Republican state Rep. Mike Tryon announced that he will not seek re-election next year, ending a 12-year run representing McHenry County in the General Assembly.
Tryon, of Crystal Lake, cited his belief in term limits as the primary reason for stepping down, as well as a desire to spend more time with his family. He said it would be “disingenuous” of him as a Republican to support term limits – a cornerstone of new Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed agenda – yet serve beyond 12 years in Springfield.
“I’ve always supported a 12-year term limit, and I think there’s some commitment to that policy if you really are a supporter of it. I’ll be 61 at the end of this term, I own two businesses, I have my first grandchild on the way, and it’s time for me to focus on that. I’ll have no shortage of things to do,” Tryon said.
[Subscriber protection removed and comments opened because the press release was just made public.]
* 1:59 pm - Gov. Bruce Rauner will sign an appropriations bill today which funds elementary and secondary education, sources say.
That means schools would be guaranteed to receive their first state aid payment this August and would open on time this fall (except Chicago, of course, but that’s a different story.)
Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The press release, which hasn’t yet been sent out…
Governor Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 3763 today making appropriations for General State Aid, Early Childhood Education, Bi-lingual Education and the Teachers’ Retirement System.
Governor Rauner has always made clear that improving education is his highest priority. While the legislature’s bill does not increase education spending by as much as the governor’s proposal, it does increase K-12 education spending by $244 million and early childhood education funding by $25 million.
“Education is the most important thing we do as a community. I would have done more for our schoolchildren, but I am taking action today to ensure our teachers are paid and our schools are open and funded,” Governor Rauner said. “I refuse to allow Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls to hold our schools hostage as part of their plan to protect the political class and force a tax hike on the middle class without real reform.”
As part of his budget plan, the governor proposed increasing K-12 education by $312 million and early childhood by $32 million.
Bill No.: HB 3763
An Act Concerning: Appropriations
Action: Signed
Effective: July 1, 2015
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Illinois Association of School Administrators…
“We are relieved that school districts can now plan for the new school year knowing that the state budget for education is in place. While we believe General State Aid should be fully funded for schools, going from 89 percent funding to 92 percent in this budget represents some progress. The downturn in the economy and the cuts to state funding the past few years have left many school districts across the state struggling, so we are encouraged that this budget includes $85 million that is supposed to go to the neediest districts as well as increases for Special Education and Early Childhood Education. Educating our children is the single best long-term investment the state can make and we are pleased that the governor and the General Assembly have made it a priority in the middle of these tough budget negotiations.”
* Stand for Children Illinois…
Today, Stand for Children Illinois – a statewide education advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring every Illinois student has access to a high-quality public education – praised Governor Bruce Rauner and the leaders of the Illinois House and Senate for enacting HB3763, the state education budget. While the state is still falling short of fully funding our schools, this budget is still an improvement, funding general state aid to school districts at 92 percent as compared with the 87 percent this past year. It also sets aside $85 million to recoup the losses from our neediest districts.
“We commend Governor Rauner and the General Assembly for adhering to their commitment to prioritize public education in the latest budget,” said Mimi Rodman, Executive Director of Stand for Children Illinois. “In the midst of our state’s fiscal crisis and competing spending priorities, this budget demonstrates that progress remains possible when both sides work together. While we have not yet achieved the goal of full and equitable public school funding, the governor and General Assembly have eased some of the burden on our local school districts, particularly in our most underserved communities. We hope this healthy collaboration will continue as all Illinoisans work together to ensure every child has access to a great public education that prepares them for the future.”
* Advance Illinois…
Statement of Advance Illinois Executive Director Robin Steans on the Signing of the Education Budget
Today, Illinois took a first step to ending the way schools are funded through the regressive general state aid formula. While Public Act 99-5 will still prorate education funds, it raises the level of proration to 92% and supplements the budgets of our neediest districts with an additional $85 million. For years now, these districts have suffered disproportionately under proration and these additional funds help to mitigate the impact on our state’s most vulnerable students.
“We applaud the Governor for taking action and signing the education budget to allow districts time to plan. While we still have a long way to go to get to fair and full funding, this is an important first step. We have a very real problem and an intent to address it,” said Advance Illinois Executive Director Robin Steans.
Miller’s proposal is a long shot, at best. But it’s a good idea, one that would serve the public interest by reinserting real democracy — competitive elections — in races for the General Assembly.
*** UPDATE *** The governor’s office claims that this grant was not frozen. It was part of the batch of projects that weren’t reappropriated by the GA in May. So, checks couldn’t be cut after July 1. “No special release was made on this project,” I’m told.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Gov. Rauner’s administration has made an exception to its construction grant freeze and released $3.6 million to help build a new school in Macon County…
State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, who represents part of the school district, said the money should never have been frozen because it comes from a fund that is not part of the political wrangling between the governor and Democrats who control the General Assembly. […]
In the case of the school district, Manar said he made the case that the district had liquidated its old furniture and wouldn’t be able to open next fall if the money wasn’t released.
“Given the circumstances of the school district … it was clear to me that they wouldn’t be able to open for school next year unless the governor’s office reversed its decision,” Manar said. “It has nothing to do with the FY 16 budget. The school district did everything it was supposed to do.”
Manar said the same parameters that led to the release of the money for Meridian should apply to other grants that were supposed to be released this year for schools, park districts and other local governments.
“I think we would be better served if the governor was more reasonable in his approach,” Manar said.
* From Michael McGrath at Illinois Partners for Human Services…
Hi Rich:
So we’ve heard that the state budget fiasco might impact state employee payroll in mid-July and may have an impact on education in August. But the impact of the impasse is being felt in the human service sector right now. Hundreds of human service organizations that rely on state contracts are cutting services and laying off staff.
* I asked for a few examples. He complied…
Easter Seals of Central Illinois http://www.easterseals.com/ci/ is suspending its early intervention service coordination program starting July 1, which will impact 1,600 families in 11 counties, resulting in the furlough of 40 employees.
Chicago Area Project http://www.chicagoareaproject.org is a not-for-profit employment agency that would normally place 300 youth into summer jobs is now placing none.
LINC, Inc. http://www.lincinc.org is an organization that empowers people with disabilities to live independently. They have been forced to lay off nearly half of their staff, cut hours of the remaining staff and deny service to hundreds in the community.
Also, IARF has just announced that the failure of Illinois state leaders to adopt a new budget has prompted service shutdown planning for nearly 26,000 mentally ill adults and children.
These are innovative programs with well documented outcomes; all about to lose impact.
Keep in mind, these are not programs that lawmakers have decided to defund through some organized budget and policy process. Rather, they are victims of the lack of any budget whatsoever. And the consequences will reverberate across the state, impacting families from every community.
* Much of today’s Tribune story covers ground that we’ve already discussed, particularly some of the governor’s harshest demands from AFSCME, including…
But perhaps the most charged proposal is the one that would halt the state’s long-standing tradition of withholding directly from paychecks union member dues and fees on non-members that fund union activities. Currently, that money is deducted along with taxes and health care premiums, and then routed back to the unions. Rauner wants to end that practice, essentially cutting off the regular, predictable flow of money to his union adversaries.
AFSCME wants an 11.5 percent pay raise over four years, two years of full health benefits for laid-off employees and what the administration describes as a more costly health care plan that offers orthodontics for adults.
Their last contract with Gov. Quinn gave them 4 percent raises over three years.
First, the governor’s office would need to declare that negotiations have reached an impasse, which would then allow the administration to try to impose the terms of its “best and final” offer. The union has the right to appeal that move to the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
If the board sides with the union, talks resume. If the board sides with the administration, it’s up to union members to vote: Either go along with the governor’s final offer, or strike.
* I told subscribers about this several weeks ago…
On Monday night, Representative Linda Chapa LaVia (D) became the first to announce her candidacy for Mayor of Aurora in 2017. Chapa LaVia made her announcement at the Copley Theater in downtown Aurora joined by a large crowd of family, friends and supporters.
“Many of you have put me where I am today because you say I’m the hardest working public servant you know,” said Chapa LaVia. “I want to continue to serve my community, and I’d be honored to serve as the next Mayor of Aurora.”
An Aurora native and veteran of the Army and National Guard, Chapa LaVia has represented Illinois’ 83rdState House District since 2003. Over her 13 years in the Illinois State House, Chapa LaVia has worked to promote economic development and educational opportunities in her district.
“We have a lot of work to do before this election,” said Chapa LaVia. “So over these next 20 months, I need you—the people of Aurora—to tell me what you think is most important for our city.”
Chapa LaVia’s decision follows current Mayor Tom Weisner’s announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2017.
