For calling an attorney challenging his executive orders in court a “grifter,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker faces a summons in Sangamon County Circuit Court to answer to a defamation allegation.
Thomas DeVore, an attorney who has filed multiple lawsuits against the governor over COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools and businesses, sued Pritzker late last month, claiming defamation.
* Thursday is a holiday, so I’m just gonna make it a four-day weekend because (and I hope I don’t jinx anything by saying this) there isn’t much going on anyway…
Wednesday, Nov 10, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
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In Arizona, a stay-at-home dad and part-time Lyft driver told the state’s chief election officer she would hang for treason. In Utah, a youth treatment center staffer warned Colorado’s election chief that he knew where she lived and watched her as she slept.
In Vermont, a man who says he works in construction told workers at the state election office and at Dominion Voting Systems that they were about to die.
“This might be a good time to put a f‑‑‑‑‑‑ pistol in your f‑‑‑‑‑‑ mouth and pull the trigger,” the man shouted at Vermont officials in a thick New England accent last December. “Your days are f‑‑‑‑‑‑ numbered.”
The three had much in common. All described themselves as patriots fighting a conspiracy that robbed Donald Trump of the 2020 election. They are regular consumers of far-right websites that embrace Trump’s stolen-election falsehoods. And none have been charged with a crime by the law enforcement agencies alerted to their threats.
They were among nine people who told Reuters in interviews that they made threats or left other hostile messages to election workers. In all, they are responsible for nearly two dozen harassing communications to six election officials in four states. Seven made threats explicit enough to put a reasonable person in fear of bodily harm or death, the U.S. federal standard for criminal prosecution, according to four legal experts who reviewed their messages at Reuters’ request.
These cases provide a unique perspective into how people with everyday jobs and lives have become radicalized to the point of terrorizing public officials. They are part of a broader campaign of fear waged against frontline workers of American democracy chronicled by Reuters this year. The news organization has documented nearly 800 intimidating messages to election officials in 12 states, including more than 100 that could warrant prosecution, according to legal experts.
I checked in with Linda So today and asked if any of these nearly 800 incidents in 12 states happened in Illinois. She told me that none of these cases were in this state.
However, if y’all hear about something like this happening near you, or if it’s happened to you, please get in touch with me. Thanks.
Competitive grant allocations in the [federal] bill may add to the $17 billion headed Illinois’ way. All 13 Democrats in Illinois’ House delegation voted for the deal while just one of five Republicans joined them.
The package allocates Illinois $1.7 billion over five years for drinking and wastewater infrastructure, $9.8 billion in for federally aided highway projects, $1.4 billion for bridge replacement, $4 billion for public transportation projects, $100 million for broadband expansion and $149 million for an electric vehicle charging network, according to a statement from U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats.
More than $600 million will flow to Illinois for airport improvements over five years, increasing the Airport Improvement Grant Program and creating a new Airport Terminal Improvement Program.
The known funding and potential for more under competitive grant awards could buoy several big ticket items on Chicago’s radar involving the replacement of lead pipes, O’Hare International Airport expansion and the expansion of a major Chicago Transit Authority train line.
* Now, let’s go back in time to this 2019 Bond Buyer story on the state’s six-year $45 billion capital plan…
Transportation-related projects receive $33 billion of funding, state buildings get $4 billion, educational facilities get $3.5 billion, and healthcare, broadband and environmental projects get the remainder.
