountable for his frequent falsehoods, and will also debut “Rauner Lie Alerts” in real time when the failed governor is caught in a lie. With over 70% of Rauner’s 18 fact checks rated “half true” or worse, the truth is clear: Bruce Rauner is a liar.
Proposing a balance budget is the constitutional obligation of a governor, but Bruce Rauner has failed to meet that every year he’s been in office. Despite receiving a Pants on Fire! rating from PolitiFact for claiming he’s proposed a balanced budget in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, Rauner continues to pathologically lie about his failure. “Indeed, fiscal experts say Rauner has never proposed a balanced budget as required under the state Constitution since taking office in 2015,” the fact check concludes.
“Bruce Rauner failed to propose a balanced budget and then repeatedly lied about not fulfilling his constitutional obligation to Illinois taxpayers,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “Every single year this governor failed to do his job and then lied about it to the very same Illinoisans suffering the consequences of his failures.”
* Rauner campaign…
After yesterday’s launch of PritzkerMadigan.com, the Rauner campaign today added a companion parody Twitter account: @PritzkerMadigan
Follow for musings on the insider deals, out-of-control spending, and endless tax hikes holding Illinois back.
Feel free to send a Direct Message to our team at @PritzkerMadigan to inquire about available patronage jobs with the Pritzker-Madigan ticket (you never know when a U.S. Senate seat is going to open up).
From the account…
Hey, everyone! Retweet if you also love tax hikes! #twill
— Pritzker-Madigan (Parody) (@PritzkerMadigan) April 25, 2018
*** UPDATE *** Here’s the first “lie alert”…
RAUNER LIE ALERT: “New” Trade Show Announced 265 Days Ago
Chicago, IL – Bruce Rauner lied again. After spending a week and a half in Europe, Rauner “announced” a trade show coming to Illinois… 265 days after it was first made official.
“Bruce Rauner is fabricating accomplishments as he returns to Illinois empty handed from another failed trip abroad,” said Pritzker campaign spokesman Jason Rubin.
The Illinois General Assembly has only a few hours left to vote on a gun dealer licensing measure that would require gun shops to register with the state and pay a license fee. Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed the proposal earlier this month, giving lawmakers only 15 calendar days to get enough support for an override. The deadline is today.
State Sen. Don Harmon – an Oak Park Democrat and sponsor of the measure, said he is still waiting to get enough support in the House and decided to not call it for a vote Tuesday evening.
“I recognize the political dynamic at work here, and it’s a tough vote for a lot of the members of the Senate, so I want to make sure we have at least a realistic chance of overriding the veto in the House as well.”
Harmon said some Republicans are needed for the override. “We just need a little more time to convince a few more suburban Republicans, in particular, to come on board and vote against the governor,” he said. “My sense is the governor doesn’t want the political embarrassment of an override. I think the issue at hand is much greater than the political dynamic here in the building.”
The measure would require five-year gun-shop licenses, employee training and in-store videotaping. Republican Rauner vetoed it as “burdensome regulation” that duplicated federal licensing.
Harmon’s proposed it before. This year it came after the February massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school and because of ongoing Chicago gun violence. […]
Thousands of gun-rights advocates descend on Springfield Wednesday for their annual gun
While the purported intent of this legislation was to enhance “responsible business practices,” these bills only prove that the intention is to close as many federally licensed firearm dealers (FFLs) as possible. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) licenses and closely monitors all FFLs and strictly enforces any violation of federal law. SB 1657 and HB 1273 go so far beyond federal law in its mandatory regulations and red tape imposed at the state level that they would almost assuredly force the closure of most firearm dealers and prevent prospective owners from opening new ones. This legislation seeks to create so many department divisions, anti-gun 5-member licensing boards, and licensing fees that dealers would be forced to close through oversight by anti-gun appointees or being priced out of business.
The Gun Dealer Licensing Act would require Illinois gun shops to obtain a state license in addition to their already mandated federal license. It would further compel dealers to conduct background checks of their employees, which federal law mandates only for shop owners, and have employees take part in mandatory training. The bill would also require shops to install video-monitoring systems in an effort to deter straw purchasing, in which a buyer purchases weapons on behalf of someone not legally allowed to own a gun.
Under the proposal, Illinois authorities would perform inspections of all gun dealers in the state. Currently, inspections fall to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the federal agency in charge of regulating firearms. However, as The Trace has reported, the ATF rarely meets its inspection targets for dealers. In 2016, agents inspected just 6.3 percent of gun stores nationally. In fiscal year 2015, the last year for which data is available, there were 2,925 dealers in Illinois.