Rep. Chapa LaVia added that while her campaign is still in its early stages, two of her top priorities will be to create an atmosphere that encourages business development and growth, and promoting early childhood education.
“Our city is ready to do incredible things for jobs and education,” concluded Chapa LaVia. “For now, I’m humbled and my heart is warmed by you believing in me. I promise, no matter what, to always believe in Aurora.”
Chapa LaVia represents Illinois’ 83rd Representative District, which includes Aurora, Montgomery and North Aurora. She lives in Aurora with her husband and two daughters.
On one hand, [the Rauner folks] say they want Madigan to let the mushrooms vote their conscience, and on the other, they criticize him for not telling his members how to vote like we saw with the CPS bill.
The Rauner people actually criticized Madigan for telling his peeps to vote against the bill, but the Tribune editorial board has also been guilty of this, decrying Madigan’s iron grip on Illinois’ throat, but then demanding that Madigan use his velvet hammer to pass things like pension reform.
* From the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission chairman…
Dear Governor Rauner:
On behalf of the entire Workers’ Compensation Commission, I am pleased to submit the Fiscal Year 2014 annual report.
Workers’ compensation costs are declining. Insurers reported a 19% decrease in total benefit payments (loss costs) between 2011-2015. The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute found that Illinois experienced the largest decrease in the average medical payment per claim among study states. The Oregon study found Illinois experienced the largest savings on workers’ compensation insurance.
More good news: in FY14, the first two felony convictions came in against employers that failed to follow the law to buy workers’ compensation insurance. These employers were given many opportunities to obtain insurance, but they refused. Uninsured employers put their workers at risk and they enjoy an unfair competitive advantage over law-abiding employers. These convictions strike a blow for a safer, more competitive Illinois economy for all.
My goals for the upcoming year are to instill professionalism, increase efficiency, and improve technology at the Commission. Through this effort, we will improve the administration of the Illinois workers’ compensation program. We appreciate your leadership and support in this process.
• Illinois experienced the largest decrease in the average medical payment per claim among WCRI study states, and moved from the highest state to near the median. For all cases, Illinois’ average medical payment per case fell 16% from 2010-2012. Importantly, there was little change in utilization, meaning providers did not provide more services to make up for the lost income. […]
• The closely-watched Oregon study found that Illinois had the largest decrease in premiums among all the states, dropping from the 4th highest to the 7th highest between 2012-2014. And the effects of some of the 2011 legislative changes have yet to register.
• The Illinois 2011 injury rate is 66% lower than in 1990. The overall injury rate in Illinois is lower than most states, and has declined dramatically over the years. Roughly 3% of Illinois workers experience an injury each year; only 1% loses time from work.
Even so, [Speaker Madigan] says the House is taking Rauner seriously: like passing the governor’s plan to partially privatize the state’s Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, albeit with Democratic touches, like a three-year sunset. Democrats say after ethical stumbles in states with similar set-ups, that’s a prudent safeguard.
The movement could be seen as a sign of compromise, but instead the governor’s office says Madigan refused to negotiate in good faith on the DCEO concept, and that Madigan is stuck on the status quo. The short opportunity is seen as too short to make the new agency viable.
Rauner also wants a freeze on property taxes combined with a provision he says will save local governments money by pardoning them from having to pay the prevailing wage.
But the House rejected that plan — again. It’s not just because of Democrats, who say that’d weaken unions. Republicans didn’t go along with it.
“For the fifth time, the Rauner Republicans in the House were given an opportunity to vote for a real estate tax freeze. And for the fifth time, Rauner Republicans declined to take advantage of that opportunity to vote for a real estate tax freeze,” Madigan said.
However, Republican Representatives say Madigan is trying to fake them out with votes staged for political games. Though Democrats maintain it’s a carbon-copy of Rauner’s proposal, Republican legislators are suspicious as the measure was sponsored by a Democrat, Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion.
Jil Tracy has confirmed that she will run for the Illinois Senate after Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, announced last week that he will not seek re-election in 2016.
“I did meet with the Senate staff and (Senate Minority Leader) Christine Radogno came to Quincy to meet with me. I am committed and I am going to run,” Tracy said Tuesday.
Her formal announcement won’t come until closer to the time when candidate petitions are circulated in September, but Tracy’s commitment lets the Republicans focus on other potential races.
“We’re very excited to have Jil as the candidate for us,” said Brian Burian, executive director of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee.
* And quite unlike the Illinois GOP, former Rep. Tracy had some kind words for Sen. Sullivan the other day…
“I appreciate what John Sullivan did for our area. I appreciate him dedicating 14 years of his time and his family’s time to being a Senator. And now I’m looking at it myself to visit with family and friends and see what’s next for me,” Tracy said.
Following is the statement of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Executive Board Chair Flora Johnson, following bargaining [yesteray] with the Rauner administration over contracts expiring June 30th that represent 24,000 Department of Rehabilitation Services workers.
“It’s a sad day for our workers and for the seniors and people with disabilities they serve when they are left to bargain with a party who looks actively to be seeking an end to labor peace.
“Bruce Rauner is making union-busting demands of our low-income workforce not to save money or improve the quality of care, but because he is seeking an outright crisis to justify a political end. This hardly justifies the real and immediate harm he’s willing to let tens of thousands of Illinoisans endure.
“We urge the governor to think of welfare of the citizens he’s supposed to serve and return to the bargaining table soon with real solutions.”
* Yesterday’s House vote on the Chicago Public Schools’ 40-day pension payment delay came as a complete shock to many people…
Before the vote, Republican leaders suggested that the agreement might be a step forward in thawing the frosty relations between the governor and Democrats who have controlled the General Assembly for the past 12 years.
“I think its definitely a sign of progress,” said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont. “Hopefully, this is a gesture of goodwill on our part and the governor’s part to keep those talks going.”
Within an hour of Radogno’s positive comment, the measure failed.
When Emanuel was asked during an appearance Tuesday on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight what happened to the agreement, he said, “Welcome to the mystery of the legislative process.”
* The governor’s office was not amused…
Administration Statement on House Vote
Attribute the following statement to Lance Trover, Director of Communications:
“Governor Rauner and Republican leaders supported this legislation, but the Speaker had Chicago Democrats vote against it. The only reason the Speaker’s Chicago caucus would vote against the Mayor’s bill is because Madigan wanted to kill it.”
Madigan, though, said the deal ”just didn’t get enough votes to pass,” and added he’ll work to secure the votes.
“I’m sure it can be done,” said Madigan, who hopes to persuade lawmakers the bill is “the right thing to do.”
Madigan accused the governor of ”operating on the extreme.”
“Issuing extreme press statements in the middle of the consideration of the bill is not helpful,” Madigan said. “It’s not helpful. It’s not how you do things in the Legislature.”
The House vote was 53-46, with 71 needed for passage. Democrats have 71 members in the House, but only 37 voted for the measure. The remaining 16 votes in favor of the bill came from among the 47 Republicans.
Looking deeper into the roll call, 16 members were either listed as absent, excused, not voting or voting “present.” And of the 19-member House Black Caucus, a group that’s often influential on key votes, 10 voted against the bill or did not take part in the vote, including five from Chicago.
Democratic Rep. Mary Flowers, a black caucus member from Chicago, contended Emanuel was disproportionately targeting the African- American community with red light and speed cameras to generate revenue and had closed dozens of schools affecting black children. […]
Madigan, the target of a second week of TV attack ads from Rauner, voted for the measure, as did House Republican leader Jim Durkin from Western Springs. Durkin contended he had additional GOP votes for the bill, but they pulled off the measure when it started to fail.
Democratic Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie, a Madigan ally, supported the bill but ended up voting against it to allow him to use a parliamentary maneuver to allow it to be called again if enough votes can be found to approve it.
Some Chicago Democrats did give the thumbs-down. Rep. Frances Ann Hurley said she opposed any “pension holiday” that puts off a payment, even for six weeks. Rep. Mary Flowers, saying she’s willing to work on a long-term solution, said Emanuel has other options and can dip into existing funds.
“You can’t fix it by pointing the finger at Springfield,” she said.
If you want something out of Springfield, you’d better figure out what Mike Madigan wants first—and give it to him.
That’s the message after the House speaker yesterday schooled a host of interests—including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Chicago Board of Education—on Springfield realities, leaving city schools in perilous condition and the state’s budget war more inflamed than ever. […]
Given Madigan’s normal persuasive powers with his caucus, much of Springfield concluded that the speaker didn’t want the bill to pass, at least not right now.
* Both sides of my family came to Illinois from the South. My maternal side traces its ancestry directly back to Thomas Jefferson. My paternal side is distantly connected to Johnny Cash. Both pretty cool, if you ask me.