* Here’s how the state plan allocated money for transportation projects ($33.2 billion)…
• Over $14 billion for new roads in bridges:
o $10.4 billion for state roads and bridges
o $3.9 billion for local governments to rebuild their roads and bridges
• Nearly $11 billion for Illinois Department of Transportation’s Multi-Year Plan for roads and bridges
• $4.5 billion for mass transit, including the Regional Transportation Authority (CTA, Metra and Pace)
• $1 billion for passenger rail, including Amtrak and other inter-city rail projects
• $558 million for aeronautics
• $492 million for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE)
• $312 million for grade crossing protection
• $150 million for ports
• $679 million for other transportation projects
• $2.9 billion for higher education, including deferred maintenance and new projects at public universities, private universities and community colleges
• $415 million for preK-12 school maintenance
• $111 million for early childhood education
• $867 million for environmental, conservation and recreation projects, including:
o $290 million for hazardous waste
o $110 million for water revolving fund
o $100 million for unsewered communities
o $92 million for ecosystem restoration
o $75 million for park and recreational facility construction
o $40 million for well plugging
o $35 million for land acquisition
o $31 million for flood mitigation
o $29 million for Illinois green infrastructure grants
o $23 million for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development
o $22 million for dam and waterway projects
o $20 million for conservation reserve enhancement
• $140 million for renewable energy projects, including solar and energy efficiency upgrades at state facilities and transportation electrification in low-income communities
• $200 million for affordable housing
• $200 million for hospital and healthcare transformation
• $50 million for community health centers
• $15 million for human services grant program
• $594 million for community development
• $425 million for economic development
• $401 million for public infrastructure
• $112 million for education and scientific facilities
• $75 million for economically depressed areas
• $51 million for museums
• $50 million for libraries
• $50 million for emerging technology enterprises
• $50 million for the arts
• $25 million for an apprenticeship program
• $15 million for Minority Owned Business Program
The difference is the state should be able to quickly access its annual federal allotments, but we’re still waiting on new casino revenues to help fund “vertical” projects here. Also, that federal water/sewer money dwarfs Illinois’ allocation and we really need the cash.
With Congressman Chuy Garcia at his side yesterday, Alexi Giannoulias surprised a crowd of supporters in Pilsen when he took to the podium and spoke Spanish. […]
Giannoulias told yesterday’s crowd he understands the challenges faced by Latinos who aren’t fluent in English. After more than a minute he switched to English, saying: “The secretary of state’s office needs to do a better job of providing services to those who don’t speak perfect English,” Giannoulias said, adding he remembers he and his brothers having to translate for his parents who didn’t speak English well. “They faced enormous challenges in accessing government services and even more challenges starting their respective small businesses.” […]
Along with Garcia, Giannoulias is endorsed by state Sens. Celina Villanueva (11th), Cristina Castro (22nd), state Reps. Barbara, Hernandez (83rd), Edgar Gonzalez (21st) and Jaime Andrade (40th), and Chicago council members George Cardenas (12th), Ray Lopez (15th), Michael D. Rodriguez (22nd), Silvana Tabares (23rd), Ariel Reboyras (30th), and Felix Cardona (31st).
Valencia, who does not speak Spanish, says the race isn’t about “collecting endorsements” but “demonstrating how candidates have been consistently showing up for the Latino community.”
Among her backers are Latino Victory Fund, state Reps. Eva Dina Delgado (3rd) and Lisa Hernandez (24th), and council members Andre Vasquez (40th) and Roberto Maldonado (26th).
I did not know that Valencia doesn’t speak Spanish.
*** UPDATE *** Valencia campaign…
Today, in light of Republican Dan Brady’s intent to run for Illinois Secretary of State, Anna Valencia’s campaign issued the following statement from Campaign Manager Cheryl Bruce:
“Dan Brady is running because he is confident that he can beat Alexi Giannoulias. Last time Alexi ran statewide, he lost President Obama’s senate seat to a Republican, and just this summer, a poll showed Brady trailing him by just five points. As Republicans nationwide try to subvert democracy, we cannot take this race for granted. Anna Valencia is the best candidate to deliver a Democratic win next November.”
* As we discussed yesterday, billionaire Neil Bluhm is actively lobbying the Chicago city council to not expand in-person sports betting to the city’s professional sports facilities. Bluhm says the city shouldn’t try to hurt the profits of its future casino. But he’s also conveniently protecting the profits of his current suburban casino and he wants to eventually own the new Chicago casino. All that said, here’s Joe Cahill…
If Chicago is going to allow in-person sports betting, it should look to maximize competition, not constrain it. Any operator who can meet reasonable licensing requirements designed to protect the public at large from the well-known evils of gambling, such as mob influence and exploitation of gambling addicts, should be allowed to compete.
If Bluhm or any other casino bidder doesn’t want to compete with stadium sportsbooks, nobody is forcing them to. They’re free to drop out of the bidding if the ordinance passes. So far, none of them has threatened to do that.
