* The Illinois House Speaker contributed $100,001 today to Friends of Michael J. Madigan. Under state law, his personal committee can now accept unlimited contributions. Madigan did the same thing in 2018, but that was in the months leading up to the general election. Click here for the fresh A-1.
As we’ve already discussed, Madigan’s been spending a lot of money on legal fees this year. But this is also probably a good indication that he’s serious about expanding his partisan margin and protecting his members next year - in both the primary and general elections.
…Adding… In other campaign news…
Milestone: We just surpassed 500,000 voters registered since Illinois' Automatic Voter Registration law went into effect in July 2018.
Against a backdrop of sexual and workplace harassment in the state capital, one of Illinois’ most politically potent corporations is grappling with a #MeToo moment of its own.
According to internal documents obtained by Crain’s, Chicago-based Exelon determined that David Fein, the company’s senior vice president in charge of state government relations and its most visible executive in Springfield, violated its code of conduct in his interactions with several women at the company. The documents were prepared for separate human resources meetings in May, one with Fein and another with one woman who had complained about his behavior. Crain’s obtained the documents after they were inadvertently distributed electronically to multiple company employees. […]
Fein, 52, is Exelon’s primary senior-executive voice in Springfield and these days is arguing for legislation that would funnel more ratepayer money to Illinois nuclear plants that are struggling financially amid low wholesale power prices. The company has said in Securities & Exchange Commission filings that three power stations—Dresden in Morris, Byron near Rockford and Braidwood in Braceville—are at risk of early closure within the next four years if financial conditions don’t improve or the state doesn’t bail them out. […]
The document called this Fein’s “final warning” and informed him he could be fired for cause if he took a chance that any future overtures would be “welcome.”
Embattled Ald. Edward Burke is no longer a partner at the downtown law firm where he did property tax appeal work for a long list of influential businesses and where federal authorities allege he tried to strong-arm people into becoming clients in exchange for help at City Hall, records show.
According to paperwork the Klafter & Burke law firm filed with Secretary of State Jesse White’s office in April, Burke dissociated from his partnership in the firm. That leaves Burke’s daughter, Jennifer, and two others as partners in the firm, according to the documents. […]
It was unclear from the paperwork whether Burke retains a relationship with the firm or if he profited from dissociating himself from the partnership. […]
Klafter & Burke filed the paperwork less than two weeks after Lori Lightfoot won the mayoral election on a platform that prominently featured her hammering the alderman as a vestige of the bad old days of Chicago politics where connected insiders get rich and the public suffers because of it. Lightfoot has called on Burke to resign as alderman.
A former assistant director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs made “sexually-oriented comments” and used “inappropriate and highly offensive race-based language” while on the job, according to a recently released report from the Office of Executive Inspector General.
The investigation that led to those findings was underway in May 2018 when Harry Sawyer resigned from his post at the state VA. The inspector general found that Sawyer’s sexually inappropriate comments did not rise to the level of violating state ethics laws.
Sawyer, of Lombard, a Navy veteran and 36-year state employee, was briefly in line to head the Department of Veterans’ Affairs after then-Director Erica Jeffries turned in her resignation amid the fallout over the agency’s handling of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease at a veterans home in Quincy in western Illinois.
Instead, Sawyer, who earned $98,543 annually as assistant director, resigned the same day Jeffries left office, May 18, 2018. He now collects an annual state pension of $58,358.64.
As we discussed yesterday, Director Jeffries knew of the probe into Sawyer when she announced he’d be taking over for her.
IDVA Assistant Director Sawyer retired this past summer after 33 years of service to our Illinois Veterans. He joined IDVA in 1982 as a VSO and worked over three decades assisting our Illinois Heroes and family members. As a young man, Harry enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served aboard the USS Agerholm (DD 826), including a tour off the coast of Vietnam. Completing his enlistment in 1970, he received an honorable discharge and returned to Illinois where he worked as a florist until 1979, when he began assisting his fellow veterans as a service offi- cer with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Sawyer is a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other organizations. Thank you, Harry, for your service and your leadership here at IDVA.
And the accompanying photograph of a retirement ceremony held for Sawyer after he was reportedly allowed to resign rather than be fired…
* I asked IDVA’s spokesperson these three questions at noon today…
1) Why did IDVA hold a retirement ceremony for Harry Sawyer after he quit instead of being forced to resign?