But, there’s always been that dark side. Did any of my ancestors own slaves? I haven’t seen any records, but it seems likely that some did. [ADDING: Jefferson was apparently a great, great, etc. uncle, so it’s unclear about the slave question.]
My paternal grandmother hailed from the London, Kentucky area, which has been a hotbed of Ku Klux Kan activity for generations. Grandma was ecstatic to get the heck out of that backwater, but, well, let’s just say some of my “country” kin to this day aren’t exactly anxious to embrace the concept of racial equality.
* Like many of my contemporaries, I’ve been exposed to casual hatred of black people since before I could walk.
Thankfully, I was raised not to be that way. I was taught early on that my widely beloved ancestor President Jefferson was a great man but no saint. I was led to realize at a fairly early age that hatred is a dangerous and debilitating disease. I ain’t no perfect angel on anything, but I do regularly examine my attitudes and thoughts on this particular topic.
* And because both sides of my family veered through Kentucky at one time or another, I find this news to be incredibly heartening…
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday that a statue of Jefferson Davis, the Civil War president of the Confederate States, should be removed from the Kentucky state capitol.
McConnell’s suggestion comes after politicians in other states considered removing the Confederate symbols from state capitol grounds after last week’s mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., which appeared to have been racially motivated.
“With regard to my own state, we curiously enough have a statue of Jefferson Davis in the capitol in Frankfort,” McConnell said at a Senate news conference. “Davis’ sole connection to Kentucky was he was born there, he subsequently moved to Mississippi. And Kentucky of course did not secede from the union.”
It is, plain and simple, a marbleized burning cross.
So, good for Sen. McConnell and, hopefully, good for Kentucky.
* And while we’re all counting our blessings this morning, let’s also give thanks to my late shirttail cousin Mr. Cash for writing songs like this. Get up and dance…
Go on, I’ve had enough, dump my blues down in the Gulf
Tuesday, Jun 23, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
During some extremely challenging financial times facing consumers, one bright spot in the financial services arena has been credit unions.
Credit Union 1 is a shining example of how one credit union serves its membership through good times and bad. In 1995, Credit Union 1 introduced an “Employee Loan Assistance” program designed to provide payroll gap assistance for its members facing the threat of a missed or delayed paycheck. In June 2007, this program was utilized for the first time to assist state employees that incurred a delayed paycheck due to the Illinois budget crisis that occurred.
Most recently, Credit Union 1 offered the program to their members of the Illinois General Assembly and staff to assist during an interruption in the legislative payroll cycle. While fortunately this program has only been needed on a limited basis since its inception, Credit Union 1 members are afforded great comfort and security in knowing that their credit union is there for them whenever the need arises.
Credit unions are “People Helping People” — dedicated to serving the needs of their membership as well as providing “peace of mind” that the credit union is always there. And that’s the credit union difference.
I thought a big part of being conservative meant picking a “side” and attacking the other. I thought not caring what others thought or felt was part of it. Some of my Confederate flag debates certainly reflected that mentality.
This is something ideologues do and is by no means exclusive to the right, as evidenced by the way some liberals cartoonishly portray conservatives, Christians, and, yes, Southerners.
Ideologues ridicule and dehumanize people at the expense of their personhood. Ideologues believe some groups must be attacked, and although the groups are comprised of flesh-and-blood human beings, it’s better not to think of them as people too much—it could get you off message.
It’s crude collectivist thinking. It’s an intentional lack of sympathy. It’s dehumanization. It’s at the heart of everything that’s wrong with our politics and culture.
Republican state senator Darin LaHood helped to perpetuate a cycle of crony capitalism and donor back-scratching by voting for a bill that benefited both his law firm and campaign donors at taxpayers’ expense, according to a study of his votes, law firm payments, and campaign contributions.
LaHood, who is running against Breitbart News’ Big Government founding editor Mike Flynn in a contest to replace disgraced former Rep. Aaron Schock, voted for a bill which would financially benefit his law firm, Miller, Hall, & Triggs, which represents the city of East Peoria.
On May 30, 2012, LaHood voted “yea” on a bill which established in East Peoria a new “Tax Increment District III” — a law which conveniently required the city hire to lawyers who would confirm each year that the city was in full compliance. This was the third such zone established by the city. […]
Who represents East Peoria? None other than Miller, Hall, & Triggs, for which LaHood is an associate. Yet LaHood apparently did not disclose to taxpayers that his firm stood to make significant financial gains from the new TIF zone he supported; transcripts from the vote show no evidence that LaHood made public the ties his firm has to East Peoria. […]
Since that vote, developers have also donated tens thousands of dollars to his congressional campaign after being awarded businesses in the new TIF zones in what appears to be a cozy, crony capitalist set-up.
Chairman of Cullinan Properties Diane Cullinan Oberhelman (and wife of Caterpillar CEO Douglas R. Oberhelman) earned $1,759,302 from TIF zones since 2010. Cullinan also donated $15,000 to LaHood’s state senate campaign PAC, and $10,800 to his congressional PAC. In total, she donated $25,800. The Otto Baum company, which received $4,073,797 to develop the new TIF zone since 2012, donated $5,000 to LaHood’s state senate PAC.
Provides that the redevelopment project in the TIF district created by an ordinance that was adopted on January 28, 1992 by the City of East Peoria must be completed by December 31 of the 35th year (now, the 23rd year) after the year in which the ordinance was adopted.
So, it extended a TIF district’s lifespan, but didn’t create it.
Also, I imagine Mrs. Oberhelman would’ve contributed to LaHood’s campaign with or without that vote. And I didn’t see any Otto Baum contributions to LaHood’s Senate campaign when I searched the ISBE site.
Tuesday, Jun 23, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
In 2011 the Workers’ Compensation “Reform” package was signed into law, aimed at lowering costs for employers in Illinois. These changes have had a negative effect on workers in Illinois and their ability to receive fair and reasonable compensation when they are injured on the job and have not resulted in insurance premium reductions for employers in Illinois, even though workers’ compensation costs have undeniably come down.
The National Academy of Social Insurance reports workers’ compensation is the second most profitable line of insurance after auto insurance. Over 300 insurance companies compete for and write workers’ compensation insurance in Illinois, more than just about any other state in the country. If Illinois is so unprofitable, why are these insurance companies climbing over one another to sell insurance here? It may be because insurance companies in Illinois are essentially unregulated when it comes to setting insurance premiums.
Decreased benefits for injured workers, medical reimbursements plummeting, claims falling, and reduced costs have all resulted in big profits for the insurance industry. This is the real result of the 2011 workers’ compensation reform.
Any further changes in workers’ compensation laws should instead look to promote insurance premium transparency and oversight – not further sacrifices by the injured worker.
For more information on workers’ compensation, click here.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is seeking to put off a massive teacher pension payment that’s due at the end of the month until Aug. 10 under a measure that surfaced Tuesday in the Illinois House.
The request for a delay comes after a series of internal Chicago Public Schools reports indicated that even if the school district drained its checking account, maxed out its credit card and burned cash set aside for other debts, it still would not be able to make the pension payment of more than $600 million, cover payroll and pay all the other due bills.
“We’re disappointed,” said Charles Burbridge, executive director of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund. “We were expecting full payment next week as required by state statute. . . . It’s unfortunate that they’re in a position where they need to ask for this delay.”
But Burbridge said he was pleased that the amendment, introduced by House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, would not reduce the size of the payment CPS is required to make to restore the pension fund to financial soundness.
…Adding… The train, as usual with these things, is moving fast. The amendment has been assigned to House Executive Committee, which starts at 11:15.
…Adding More.. Greg Hinz rather cleverly ties the school deal to the DCEO privatization bill that I told subscribers about this morning…
A Rauner sign-on would be rather interesting, given that the governor previously has seemed to be pushing to have CPS reorganize its affairs in bankruptcy.
But that may explain a second bit of action today. Madigan has agreed to call for a final vote a bill to partially privatize the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which Rauner has been pushing for pretty hard.
If the DCEO measure and the CPS bill pass, every side will get something. That’s the kind of stuff that bigger deals are made of.
…Adding… The bill passed Exec 8-2.
*** UPDATE *** It looks from the roll call that Madigan pulled his targets off, and others were absent…
#ILHse rejects 40 day delay in Chicago Public Schools teacher pension payment that was due June 30, 53-47. Needed 71.
*** UPDATE *** The House Democrats just forwarded me their documentation. Click here.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* The chairman of the House Revenue & Finance Committee just accused the governor’s office of not telling the truth about internal office spending.