In fact, at least one of the other bidders doesn’t share Bluhm’s worries about competing with stadiums.
“Bally’s is committed to making Chicago its flagship property, and we have no issue with Chicago sports teams having sportsbooks,” says Chris Jewett, director of corporate development for Rhode Island-based casino giant Bally’s Corp., which submitted two bids.
Pew Research Center’s new political typology provides a road map to today’s fractured political landscape. It segments the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. The study is primarily based on a survey of 10,221 adults conducted July 8-18, 2021; it also draws from several additional interviews with these respondents conducted since January 2020.
They include two very different groups of liberal Democrats: Progressive Left and Establishment Liberals. Progressive Left, the only majority White, non-Hispanic group of Democrats, have very liberal views on virtually every issue and support far-reaching changes to address racial injustice and expand the social safety net. Establishment Liberals, while just as liberal in many ways as Progressive Left, are far less persuaded of the need for sweeping change.
Two other Democratic-aligned groups could not be more different from each other, both demographically and in their relationship to the party. Democratic Mainstays, the largest Democratic-oriented group, as well as the oldest on average, are unshakeable Democratic loyalists and have a moderate tilt on some issues. Outsider Left, the youngest typology group, voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden a year ago and are very liberal in most of their views, but they are deeply frustrated with the political system – including the Democratic Party and its leaders.
The four Republican-oriented groups include three groups of conservatives: Faith and Flag Conservatives are intensely conservative in all realms; they are far more likely than all other typology groups to say government policies should support religious values and that compromise in politics is just “selling out on what you believe in.” Committed Conservatives also express conservative views across the board, but with a somewhat softer edge, particularly on issues of immigration and America’s place in the world. Populist Right, who have less formal education than most other typology groups and are among the most likely to live in rural areas, are highly critical of both immigrants and major U.S. corporations.
Ambivalent Right, the youngest and least conservative GOP-aligned group, hold conservative views about the size of government, the economic system and issues of race and gender. But they are the only group on the political right in which majorities favor legal abortion and say marijuana should be legal for recreational and medical use. They are also distinct in their views about Donald Trump – while a majority voted for him in 2020, most say they would prefer he not continue to be a major political figure.
The only typology group without a clear partisan orientation – Stressed Sideliners – also is the group with the lowest level of political engagement. Stressed Sideliners, who make up 15% of the public but constituted just 10% of voters in 2020, have a mix of conservative and liberal views but are largely defined by their minimal interest in politics.
* The Question: Which political typology are you? Take the poll and then let us know your answer in comments, along with anything else you’d like to say about this exercise…
[Illinois’ wealthiest resident Ken Griffin] first voiced the possibility of moving Citadel due to rising crime at an Economic Club event last month. At the time, Pritzker responded to Griffin’s complaints, calling him a “liar” and saying that Griffin has worked to dismantle social services that prevent violence.
“He called me a liar,” Griffin said at Wednesday’s event. “It’s all about politics for him. It’s not about people.”
“I’m going to make sure that if he runs again, that I am all in to support the candidate who will beat him,” Griffin continued. “He doesn’t deserve to be the governor of our state.”
Bailey, his campaign manager, and campaign spokesman all ignored multiple emails, calls, and texts seeking comment about his plans to release his full tax returns. Bailey has previously refused to answer questions in protest to [WCIA] reporting about his brother-in-law’s Coronavirus hospitalization that he considered “liberal” and “biased.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Pritzker campaign…
Today, JB for Governor spokesperson Natalie Edelstein released the following statement in response to Ken Griffin announcing he plans to go “all in” to financially back Governor Pritzker’s GOP opponent.
“Ken Griffin financed Bruce Rauner’s disastrous tenure as governor and now he is eager to once again elect someone who would hold our budget hostage, waste taxpayer money, ruin our credit rating, and destroy programs that keep our residents healthy and safe.
