* A group of Protestant and Jewish religious leaders called Clergy for a New Drug Policy is lobbying for marijuana legalization in Illinois and several other states…
“It’s a primary change if something is decriminalized,” said the Rev. Al Sharp, the Chicago pastor who launched the group this spring. “The goal is to change the culture of punishment in this country, which the war on drugs has contributed so thoroughly and so devastatingly to.”
Sharp considers himself just as much a policy wonk as he is a pastor. As the former head of nonprofit agencies such as Protestants for the Common Good and the Community Renewal Society, groups founded as alternatives to the religious right, he has made lobbying for public policies such as more education funding and better housing his ministry. […]
When legislators in Springfield recently approved a bill to remove criminal penalties for simple marijuana possession, replacing the threat of jail time and a criminal record with a sanction similar to a traffic ticket, Sharp and his fellow clergy claimed victory.
If the bill is signed into law, Illinois will join 17 other states in decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, a group that advocates the legal use of marijuana. Nearly half the country, including Illinois, already allows for the use of medical marijuana.
But without the support from groups on the Right, like the Illinois Policy Institute, this stuff was going nowhere.
The Hastert indictment raises questions even more gut-wrenching: about the proper use of the criminal law; the degree to which technical statutes should be employed to punish alleged conduct that is offensive but uncharged; and the role that celebrity and prominence should play in making prosecutorial decisions. […]
The Hastert indictment strikes me as a significantly more questionable call. If Hastert sexually abused a student when he was a teacher and wrestling coach, that conduct is repugnant; it should have been reported and prosecuted decades ago.
Now, it is too late for that. Instead, Hastert was tripped up by bank reporting requirements intended to catch drug kingpins and organized crime bosses. His alleged crime is that he structured his hush money withdrawals to avoid triggering reporting rules and then — seemingly on a single occasion — lied to FBI agents about why he was making the withdrawals. […]
Hastert did, it seems, a terrible thing. He is, or was, paying for it — literally. He shelled out $1.7 million “to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct,” the indictment says. He is at once alleged perpetrator and victim of a shake-down scheme; his alleged victim is both prey and blackmailer.
* Let’s focus on the currency issue. From the indictment…
Title 31, United States Code, Section 5313(a) and Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1010.310-313 required domestic financial institutions to prepare and file with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network a Currency Transaction Report (Form 104) for any transaction or series of transactions involving currency of more than $10,000.
Federal law also makes it a crime to attempt to evade this reporting requirement. So, if you consciously don’t want to deal with that reporting hassle and instead withdraw just $9,500 from your bank account, you can actually be charged with a felony.
First of all, that’s your money in your bank account. This is so invasive.
We’re eventually going to reach a point through the magic of inflation when $10K is a normal withdrawal for anybody in the middle class. [Adding: I withdrew cash before my extended trip to New Orleans and the bank flagged it for the IRS. I couldn’t believe my bank did it because it was nowhere near $10K.]
These sorts of drug prohibition-era penalities need to be repealed. Maybe Hastert’s indictment will finally wake up Congress.
Four years after a strident confrontation with organized labor he later regretted laid the groundwork for a more cooperative relationship, Mayor Rahm Emanuel will strike a dramatically different tone on Wednesday.
The mayor has summoned leaders of virtually every union representing city workers—with the exception of the Fraternal Order of Police—to an unprecedented meeting at the plumbers’ union hall.
The conversation is certain to include the $30 billion pension crisis that has dropped the bond rating of the city, Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Park District to junk status and threatens the on-time opening of schools this fall. […]
Asked about the meeting with Emanuel, [Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez] compared it to the highly strained relationship between organized labor and rookie Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“Sitting down and having a constructive and collaborative dialogue stands in stark contrast to what’s happening at the state level, with the governor,” Ramirez said.
Rahm learned the hard way. But the governor most likely just figures that his old pal has sold out.
* Meanwhile, the Effingham City Council heard from dozens of union members Tuesday evening about “right to work,” even though it doesn’t appear the governor’s resolution was up for formal council debate…
Dexter Sloan spoke about what his life was like before he joined a union four years ago. “I started from the bottom,” he told the council. “I started at $5 an hour. I busted my butt every day — eight to 10 hours a day — and getting nowhere.”
Sloan was working two jobs just to get by. And getting by, he said, was all he could do. “Almost five years ago, my firstborn son had a brain aneurysm and died in my arms — because I didn’t have insurance,” Sloan said. “That’s when I left and went union.”
Since joining, he’s gotten better wages, better training, and benefits he never had before. “I can provide for my family now,” Sloan said.
Upon finishing his address to the council, a thunderous applause came from other union workers at the meeting. A handful of others would also officially address the council.
Under state law, the move toward closure would trigger a two-month review process to let local workers, community members and others weigh in. It’s a process that has been seen downstate several times in recent years as governors have targeted prisons.
The process typically peaks with a lengthy public hearing that can turn emotional.
“It can be a difficult process,” said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat and member of the commission that would hold the hearing. “But it’s very important.”
In the end, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability issues an opinion about whether a facility should close, but a governor can proceed either way, no matter the opinion.
* In other news, AARP responded today to the governor’s cuts…
“Governor Rauner’s decision to file emergency rules creating a means test for the Department on Aging’s Community Care Program (CCP) is in effect a harsh cut that endangers the lives of thousands of older Illinoisans, and the communities in which they live.
Nearly 39,000 older Illinoisans who receive CCP services in their own homes and communities are at great risk of losing those services and have no alternative other than costly and often unnecessary institutional care.
The cuts affect not just the individuals receiving the programs and services – the community agencies providing those services will also be gravely hit. They may have to lay workers off or shut down altogether, creating a negative ripple effect in countless local economies across Illinois.
Additionally, those individuals who are caregivers for CCP clients will also be hurt – many will have to cut hours from work or leave their jobs altogether to care for Mom and Dad, further compounding the drastic effect on local economies.
These cuts are not the right way to proceed in order to fix a budget gap.
The Community Care Program saves taxpayers’ money. National and state studies have consistently demonstrated that caring for an individual in a nursing home environment costs triple to taxpayers what it costs to care for the same individual at home and in the community.
Cutting CCP does not correct the budget imbalance – actually, it makes it even worse down the road. Any immediate savings will be eliminated in the future and taxpayers will have to foot a significantly larger bill.
On behalf of our 1.7 million Illinois members, we strongly oppose the Governor’s decision and we urge him to cancel the emergency rule and protect a service that is critical to thousands of older citizens and to the communities where they live.”
Speaker Mike Madigan’s House is scheduled to take up [the workers’ comp] issue tomorrow. I don’t know whether this will be a serious effort at compromise or another extended middle finger back at the governor. But, in earlier conversations, some progress has been made. I’m not going to relate all the details, but there are ways to cut costs that both sides should be able to agree on because, compared with other industrial states, Illinois remains an outlier. And there are ways to further lean on insurance companies to pass on the savings to employers in the form of reduced premiums.
Another issue on which there is surprising agreement on both sides of the aisle is the need for an at least temporary property tax freeze, primarily for public school districts. The teachers unions won’t like it and will seek a big hike in state aid. But such a property tax freeze plan fared very well in an earlier test vote in Madigan’s House. That tells me suburban Democrats want something done. So does Rauner. So do it, and declare victory.
Tort reform is on a lot of people’s lists. That’s a tougher issue, but not impossible if both sides focus on things such as venue shopping. As Illinois Chamber of Commerce chief Todd Maisch puts it, there’s no reason that half of the asbestos cases in America should be filed in Madison County in Illinois.
* The asbestos thing is a bit overblown because plaintiffs and defendants have established a sort of specialty court in Madison County. That’s happened elsewhere with other types of cases. Subscribers know more about the workers’ comp stuff, but that property tax freeze on school districts would be vigorously opposed by the City, for obvious reasons. Tribune…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday declined to say whether Chicago Public Schools will be able to make a $634 million teacher pension payment due at the end of the month. […]
While CPS officials have declined to offer specifics, the district could be in a cash-flow crunch. The budget the Chicago Board of Education cobbled together last year relied on counting 14 months of revenue for its 12-month spending plan. Those two additional months are July and August. Historically, CPS has made the payment in a lump sum at the very last minute: June 30, the last day of the financial year.
CPS owes $634 million to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund by month’s end. It’s unclear what would happen if the cash-strapped school district did not make that deadline, however, because state law does not specify.
“If they don’t follow the letter of the law, we have the option to sue,” said Charles Burbridge, executive director of the teachers’ pension fund, who noted the district had included the payment in its annual budget. “We are expecting to get that payment. We have not had any sign from anyone that that payment is not coming.”
The sooner every voter understands not only who broke Illinois but who’s now refusing to accept real reforms, the sooner Madigan and Cullerton will have to accept a simple truth:
Their party lost the governorship because the people of Illinois were fed up with the status quo. That hasn’t changed. The people want to fix how this sorry state does business.
Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s management steps in preparation for the out-of-balance state budget passed by Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan:
“The Democrats continue to want to spend more money than Illinois has in hard-earned tax dollars. Their budget plan is $4 billion out-of-balance. At the same time, President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan refuse to structurally change state government policies and practices, having rejected a comprehensive package of reforms negotiated in good faith.
Gov. Rauner seems to be the only adult in the room and he is making tough but necessary decisions. The alternative to a bloated budget and getting us to a balanced budget is passing reforms that grow the economy and eliminating wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse. It is up to the Democrat super-majority to decide whether the political class will cease oppressing the working class. Gov. Rauner simply wants to empower the people and restore freedom to the citizens of Illinois.”
* I dunno if this really means anything, but I’ll take it. From U-Haul…
There is nothing wrong with being runner-up in this countdown when you’ve jumped two spots and resurfaced as the Midwest magnet for do-it-yourself movers.
Chicago comes in at No. 2 on the U-Haul Top 10 U.S. Destination Cities for 2014. These rankings reflect the top destinations of one-way U-Haul truck rentals for the past calendar year.
The Windy City moved up from its No. 4 ranking a year ago and has climbed five sports since dipping to No. 7 back in 2008. Chicago was last as high as No. 2 in 2007.
While migration trends don’t correlate directly to a city’s population or economic growth, they are a strong gauge as to how well cities are attracting new residents. […]
“One of the fastest growing neighborhoods is the Wicker Park/Bucktown area, at least on the north side. A lot of people are still downsizing and it’s such a hugely dense area, so storage is in high demand. The job and housing markets have improved. A few years ago, people were trying to leave because it was too costly to live here. Now they’re coming back. Unemployment has dropped and Chicago seems to be more of a destination. There is still rebuilding. The city is knocking down buildings and creating huge skyscrapers for condos. There is definitely opportunity for people to move here.”
* A super-wealthy anti-tax man spends $40 million on campaigns and lobbying expenses in Missouri to get what he wants. It’s today’s must-read…
Republicans are in firm control of the Missouri House of Representatives, and they run a good whip operation. If they can’t get a bill passed with a solid GOP majority, they don’t bring it to the floor. They’d rather not advertise dissension within party ranks. A couple of years ago, however, the leadership made a big exception to that rule. They knew they lacked the Republican support to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of an $800 million state income tax cut, but they still called the package up for a vote, forcing all legislators to go on record, including 15 Republicans who ended up bucking the party majority and opposing the cut.
Rank-and-file members are convinced this all took place to please one man. A decade after returning to the state with a fortune he earned managing money in California, 70-year-old Rex Sinquefield has become a powerful presence in Missouri politics. Unlike most people who disagree with the positions politicians take, Sinquefield has the resources to make them pay. Last year, he and campaign committees he funded helped recruit candidates to run in primary contests against several of the Republicans who had broken party ranks on the tax cut vote. Each of the challengers was offered six-figure support. “He came after me with a lot of money and a very, very negative campaign,” says Nate Walker, one of the targeted House members. “I had to go and mortgage my house so I could at least fight back a little bit.”
The issues that concern “Rex,” as he is universally referred to in political circles, have become central to the state’s agenda in recent years. In addition to his campaign contributions, Sinquefield has spent millions on lobbying efforts and on the Show-Me Institute, a free-market think tank he established in St. Louis. Last year, he estimated his lobbying operation employed about 1,000 people “the last time I looked at my checkbook.” It’s hard to tell to what extent he was kidding, but he didn’t seem to be joking when at the same event he twice referred to Nixon as an “idiot.” (Sinquefield declined requests to be interviewed for this story.) […]
Win or lose, the ongoing Sinquefield saga in Missouri sheds light on the central role money plays in contemporary American politics, as well as its limits. While many megadonors, such as billionaires Charles and David Koch, continue to be cash machines for federal candidates, others are finding they can get more for their money by focusing on a single state. Not every state has a Sinquefield, but quite a few do. And some of these state moneybrokers, such as Republicans Art Pope in North Carolina and Bruce Rastetter in Iowa, and Democrats Tim Gill and Pat Stryker in Colorado, threaten to amass the kind of clout in individual legislatures that was held more than a century ago by railroads and mining companies, and triggered Progressive Era campaign finance limits in the first place. “It costs less currying favor with state lawmakers,” says Kenneth Vogel, author of Big Money, a book detailing donations in the current super PAC era, “and bills are actually moving. They don’t have the same level of gridlock as Washington.” […]
While many legislators have balked at parts of Sinquefield’s agenda, Sinquefield can take some satisfaction in the fact that many of his critics won’t be around all that long. House and Senate members in Missouri are limited to eight years in office; if the current cohort is hard to persuade, the next generation of legislators may feel it’s not worth the aggravation of standing up to him and enduring thousands of dollars in attack ads as their reward. And Sinquefield doesn’t intend to stop writing checks until he can succeed in reshaping Missouri more to his liking. He once grandiosely declared that he refused to die until his favored tax and education policies had been adopted. “There’s more coming down the pike,” says Travis Brown, Sinquefield’s lobbyist. “He’s got a very ambitious agenda.”
Illinoisans for Growth and Opportunity, a business-backed group formed to support Democrats who take tough votes on the state budget, has raised more than $14 million in two political funds. But it will not be joining Rauner in a media campaign for legislative term limits, workers’ compensation reform and other changes the governor is pushing to be packaged with a 2016 state budget agreement.
Instead, says Greg Goldner, a longtime Chicago political operative who is the organization’s consultant, the group will engage only in limited activities for now, and only positive ones.
“Our primary goal is to defend Democratic legislators who are willing to take tough votes, not to push them,” Goldner told me. “Legislators who made good votes (this session) deserve a little pat on the back instead of always being criticized.” […]
Goldner hinted in recent weeks that it was about to open its wallet soon, seemingly preparing for a two-pronged attack on lawmakers alongside Rauner, who has gathered an even bigger war chest that he says soon will target legislative foes, especially House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.
But in the interview, Goldner seemed to suggest there is little role for IllinoisGO in what is starting to look like a personal battle between the governor and the speaker. “We will be most effective if we can articulate a positive alternative,” he said.
Raoul, colleagues unveil ambitious economic plan
College access, paid sick leave, living wage will help Illinoisans get ahead
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois students could have the opportunity to attend community college for up to two years tuition-free, workers would be guaranteed paid sick time and a gradual increase in the minimum wage would help working families get a foothold in tough times under a legislative agenda many Senate Democrats are rallying behind as negotiations with Governor Rauner have stalled.
“I’m concerned that the priorities of the middle class and families struggling to get by have been neglected as the rhetoric at the Capitol has heated up,” Raoul said. “These initiatives are basic ingredients of a more competitive, compassionate Illinois: education access, workplace protections, a living wage and tax reforms so working families aren’t forced to shoulder more than their share.”
The agenda contains five key provisions:
· Illinois College Promise Program (SB 2146): Covers tuition and mandatory fees for up to two years at any of the state’s 48 community colleges as long as the student continues to meet all applicable eligibility requirements.
· Healthy Workplace Act (SB 2147): Guarantees up to seven paid days of sick time to full and part time employees. Sick time would accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Employees would not be able to take sick time for the first 120 days of employment.
· Tuition Tax Credit (SB 2149): Qualifying parents or students who are Illinois residents can claim a tax credit for higher education expenses incurred at any eligible public or private university, community college, vocational school or other postsecondary educational institution located in Illinois.
· Corporate loopholes (SB 2148): Ends a variety of corporate tax loopholes, including automatic tax breaks for production outside Illinois. Ending these corporate giveaways will bring the state $334 million in additional revenue.
· Minimum wage (SB 2145): Increases the state minimum wage to $9 per hour on July 1, 2015 and by $0.50 each subsequent year until the minimum wage reaches $11 on July 1, 2019. Provides a three-year tax credit for employers with fewer than 50 employees.
“This is an ambitious agenda but one that is profoundly commonsense, extending opportunities to our hard-working residents trying to improve their standard of living and give back to their communities,” Raoul said. “Illinois’ most successful reforms rarely come about without a commitment to cooperation — something our law enforcement reform package shows we can still muster — and I hope we can join together to help the people we represent get ahead and stay ahead.”
The introduction of this agenda, embodying longtime core concerns of many Senate Democrats, comes as Gov. Rauner threatens to shut down state government unless lawmakers erode legal protections for workers and their families and slash billions of dollars in essential services to seniors, at-risk youth and the state’s most vulnerable residents.
The economic plan, which Raoul will co-sponsor, was filed at the Capitol today and could be in final form for possible votes should lawmakers be called back into session this summer.
So, now we know at least part of the Senate’s agenda for next Tuesday’s session.