In Chicago, a significant share of firearms recovered by police have been traced to gun dealers across the state. A report released by the city last year found that approximately 40 percent of the roughly 15,000 crime guns recovered by Chicago Police between 2013 and 2016 were sold by dealers in suburban Cook County. Almost a thousand guns that turned up at city crime scenes were linked to Chuck’s Gun Shop in the suburb of Riverdale. Midwest Sporting Goods on the West Side in the suburb of Lyons supplied nearly 700 crime guns.
State Senator Don Harmon, a Democrat who co-sponsored the legislation, said that the bill would give local law enforcement the “tools to crackdown on the handful of gun dealers who are abusing the process.”
Harmon said his focus was on convincing suburban Republicans to override Rauner. He said changes to the plan were being discussed in an effort to minimize the impact on gun shop owners.
As the 2018 election engages, the political chatter among pundits, analysts, consultants and the array of political professionals across the spectrum are openly talking about a Blue Wave in 2018. This Wave would be significant gains by Democrats, most likely majorities in the U.S. House and possibly Senate, along with significant gains among Governors and the state legislatures.
The degree to which this wave that Democrats may surf to victory, or if it even exists at all, is debated among all involved in the process.
I readily admit that history, recent election results, polling, other data, and anecdotal evidence among my personal networks suggest a good year for Democrats - but it is mostly built on hope that Democratic enthusiasm and dislike (more like disgust) with Trump and the GOP will fuel this wave and their victories.
This is where I want to raise the cautionary flags. The national Democratic political infrastructure has been a failure for a quarter century, with Congressional Democrats going 3w and 10L and the US Senate Democrats only doing marginally better since 1992. This has also trickled down to the state and local levels and has brought Democrats to true minority party status.
The reasons for this failure are varied, many of which are out of any organization’s control. However, poor leadership, a culture that repeated the same mistakes cycle after cycle and didn’t adapt, the lack of inspiring leaders who appealed beyond their core supporters, an over emphasis on micro identity issues, and the lack of a unifying economic, fiscal, values, ethics, character and government reform policy agenda and message contributed to the electoral failures. The constant hoping, or reliance on, the GOP to screw up to help Democrats succeed was a significant part of this failure.
Hope is not a strategy and hoping your opponent is terrible for you to win is an even less effective plan. This reminds me of a message I sent to a Democratic staffer on December 17, 2015 - long before the 2016 general election was engaged:
“As a side note, my anecdotal observations along with polling data I have seen in IL and throughout the country, show a very agitated electorate that directs most of its anger at Democrats and Obama…This is probably not news to you but I am hearing too many Democratic campaign staff, consultants, etc. throughout the country thinking that dislike of the GOP alone will lead them to a win. Although that may help, it should not be exclusively relied on. Outside of hardcore Democrats, very few people I know blame the GOP, or in IL, Rauner, for any problems. They may not like the GOP or Rauner, etc., but they almost always default to blaming Democrats for the actual problems and a lack of a solution. This is particularly true with Independent voters I know and especially women, older voters and white men. Trump reminds me a little of Perot - captures a small but vocal angry share of the electorate. These angry Perot voters caused some problems in 1992 and were part of the angry base that swept Democrats out in 1994, so pay very close attention to data on Trump and his voters, especially if they are typical non-voters who could change the composition of the electorate if they turn out. Hillary is not going to be a motivating Democratic candidate outside a handful of liberal female voters who are already voting Democratic, so she will not counter balance the Trump (angry white voter) wildcard even if she is more popular and winning over whomever is the GOP candidate.”
This may not have been a popular position to take late in 2015, but the polling data and tangential evidence I saw at the time backed it up and it needed to be said.
For Democrats and progressives to take the opportunity that exists in 2018 to build long term and sustained electoral, policy and governing success, Democrats and progressives are advised to put the culture of the failed past behind them.
Run candidates who can cross the political divides and don’t necessarily fit into a defined ideological box, accept diversity in the Party rather than demanding ideological or policy orthodoxy, develop and embrace a unifying economic and governing agenda that simply gets the jobs done and carries a strong character, values and ethics message. Don’t ignore or write off significant segments of the electorate hoping that the new emerging demographics will carry you to victory (this hasn’t worked). Be emboldened to criticize your own party or leaders when they are wrong or cross ethical, character or legal lines. Bottom line, embrace a new culture, character and values approach to policy and electoral politics and new ways to succeed in elections, governing and enacting progressive policies that earn support across the political spectrum.