Gov. Rauner’s administration has claimed it’s spending $500,000 a year less than Gov. Quinn spent on staffing the governor’s office. Rep. John Bradley, however, said his research shows that Rauner is actually spending at least a million dollars more than Quinn.
Bradley said that number didn’t include “nine employees that appear on the telephone directory that we can’t determine where they’re being paid from.” He also said it didn’t take into account “contractual employees that have been hired at very substantial sums of money.”
* Rep. Bradley said he invited the governor to send a representative to today’s hearing, but nobody showed up today. When pressed, Bradley said he did not have documentation which he could immediately provide to the committee. He also didn’t have any witnesses to testify on the claims.
* From Lance Trover…
.@AmandaVinicky more phony, sham hearings from Speaker and politicians he controls.
The cost of marijuana in Chicago is about $300 an ounce, about ten percent higher than the national average, according to a Washington Post analysis.
However, that price is down from $349 per ounce recorded in the first 3 months of 2011, says the Post’s Wonkblog report.
Exactly what’s behind fluctuations in the price of marijuana is not clear, says the Post, which tracked prices through websites where users post costs.
But, the report, which lists average prices in eight cities and all 50 states, said legalization of marijuana, either for recreational or medicinal purposes, tends to add to the supply and drive prices down.
If you go to the WaPo post, you’ll see that Illinois pot prices are 9.7 percent higher than the national average. We also have higher prices than all of our bordering states except Iowa.
Among the more than $820 million in budget cuts being threatened by Gov. Bruce Rauner is one that would delay the opening of a new nursing home for veterans.
But, records and budget documents show the $70.2 million project wasn’t expected to be opened for more than a year anyway, raising questions about what exactly would be saved. […]
Lyndsey Walters, spokeswoman for the Illinois Capital Development Board, which is overseeing construction of the 200-bed home, said the opening would be delayed six months until Jan. 1, 2017, saving $4 million.
Rauner’s original budget plan, however, shows no evidence of the facility opening before July 1, 2016, which is in the next fiscal year and, thus, not affected by the current budget battle. There are no line items in the state’s proposed operating budget showing earmarks to pay for furnishings or for the hiring of additional workers. […]
Ryan Yantis, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, said the $4 million in savings are “startup costs.”
Startup costs that weren’t in the budget to begin with? OK.
Unsurprisingly, this facility is in a Democratic legislative district.
Governor Rauner today directed the deployment of Illinois Task Force 1, an 80-member search and rescue team, to assist local responders as they search for people who may have been trapped after a tornado tore through Woodhaven Lakes campground in Lee County last evening. The village of Coal City in Grundy County was also hard hit by a tornado Monday evening.
Governor Rauner today also issued a state disaster proclamation for Lee and Grundy counties to make available a wide variety of state resources that can help affected communities respond and recover from the storms.
“Tornadoes and severe storms have once again caused devastation in northern Illinois communities,” Gov. Rauner said. “The state is supporting local responders in these hard-hit communities to ensure the safety of people affected by these terrible storms and help them begin the recovery process.”
Illinois Task Force 1 is the state’s urban search and rescue team with specialized training and equipment to support extremely difficult recovery efforts. In addition to 80 team members, the group includes trained search canines.
Governor Rauner activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Springfield Monday evening after a line of severe storms and tornadoes moved across northern Illinois. The SEOC was staffed throughout the night with representatives from several state agencies, responder mutual aid organizations, and the American Red Cross to ensure response assets and personnel could be quickly deployed to assist local governments and all impacted areas.
In addition, field personnel from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are assisting affected communities.
For updates on the current situation, visit the Ready Illinois website at www.ready.illinois.gov.
If Gov. Bruce Rauner signs House Bill 2781, a pilot program will be created to replace snow days and other days when school would typically be canceled with days where students will receive instruction electronically. That instruction would be in place of using an emergency day that is tacked on to the end of the school year.
The pilot program could be implemented in up to three school districts, which may include one elementary or unit district, and last through the 2017-18 school year. The state superintendent of education would be tasked with selecting the districts. […]
Ottawa Elementary Schools Superintendent Cleve Threadgill is concerned a statewide program could become another unfunded mandate that would be burdensome on schools with a tight budget.
“It could become our responsibility (as a district) to make sure students have access to it,” he said. “That’s a concern.”
The legislation had Republican sponsorship, but bipartisan co-sponsorship. Just two Senate Democrats voted against it, Biss and Manar, with Republican Sam McCann also voting “No.”
* Metro East Democratic legislators held a media event yesterday and spotlighted some folks who would be hurt by budget cuts…
Two years ago, Tara Miller’s now 4-year-old daughter Destiny was diagnosed with autism. Destiny had no functional speech, wasn’t able to say if she was hungry, if she was tired, or if she was hurt, and would avoid social interactions.
“I felt so alone, and even though she couldn’t tell me herself, I know my daughter felt more alone than me,” Miller, the East Alton resident, said through tears.
Miller and her daughter received services and resources as an autism center in Maryville, such as pictures to help Destiny communicate with others.
“She’s able to ask me for help, … and able to ask me for things she needs and wants,” Miller said. “She can speak to anybody who has a set of eyes and can look at a picture.”
For Miller, if the help she and Destiny receive through the Autism Program of Illinois is cut would be detrimental.
“If the funds for TAP are cut, or if there is a long budget stalemate, the results of it is your taking my child’s voice away,” Miller said. “She finally is able to speak, the regression will be unmeasurable, and I as a mother will be watching her disappear back into herself.”
“(Speaker) Mike Madigan along with his allies Reps. Beiser, Hoffman and Jackson, and Sens. Haine and Clayborne, are more interested in protecting the political class rather than fighting for the middle class,” Kelly said. “They have passed another phony budget that is $4 billion out of balance while refusing to enact any of Gov. Rauner’s structural changes like lawsuit reform, freezing property taxes and term limits which could help turn our state around.”
With a contract deadline just one week away, state workers in Illinois are continuing to push for a fair labor agreement.
Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) say they are not pleased with Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposed cuts in pay and benefits, and his willingness to allow a government shutdown. Anders Lindall with AFSCME Council 31 says a strike is not in the public’s best interest.
“We have never had a governor who has made such extreme demands as to give state employees no choice but to force them out on strike for fairness,” he says. “That’s not what the people want and certainly not what state employees or our union wants.” […]
There is no formal agreement to extend the contract, but Lindall says bargaining dates have been scheduled for July.
Let’s hope cooler heads prevail on both sides here.
The latest closing announcement for Norb Andy’s Tabarin has again raised the issue of parking availability in downtown Springfield.
Nate Gurnsey, one of the partners who took over the restaurant-bar in February, said Monday the loss of 18 parking spaces in an adjoining private lot owned by the Illinois Municipal League was behind the decision.
“A lot of them (customers) just gave up,” said Gurnsey. “They’d come by and see the lot was empty and figure nobody was here.”
Saturday is the final day of business for the well-known restaurant at 518 E. Capitol Ave., though the owner of the historic building said Monday he plans to reopen the restaurant himself after a series of ownership changes in recent years. […]
Gurnsey said the loss of parking spaces to a Capitol Avenue beautification project also hurt businesses along the corridor. The project begun just prior to the 2009 bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth extends from Fifth to 12th streets.
Norb’s was the place to hang back in the day. It declined when other bars and restaurants began catering to the Statehouse crowd. That bicentennial project closed the block several times.
Chicagoans are accustomed to walking more than a few feet after parking. Not so much in downtown Springfield, even though residents have no problem hiking across gigantic strip mall lots to shop and dine.
The Illinois Municipal League obviously has a right to close its parking lot to the bar’s customers, but it’s not very neighborly or municipally-minded of them, which is kinda ironic.
As lawmakers return to the Capitol on Tuesday amid a budget stalemate, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is launching a second week of statewide TV advertising as he tries to gain leverage over Democrats who control the legislature.
Rauner is spending roughly the same amount of money he spent on broadcast and cable TV last week, more than $800,000, said a source familiar with the advertising contract who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.
Rauner’s 30-second spots, which criticize Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, are airing in cities across the state, including Chicago, Rockford and Peoria as well as in St. Louis and the Quad Cities to reach residents on Illinois’ border. […]
The ads represent an unprecedented perpetual political campaign on TV airwaves, as Rauner seeks to move public opinion on his side in a budget battle in which he is trying to portray Madigan as an obstructionist. Madigan, the state Democratic chairman, has been speaker of the Illinois House for 30 of the last 32 years.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is trying to muster enough support to raise the sales tax by a penny on the dollar — an about-face on the key issue that propelled her into office.
The money would help shore up the pension system for county government workers and balance next year’s budget. But getting nine of the 17 commissioners to vote for the sales tax hike could prove challenging, given the enormous backlash that unfolded in 2008 after the County Board increased the sales tax by 1 percentage point.