* The budget may be messed up. The Turnaround Agenda may be in shambles, but there has been historic progress on the criminal justice front this spring. Tribune…
Illinois’ latest effort toward criminal justice reform has been heralded as a return to the state’s roots as a pioneer in the treatment of juvenile offenders.
State lawmakers on Sunday passed a bill that would reduce the number of juveniles automatically transferred to adult court. At issue was not whether juveniles can be tried as adults. Rather, it’s whether a juvenile defendant should be allowed a hearing in front of a juvenile court judge who would consider factors such as background, mental capacity and culpability before deciding whether to send the youth to adult court.
The bill, now awaiting Gov. Bruce Rauner’s signature, eliminates the automatic transfer to adult court of 15-year-olds accused of any crime, no matter how serious. For 16- and 17-year-olds, only those charged with murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated battery with a firearm would automatically be sent to adult court.
If signed into law, the measure would reduce by more than half the number of juvenile offenders in Cook County who are automatically sent to adult court, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a news release. She championed the new legislation and decried the current law’s “disproportionate impact” on minorities.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
ILLINOIS HOUSE, SENATE UNANIMOUSLY PASS BAIL BOND REFORM MEASURE
HB 1119 headed to Gov. Rauner’s desk for signature
CHICAGO - Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey (D-12th) today announced that House Bill 1119, legislation that eliminates excessive charges in bail bond processing fees in Cook County, has unanimously passed both chambers of the Illinois legislature and is headed to Governor Bruce Rauner for signature and final passage.
“I am encouraged by the overwhelming bi-partisan support that this common-sense measure received in Springfield, and I am hopeful that Governor Rauner signs it into law,” Commissioner Fritchey said. “I am grateful to State Representatives LaShawn Ford and Ron Sandack, as well as State Senator Kwame Raoul, for their leadership on this issue. Together we’ve recognized that our over-reliance on a money-based bail system isn’t working, and if we’re holding even one person in jail who shouldn’t be there but simply can’t afford to pay their way out, we’re operating at a loss both financially and morally. While there is more to be done, passing HB1119 is a positive step in making our criminal justice system more fair.”
Currently, state law authorizes court clerks to retain 10% of posted bail as ‘bail bond costs’ regardless of the size of the bond. Pursuant to the current law, in 2013, a staggering $5.6 million was kept by the Clerk of the Court of Cook County as bail bond costs. HB1119 caps the amount of bail bond money that can be retained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County at $100, regardless of the amount of the bond.
If passed, the law will go into effect January 1, 2016.
* And…
ATTORNEY GENERAL APPLAUDS LEGISLATIVE PASSAGE OF MEASURES TO SUPPORT WOMEN, CONSUMERS, SENIORS
Chicago — Attorney General Lisa Madigan today highlighted legislation initiated by her office that will be heading to the governor’s desk for final approval. […]
Improving Response to Campus Sexual Violence
Attorney Madigan spearheaded House Bill 821 to address sexual violence on college campuses. Madigan convened summits around the state to discuss the legislation, which will set standards to prevent and respond to sexual violence at higher education institutions throughout Illinois.
The Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act will ensure that Illinois colleges and universities take steps to develop clear, comprehensive campus sexual violence policies. Some of the requirements include notifying student survivors about their rights; providing a confidential advisor to survivors to help them understand their options to report the crime and seek medical and legal assistance; adopting a fair, balanced process for adjudicating allegations of sexual violence; and training students and campus employees to prevent sexual violence and improve awareness. The legislation, which was sponsored by Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-Schaumburg) and Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields), passed the House and Senate almost unanimously.
Greater Protections for Nursing Home Residents
Attorney General Madigan initiated House Bill 2462 in response to complaints from nursing home residents and families concerned for their relatives’ care and security. Madigan’s proposal would allow residents of nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities or their family members to purchase and install video or audio monitoring devices in their rooms. Some provisions include requiring resident and roommate consent before devices can be installed, making residents or their families responsible for purchasing and maintaining the devices, and prohibiting facilities from retaliating against residents who use the devices.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) and Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan) passed both chambers of the General Assembly with strong legislative support. If enacted, Illinois would become the fourth state to explicitly allow electronic monitoring devices to be installed in resident rooms in nursing homes.
* Emily Miller at Voices for Illinois Children takes a look at Gov. Rauner’s announced budget cuts from yesterday. Her analysis is in italics when discussing specific actions by the governor…
Not sure if you already have folks who have sent you this data, but just in case, the attached spreadsheet is an analysis we (Voices for Illinois Children, as part of the Responsible Budget Coalition) did of CCP cuts in Rauner’s budget. We, at this point, assume that the cuts he suggested yesterday mirror those of his original proposal. We have no indication that it would be anything other than that.
We don’t have numbers on a good number of items cut yesterday because they have never been mentioned before to advocates as being potentially on the chopping block. If you’re looking at this from a policy perspective, the fact that we’ve not discussed these cuts before (when SO many other cuts have been contemplated) makes me ask why the Governor considers the cuts to be a good idea to enact immediately when they were not included in the initial budget proposal or Good Friday Massacre. But of course, this decision was not made while looking at this from a policy perspective. This is like a sick game of chess where the pawns are seniors, children, and low-income families.
• Prepare and provide notice for the July 1 suspension of the State Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (SLIHEAP). The federal portion of the program, funded at about $170 million, will continue. [According to the Governor’s budget book, 155,000 families would lose heating assistance, while 60,000 families would lose cooling assistance.]
Department on Aging
• File emergency rules to enact means testing to Aging’s Community Care Program. No income limit currently exists.
• Increase the Determination of Need (DON) Score required to obtain services through Aging’s Community Care Program [Combined effect of above two items (assuming same DON score increase as in his budget) would be about 39,000 seniors losing access to the program. (The attached document has estimates by area of state for CCP.)]
Department of Human Services
• DHS will pursue cost control strategies through emergency rules to the Childcare Program:
• Increase copays for parents using the programs [increases costs to parents by $10 million annually (if the copayment increase is the same as envisioned in his budget)]
• Freeze intake and create waiting lists. [This is somewhat ambiguous. Does he mean freeze all intake? Intake for school aged children? As we’ve discussed before, freezing intake for school-aged kids could eventually mean that tens of thousands of kids could lose access.]
* Meanwhile, SEIU Healthcare points out that some of these things probably aren’t legal…
Gov. Bruce Rauner late Tuesday announced unilateral cuts to a wide array of vital services and programs that working families and seniors depend upon–without waiting for a budget deal to be finalized.
The package of cuts Rauner announced included eligibility restrictions for the Community Care Program that likely contradict Illinois law, as well as cuts to the state Child Care Assistance Program.
Following is the response of SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Keith Kelleher:
“Bruce Rauner’s unilateral cuts announced [yesterday] likely will not pass muster in court and they certainly do not pass muster with the values of the people of Illinois. They will inflict pain on countless struggling families and seniors–all in the name of ‘reform.’
“The bottom line is that Bruce Rauner refuses true budgetary reform–generating much-needed revenue by making the wealthy of the state pay their fair share.
“Denying child care for kids; home care for seniors; and the crucial resources that thousands of working families rely upon to meet their most basic needs shows a warped set of priorities, especially when Gov. Rauner is doing everything he can to protect those at the very top.
“We will pursue all the options at our disposal to protect seniors, as well as children and working families, from these immoral and unilateral moves.”
The union says it currently estimates 5,000 families, 10,000 kids and 40,000 seniors would be immediately impacted by the cuts.
Downstate, Rauner initiated the closing of the Hardin County work camp, a Department of Corrections facility based in southern Illinois. About 180 inmates will be moved to other facilities and 60 workers affected, the governor’s office said.
“I’m a big believer in working in a bipartisan manner, a big believer in compromise,” said Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, who represents the area. “But I can’t compromise when he’s going after families I represent. I’m going to fight harder than I ever had to make sure this doesn’t close.”
Closer to home, Maria Whelan, president and CEO of Illinois Action for Children, which administers the child care subsidy program for low-income parents in Cook County, said the announcement of larger copayments and a freeze on new entrants came as a surprise.
“What that means is that when you get a job working nights and weekends at a Target or a McDonald’s or a Wal-Mart … that you have no access to child care,” Whelan said. “I find it absolutely stunning that we can talk in the same sentence about turning around a state in terms of our economy and pulling out from under working families one of the most important and essential work supports that they must have to do their jobs.”
Madigan: House to Vote on Reforms to Assistance for Injured Workers
CHICAGO – House Speaker Michael J. Madigan announced the House will take up legislation Thursday to reform the system of assistance received by workers injured while on the job.
“As we have said previously, we’re willing to work with and compromise with Governor Rauner on any number of issues, and this proposal to reform the system of assistance for workers injured on the job will show that,” Madigan said. “The governor stated he believes this is one of the top issues, so we want to help him address it. We believe workers assistance can be reformed without hurting middle-class families. Our reform legislation will ensure savings for employers while protecting the livelihoods of injured workers.”