2) Why did IDVA then include a photo of that ceremony in its October, 2018 newsletter?
3) Why did IDVA general counsel/ethics officer Pennix and deputy general counsel Eddington attend that ceremony?
This is what they sent me a few minutes ago…
Harry Sawyer’s comments were completely inappropriate, violating both the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs handbook and the State of Illinois code of personal conduct. The IDVA is working with the new administration to ensure a safe and respectful work environment so that it can focus on its top priority: Providing our veteran heroes with the highest quality care and services.
More than two dozen strategists, analysts and campaign advisers who spoke to POLITICO said the hiring and pay trends they’re seeing this presidential cycle represent a sea change in an industry long dominated by men. No longer elbowed out of major decision-making, women more than ever are shaping messaging and strategy as well as steering policy and financial decisions of presidential campaigns.
Anne Caprara, who ran Hillary Clinton’s 2016 super PAC, Priorities USA, said for years it was common for female staffers to earn $10,000 or $20,000 less than men for doing the same work on different campaigns, or even within the same operation.
“On behalf of all the women who have worked on campaigns, it is about f***ing time that this has happened — and you can quote me on that,” Caprara said. “I really relish the day when this is not a story, when we’re not having these conversations of ‘are we paying men and women equal?’”
Caprara is, of course, Gov. Pritzker’s former campaign manager and current chief of staff.
What purpose does Michael J. Madigan serve for Illinois Democrats anymore?
Until recently, the speaker of the Illinois House was the state party’s problematic but predictably dogged counterpuncher to former Gov. Bruce Rauner, a ruthless enforcer of discipline on matters of policy and power if not principles, a deployer of patronage armies, an arbiter of who got what votes, money and, bottom line, permission to pursue any agenda of import in Springfield. To be frozen out by Madigan was to be frozen out—period—and generations of Democrats during his three-decade-plus hold on the legislative reins learned to live with the downsides of his omnipresence in exchange for the seemingly ineradicable grip on control that his speakership guaranteed the party.
All that power, remarkably concentrated in one man, could have been wielded for the larger good since Madigan became speaker in 1983—resolving, say, the pension crisis that threatens to swamp Illinois’ government and ultimately its economy, improving education and services for Illinois residents, or enacting taxation and regulatory reforms that would make the state more competitive with its neighbors as a place to live, work and invest. Instead, that firepower has seemingly been targeted toward one distinct purpose: the acquisition and maintenance of one man’s influence, that of Michael J. Madigan, the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in U.S. history.
Meanwhile, the state has suffered a slow decline, punctuated by the occasional body blow—governors sent to jail, corporate headquarters opportunities missed, one credit rating downgrade heaped atop another. Illinois now lands at No. 45 out of 50 states on U.S. News & World Report’s recent ranking of state-by-state economic growth and 50th on its measurement of fiscal stability. Illinois’ higher education system, its nonprofit social safety net and its infrastructure are only just recovering from the two-year-long budget stalemate between Madigan and his former nemesis, Rauner. And Illinois has lost population every year since 2014. Along the way, Madigan has become the most despised public official in the state, a persona so toxic as to be a public relations liability for every Democrat seeking office from dogcatcher on up.
* The Question: What purpose does Michael J. Madigan serve for Illinois Democrats anymore? Make sure to fully explain your answers, please.
* For whatever reason, a former Trump advisor running for Congress in the Chicago suburbs reached out to the New York Post to announce her campaign…
A conservative young Latina from Illinois is running for Congress as the anti-AOC.
Republican Catalina Lauf, 26, who is hoping to snag a Democratic-held seat outside Chicago, supports President Trump’s border wall, cites Ronald Reagan as an idol and hopes to be a counterweight to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional “Squad.”
If Lauf wins the seat, she would break the Bronx-Queens representative’s record as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
“I think it’s time that people step forward who want to unite the country and do it for the right reasons,” Lauf told The Post.
The self-described “lifelong conservative” on Tuesday announced she is running in the state’s 14th Congressional District west of the Windy City — and will be taking on incumbent Democrat Lauren Underwood.
Lauf is a former Trump administration adviser from Woodstock, Ill., who describes herself as “Latina by heart, American first” — born to an American father and Guatemalan mother. […]
Lauf accused the 32-year-old incumbent of not representing the mostly rural, traditionally Republican district that the Democrats narrowly won with 52.5% of the vote in the 2018 midterm election.