The move by then-Board President Todd Stroger led to his ouster in the 2010 Democratic primary, as Preckwinkle emerged from a crowded field after pledging to eliminate what remained of the unpopular tax hike. Preckwinkle ran a campaign ad in which she shook hands with an actor portraying Benjamin Franklin. […]
If Preckwinkle can line up the votes, she would introduce the tax increase in early July and try to get it approved by the end of the month, sources said. The tax hike would generate more than $300 million a year starting in 2016, when the county will face rising debt payments, increased payroll costs and possibly increased pension fund payments.
Ms. Preckwinkle’s office declined all comment on her decision, which was first reported by the Chicago Tribune. But in a statement, it stopped far short of denying the action, saying that her next budget will be “particularly challenging” and that her finance team “is hard at work looking at a number of scenarios for coping with this difficult situation.”
Three county officials who asked not to be named confirmed that the effort is under way. Another official, Commissioner John Fritchey, D-Chicago, predicted very strong opposition.
While the county’s budget situation has tightened, “The president has to be cognizant of the fact that she was elected on the basis of a promise to roll back Stroger’s sales tax,” Fritchey told me. “It’s hard for me to envision a scenario” under which he’d vote yes, Fritchey said.
Another commissioner said raising the sales tax “is certainly more palatable than raising the property tax. But is it nine votes palatable? I don’t know.”
That source said Preckwinkle “has asked us to keep it quiet while she tries to put it together,” with a vote possible as soon as next month.
* J3 is out of a halfway house and is now serving home confinement…
“I’ve experienced and I’ve accepted the consequences of my behavior, my poor judgment and my actions,” he said.
Jackson pulled up his trousers slightly to show the tracking device over his white sock on his left ankle.
Jackson said he has been writing a memoir while serving his time.
“I plan to use the next several months of home confinement…to share with the American people not only my journey, but the journey of Americans who have erred and made mistakes of judgement that led to their incarceration,” Jackson said.
“My takeaway is that people should not leave this experience bitter. They should be the better, more determined, more committed.”
* He also said he wanted to go into teaching. More…
Jackson, who pleaded guilty to spending $750,000 of campaign money on personal items in 2013, began his prison sentence on Nov. 1 of that year. The sentence does not officially end until September of this year, but Jackson became eligible to go home earlier.
After his release, Jackson must spend three years on supervised release under jurisdiction of the U.S. Probation Office and complete 500 hours of community service.
Sandi Jackson, former 7th ward alderman and the wife of Jesse Jackson Jr., will also serve prison time for filing false joint federal income tax returns that knowingly understated the income the couple received.
* Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) has introduced a new resolution. From the synopsis…
Calls upon the South Carolina General Assembly to take statutory action to remove any examples of the “Battle Flag of the Confederacy” from the grounds of the South Carolina State House, including the Confederate Monument.
* Carol Marin writes about Bonnie Liltz, the mother of a “catastrophically disabled” daughter who was herself desperately ill..
In 2012, Bonnie had a recurrence of cancer. And Courtney had to stay in an emergency residential setting until her mother recovered. It was not a good place and Courtney, said Glasgow, “came home a different kid. . . . It devastated Bonnie.”
Sue and Bonnie were both in the process of making application to a suburban residential center they felt would provide quality care. “But all these places have waiting lists,” said Sue.
Currently there are 22,000 developmentally disabled people on various waiting lists in Illinois, according to Veronica Vera of the Department of Human Services. And 7,000 waiting for residential placement. Yet, in Springfield, lawmakers and the governor are debating $33 million in cuts to those services.
“Bonnie wrote a letter to the governor,” said Sue, “asking him to reconsider.”
On the night she gave Courtney and herself an overdose of medication and wrote a suicide note, Bonnie was experiencing her worst attack yet of gastric pain and horrific diarrhea. She thought she was dying.
“She was in a desperate phase of her life,” said her attorney. “This was not a cry for help. This was a person who was at the end of her options in taking care of her daughter and herself.”
On May 27, Schaumburg police found both at home and unconscious. Courtney did not survive. Bonnie did.
Glasgow credits police and prosecutors for their professionalism and compassion. The charge, nonetheless, is murder.
* From a News-Gazette editorial about Gov. Bruce Rauner’s new TV ads…
What’s going on here? There is an old political maxim — if you can’t make them see the light, you can make them feel the heat.
Rauner is trying to peel away enough of Madigan’s legislative caucus to persuade the all-powerful speaker to entertain a few of Rauner’s legislative proposals, including modifications to the state’s workers’-compensation law. […]
So while Rauner and legislative leaders continue to talk, the TV ads will continue to play.
It’s an odd way to do legislative business.
But Illinois has become an odd state, one in which some of its leaders cling desperately to a status quo that has failed the people of this state. In that context, how much more harm can Rauner’s TV ads do?
* Yes, this is about making MJM et al “feel the heat.” Agreed, even though this is a relatively light check into the boards. But how does that ad “peel away enough of Madigan’s legislative caucus to persuade the all-powerful speaker to entertain a few of Rauner’s legislative proposals”? I’m not quite understanding how the CN-G is arriving at that conclusion.
And, by the way, they aren’t talking.
Whenever somebody or some institution appear to be cheerleading for war, or at least cheerleading one side in a coming war, their claims and predictions should always be put under a microscope and compared to actual facts and history.
* Let’s revisit my Crain’s Chicago Business column for this week…
In July 2013, Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed lawmakers’ salaries and stipends out of the state budget. He “hit them in the wallet,” he said, to spur action on pension reform.
Instead, all legislative progress suddenly and completely stopped on pension reform for a few months until a court finally ruled that the governor’s veto was unconstitutional. No way were legislators going to let Quinn push them around.
I could very well be wrong, but if legislators wouldn’t cave to protect their own pocketbooks, what makes anyone think they’ll cry “Uncle!” over somebody else’s problems?
Plus, legislators surely know, as they did with Quinn, that they can’t allow a precedent like this to be set: getting Rauner’s approval on the budget by giving in on his legislative agenda. If Democrats capitulate now, then the governor will just do it all over again when next year’s budget negotiations begin.
And then there’s the impact of that Rauner ad about Madigan. […]
Judging by history, including the Quinn paycheck ordeal, I get where the speaker is coming from, to some extent.
As long as Rauner’s TV ads are on the air, Madigan probably is not going to move even a millimeter. Doing so only would invite more ads in the future.
As noted previously, the governor’s ad isn’t devastating the process right now. As soon as the ad eventually comes down the two sides can probably resume talking. I just don’t see Madigan talking until then, however.
Then again, it’s not like he was talking all that much before the ads went up.
The statewide Independent Maps organization is getting a new leader, and the indefatigable Champaign-Urbana volunteers who collected thousands of signatures on petitions for a redistricting reform amendment are getting some recognition.
The new executive director at Independent Maps, a coalition aimed at passing a constitutional amendment to have a non-partisan independent commission draw legislative districts in Illinois, will be Cynthia Canary, who helped found the respected Illinois Campaign for Political Reform with the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon in 1997 and served as its executive director for 14 years.
Canary replaces Patrick Brady, who was appointed head of the organization in April but recently stepped aside.
“Patrick got it through the drafting of amendment and the launch of the petition drive on the streets,” said Independent Maps spokesman Jim Bray. “His family lives in Raleigh (N.C)., and he was flying back and forth to Chicago. It just became evident that it was going to be too much time for him.”
Um, they didn’t ask the guy if he’d be commuting back and forth?
Sheesh.
I like Canary. She’s reasonable, not a screamer, not a conspiracy theorist. But this is a big, big task, so we’ll see if she’s up to it, administratively speaking.
Also, keep in mind that this is about state legislative redistricting, not congressional reapportionment. Big difference. Keep national politics out of the comment section, please.
* The reason I think Democrats ought to be backing this concept is simple: It’s in their self interest. If things remain the same and Gov. Rauner is reelected, he’ll have a 50-50 chance of drawing the new district map.
So, the Democrats need to ask themselves if they’d be happier with a remap reform amendment that they draft themselves, or would they rather Canary push through her own version, or would they prefer that none of that happened and they simply roll the dice on Rauner’s 2018 campaign. That dice-rolling didn’t work too well last year, did it?
The Democrats need to set aside their institutional arrogance and reform this process.
* Plus, I see it as a possible trade. Instead of the term limits amendment that Gov. Rauner is currently demanding, the Dems could give Rauner this issue and perhaps check a box on the governor’s Turnaround Agenda list.