The House will convene at 1 p.m. Thursday.
*** UPDATE *** Lance Trover…
“Unsurprisingly, Speaker Madigan has proposed phony reforms in any effort to protect his special interest allies. His proposal ignores the most important reforms we need for our worker’s compensation system, and in another instance, could actually undermine previous reform efforts. Sadly, this is exactly the type of unserious, political posturing Illinoisans have now come to expect from the Speaker and the politicians he controls. Illinois needs real reform.”
Senator David Luechtefeld has announced he will not move from Okawville to the 58th district to seek reelection in the district he has served for 20 years. The deadline of moving into the district to file as a candidate for the November 2016 election was June 1, 2015.
Through redistricting after the 2010 census, Okawville was put in 54th district. Luechtefeld was able to run one more time in the 58th district, in 2012.
The Senator said that he intends to serve the remainder of his term that ends in January 2017. […]
At age 74, Luechtefeld said that it “is time” to leave office when the term ends.
Darin LaHood’s campaign today released its first television ad for the 2015 special primary election that takes place on Tuesday, July 7th.
The ad, titled “Conservative Leader”, outlines Darin LaHood’s proven conservative record of fighting for transparency, higher ethical standards for government and special interests, term limits, and Pat Quinn’s sixty-seven percent income tax hike. Darin will continue to push for these same conservative principles in Washington.
On transparency, higher ethical standards for government and special interests…Darin has authored and supported numerous pieces of ethics reform legislation for government officials and lobbyists. He introduced SB 3649, legislation that prohibits a sitting member of the Illinois legislation to become a lobbyist within one year of leaving office. Additional pieces of legislation supporting higher ethical standards are: SB 2263, SB 2265, SB 3646.
On term limits…Darin has been a long-time advocate for term limits in order to prevent career politicians on both sides of the aisle. He has introduced and/or supported SJRCA 41, SJRCA 19, SJRCA 69, all pieces of legislation that push for term limits in the Illinois General Assembly and the Executive Branch.
On Pat Quinn’s sixty-seven percent income tax hike…Darin has stood up to Pat Quinn’s income tax hike, not once but twice. Most recently, he was a sponsor of SR 1265, legislation that would prohibit a vote on taxes during a veto or lame duck session.
SPRINGFIELD – House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and their caucuses passed a budget for the 2016 fiscal year beginning July 1 that is nearly $4 billion in the hole.
This latest broken Madigan-Cullerton budget comes on the heels of a Fiscal Year 2015 Madigan-Cullerton budget that was more than $1.5 billion out-of-balance when it was passed.
Since taking office, Governor Rauner has worked diligently to eliminate the inherited $1.5 billion budget deficit without raising taxes, and the state is now projected to end the year with a balanced budget.
With the upcoming Madigan-Cullerton budget deficit more than double that of last year, a mid-year solution is not a possibility this time. The Administration must immediately begin taking steps to manage state spending.
While the Administration is committed to managing the Madigan-Cullerton budget responsibly, because their budget includes no reforms, the options available to the Administration are limited.
“Speaker Madigan, President Cullerton and the politicians they control refuse to act responsibly and reform state government,” Rauner Spokesman Lance Trover said. “It is time they come to the table with Governor Rauner to turnaround Illinois.”
Outlined below are steps the Administration is initiating today in order to begin balancing the phony Madigan-Cullerton budget. Many additional steps will be announced as they are finalized.
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Effective Immediately
Immediate suspension of all future incentive offers to companies for business attraction and retention.
o This includes EDGE Tax Credits, Large Business Attraction Grants, Employer Training Investment Program Incentive Grants and Prime Sites Grants.
Will defer application approvals for film tax credits and High Impact Business designations.
All commitments previously made in any of these programs will be honored.
Action Initiated
Prepare and provide notice for the July 1 suspension of the State Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (SLIHEAP).
The federal portion of the program, funded at about $170 million, will continue.
Department of Transportation
Effective Immediately
In light of the state’s current fiscal crisis and a lack of sufficient capital resources, the Illiana Expressway will not move forward at this time. As a result, the Illinois Department of Transportation will remove the project from its current multi-year plan. It is the determination of IDOT that the project costs exceed currently available resources. The Department will begin the process of suspending all existing project contracts and procurements.
Action Initiated
Beginning July 1, the Department will “ground” all state plane passenger service. Planes will be maintained and available for emergency services.
Department of Juvenile Justice
Action Initiated
Begin the process of identifying one or two juvenile correctional facilities for closure.
· Juvenile system has a surplus of capacity
Capacity at approximately 1,200 beds, with less than 700 occupied.
Department of Corrections
Action Initiated
Begin the process of closing the Hardin County Work Camp
o Approximately 180 inmates will be moved
Approximately 60 Work Camp staff affected
Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Action Initiated
Implement an audit review of nursing home reimbursements to ensure payments comply with recently implemented new rate structure.
Recover overpayments to nursing homes and implement financial penalties for improper billings.
Illinois State Police
Action Initiated
Immediately freeze all vehicle purchases.
Department on Aging
Action Initiated
File emergency rules to enact means testing to Aging’s Community Care Program. No income limit currently exists.
Increase the Determination of Need (DON) Score required to obtain services through Aging’s Community Care Program
Department of Human Services
Action Initiated
DHS will pursue cost control strategies through emergency rules to the Childcare Program:
o Increase copays for parents using the program; and
o Freeze intake and create waiting lists.
DHS will also begin background checks for relatives providing child care. Background checks are currently required for child care licensed centers, group homes and non-relatives who provide care.
Department of Natural Resources
Action Initiated
The Department will not award Open Space Land Acquisition Development Grants in FY16.
The Department will begin the process to suspend operations and close the five state museums to visitors. The state will continue to maintain and secure the museums to protect the artifacts and exhibits.
Gov. Bruce Rauner says he’s preparing to close up to two youth prisons in Illinois, and the centers at Warrenville and St. Charles are among those “under review.”
Rauner says he’s preparing contingency plans in case his budget fight with lawmakers extends deep into the summer. The state loses a lot of its authority to spend money on July 1 if Rauner hasn’t signed a budget into law. That means much of the state payroll would be in question. […]
The Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles houses juvenile offenders and the similar facility in Warrenville is the state’s sole female-only youth prison.
“All facilities are under review,” spokesman Lance Trover said.
Many of the moves by Rauner appeared aimed at trying to sow discontent among various segments within the Democratic majorities in the Illinois House and Senate. Democrats have remained largely unified in their opposition to what Rauner has called his “turnaround agenda.”
Rauner’s actions are aimed at showing how he would implement a spending plan approved by Democrats for the budget year that begins July 1 which is at least $3 billion short of anticipated revenues. Despite its passage, Democrats have not sent the proposal to Rauner given his vows to reject it outright.
*** UPDATE 2*** State museum closures do not include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the governor’s office says.
HOST: and of course - many of you have your own opinions on the current budget battle. WAND’s Michael Burton wanted to know exactly what they are. so he took to the streets to find out.
Michael Burton: “Brigette - most people I talked to today found it easy to hold Democrats accountable for political issues in the state and many agree that change of any type can be tough. While lawmakers voice their opinions in Springfield… people in the community are also taking a stand on a never-ending budget battle.”
Man: “There more spend-oriented. He’s more save-oriented. That’s my opinion.”
Michael Burton: “Some picked a side- but Marsha Lenski needs more information.”
Woman: “It seems so entangled to me that I can’t make much sense of it.”
Michael Burton: “On Friday - Governor Bruce Rauner announced he will reject a 2016 fiscal budget if it’s not balanced.”
Man 2: “There’s a lot of things, they’re just not willing to give into, and we understand that but unfortunately, something has to go.”
Michael Burton: “Kevin West says there needs to be a more unified agenda.”
Man 2: “I think everybody involved is trying to decide what’s best for their districts and they’re both trying to see both sides of the aisle. I think they’re having a really struggle with that, knowing what’s coming in is x amount of dollars but they want to spend a greater amount than we actually have.”
Michael Burton: “Like spending money on social programs. Decatur resident Steve Hamilton thinks we have too many.”
Man: “We probably don’t need as many as we have, there’s a lot of redundancies in the programs that we do have.”
Michael Burton: “Many state lawmakers have made it clear they don’t agree with aspects of the governor’s agenda.”
Man: “I think the Democrats are hard-headed and they need to compromise with him. We’ve been going the wrong direction for a long time in this state. We need to turn it around. He’s got some great ideas, they should listen to him.”
Woman: “We’ve become a country of I want, and I want it right now.”
Man 2: “Fair or not, it’s something that has to happen. We can’t continue to do what we’ve been doing and still stay solvent.”
It’s just one news story, but a ton of people were interviewed and there’s not exacty a whole lot of sympathy for the Democratic legislature there, but there does seem to be quite a bit of understanding of the governor’s very simple, direct message. “We need to turn it around.” Heck, that could’ve been said by Rauner himself.