A bombshell new report today by NPR uncovered serious potential impropriety at the Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP), a network of political organizations which was co-Chaired by Congressman Rodney Davis during the period in which significant concerns were raised about how millions of dollars of contributions were spent. According to one former GOP lawmaker quoted by NPR: “It just all smelled really bad.”
According to NPR’s report, lawmakers and GOP operatives have questioned the use of hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions by Sarah Chamberlain, the Executive Director of the groups co-led by Davis, and that there’s fear the organization may be “running afoul of campaign finance and tax laws.”
When contacted by NPR, Congressman Davis refused to answer questions, and quietly cut his ties to group, even though NPR reports that “before Election Day, sources said, there was a growing list of questions about Chamberlain’s leadership of RMSP,” meaning that these actions were happening under Davis’ watch.
Even worse? This network’s Super PAC spent $200,000 last year to prop up Rodney Davis’ re-election campaign, raising further questions about spending decisions at the organization, and Rodney’s role in them.
“Rodney Davis needs to come clean with the public about what he knew about potential violation of federal law at the shadowy political network that he helped oversee, and when he knew it” said DCCC spokesperson Mike Gwin. “We already knew that Rodney Davis is a career politician who feels more at home at high-dollar fundraisers in DC than listening to his constituents, but this report raises serious questions about what he’s been doing in the Washington swamp.”
* The comptroller stopped by the SIUC Daily Egyptian office today for about an hour. The DE’s Photography and Multimedia Editor Isabel Miller is standing next to Mendoza in this pic. Isse is my niece…
* The Illinois Municipal League has taken a very conservative approach to informing its members about the new cannabis legalization law. So, some legislators have taken it upon themselves to provide more information…
The offices of Representative Kelly Cassidy, Senator Heather Steans, Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth, and Senator Toi Hutchinson are releasing a Local Government toolkit for the implementation of HB 1438, or the Cannabis Tax and Regulation Act. All offices have received requests for assistance and information from governments across the state on the steps they need to take before implementation in their jurisdictions. Within the Cannabis Tax and Regulation Act legislators took specific steps to allow local governments to determine whether and how they would allow cannabis businesses and dispensaries within their jurisdiction.
“We are giving local governments the control they have asked for and many have already started making decisions and voting on their ordinances,” said Senator Steans, D-Chicago.
While possession and private consumption will be legal throughout the state, some governments may decide to opt out, while others will seek to go even further than the state law does in terms of social equity and inclusion. This toolkit outlines various ways to go about that process.
“We believe this toolkit will be most useful to smaller local governments that may not have the staff and resources to look into the details of the new law,” said Rep. Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria.
While organizations such as the Illinois Municipal League have compiled recommendations as well, they are focused solely on how to ‘opt out’ rather than offering the full scope of possibilities. The toolkit discusses the wide variety of options available to local governments. They have the ability to establish zoning conditions for placement of cannabis businesses, impose additional taxes, add equity provisions such as fee waivers and loans, and allow social use spaces or ‘lounges’ for consumption.
“Think of everything in the bill as a floor, not a ceiling. This is just the beginning - there is still room for change. We are allowing local governments to work on their equity provisions as they see fit,” said Senator Hutchinson, D-Park Forest.
The toolkit also provides example city ordinances and links to corresponding parts of the law itself. Governments can use ordinances created by cities such as San Francisco, Denver, and Las Vegas to model their own implementation of the Cannabis Tax and Regulation Act. The intention is to leave as much as possible up to local governments, while providing them the tools necessary to implement legalization to best suit the needs of their communities.
It’s my opinion this state shouldn’t have legalized alcohol’s “leafy cousin” until it had answers for the questions being pondered by the Effingham County Board, et al, such as: What happens when an employee or applicant tests positive for it? What are the employers’ legal rights? What are the rights of the potential hire/employee? And there are other concerns. The fact remains that marijuana in recent times was considered a “gateway” drug. What happened to that theory? Did it just cease to be now that states are legalizing it?
The employer/employee questions can be answered with a quick Google search. For instance…
The Act provides employers with strong workplace protections, more than any other state that has legalized marijuana use.
And the theory about cannabis being a gateway drug is still being pushed by some folks. It’s not really a great argument, however. For one, legalization takes weed out of the hands of illegal drug dealers, who likely have other, more potent drugs available for customers. Legal dispensaries will not be selling heroin, cocaine or crack. Again, try the Google.