Throughout his campaign for governor, Bruce Rauner asserted he didn’t have a social agenda and was focused solely on Illinois’ deepening financial crisis.
He’ll now be forced to stake out positions on a range of social issues thanks to the majority-Democratic General Assembly passing proposals this spring that would, among other things, reduce penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, ban therapists from trying to change a young person’s sexuality, and ensure employers pay women at rates equal to men.
Any of the bills could spark the controversy the first-term Republican hoped to bypass. […]
Rauner hasn’t signaled how he’ll proceed. Six months after taking office, he still refuses to detail his stance on same-sex marriage or immigration reform. When pressed about four issues in particular — decriminalizing marijuana, legalizing the drug for those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, requiring equal pay and banning gay conversation therapy — a Rauner spokeswoman emailed a standard reply: “The governor will carefully consider any legislation that crosses his desk.”
As I’ve said before, the governor so thoroughly controls both GOP caucuses that you first have to look for a “brick.” I think the bricks, if any, were more subtle on most of these bills than we’ve seen on other potentially controversial pieces of legislation.
* With that in mind, let’s look at the roll calls, starting with the marijuana decrim bill.
Republicans in both the House and Senate voted for the bill, suggesting that there was no solid brick on it. But the two GOP legislative leaders voted “No,” which could very well hint that the governor isn’t fully on board.
* Moving on to the PTSD bill. The Senate Republicans were all off that bill except for Sen. Oberweis. A couple of amendments were added in the House exempting patients from some FOID card laws. The amended bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, although Leader Durkin voted “No.” But the Senate refused to accept the amendments and the House ended up voting to recede 60-41-6. This bill was sponsored in the House by Rep. Lou Lang. Rauner bricked Lang’s medical marijuana sunset extension in the Senate after the bill passed the House with bipartisan support. In between votes, Lang publicly lashed out at the governor.
* Next up, the equal pay bill. The legislation zoomed through both chambers, with Sen. Oberweis casting the lone “No” vote. That one’s not too difficult to figure out.
* And, finally, the gay conversion therapy ban bill. The legislation passed the House and the Senate with few GOP votes. However, both Republican leaders voted “Yes,” perhaps indicating that Rauner is open to supporting it.
The Chicago Public Schools will “run out of cash as early as this summer” and be unable to meet payroll, pension and debt payments without “third-party intervention” or a significant “cost deferral,” according to a new consultant’s report commissioned by the school system and obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The firm Ernst & Young is suggesting the Chicago City Council approve two property-tax increases for the school system. It says the twin increases would be necessary even if CPS makes drastic budget cuts and gets the pension relief and greater state funding it’s seeking in Springfield.
One of the tax hikes it’s recommending would be a “separate levy” of $50 million to bankroll school construction and pay off old projects. CPS has had the authority to impose a “capital improvement tax” for more than 20 years but “never activated” it, according to sources who told the Sun-Times it appears likely Mayor Rahm Emanuel will do so.
The second tax increase — in the range of $100 million to $400 million — is far less likely to be passed. According to the consultants, it would “effectively replace general state aid” siphoned from operations to pay off school construction debt.
It’s debatable whether that second tax hike could be approved by the city council without prior Statehouse authorization. If the maximum tax increases are passed, it would cost the owner of a $250,000 home about $450 a year, according to the article.
But even if CPS wins concessions from the City Council, state lawmakers and the CTU, the district won’t be able to close its annual $1 billion budget gap, according to the May 22 report by Ernst & Young, which spent four weeks meeting with school finance officials and analyzing budget documents. The report shows that even with a capital improvement tax, a separate, even-larger property tax increase, additional state aid, increased state funding of teachers pensions, concessions from the CTU and $150 million worth of budget cuts, CPS would still face an annual $350 million shortfall.
Potentially worsening the situation are unexpected bank penalty payments, the costly legacy of a series of complex financial deals masterminded by school board President David Vitale. Those deals fell apart earlier this year as the district’s credit deteriorated, meaning CPS could be forced to pay $228 million if the banks demand their money. The district has set aside only $174 million to cover such costs.
“They absolutely are deep in an imminent crisis,” CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey said. “Maybe they won’t be able to open, and maybe the state of schools when they do open is going to be miserable.” […]
“Right now, the district needs us,” Sharkey said. “The politics of Rahm Emanuel going to Springfield are a lot different than the politics of Rahm Emanuel and Karen Lewis going to Springfield.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s much-anticipated TV ad isn’t as over-the-top negative as we might have thought it would be.
“Exactly,” was the response from a Rauner official I spoke with after watching the ad and making that above observation about its somewhat muted tone.
“There’s plenty of time for that if it’s necessary,” the official added.
In case you haven’t seen it, the governor’s ad, above, begins with shots of downtown Chicago, then moves to a photo of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“Illinois is at a crossroads,” says the announcer. “Mike Madigan and the politicians he controls refuse to change.
“They’re saying no to spending discipline, no to job-creating economic reforms, no to term limits.
“All they want is higher taxes. Again.”
At the 19-second mark, Rauner appears in the ad. “Change in Springfield isn’t easy,” he says in voiceover as he’s seen talking with a couple of male workers. “But you didn’t send me here to do what’s easy,” he says as he’s seen talking to a woman standing at a counter near some flowers.
“With your help,” the governor says to the camera as the phrase “Join Bruce Rauner” appears next to his head, “I’m gonna keep fightin’ to grow our economy and fix our broken state government.”
The ad has played in most media markets in the state on both broadcast and cable stations, including the expensive St. Louis area, where Rauner is spending at least $100,000, according to a firm that tracks these things. Chicago, Rockford, Champaign/Springfield/Decatur, Peoria and the Quad Cities have been targeted.
An aide to the House speaker who saw the ad before I did said he didn’t think it would make much of a difference. After a buildup in expectations, he said, the ad failed to bite much at all, and he even laughed it off.
But a top Senate Democratic operative expressed sincere relief that the spot wasn’t so harsh that it would’ve destroyed any possibility of an agreement on the budget and the governor’s “turnaround agenda” issues, like workers’ compensation reform, a property tax freeze and tort reform.
They’re both probably right.
Rauner’s ad does not ask Illinoisans to do anything specific except support him. There are no phone numbers to call, no other actions to take. He could’ve flooded Madigan’s Statehouse switchboard if he’d chosen to do so, but he didn’t.
So on the one hand, you gotta wonder what exactly the governor hopes to accomplish with this ad, except to “punish” Madigan a bit and demonstrate his willingness to spend a million bucks a week on whatever the heck he wants.
On the other hand, those who still think a deal can get done ought to be relieved that the governor showed a little restraint in his march to war and didn’t go at Madigan with both barrels blazing.
And, by being somewhat reasonable and coming in under expectations, the ad likely will avoid any immediate public backlash. By speechifying across the state for months instead of holing up in Springfield, the governor has opened himself up to potential criticism that he ought to dump the rhetoric and get to work on solving actual problems. He’ll still have to deal with an angry and dismissive Madigan, however. That’s not going to be any easier now.
Former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar has been pleading for calm lately and asking that both sides avoid personal insults.
“The conversations they’re having aren’t the problem,” Edgar told Springfield’s WICS-TV. “Sometimes it’s what they’re saying when they aren’t together that’s the problem. It seems to be Madigan compares (Rauner) to Blagojevich and (Rauner) makes reference to their character. All that will happen in the heat of battle, but I think everyone needs to know we’re at the point if we’re going to get things done we need to back off of that,” the former governor said.
Regarding the new ad, Edgar said he was worried that Rauner’s TV buy would do more harm than good. “I fear that they could cause the Democrats not to come to the table, but maybe to dig in more,” Edgar told Statehouse reporters.
Rauner has all but claimed that Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton are corrupt, Madigan has compared Rauner to the imprisoned Rod Blagojevich, Rauner’s staff has pointedly insulted the House Democrats for engaging in a “sexist smear” of a Rauner appointee, etc., etc., etc.
So it’s little wonder that Edgar is worried that this thing could easily go off the rails, if it hasn’t already.
“Crisis creates opportunity,” Gov. Bruce Rauner told the Chicago Tribune editorial board in April. “Crisis creates leverage to change . . . and we’ve got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change.”
The “crisis” is the state’s severe fiscal problems. At Rauner’s behest, the Democratic-controlled Illinois General Assembly allowed the state’s temporary income tax to mostly expire on Jan. 1, which created a massive budget hole.
The Republican governor is refusing to negotiate on a budget fix until the Democrats agree to some of his “turnaround agenda” demands, like workers’ compensation insurance reform, a property tax freeze, legislative term limits and tort reform.
So when does the crisis begin? That’s debatable.