Chicago bonds rose after the Illinois legislature cut more than $200 million from the city’s required 2016 payment into the police and fire retirement systems, a move to provide a partial reprieve from its pension burden.
Illinois’s General Assembly gave final approval Sunday to a bill that would reduce Chicago’s pension payments over the next five years. The average price of a general-obligation bond maturing in 2040 climbed 1.4 percent Monday to 91.6 cents on the dollar. That pushed the yield to 5.6 percent, the lowest since May 12, before Moody’s Investors Service announced that it cut the city’s credit rating to junk.
“It alleviates an immediate fiscal pressure,” said Gary Pollack, who manages $6 billion of munis as head of fixed-income trading at Deutsche Bank AG’s private-wealth management unit in New York. “That’s obviously positive for Chicago, which means it’s positive for the bondholder.”
The legislature’s action would give Chicago more time to find a way to plug a $20 billion pension-fund shortfall that’s left it with a lower credit rating than any big U.S. city except Detroit. The need to put more money into the cash-strapped retirement system has squeezed the city’s budget and led Moody’s to pull its investment-grade rank.
Emanuel’s proposal passed the House 65-45 and the Senate 38-20. But legislative Republicans voted against it, including House GOP Leader Jim Durkin and Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno, with some complaining that the city is still partially deferring rather than immediately meeting its obligation.
Rauner’s office today declined to comment on what he will do with the bill and whether he considers it a hostage of sorts in continuing clashes with Democrats over the state budget and other issues.
But Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said Rauner “tried to beat” the bill. The governor “wants to stop everything now, so he can say in his TV ads that nothing is happening.”
Democrats can deny Rauner the chance to veto the bill by failing to send it to him. Indeed, Brown says he suspects that may happen–Rauner needs time to “cool down,” Brown said. Cullerton has filed a motion to reconsider the bill, which places a temporary brick on it. […]
Another complication: By some accounts, the same bill had been expected to offer similar deferred payment options to downstate pension plans that cover police and firefighters. But that clause was eliminated from the bill and may need to be revived to get Rauner’s support.
Rauner couldn’t beat the bill. But he did keep his GOP members off of it, showing that he is either opposed in principle or at least opposed to passage before he gets his own agenda completed.
And that Downstate language problem may be only part of the issue.
* From a radio interview with the governor today…
Bruce Rauner says the Chicago police & fire pension bill kicks the can down the road on @WBEZmorning
"I'm so disappointed in the mayor"
* Happy hours were getting out of hand when they were banned in Illinois. But, as usual, the powers that be decided to ban something enjoyable entirely instead of just regulating it a bit more. This is long overdue legislation…
Under the legislation, which passed the Illinois House 82-31 the Senate 52-1 over the weekend, restaurants and bars would be allowed to offer discounted beer, wine and spirits for up to 4 hours a day or 15 hours a week. Some limitations will remain in place, including volume discounts (no two-for-ones, for example), and no happy-hour deals after 10 p.m.
The bill also would clarify the law to explicitly allow restaurants to pair alcoholic beverages with meals, something that long has been done at Chicago’s finer-dining establishments but not technically in accordance with the law. The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, has said the provision came in response from restaurant owners who called her office to complain about being ticketed for the pairings. She declined to name the offenders.
Bars and restaurants also may begin serving house-infused spirits, another no-no that often has been ignored around Chicago. That means imbibers can expect new cocktail offerings around the state that make use of peach-infused vodka or sour cherries soaked in rum.
Hotels also would benefit from the bill, which would streamline permitting and licensure for hoteliers that operate multiple venues under one roof.
In exchange for looser liquor regulations, the legislation would require mandatory statewide training for all who pour and serve alcoholic drinks, including servers, bartenders and the like. The program, called Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training, is required in Indiana and Michigan and helps servers identify signs of intoxication, stop underage sales and get up to speed on state and local alcohol regulations.
All good stuff.
And the governor had no brick on that bill. On the contrary, even.
* Two Saturdays ago, I was strolling the grounds of the Summer Camp music festival and a young man approached me to ask if I knew who was in the Steve Miller Band.
“Um, Steve Miller,” I said.
He asked if I knew anyone else in the band and I said I didn’t and we politely parted ways.
I was puzzled by that question because it seemed to come out of left field. Why did that guy care about who was in the Steve Miller Band? It just seemed so odd.
Later, I realized what was up. The band was scheduled to play the next day. The festival lineup was so long that I hadn’t even noticed.
* Miller played to the biggest crowd by far at that festival. It was hugely surprising because the average age of the audience was much, much younger than those of us who grew up with the guy. But there they were, joyfully dancing away and singing all the lyrics.
I concluded that they must’ve been raised on Miller’s music by their parents. Or, heck, even their grandparents.
Miller performed a heck of a show. I smiled the whole time. It was an unexpected pleasure.
* The reason I bring this up is because of something Gov. Bruce Rauner said yesterday about Speaker Michael Madigan…
“He makes his money from the status quo. He makes his money from big, expensive government.”
* Between election day and inauguration day, former Gov. Pat Quinn’s office handed out 609 grants totaling $404.6 million. The Sun-Times zeroes in on one of them today…
The village of Melrose Park was awarded a $3 million grant just weeks after its mayor, Ronald Serpico, ordered a stretch of a street in the west suburb to be named after the late father of a top Quinn aide — John D’Alessandro, who was his chief operating officer. Melrose Park has gotten $2.7 million of the grant so far.
Quinn’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity — the agency that gave out the grants — fell under the oversight of D’Alessandro in the governor’s office.
D’Alessandro, 28, who grew up in Melrose Park, joined Quinn’s staff in 2011 as his scheduler and travel aide. He’d risen to deputy chief of staff when he left the state payroll last June to work for the Democratic Governors Association, which pumped $5 million into Quinn’s campaign against Rauner…. He rejoined Quinn’s staff as chief operating officer after the Nov. 4 election.
Around that time, Serpico decided to honor D’Alessandro’s late father — also named John D’Alessandro — by placing his name on a street sign or monument at the corner of 25th Avenue and Division Street as part of the suburb’s marquee “Gateway Project” a few blocks north of Village Hall, according to Melrose Park village records.
The elder D’Alessandro had passed away four years earlier.
* The paper ties that grant to another, more well-known and far more controversial Quinn grant…
D’Alessandro is a longtime friend of Anthony Abruzzo, a member of the Melrose Park village board, but says they never discussed the honorary street name. […]
Abruzzo, 31, owns the architectural firm Forza Design & Consulting Inc. His biggest clients include Cinespace, which got five grants totaling $27.3 million under Quinn — including the $10 million the film studio ended up returning. Cinespace paid Abruzzo’s company about $60,000 out of state grant money, according to records Cinespace filed with the state.
* This must-read open letter to constituents by Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) includes a must-watch video…
Yesterday morning, I spoke on the floor of the House on a bill proposed by several downstate legislators that was intended to be a cleanup to our state’s concealed carry law. The bill (SB836), was characterized as a technical clean up bill but was still opposed by the IL Coalition Against Handgun Violence on grounds that the process of negotiating the bill wasn’t inclusive of both perspectives.
The night before, I voted against the bill in committee and objected to the sponsors’ suggestion that the bill was negotiated and agreed to by all parties.
I spent all night thinking about how we keep having the same fight over and over again: few issues are more polarized than gun rights vs. gun control and I am just as guilty of it as anyone on the other side of the argument. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, so I decided change had to start with me.
When I was recognized by the Speaker and rose to address the House, I could see “here she goes again” on the faces of my usual adversaries in years of battles over guns. What many don’t know is that all three of the lead sponsors of the bill are among my dearest friends in the General Assembly. In our private conversations, we acknowledge that we come from different communities with different needs and that we are each forcefully advocating sincere beliefs on behalf of the people we were sent here to represent. We’ve also often talked about how nice it would be if we could sit down together, without the lobbyists pulling us to extremes, and craft common sense policies that reflect that respect and admiration. Just as we are here to represent our communities, the advocates who work here are paid to represent their positions, not to compromise their organizations’ principles.
I shared a story about the last weekend we were home and an exchange between me and my oldest son while he was at his brother’s baseball game. While the game dragged on, my other two boys got bored and wanted to run around and explore the park around the baseball fields. I said no, I wanted them to stay with me and my oldest repeatedly asked me why. He’s 14, so I am used to that question no matter what the issue, but in this case when I said “because I said so,” the truth was that I didn’t want to tell him the real reason I didn’t want to let them out of my sight. As we sat in the lakefront park on a gorgeous evening, I was preoccupied with the news of how many shootings had happened in the previous week in our neighborhood and I was afraid to let the boys out of my sight. But I wasn’t about to tell my kids that, so I stuck with being the “not cool” mom instead.