* Related…
* Weed-bill sponsors worry local governments will get greedy - If municipalities and counties charge the maximum tax of 6 percent, it could cut into legalized sales, legislators warn
.
* The high road: Cannabis will be legal in Illinois as of Jan. 1 and Beloit police are worried: “You’re talking Madison here,” said South Beloit Mayor Ted Rehl. “Like, ‘Oh, my god, Disneyland just moved closer.’” … But with the prospect of a 3% cut of tax revenue from cannabis sales, South Beloit is all in. In a cash-strapped community where property values have remained stagnant for the past decade, it’s a no-brainer for Rehl.
* Plano City Council to soon start recreational marijuana talks: Hausler said he does not know how the full City Council feels about recreational marijuana, but it seems like most are in favor of the city opting in and taxing those sales. He said he also has had discussions with law enforcement about their concerns, including how no one knows for sure how it will affect the city’s police department or calls for service.
* Bloomington Seeks To Lift Gambling Moratorium, Create Cannabis Plan: Carrillo got a lukewarm response from her colleagues to her request to establish a task force to examine how the city should foster a marijuana industry when its recreational use becomes legal next year. She noted the Town of Normal has already started its own discussion.
* In an informal 4-3 vote, the Highland Park City Council opted to take a “wait and see” approach to recreational cannabis businesses: Although the vote was informal, the opinion expressed by majority means it will be practically impossible for a business to open up in town on Jan. 1 when the first early approval licensees can begin selling recreational cannabis to adults in Illinois.
* The Auditor General’s report is here. It covered two fiscal years, ending June 30, 2018. Center Square…
An audit of Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services found significant deficiencies and noncompliance that a family justice advocate said shows the state agency is failing.
While the number of instances where the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services didn’t follow up on cases in a timely manner was small, Family Justice Resource Center Executive Director Michelle Weidner said each case involved the life of a child. […]
Nearly half the cases reviewed were not completed in a timely manner, the audit found. Nearly two-thirds of the cases didn’t have initial service plans in a timely manner as required, and 80 percent didn’t have integrated assessments completed.
The audit said failure to follow procedures, regulations and state law could result in inadequate care, unauthorized services or misuse of state funds. Findings of incomplete child welfare files were first reported in state audits more than 20 years ago. […]
While the percentage of cases of neglect and abuse that the agency failed to investigate within 24 hours was also a fraction of a percent (116 of 81,229, or 0.14 percent), the audit said failure to respond to such reports could result in further endangerment.
Weidner said people should not let small numbers downplay the significance.
“That fraction of a percent is represented by the cases that people don’t want to talk about,” Weidner said. “The cases like AJ Freund and Ja’hir Gibbons (both cases of DCFS-involved children who died this year) and the cases in which people are facing medically-based wrongful allegations and these cases matter. It matters to the people who are part of that small percentage.”
The detailed audit report by Sikich published by the Auditor General also found in fiscal 2017 three of 250 child death reviews were not conducted within the 90-day time frame as required by law.
“Failure to comply with the Act diminishes the effectiveness of the purposes for which the child death review teams serve and also is noncompliance with duties mandated by the Act,” the audit said.
The report found there was no documentation of a state central register created for 45 percent of the 60 examined hotline calls.
In other words, if someone calls the hotline about a child, it is supposed to be logged into a central registry – so that if someone calls about the child again, DCFS workers are aware and respond accordingly.
[Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert] said the lack of a prior report could impact the attention a child’s case receives.
The auditor general also found the DCFS has only half of the required number of bilingual caseworkers, which could also impact services.
Several other internal control violations were reported, including some related to untimeliness in the department in its requests for federal reimbursements, filing of accident reports, employee performance evaluations, and approval of contracts. Three findings were duplicated in a separate financial audit, also released Thursday.
In a management assertion letter in the report, child welfare leaders said they acted appropriately in the use of state funds, followed accounting and record-keeping procedures, and complied with applicable laws and regulations “other than what has been previously disclosed.”
Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza’s office today is releasing $14.7 million that has been held up for years for improvements at Chicago Rockford International Airport.
The airport’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility opened years ago. The state’s share of the cost was tied up by the state budget impasse that paralyzed Springfield for two years. The airport was paying up to $100,000 a month on interest payments to cover the state’s share while Springfield tried to get its act together.