Governor Pritzker remains laser focused on putting Springfield back on the side of working families through unprecedented investments in health care and education, rebuilding our infrastructure, creating good paying jobs, and fighting climate change.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** DPI…
In an interview today, Ken Griffin said he is desperate to fund a challenger to Gov. JB Pritzker in next year’s election. In the last two gubernatorial elections, Griffin spent more than $36 million on failed former Gov. Bruce Rauner. Democratic Party of Illinois Deputy Director Jake Lewis responded to the news:
“We look forward to finding out who Ken Griffin picks to be Bruce Rauner 2.0,” said Jake Lewis, Deputy Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois. “While Mr. Griffin attempts to satisfy some personal vendetta and the crowded field of radical GOP candidates trip over themselves to win his attention, Illinois Democrats remain focused on delivering wins on the issues that actually matter to the people of this state.”
“I pointed out that he lied,” Pritzker said today, referring to a dispute over how and whether National Guard troops should have been called out during 2020 protests after the shooting of George Floyd. Griffin “is a guy who wants to take the state backward. I want to take it forward.” […]
“This is the guy who brought you Bruce Rauner,” Pritzker said, noting that the state’s credit rating during Rauner’s tenure was repeatedly reduced as Springfield stalemated over passage of a new state budget for more than a year.
“I don’t think the people want to do a redo and put his puppet in office,” Pritzker said. “I think we’ve made a lot of progress” with better funding of schools and more jobs created, as opposed to Rauner’s slashing of social programs.“Ken Griffin is someone who’s made a lot of bad decisions” in political matters, Pritzker concluded.
* This joint motion filed by the plaintiffs and defendants Exelon/ComEd and its current execs along with a separate Sidley & Austin team for former Exelon/ComEd honcho Anne Pramaggiore was filed yesterday…
On September 23, 2021, this Court granted the unopposed motion of the United States to intervene and stay discovery while the parties to this action and the government negotiated a proposed protective order concerning certain discovery materials. The Order stayed discovery in this action “for sixty days, or until a protective order is issued, whichever is earlier.” The Order also struck all previously set deadlines and stated that, “[u]pon completion of the discovery stay, Lead Plaintiff and Defendants shall submit a joint proposed amended scheduling order, reflecting an extension of deadlines commensurate with the length of the stay.”
On November 4, 2021, the United States submitted to the Court’s email a proposed amendment to the protective order (the “Confidentiality Order Amendment”), as contemplated by the Order. The Confidentiality Order Amendment would prohibit the Parties from requesting discovery into certain matters, including communications with the government, but contemplates continued discovery into other matters. The Confidentiality Order Amendment expires on February 15, 2022, and the government may move for an extension.
Upon the entry of the Confidentiality Order Amendment, the discovery stay will end under the terms of the Order.
Pursuant to ¶4 of the Order, Lead Plaintiff and Defendants jointly propose that the Court set a February 15, 2022 deadline for the substantial completion of the document discovery permitted under the Confidentiality Order Amendment. This deadline aligns with the expiration of the Confidentiality Order Amendment and allows the Parties to conduct certain party and non-party discovery that would not violate the Confidentiality Order Amendment.
Lead Plaintiff and Defendants further request that no other case deadlines be set at this time. The Confidentiality Order Amendment would preclude the completion of all document discovery (and written discovery such as interrogatories into certain subject matters), which will be necessary for continued proceedings, including deposition discovery and the completion of fact discovery. Moreover, the limitations on the scope of permissible production under the Confidentiality Order Amendment may present additional obstacles and issues in the completion of the Parties’ collection, review, and production of documents.
By February 15, 2022, the Parties will have a better understanding of (1) the document discovery that remains (and any issues that arose while operating under the Confidentiality Order Amendment), and (2) whether the government will seek to extend the stay of certain discovery. At that time, the Parties intend to either propose a schedule for the remaining dates or move for any other relief that any or all of the Parties believe necessary to continue and complete discovery.
WHEREFORE, Lead Plaintiff and Defendants respectfully request that this Court set a February 15, 2022 deadline for substantial completion of the document discovery permitted under the Confidentiality Order Amendment, with all other case deadlines to be set on or after February 15, 2022.
I reached out to the US Attorney’s office for insight. When you-know-what freezes over and they give me a full explanation, I’ll be sure to let you know. /s
But his is from an attorney pal…
Right now all discovery has been stayed. This allows discovery to start again, but only as allowed by the confidentiality order. That means some topics and parts of discovery are off limits. Discovery can begin again and continue through February 15, 2022, but certain aspects of discovery will be barred until after Feb 15th, and even then the prosecutors can seek an extension.