When we got home that night, I saw that while we were at the game, a 17 year old boy and a 4 year old girl had been shot in another part of the city and that the little girl was clinging to life with a bullet lodged in her brain. My partner and I were talking about it and she challenged me, reminding me that I used to do a lot of work on gun issues. I responded that I had gotten so much horrific hate mail and threats that I had consciously stepped back to take a break from the ugliness. Her immediate response was “break’s over,” and she was right.
But returning to the same bills, same proposals and same battles just doesn’t make any sense to me. Not because I fear the hate mail, but because I believe all of us were sent here to find solutions and our constituents would prefer us to work together towards compromise rather than dig in on extreme positions with no possibility of success.
I reminded my colleagues that it isn’t the lobbyists’ job to find the middle ground, it is ours and I said that in a gesture of good faith, I was willing to acknowledge that while I did object to the process that led to this bill, I had no objections to the substance of the bill and would be voting yes. I went on to challenge them to meet me in the middle. I made clear that, in spite of being known as a “rabid gun grabber,” I didn’t want their guns, but that I also didn’t want their guns to keep turning up in my neighborhood and leaving bullets lodged in the brains of little girls.
There is a common sense middle ground, one that respects the rights of those who are worthy of respect, punishes those deserving punishment and protects those we are all charged with protecting. It’s time for all of us to find that place, so kids can be free to play in our parks without fear of random acts of violence.
After seeming to indicate Friday that workers’ compensation reform and a property tax freeze were the most important things he wanted to achieve, Rauner on Sunday said all five of the proposals introduced a week ago needed to be addressed. In addition to the property tax freeze and workers’ compensation reform, they include term limits, changes to how political maps are drawn and reforms of civil liability lawsuits. […]
By going past the end of May, the legislature will now need more votes to pass legislation. Instead of 60 votes in the House and 30 in the Senate, bills must now get 71 votes in the House and 36 in the Senate.
The state’s current fiscal year ends June 30, but a critical spending point for the state isn’t reached until about mid-July, when first payrolls must be issued.
Rauner said the administration is making contingency plans, but he would not elaborate.
Madigan said the wealth of Rauner and his allies to use against Democrats is “a new element of consideration. We’ve thought about it. We’ve planned for it.”
That planning appears to be the decision by Madigan and Cullerton to bring lawmakers back to Springfield in just days, using the floor of the House and Senate to respond to Rauner’s use of the bully pulpit, buttressed by the Republican TV campaign.
Rauner said his office was making “contingency” plans, but would not confirm whether that meant he was getting ready for a government shutdown or a strike by unionized state workers when their contract expires.
“We are going to prepare for any and all contingencies,” Rauner said.
Because this is neither a pre-deadline regular session nor a special session called by the speaker and president or the governor, the lawmakers won’t be getting their daily expense payments or mileage reimbursements — a savings of $20,000 on per diem payments alone.
The governor called that savings a little bit of good news in an otherwise stunningly disappointing spring session.
* In my own mind, there’s little doubt that Speaker Madigan has wanted to push the session into overtime for quite a while. I’ll have a fuller explanation of why for subscribers tomorrow, but Madigan did nothing all spring except demand that Rauner take things off the table. And when the governor complied, Madigan didn’t negotiate on the remaining agenda.
But, also, I’m not sure that Rauner did everything he could’ve to change Madigan’s mind. After back-tracking like crazy, he just couldn’t find a way to close a final deal. Make no mistake, Rauner went a whole lot further than Madigan did (which was pretty much nothing). But he’s the governor. It’s ultimately his responsibility to bring those massive Statehouse egos together. And he also seemed to relish this upcoming fight at times. He probably believes he has the Democrats right where he wants them at this very moment.
Forget about the budget, forget about Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda,” forget about the almost unprecedented animosity during the spring legislative session between Democrats and Republicans.
The most talked-about issue under the Illinois Statehouse dome last week was a directive from one of the governor’s top staffers to all state agency directors.
The agency directors received an order from the Rauner administration last Wednesday demanding that they and their staffs not meet or talk with any lobbyists unless the governor’s Policy Office had first OK’d the communications. The directors were also told to inform agency “stakeholders” that they didn’t really need to hire lobbyists anyway.
The governor’s press office refused several entreaties to comment on the ban.
“We have continued concern about outside interests’ attempts to influence the use of state resources and state policy,” wrote Rauner’s Deputy Governor Trey Childress last week.
“As an extension of our efforts to curb the influence of these interests, we want to send a message loud and clear that constituents and stakeholders need not employ a lobbyist to voice their concerns or needs directly,” he continued.
“Until further notice, please coordinate with your department’s contact on the Governor’s policy team in advance of any meeting between your senior team members and registered lobbyists.”
When most people think of lobbyists, they think of them lobbying elected officials, particularly legislators.
But quite a few lobbyists have built careers exclusively lobbying state agencies. And many, many others regularly reach out to agencies on behalf of their clients or association members occasionally or even regularly.
Agencies write rules that impact pretty much every business and every group in Illinois. So, most hire lobbyists to make sure their voices are heard and they aren’t harmed.
Also, some groups and businesses receive state grants, for things like job training, or for providing human or other services, or they rely on other state money. No government ever runs smoothly all the time, so glitches can happen. And when they do, people often turn to their Springfield associations to help fix the problems.
So, adding a layer to this age-old process has the potential to really muck things up. It will add time and hassle.
And most folks don’t have the ability or the time to deal with our vast government bureaucracy. That’s why they hired lobbyists and/or joined statewide associations in the first place.
But there’s another angle here.
The Democratic Party controlled both legislative chambers and the governor’s office for twelve straight years.
That meant many Republican lobbyists were out of luck as Democratic staff, campaign operatives and even legislators decided to take up the lobbying business and existing Democratic lobbyists greatly expanded their businesses.
And after Gov. Rauner won his election last November, several Democratic state agency honchos left to lobby the folks they used to work with.
Rauner’s people obviously don’t want Democrats having contacts with their agency folks without them knowing about it. Controlling the bureaucracy is a very difficult task. Rauner is running the most top-down controlling governor’s office I’ve ever seen. So, this is at least partially designed to prevent surprises from happening down below.
But it will also mean that the governor’s office, which is thickly populated by former Republican campaign workers, will be able to lock out any Democrats they want.
So, those who employ Democratic lobbyists - or even Republicans who don’t show sufficient subservience and tribute to the governor - may very well soon ask why they’re paying those folks when they can’t get anything done.
Most lobbyists were shocked at the governor’s order, but some almost immediately came up with a plan to get around it.
Instead of contacting the agencies directly, they’ll ask their favorite legislators to make the calls. But that obviously won’t work for those who don’t lobby the General Assembly.
The Democrats fully exploited “the spoils of war” when they were running everything. The Republican governor is now doing the same, but in a particularly Raunerish way. Legislative Republicans are already bending over backwards whenever he commands. He’s now extending his power over much of the rest of the Statehouse crowd.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is calling the Legislature’s spring session “stunningly disappointing” after Democrats passed a budget despite an impasse over how to fully fund it. […]
Rauner says there’s been “no sincere effort” by Democratic leaders to compromise. Democrats say Rauner’s agenda hurts the middle class.
“A stunningly disappointing General Assembly session this spring, we do not have a balanced budget,” Rauner said from the Capitol on Sunday. “We have an attempt to force major tax hikes on the people of Illinois and we have no significant reforms and no sincere effort that we can tell yet to achieve significant reforms for the people of Illinois.”
Rauner has positioned himself as the change agent needed to push a Democratic-controlled Legislature into action. He described himself as a volunteer, who was in Springfield working for the people, while calling Madigan a “puppet master” interested only in protecting the power structure he’s built over the decades.
Rauner, a multimillionaire who has more than $30 million in campaign bank accounts and easy access to much more, won’t describe the planned media barrage, but aides have signaled the main target will be Madigan, the longtime speaker and Illinois Democratic Party chairman.
Rauner is relying in part on a statewide poll his political team conducted this spring showing the governor enjoyed a public-approval rating much higher than Madigan’s. Steve Brown, Madigan’s spokesman, said it’s no sure thing the campaign will work.
“As the speaker has said, he’s been the target of Republican attacks for years,” Brown said. “It’s nothing new.”
Democratic mailers have arrived in GOP districts, too, though Illinois Republicans have deep pockets to fight back.
There’s also a huge buzz over whether Rauner, said to have $50 million in political funding under his direction, now will launch a massive advertising attack on Democrats, particularly Madigan, who the governor’s press office has punched at often in the past week.
Rauner on Sunday said he wasn’t going to discuss “messaging,” but he added he’s braced for anything aimed at him.
“You watch the attacks coming against me the next couple of weeks,” the governor said, “This ain’t tiddlywinks.”