“The people of the Rockford area have waited long enough for the money they were promised for the Chicago Rockford International Airport,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “Keeping our transportation facilities competitive and modern is a priority, and so is keeping our promises.”
Former Gov. Bruce Rauner visited the airport in June 2018 and said the money was on the way. On Wednesday, the voucher arrived in the Comptroller’s office from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, and it is being processed and issued today.
It is important to note that this funding is not part of the new $45 billion Build Illinois capital construction program; the $14.7 million is coming from old capital funds that were approved years ago.
The funding was frozen in 2015 by Quinn’s successor, former Gov. Bruce Rauner, amid a budget impasse with lawmakers. State Sen. Steve Stadelman included a $14.7 million appropriation for the airport grant in a budget bill approved by lawmakers last year.
“Our airport is major driver of economic development in the region,” Stadelman said in news release Thursday. “It is important the state honor its commitment, as the airport continues to expand operations and grow in prominence.”
The $14.7 million represents the state’s contribution to the airport’s $40 million maintenance, repair and overhaul center, which opened in 2016. The airport leases the twin-hangar facility to AAR Corp., a Wood Dale-based company that is a global leader in the aircraft maintenance and repair industry.
* Meanwhile, on a related note…
Legislation sponsored by State Representative Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) to ensure stable funding for County Cooperative Extension programs, such as 4-H, is now law. House Bill 2264 clarifies language in state statute to ensure funds intended to support extension programs cannot be withheld by the state. The bill was signed into law by the Governor last week.
When the bill passed unanimously in the House back in April, Weber said, “Speaking from my personal experience with our local extension, I can tell you how beneficial these programs are to our youth and our communities. House Bill 2264 is very simple, one word simple in fact, but this one word change will have a major impact on ensuring our extension programs have the stability and security they need to continue their good work.”
As Weber noted, HB 2264 simply changes one word in state law, but by changing this one word, it ensures uniformity between the County Cooperative Extension Law and the Civil Administrative Code. Due to vagueness in previous law, funds meant for the State Cooperative Extension Trust Fund, which helps fund extension programs, was not being regularly deposited. The new uniformity created through HB 2264 means the fund will no longer be shortchanged and stability will be guaranteed for local extension programs.
An Illinois State Police officer was shot while serving a search warrant near Washington Park.
Bommarito Automotive SkyFOX helicopter was over 1426 North 42nd Street and Caseyville Ave. Images show several police departments such as the Illinois State Police, East St. Louis Police and tactical units are on scene.
Illinois State Police confirm that an officer was shot serving a warrant at the home. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for the gunshot wound. His condition is not known at this time.
A police source tells FOX 2 that there are three people under arrest. One person is still barricaded in the home.
No comments on this one. Just keep the troopers - all troopers - in your thoughts. And let’s all hope everything goes smoothly for the Executive Protection Unit at the Du Quoin State Fair.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The ISP has released a statement calling the trooper’s injuries “life-threatening”…
llinois State Police (ISP) officials announce an Illinois State Police Trooper has been shot during the execution of a search warrant in the 1400 block of North 42nd Street in East St. Louis in the early morning hours of Friday, August 23, 2019.
At 5:26 A.M., during the execution of the search warrant, there was an exchange of gunfire at the residence and the Trooper was struck. The ISP Trooper received life-threatening injuries and has been transported to a regional hospital. The Trooper is 33 years old and is a 10-year veteran of the ISP.
This is an open and ongoing investigation with an active scene. Additional information will be available at a later time.
An Illinois State Police trooper died from wounds suffered early Friday while executing a search warrant in East St. Louis.
Trooper Nicholas Hopkins, 33, of Waterloo, a 10-year veteran of the force, was wounded during an exchange of gunfire while serving the warrant at an East St. Louis home, said State Police Acting Director Brendan Kelly. He later died at a hospital.
After the shooting, police surrounded the home and arrested three people. Police remained on the scene throughout the day, uncertain if another suspect was barricaded in the house, according to authorities. The three people arrested were not identified.
Police didn’t say if anyone else was shot, nor have they revealed the issues addressed in the search warrant.
* Gov. Pritzker…
Today the entire state mourns the loss of ISP South SWAT Trooper Nicholas Hopkins, a young man who dedicated 10 of his 33 years on this earth to protecting the people of Illinois. It is the most courageous among us who choose a life of risk so their communities can go about their lives in peace. The state of Illinois stands with Trooper Hopkins’ family and the entire Illinois State Police family as they grieve the loss of another heroic officer.