Does it start in the next few days, as the governor finally gets a chance to act on the budget, which the Democrats passed in May but didn’t officially begin transmitting to him until June 17?
Does it begin June 30? That’s when the Chicago Public Schools would miss a required $634 million payment to the teacher retirement plan if a pension fix continues to be caught in the crossfire between the governor and Democrats. If a budget deal isn’t reached, state spending starts grinding to a halt the next day.
Does it happen in mid-July, when the first state employee payroll can’t be met because there is no appropriations authority?
Does the crisis occur in mid-August, when public schools don’t receive their first state aid checks and many can’t open their doors?
Or has it already begun?
Rauner recently unveiled two rounds of budget cuts totaling $800 million that will run from July 1 through the summer. Those announcements set off a furor among Democratic legislators.
On June 16, Rauner launched a nearly $1 million TV advertising blitz slamming Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for blocking his reforms.
Then again, here’s a question almost nobody is asking:
* Within what seems like milliseconds, an overlay ad covers our screen…
* But before we can click the “x” to close it, this pops up…
* And then we notice that a “pop-under” ad has been lauched…
* We hit the “x” on that, and we get this…
* After we’ve finally closed all the ads and solicitations, we click the “Navigation” button…
* Then we click “Early & Often”…
* Since there are no drop-down options under the main “Early & Often” link, we have to scroll through the page to look for Springfield news…
* Oops. We can’t find anything we need because for whatever reason they only display a handful of stories. But, luckily, we notice another “Early & Often” link at the top of the page. This one does have a drop-down option…
* Hooray!…
* Finally, we get to the story we want to read, but…
* And…
* Another pop-under…
* And…
* Huzzah, huzzah! We’ve arrived at the article we’d like to read…
* But we can’t read it until we answer a survey question…
* And after we answer that question, another survey question appears…
* And then a video ad starts playing…
I don’t know about you, but my browser usually crashes before I can ever read the story.
Now, all these ads don’t appear every single time. Like the headline says, this is a simulated experience. But it’s also too much like work.
* This AFSCME Council 31 handout to members was scanned by a reader and then converted to text. I’ve tried to correct most of the conversion errors. The original document is here…
Drastically reducing the group insurance benefit for state employees has been a priority for Governor Rauner since Day 1. Even before contract negotiations got underway, the Governor made cutting the state’s insurance plan a pillar of his budget proposal building $700 million in cuts to the group health plan into his budget. Even though his staff admitted in legislative testimony that changes would have to be negotiated with state employee unions, the governor is now demanding that legislators amend the collective bargaining law to ban negotiations over health care benefits.
At the bargaining table, Rauner is pushing for two radical changes to the group insurance benefit which could increase employee costs by thousands of dollars each year: He is proposing to drastically increase the share of the premium paid by employees and drastically increase the out of pocket costs when employees access healthcare.
Rauner wants to double the employee premium contribution to 40% of the cost for single coverage - and to 40% of the cost for dependent coverage too. By federal law, the cost for single coverage is capped at 9.5% of income. However, there is no cap at all on the premium contribution for dependent coverage. This proposal represents a significant change in a number of ways:
1. Currently employees pay a fixed dollar amount toward premiums that is specified in the contract. Moving to paying a percentage of the premium cost means that employee costs would rise each year based on any increase in the state’s healthcare costs.
2. Currently employees who make less pay a little less for health insurance, and employees that make more pay a little more. This proposal eliminates protections for lower paid workers, as everyone will be paying the same amount for group insurance.
3. Increasing the employee premium contribution from 19% (the current average contribution) to 40% puts Illinois outside the norm of other states. The national average for state employee premium contributions is 16%.
Rauner also wants to lower the insurance plan’s value and institute massive cost shifting onto employees through high out of pocket costs. The Administration is proposing a health plan with a 60% actuarial value. This means that on average, the health plan will pay 60% of allowable health care expenses, with the employee paying 40% of the cost through deductibles, copays and co-insurance.
• The current actuarial value of the Illinois group health plan is 93%. This mirrors state employee group insurance plans in other states. The average state government health plan nationwide had an actuarial value of 92% in 2013; the Midwest average is 93%.
• The Administration’s proposal does not include any specific changes to co-pays, deductibles, etc. Rather, it would delegate a committee to develop the new out of pocket costs based on its demand that employees pay a total of 40% of health care expenditures.
These proposed changes to health benefits would move Illinois from average to dead last when compared to other states.
• The Affordable Care Act (ACA) ranks plans as: platinum (best); gold; silver; bronze (worst). 60% actuarial value equates to “bronze” level coverage under the ACA.
• The average bronze level plan for an individual has a deductible of $5,400 and an out-of pocket maximum of $6,350. Bronze level plans would result in staggering and unaffordable cost increases for state employees. These plans have out of pocket costs at or near what is allowable under the ACA:
o $6,600 for single
o $13,200 for family
• 96% of states have a group health benefit that equates to an ACA “platinum” plan (valued over 80%).
• Only two states have “gold” level plans (valued at 80%)
• No other state has an employee health insurance plan with an actuarial value as low as 60%
* Hyperpartisan Democrats have been occasionally suggesting in comments that Gov. Rauner be recalled by voters. We’ve had even more today, so I feel I need to “front page” this topic.
Like all hyperpartisans, these recall enthusiasts are clueless.
The recall of the Governor may be proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least 15% of the total votes cast for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election, with at least 100 signatures from each of at least 25 separate counties.
15 percent of 3,627,690 total votes cast last year would be 544,154 signatures. That’s a whole lot, not to mention the 25 county requirement.
A petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with the State Board of Elections providing notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall the Governor. The affidavit may be filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the Governor’s term of office. The affidavit shall have been signed by the proponent of the recall petition, at least 20 members of the House of Representatives, and at least 10 members of the Senate, with no more than half of the signatures of members of each chamber from the same established political party.
Can anybody out there name 10 House Republicans and 5 Senate Republicans who would sign such an affidavit?
Ain’t. Gonna. Happen.
* Don’t clog up our comment section here with your goofy recall rants. You’ll be banned for life and forced to flee to a newspaper website, where nobody cares.
* I keep hearing this over and over about Sen. Mark Kirk…
He hasn’t had much of a filter on what he says in recent years. Whether that has anything to do with the stroke he suffered in 2012, I don’t know. It seems he was once more cautious. Now words just pop out of there.
Kirk has always had a mouth problem. That didn’t stop him from thumping his opponent five years ago. Underestimate him at your own risk.
I’m not making any excuses for his “bro with no ho” remarks. There are no excuses. But he’s apologized, so let’s move on to the question of whether he can hold his own against whomever the Democrats nominate.
Now, you may not agree with everything he said, but you have to admit that he was quite sharp and handled himself very well.
He has trouble giving long speeches (which don’t happen much in politics these days anyway), but he appears to have no trouble at all with answering questions.
* And here he is being interviewed at length not long ago by Bruce Dold at Elmhurst College…
Again, you may not agree with some of his statements, but he doesn’t look weak or ineffectual to me.
Kirk obviously needs to hold his tongue more often, but I think he’ll hold his own in the coming campaign, particularly with a potential opponent like this…
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andrea Zopp was one of 19 character witnesses listed to testify Friday in Springfield for her friend Quinshaunta Golden, who is facing a decade or more in prison for her role in a multimillion-dollar theft and bribery scheme involving government grants and contracts awarded by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
But Zopp — who’s seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois — said Wednesday, “I’m not going to be able to testify.
“The sentencing’s been moved countless times,” Zopp said. “I couldn’t make it work to go to Springfield. It’s an all-day trip. I couldn’t rearrange my schedule to make that happen.”
So much for the jobs-killer rep—when it comes to states that are growing new businesses, Illinois is among the top U.S. leaders.
The Land of Lincoln ranked No. 2 among states where businesses are being created the fastest, according to numbers released yesterday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The number of business startups in Illinois jumped 4.7 percent in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier. The only state beating Illinois was Massachusetts—home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—whose fourth-quarter number rose 5.6 percent.
Education seems to be a common thread among the top business-creating states, said Robert Atkinson, president of the Washington-based Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a research group that promotes innovation. […]
The density of young firms and population diversity, including an area’s ability to attract immigrants, are among the factors that helped some metropolitan areas and states stand out, said Arnobio Morelix, a research analyst who studies startups at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo.
Illinois fits that bill, aided by Chicago’s status as one of the fastest-growing cities for technology jobs, with a rapidly-growing tech community in River North.