* “We are destroying the middle class in Illinois” under House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, said Gov. Rauner yesterday in his most direct attack on the Democrats since last year’s campaign. Both Madigan and Cullerton had painted themselves yesterday as the defenders of the middle class against Rauner’s assaults. “We’re gonna go to battle for them,” the governor said about middle class voters.
Rauner said both Democratic leaders make their money off of big government and the status quo and use it to protect their power. “Speaker Madigan pulls the strings and so many of the legislators dance to his tune,” the governor said. “Speaker Madigan and the politicians he controls are taking the state down.”
* More quotes…
We’ve been driven into the ditch.
He controls government in Illinois. I’m a threat to his power.
He makes his money from the status quo, he makes his money from big, expensive government.
We’re gonna have a rough summer. We will not back down.
* At the same time, the governor pledged to continue negotiating to find a solution, saying he had a pleasant conversation with both Democratic leaders earlier in the day. “We’ll have constant communication as we have for a long time,” he said. “Our staffs are talking all the time.”
* Speaker Madigan sat down for yet another interview this morning, This time with WSIU TV’s Jak Tichenor. It’s now online thanks to BlueRoomStream.com. Have a look…
* Jak asked Madigan if he thought Rauner’s current non-budget demands were “unachievable.” Here’s his response…
Number one, whenever you reduce the benefit level on workers’ compensation, you’re reducing the standar of living for middle class families. You’re forcing injured workers to go to the welfare programs or to the emergency room. And, so I’ve explained to the governor that when he talks in terms of reducing the benefit level on workers compensation, reducing the standard of living for middle class families, he’s running up against core beliefs by both Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly. People are elected to come here not to hurt middle class families, they’re sent here to help middle class families.
On the property tax freeze, a bill was called in the House to freeze property taxes. 37 people voted for the bill, all Democrats, no Republicans. Had every Republican voted for the bill, the bill would be over in the Senate…
My concern… is that he’s functioning in the extreme. He’s not acting in moderation. He’s functioning in the extreme. Let me repeat, both Democrats and Republicans have core beliefs that we shouldn’t reduce the standard of living for middle class families in Illinois.
* Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno talked to Statehouse reporters today. Watch it via BlueRoomStream…
* She started out by making clear how much she likes and respects Senate President John Cullerton. And then…
What I heard is a lot of noise and distraction from what is really going on here…. All the Democrats want is another tax increase. All the chatter about bills filed, or not filed, again, distraction.
We are ranking near the bottom in absolutely everything… And yet the only thing the Democrats want to talk about is another tax increase.
Middle-class families want relief from the enormous taxes we have in this state.
The only ads I’m aware of occurred last week from the Democrat Party of Illinois into Republican districts.
If they’re so proud of what’s going on in this state, why aren’t they running ads?
[Rauner] is ready to take this thing to the people directly.
The Democrats have walked away from the table… Their demand is, we want a tax increase… That’s not going to happen without reform.
I think the governor has made it clear that he’s willing to compromise…. We come back on the last day of session to hear, ‘Hey, Republican governor just ought to raise taxes.”
I do think there is a realistic bipartisan path forward… But reform has to be real… [Illinoisans are] talking about being crushed under property taxes. They’re talking about jobs leaving this state.
It’s a different dynamic now. I think what we’re seeing is [the Democrats are] trying to behave in the same old way.
I don’t think there’s much point hanging around past this afternoon.
I think we all go home, take a break, regroup and talk again [about compromise].
[Cullerton has] always been more willing to compromise on issues [than Madigan].
[About working group failures] What the Democrat leaders didn’t do is send people who were authorized to negotiate.
Clemenza: Pretty [g-d] bad. Probably all the other Families will line up against us. That’s all right. These things gotta happen every five years or so, ten years. Helps to get rid of the bad blood. Been ten years since the last one. You know, you gotta stop them at the beginning.
They’re going to the mattresses and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
If you want to have a broad-based approach [on workers’ comp reform] it should include whether the insurance companies are being fair about this and whether they should reduce their premiums.
The number one problem afflicting the government of the State of Illinois is the budget deficit and the accumulated debt. That’s why the focus should be on the elimination of the deficit. Eliminating the deficit is going to happen in moderation. It’s not going to happen in the extreme. People will want to bring non-budget issues to this debate. They’ll be able to do it to the extent that they do it on the extreme, which I think Gov. Rauner is doing, they’re not solving the problems. The solution to the budget deficit problem will be in moderation.
* To the governror’s plans on advertising, again, to the extent that the advertising takes this debate and this discussion to the extreme, it doesn’t help to eliminate the budget deficit, which is the number one problem facing the State of Illinois. The solution to the budget deficit will be in moderation. Everybody being reasonable. To the extent that you take this to the extreme, you get into name-calling, all unrelated to the budget deficit, you hurt the solution, you don’t help the solution.
[The governor’s pending advertising is] a new element of consideration. We’ve thought about it, we’ve planned for it. We’re not going to move away from our belief that the governor’s non-budget issues will hurt the middle-class families of Illinois.
Every member of the General Assembly was elected based upon a campaign in their districts. For the Democrats, they were elected by middle-class families of Illinois and they’re not prepared to walk away from those middle-class families.
The governor apparently is spending time on fundraising and dispersing funds. I’m not doing that.
It’s incredible that there hasn’t been more reporting on something like this. A governor of a state files a budget, the budget presumes spending $2 billion in savings from a pension proposal and he never filed the bill.
I know you’re going to be surprised that the end game is in moderation.
I’m rejecting that linkage [to the governor’s Turnaround Agenda items] when it’s in the extreme.
* [Do you agree with one of your members that Rauner reminds him of Rod Blagojevich?] Well, I would be concerned if Mr. Rauner does start to act like Blagojevich. The governor one or two days ago said he was not going to call a special session because that would be like Blagojevich. It is true that there have been certain actions taken by Gov. Rauner which clearly look like the things that were done by Rod Blagojevich when he was in office. And I just don’t think Illinois needs Rod Blagojevich.
[What type of things?] Um, negotiating positions, and, uh, statements in these working groups that were set up by the governor. There, there was a, a clear resemblance to the Blagojevich tactics. And I know that Gov. Rauner was concerned about that. He has said he doesn’t want to be viewed as another Blagojevich.
* [Why aren’t you voting that much on bills this year?] If you would review my voting record over the entire session, you’ll find that I’m a very active voter on the bills, and you can check the last few days. Sometimes I don’t vote on a bill simply because I don’t feel comfortable that I have enough knowledge about the bill to vote on a bill.
[You’re the Speaker of the House, you’re the only guy in this building who reads every bill.] Yeah, but I’m busy talking to people like you.
While Governor Rauner castigates House Speaker Michael Madigan for rejecting most elements of his turnaround agenda, Madigan says it’s the governor whose staked out positions on non-budget items like term limits and workers compensation.
“What we need is for everybody to be reasonable,” Madigan said. “I’ve been through these disputes in the legislature in the past. I know from my experience that you don’t solve these problems by working in the extreme. You solve these problems by working in moderation. That’s what happened in the past when I worked successfully with Governor Edgar, Governor Thompson, Governor Ryan. When people are functioning in the extreme, they are not working toward a solution.”
He says he’s told the governor that Democrats are willing to make cuts in Medicaid, for example, but not lower the standard of living for the middle class.
“Illinois has severe budget problem,” Madigan said. “You cannot cut your way out of the problem. You need cuts such as the Medicaid program cuts and you need new revenue. On new revenue, you need reasonable people to come together, look at each other, commit to be reasonable and not functioning on the extreme.”
* Senate President John Cullerton held a news conference today. Whew…
* Cullerton’s complete statement…
When I became Senate President 6 years ago, my top priority was ending the political rancor that had paralyzed this state. After of years of stalemates and political fights, I was committed to changing the tone in Springfield.
It was a goal that I was able to largely accomplish thanks to Republican Leader Christine Radogno. As many of you recall, she and I were elected to the leadership posts in large part because of our personal commitment to working together.
No, it hasn’t always been easy, but we have tackled huge issues and, up until this session, we’d almost always done it together.
Capital bill. McCormick Place reforms. Education reform. Marriage equality. Immigrant drivers licenses. Medicaid reforms. Workers Compensation reforms.
Nothing has been more important to me than working together in a civil, respective manner.
I make it a point to go to dinner over the course of the session with every Republican member. And every year I ask the entire senate, including the Republican caucus to a bipartisan dinner.
I do it because we need to work together. I do it because I respect the Republican members. I do it because we are all elected to come here and solve problems.
Today, I’m disappointed.
The road we started down together six years ago I fear has been abandoned by many Republicans, lured away by the siren song of Bruce Rauner’s campaign cash.
And once again we find ourselves trying to work with a governor who continues to run campaigns rather than run the state that elected him. Rather than roll up his sleeves and work on solutions, he dictates demands and threatens those who defy him.
As you know, a few days ago I attended an end of session leaders meeting.