On Tuesday, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and other west suburban politicians called for completely rebuilding the Eisenhower Expressway.
“We love the Ike, but the Ike don’t love us,” Welch said.
The Eisenhower was ranked last year as America’s most-congested interstate highway. […]
Construction of the Eisenhower Expressway six decades ago required bulldozing 400 businesses and the homes of 13,000 people in some of Chicago’s then-most vibrant neighborhoods: Little Italy, Greek Town, the heart of the old Jewish west side and several African American communities.
As the city began clearing the path for the Congress Street Expressway, the first neighborhood hit with demolition was the Near West Side. […]
Of all the neighborhoods that the expressway sliced through, the Near West Side had the largest population of blacks in 1950. Nearly 40 percent of its people were African-American. […]
Chicago Mayor Martin Kennelly, who oversaw the superhighway project during his eight years leading the city, sounded proud of the destruction it was causing. “Just wiping out slums, that alone has made the work worthwhile,” he remarked in a Tribune article. […]
The expressway project continued to the west, disrupting the East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park and Austin neighborhoods. It ran through a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in West Garfield Park. “Its construction was a physical manifestation of Jewish Chicagoans’ political powerlessness,” historian Beryl Satter writes in her 2009 book Family Properties: Race, Real Estate, and the Exploitation of Black Urban America. Satter’s father was a civil-rights attorney who crusaded for black families victimized by real-estate speculators. […]
The story was similar for the Italians who lived nearby. “You can find Chicago Tribune articles calling the neighborhood a slum,” says Kathy Catrambone, co-author of Taylor Street: Chicago’s Little Italy. “I talked to many people who were here at the time, and they didn’t know they were living in a slum. They liked the neighborhood. And they really felt that they were forced out.”
Catrambone says many of the neighborhood’s Italians moved to suburbs like Melrose Park, Elmwood Park and Addison. “A lot of them got on the Eisenhower and headed west,” she says. […]
Christopher Reed, an African-American historian who grew up in East Garfield Park in the 1940s and ’50s, says the expressway did play a role. “The construction of the Eisenhower removed so many white families that an unnatural demographic imbalance took place,” he says. “The lure of the suburbs was powerful, especially with factories and jobs relocating into areas where the new superhighways reached. Equally, blacks sought new housing opportunities and moved into areas where vacancies occurred.”
And David Satter believes the expressway was a major factor in why so many Jewish residents and other whites abandoned the West Side, just as many African-Americans began to move in.
“It played a very important role,” he says. “The building of the Eisenhower Expressway with so little concern for the effect it would have on the community … it undercut any desire or any will to find solutions, to find ways to integrate the new arrivals. It was clear that the area was not going to stay all white. But that didn’t mean there had to be this mass white flight that took place. It didn’t mean that the whole community would have to move from the West Side to the North Side, which is pretty much what happened.
“But there were a lot of factors,” he says. “There were profiteers that were trying to spread panic and get people to move. … But the Eisenhower Expressway, it made people feel that it was the end of an era, and the community would never be the same and it didn’t make sense to fight to stay there.”
There is no doubt that the Ike helped make Chicago what it is today. But a little history never hurt anyone (until lately, apparently).
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police was among the first to raise concerns about the changes. President Chris Southwood Tuesday said now it’s signed, they’re getting the word out.
“Freedom-loving citizens all across the state have been stripped of their basic right to conscientious choice and can now be discriminated against because of their conscientious refusal to have COVID vaccines forced on them,” Southwood told WMAY. […]
Calling Pritzker a “dictator,” Southwood said there will be political consequences for those that supported the change.
“And I think that those people have now certainly in our opinion have lost the right to represent freedom loving citizens all across this state and we’re going to make sure their constituents know about it as these elections come closer and closer,” Southwood said.
To the governor and Democrats that talk about supporting labor, Southwood said they’re being hypocrites if they supported changes to the HCRCA.
All you “lost” was your ability to sue your employer and recover treble damages if and only if you could find a judge who let you get away with exploiting a statutory loophole that was never intended to be interpreted this way in the first place.