One hundred fifty years ago today, the U.S. Army took possession of Galveston Island, a barrier island just off the Texas coast that guards the entrance to Galveston Bay, and began a late-arriving, long-lasting war against slavery in Texas. This little-known battle would endure for months after the end of what we normally think of as the Civil War. This struggle, pitting Texas freedpeople and loyalists and the U.S. Army against stubborn defenders of slavery, would become the basis for the increasingly popular celebrations of Juneteenth, a predominantly African-American holiday celebrating emancipation on or about June 19th every year.
The historical origins of Juneteenth are clear. On June 19, 1865, U.S. Major General Gordon Granger, newly arrived with 1,800 men in Texas, ordered that “all slaves are free” in Texas and that there would be an “absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.” The idea that any such proclamation would still need to be issued in June 1865 – two months after the surrender at Appomattox - forces us to rethink how and when slavery and the Civil War really ended. And in turn it helps us recognize Juneteenth as not just a bookend to the Civil War but as a celebration and commemoration of the epic struggles of emancipation and Reconstruction.
By June 19, 1865, it had been more than two years since President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, almost five months since Congress passed the 13th Amendment, and more than two months since General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate army at Appomattox Court House. So why did Granger need to act to end slavery?
A lawyer for former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Thursday called leaks regarding the federal hush-money case against the Illinois Republican “unconscionable” and said he may ask the court to investigate.
Thomas Green, Hastert’s Washington, D.C.-based defense attorney, said during a status hearing in Chicago that he’s concerned information that’s been disclosed to the media may inhibit Hastert’s right to a fair trial.
“Something has to be done to stop these leaks,” said Green, who attended the hearing via telephone. “They’re unconscionable and they have to stop.” […]
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Block told U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin that prosecutors also find the leaks “disturbing.” He said the government is “doing everything we can” to look into it.
There are always some leaks and some helpful “assistance” provided to “friendly” reporters. But the Chicago US Attorney’s office hasn’t leaked like this in my memory.
* Rep. Phillips is a sponsor of a “right to work” bill, and now we know why…
State Rep. Reggie Phillips made his feelings on the proposed right-to-work resolution clear Thursday, saying AFSCME members are “like ants” and asking his members to lock arms and support towns that pass the resolution.
Phillips, R-Charleston, along with State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, spoke at the Charleston Chamber of Commerce’s legislative update lunch at the Unique Suites hotel. Phillips pointed to right-to-work and pension reform as two of the biggest topics state legislators are dealing with.
Phillips said he will ask Charleston city officials to resurrect the right-to-work resolution, rescinded by council members after union supporters packed council meetings to speak against it, and wants his constituents to support it.
Phillips noted he attended one of the council meetings in support of the resolution.
“There’s only 38,000 members in AFSCME (represented by the contract in Illinois),” he said. “You’d think there’s 38 million. They’re mobilized, like ants.”
Phillips said he wished Gov. Bruce Rauner and Phillips’ own supporters would have stood firm on the issue. The process of change may be painful but is necessary for the state, he said.
“Trust me, it’s like spanking a child sometimes,” he said. “The child doesn’t want to be spanked, but in the end it’s going to make them a better person.”
Conventional wisdom told us that our leaders would end their dog-and-pony shows when push came to shove, get together in the governor’s conference room at the Capitol and hammer out a compromise budget in which neither side gets all it wants but both sides can live with it.
But these are unconventional times. Rauner has been hurling insults at Madigan, who is doing a slow burn. What’s developing before our eyes is a nonviolent version of World War I trench warfare: Both sides dig in and prepare for a long, withering conflict.
“My staff will tell you that there were many times when I was governor, and particularly that first few months, I had a lot of thoughts about Mike Madigan, but I never said them publicly,” says Edgar, a Republican who served two terms in the 1990s. “I worked that out, and we got to be very good friends, actually.”
Edgar says the money Rauner is spending on campaign-style ads attacking Democrats is unnecessary and won’t lead to compromise.
“That could make it extremely difficult,” he says. “I hope that some private talks will resume.”
Edgar says it also doesn’t help when Democrats are comparing Rauner to disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He says when he was governor, in the final weeks of sessions, everyone kept their opinions to themselves and got to work, and thinks that should happen here.
Edgar also says Rauner has to realize he’s not in the private sector anymore. Democrats, in turn, must realize they can’t do things the way they’ve always done them, calling it “a new day” in Springfield, Edgar says.
After careful thought and consideration I have decided to not seek re-election as Illinois State Senator for the 47th District in the 2016 election.
It is an honor to have earned the trust and support of so many people in Western Illinois and across the state. I will continue to work hard to represent and be a voice for my constituents in Springfield as I transition to the private sector.
Sincerely,
Senator John Sullivan
Sullivan, a Democrat, represents a heavily Republican district. He told me last night that he’s not resigning before the election. The Democrats, therefore, won’t be able to put anybody into the seat to give him or her a leg up. That’s gonna be a real tough one for them to hold.
Sen. Sullivan has justly earned great respect from both sides of the aisle. He’s a class act, and that’s why his GOP voters have kept sending him back to Springfield. It’s a “Sullivan district,” not a partisan district.
He’ll be missed.
…Adding… Some decidedly unclassy spin from the IL GOP…
Senator John Sullivan, a downstate Democrat in a competitive district, announced Thursday that he is not running for re-election in 2016.
Sullivan’s announcement is an early sign that the Democrats controlled by Mike Madigan are afraid of answering to voters after their repeated failure in Springfield.
In spite of winning re-election by nearly 13 points in 2012, Sullivan bowed out of his re-election campaign less than a week after Governor Bruce Rauner visited the district and challenged voters to hold Sullivan accountable for standing with Mike Madigan. In the November election, Governor Bruce Rauner won the district by more than 36 points.
As the 30-year House Speaker and Chairman of the Democratic Party, Mike Madigan has held a firm grip on Democrats in Springfield and has enforced loyalty at all costs. Sullivan knows that if he were to run for re-election, he would not be able to distance himself from Mike Madigan.
For the Democrat legislators who continue to stand against reform to business-as-usual in Springfield, Mike Madigan’s name will be next to theirs on the ballot in November 2016.
Sullivan has won every election since 2002 by wide margins. Sen. Sullivan won a close race in 2002, beating incumbent Sen. Laura Kent Donahue by 3 points (51.5% - 48.5%), but he has coasted to victory in every election since. (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 6/18/2015)
2004: Sen. Sullivan (D) beat Republican Tom Ernst by 24 points (61.8% - 38.2%).
2008: Sen. Sullivan (D) won re-election unopposed.
2012: Sen. Sullivan (D) beat Republican Randy Frese by nearly 13 points (56.4% - 43.6%).
Just three weeks ago, Sullivan blindly supported his Democrat party boss Mike Madigan by voting for a budget that was unbalanced by more than $3 billion. “House Democrats worked into the evening Tuesday to push through major parts of a new budget they acknowledge is at least $3 billion short in an effort to force new Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to eventually go along with a tax increase to fill the deficit.” (Monique Garcia and Kim Geiger,
“Illinois Democrats Push Ahead With Budget That’s $3 Billion Short,” Chicago Tribune, 5/26/2015)
Sullivan voted to pass Madigan’s unbalanced FY2016 budget bill. (Illinois General Assembly Records, Accessed 6/18/2015)
Sullivan has taken $1,037,820 from Democrat Party committees controlled by Mike Madigan. (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 6/18/2015)
Last week, Governor Bruce Rauner visited Sullivan’s district and challenged voters to hold Sullivan accountable for standing with Mike Madigan. “[Gov. Bruce Rauner] said he wants people to get in touch with their representatives and ask them: “Are you for taxpayers or the Chicago political machine?”‘” (WGEM, “Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner Challenges Voters To Pressure Lawmakers,” WGEM.com, 6/11/2015)
Governor Bruce Rauner won Sullivan’s district by 36 points (65% - 29%) in the November 2014 election. The rural Western Illinois district covers all or part of 11 counties, including Adams, Brown, Cass, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Schuyler and Warren. Governor Rauner won the district by 36 points and the most populous county in the district by 56 points (Adams, 76.4% - 19.3%). (Illinois Board of Elections, Accessed 6/18/2015)
“Plain and simple: Sen. John Sullivan is running from Mike Madigan. After voting for a budget that was unbalanced by $4 billion and accepting over $1 million from Madigan’s Democrat Party over the years, John Sullivan knows that he can’t justify his actions to his constituents. In the past, Democrats have voted with Madigan in Springfield and then distanced themselves to voters at home. But now, Governor Rauner is not letting Democrats like Sullivan get away with it. Countless Democrats represent districts throughout the state where Madigan is loathed by voters. By November 2016, these voters will know that a vote for a Democrat in the state legislature is a vote for the failed status quo controlled by Mike Madigan,” said Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party.