When I emerged from that meeting I restated my commitment to work with the governor on compromises that will move this state forward. Because I am committed to compromise.
But there was something that I left out of my comments – and that is my disappointment in the direction that this state is about to take under Governor Rauner’s leadership.
The governor made it clear that in the next few days, he will launch a multimillion dollar negative ad campaign designed to demonize those who are standing up for the middle class.
Nothing could be more damaging to the prospects of compromise than deploying Washington style campaign tactics rather than working on bipartisan solutions for this state.
* I told subscribers this morning that after Speaker Madigan objected to all the governor’s recent negative press releases about him, the press releases stopped.
Maybe I shoulda kept my mouth shut. This just landed in my inbox…
What They’re Saying about Speaker Madigan’s Refusal to Compromise or Reform
State Journal-Register:
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has said he needs some indication by Sunday that Democrats are serious about taking up his reform agenda. Rauner last week zeroed in on workers’ compensation reform and property tax relief as two absolute priorities.
The governor said he has taken numerous items from his “turnaround agenda” off the table over the past few weeks during discussions with lawmakers. For example, he did not include creation of local right-to-work zones in a package of five proposals Republican legislative leaders introduced a week ago on his behalf.
Despite that, Rauner said Democrats have been unwilling to engage in serious negotiations about other parts of his agenda.
Peoria Journal Star:
Indeed, if there has been a theme in this session of the Legislature, it is majority Democrats under the leadership of Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton rejecting one plank after another of Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda.”
Champaign News-Gazette:
The Democrats’ disappointment at losing the governor’s office last November as well as 12 straight years of one-party rule is understandable. But the voters’ decision to put Rauner in the chief executive’s post gives him something to say about the affairs of state.
The power in state government is divided now; compromise is required. Instead, there is a standoff while Madigan waits for Rauner to capitulate.
Illinois is at a crossroads. Will it change its fiscally irresponsible ways or cling desperately to a status quo approach that has reduced it to effective bankruptcy.
A big, potentially ugly fight looms, but it’s a fight worth having.
Chicago Tribune:
A note to Gov. Bruce Rauner…
Madigan and Cullerton scold you for pitting your demands for tort, worker’s comp and other reforms against their demands for high spending. Their minions keep whining that the budget process is sacrosanct — you shouldn’t use it as a tool. The paradox is that, for decades, they’ve used the budget as their tool for rewarding and punishing and getting their way.But, as of 2015, a budget can’t be leveraged? Is that so.
Many reforms you propose make sense to voters. One example: paying public employees more, but tying their raises to the quality and scope of their performance, not on how long they keep breathing and coming to work. Let Madigan and Cullerton explain why this and your other ideas are cruel and unreasonable…
You may be the last, best chance to protect that future by restoring growth. By restoring Illinois’ prosperous past.
The Madigan-Cullerton strategy here couldn’t be clearer: to obstruct any and all reforms, to vilify you for four years, and to install some malleable flunky in the governor’s office.
Their strategy, though, is also their weakness: They’re always angling for position, always wanting something.
You, Governor, are free to keep calm and stand pat. How liberating to answer only to the voters who sent you.
To want nothing, that is, but to revive the moribund Illinois of Mike Madigan, John Cullerton and … their followers.
Belleville News Democrat:
The people of Illinois know all about broken processes. That’s why they elected Rauner – to fix those processes, not to play along.
A bill that supporters say gives Chicago some “breathing room” in making payments to its police and fire pension funds has advanced in the Illinois legislature.
The Illinois House and a Senate committee approved legislation Saturday to reduce Chicago’s annual mandatory payment for the next five years. The bill now goes to the Senate floor.
Chicago’s payments to the two funds were set to jump from about $300 million this year to roughly $840 million next year. The legislation sets the 2016 payment at about $620 million.
House Republicans opposed the measure, saying putting off pension payments helped create the funding problem in the first place. They questioned the wisdom of relying on money from a Chicago casino that has yet to be approved by lawmakers and is unlikely to pass before lawmakers adjourn on Sunday.
“Talk about putting the cart before the horse,” said Rep. Ron Sandack, R-Downers Grove. “This is not a panacea, it’s actually a step backwards.”
House Republicans chastised the bill for letting Chicago off the hook for the larger payments the city has been aware of for years and for promising benefits to its workers it could not afford.
“So instead of a $600 million increase, we’re talking about a $200 million, $225 million dollar increase,” said state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Hyde Park. “That is sustainable, that is palatable.”
The measure, opposed by most Republicans, also says any city revenue from a yet-to-be-approved Chicago casino must be applied to pension payments. It now goes to the Senate, where one Republican called it another example of Chicago kicking the police and fire pension can down the road.
“They need to start facing this problem,” said State Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine. “They can’t continue to put it off. They’re going to really hurt their police and fireman one day.”
However, when Cook County’s pension reform bill was debated last year, Republicans said they couldn’t vote for it because it would lead directly to a property tax hike.
* The reality is that the governor doesn’t want to give Chicago anything until he gets his Turnaround Agenda passed. It’s just another Rauner brick on the road.
* It is so very heartening to see law enforcement groups saying positive things about the police body cam bill, which has now passed both chambers. This appears to be a pretty darned good bill…
Officers who wear body cameras will be required to record any incident with the public. The only time they could cease recording is when interviewing a witness or victim. Personal and strategic conversations also merit turning the camera off. New training is also a cornerstone of the bill. […]
[Sean Smoot, chief legal counsel for the Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association] said the training should leave officers better prepared to deal with the mentally ill, addicts and victims of abuse. Procedural training should create a better relationship with the public at large, he said.
“A member of the community should feel a certain level of comfort after interacting with an officer, whether they’re arrested or not,” he said.
Law enforcement groups are also pleased with the idea of having a database of officers who have been fired with cause or who resign during an investigation. The groups see it as a way to weed out bad police.
* Forget about the stalled budget deal for a second and consider what Kurt Erickson wrote about a possible strike or lockout…
State government is already messed up. A strike or lockout of the 38,000 AFSCME workers would mean major upheaval at facilities that treat the mentally ill and developmentally disabled.
It could mean public health workers wouldn’t be around to fight infectious disease breakouts. Imagine what it would be like for a temporary employee to get hired to run the dispatching operation for the state police. Who will help people sign up for food stamps and unemployment?
Could temp workers suddenly be tasked with overseeing orphans and juvenile offenders?
So far, the governor’s rhetoric has been just that. But, come July 1, it could turn into a reality Illinoisans have not witnessed before.
A union-backed bill to prevent strikes or lockouts of state employees during their current contract talks is on its way to Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The Senate voted 38-17 to approve the measure, which allows a new contract for state workers under the governor to be determined by an independent arbitrator if either side in the talks thinks negotiations have reached an impasse.
Even supporters of the bill said they expect the Republican governor will veto it. The administration did not directly answer a question about whether the governor will veto the bill.
He’s gonna veto it, for sure.
But check out the House roll call. Two Democrats, Jack Franks and Andre Thapedi, took a walk and didn’t vote.
If those two stay off the legislation on an override, it’s going to be really difficult to pass it. If one of them is forced back on, perhaps Springfield Republican Raymond Poe can be convinced to climb on board because he was the only Republican with the guts to buck Rauner on that “right to work” bill. Poe took a walk on AFSCME’s strike bill.
Several other House Republicans walked as well: Anthony, Bourne, Brown, Bryant, Cabello, Cavaletto, Davidsmeier, Hammond, Hays, McAuliffe, Bill Mitchell, Pritchard, Reis, Stewart and Unes. But Rauner is gonna make this override a point of honor.
Rauner’s brick is gonna be the heaviest thing on the planet.
* Today’s headline was the product of a sort of group think project at dinner last night with a bunch of pals. One of those pals even designed a quickie logo…
Heh.
We were also wondering if y’all could match Statehouse names to that movie’s characters. Have at it.
* By the way, Senate President John Cullerton filed a motion to reconsider the vote after yesterday’s roll call, so he’s going to hold onto that one for a while.
*** UPDATE *** A quickly done variation of a commenter suggestion…
Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, is brainstorming on mutually acceptable ideas, spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said, “but he disagrees with the idea that we need to stop budgeting and shut down the government while we negotiate with the governor.”
House Speaker Michael Madigan facilitated the day’s agenda from his office but did not hear from Rauner, spokesman Steve Brown said.
Rauner told reporters Friday he would not drag lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session after Sunday’s curtain, but would meet with legislators anywhere to keep the talks going.
House GOP Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs believes a breather would be beneficial, his spokeswoman said.
“The real negotiations, if they haven’t already begun behind the scenes, are going to happen over the next 45 days,” agreed Republican Rep. David Reis of Willow Hill.
Madigan heard from Rauner on Friday. In my opinion, it’s pretty much up to Madigan and Cullerton to tell Rauner now what they would be willing to do after Rauner pared his massive Turnaround Agenda down to just two items.