Also, the Illinois FOP’s campaign committee has a whopping fifteen grand in it.
Today, on the 246th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, Alderman Gilbert Villegas of Chicago’s 36th Ward announced his campaign for Congress. Villegas is a Marine and member of the Chicago City Council currently serving his second term. He is the first candidate to enter the race to represent Illinois’ newly drawn 3rd District since the state legislature passed the maps last month.
“As a Marine, an advocate for working families, and a member of the City Council, I’ve always put service to my community first. Illinois needs a proven fighter with the courage and conviction to combat the rising cost of living, lack of increase in wages, and struggles our small businesses face in today’s economy. Voters can count on me to deliver results, and I’m ready to hit the ground running,” said Alderman Gil Villegas.
The 36th Ward sits entirely within the new congressional district boundaries.
Villegas also announced the endorsement of Chicago native U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego of the 7th Congressional District of Arizona.
“I’m proud to endorse fellow Marine Gil Villegas. Alderman Villegas has fought for the people of Chicago honorably and dutifully while working to create much needed economic development in communities that have historically faced underinvestment and gun violence. Raised by a single mother who provided for him and his brother after a terrible family tragedy, he knows what it’s like for families who struggle. That’s why he was instrumental in Chicago becoming the largest City in America to engage in a guaranteed basic income pilot to provide low income families cash assistance,” said Congressman Ruben Gallego. “Congress needs more public servants like Gil Villegas who are prepared to put country over party, and to do the right thing.”
Expect a Chuy Garcia ally to also run in this primary.
The new 3rd is called a Hispanic-influenced district because although it’s heavily Hispanic, it does not have a majority Hispanic voting-age population. If multiple Hispanic candidates join the primary, the vote could split and the district may not elect another Hispanic member to Congress. I asked Villegas if that was a concern.
“If there are too many Latinx representatives that get in, I think that potentially could be an issue,” Villegas said.
* Press release…
Educator and former Rockford State Representative Litesa Wallace launches her campaign for Congress today in Illinois’ new Seventeenth Congressional District. Born and raised in Illinois and a 16 year resident of Rockford, Litesa’s parents were both public servants. Litesa understands the economic and social challenges facing the communities of the 17th district for whom she’s fiercely advocated throughout her career.
“As a single mom and former legislator, I know the challenges my neighbors face - from finding affordable childcare to the rising cost of food and rent. It’s why as a state legislator I strengthened the childcare assistance program, fought against food insecurity, advocated for affordable housing, and fought for a $15 minimum wage while in the state legislature”.
As a three-term Rockford State Representative, Litesa championed measures to reduce violence, expand affordable childcare and mental health care access, strengthen the economy, develop opportunities for women and girls, and extend the River’s Edge Historic Tax Credit to help redevelop Peoria and Rockford.
The 17th district is currently represented by outgoing Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. The recently redrawn district has a Biden +7 democratic performance and is economically, geographically, and racially diverse, with twenty-seven percent of residents being people of color.
Dr. Litesa Wallace is an alumna of Western Illinois University and Northern Illinois University, where she received a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. She has worked as an educator and an activist, co-founding the Rockford Anti-Racism Network and serving as a fellow for the Diversifying Faculty in Higher Education Board along with representing Rockford in the state legislature.
Video…
As a single mom, social worker, and former state representative I know the challenge of finding affordable childcare and the impacts of the rising cost of food and rent on our families.
Expect several candidates in that district. The Democrats already announced include Rock Island County Board member Angie Normoyle, former Rockford meteorologist Eric Sorensen (who kinda jumped in out of the blue) and Rockford’s 2nd Ward Alderperson Jonathan Logemann. There will likely be more. Sen. Steve Stadelman is still mulling his options as well.
Republican Esther Joy King has raised a ton of money for a bid in the swing district. King ran in 2020 and gave Cheri Bustos a real scare.
*** UPDATE *** NASW lobbyist…
I like former Rep Wallace and I hope she does well in this race, but social worker is a title protected profession. While she has worked in similar fields, she is not nor never has been a social worker, and should not use that title. #twillhttps://t.co/DBTCfeVHYq