* This story is a perfect example of why governors have been extremely reluctant to use taxpayer dollars to maintain the Thompson Center and the executive mansion…
Days before lowering the boom on Chicago taxpayers to erase a $1 billion shortfall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has signed off on a $220,000 remodeling of the mayor’s office on the fifth floor of City Hall. […]
In a statement issued in response to questions from the Sun-Times, the mayor’s office described the project as a “series of routine upgrades to the mayor’s office, the lobby and hallway into the mayor’s suite and the press briefing room” where news conferences are held.
Similar work has been going on all over City Hall for several years now “to replace outdated ceilings, lighting fixtures, old carpeting, etc.,” the mayor’s office said. […]
“This was one of the last locations needing to be done. Work also includes some minor flooring and counter replacement. This is a continuation of work … started in May in the Mayor’s Office, which consisted of painting, carpet replacement, and moving furniture in and out of the office.”
Could the timing have been better for “optics”? Yup. But this stuff costs money.
The numbers for this year’s Illinois State Fair continue to demonstrate a historically successful event. While records for both revenue and ticket sales were broken for the grandstand lineup, high marks from parking, attendance and vendors were also achieved.
Estimated attendance totals of nearly 509,000 are 37% higher than 2018’s projection of just over 370,000 making it the largest estimated total attendance since 2014. Despite a reduction in admissions for Sunday through Thursday, gate revenue was up over last year’s fair. More parking passes were sold this year than the previous 17 years that this information was recorded. This year’s fair also saw an increase of vendors over last year by nearly 50.
“This year’s fair took an already wonderful event to new heights, breaking records at the grandstand and bringing Illinoisans from all across the state together to celebrate everything that makes Illinois so special,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From barns packed with all that our agriculture industry has to offer to entertainment for Illinoisans of all ages, I’m thrilled my first state fair as governor was such a success.”
“No matter the metric, this year’s fair was undoubtedly a success,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon. “Our goal was to bring families back to the fair during the week. I feel our decision to reduce admission during the week was rewarded by the attendance of the public. The weather was wonderful, our promotions were well received, our grandstand lineup was historic and I spoke with many vendors and concessionaires pleased with the crowds and their revenues. I’m excited to see what this means for our total revenues once those numbers are finalized.”
…Adding… Some commenters have asked about 2018 fair attendance. The drop was not weather-related…
The Illinois State Fair in Springfield saw 369,144 people walk or drive through its gates last month, an 8 percent drop compared to last year’s fair, state officials reported Friday.
Officials noted, however, that fairgoers this year appeared to spend more money than in 2017, according to an early look at vendors’ sales receipts.
This year’s attendance total was lower than the 401,648 who attended the 2017 fair but higher than the 347,855 who passed through the gates during the 2016 event that was plagued by flooding rains, extreme heat and power outages. The 2015 state fair, the first to be counted using a different formula, attracted 411,547.
Fair officials noted this year’s milder weather and limited rain helped the numbers.
…Adding… Historical data…
#ILStateFair attendance the past five years: 2015 - 411,547 2016 - 347,855 2017 - 401,648 2018 - 370,609 2019 - 508,901
Fair officials pulled out all the stops this year to get people back out and it looks like it paid off. Decent weather helped, too. #twillhttps://t.co/xR1hiTR0Eo
* I have some errands to run, so you’re on your own this afternoon. Instead of a question, let’s do an open thread. Keep it Illinois-centric and please be nice to each other. Thanks.
When former @ILVetsAffairs chief Erica Jeffries announced her resignation last April, Harry Sawyer was announced as interim director. But then he quit. I did a little math, which reveals the fact that Jeffries knew about Sawyer's harassment even as he was put up for a promotion. https://t.co/t3amuMKHmf
The report also details instances of Sawyer’s alleged use of racial slurs and racially insensitive language.
In August 2017, Sawyer allegedly had been upset with an employee’s job performance, which he described as being inadequate.
“All n—–s stick together,” Sawyer allegedly said, also referring to what he allegedly called a “‘sisterhood’ of African American women within IDVA protecting each other.”
On another occasion in late 2017 or early 2018, Sawyer allegedly referred to an employee with the N-word while he berated her for not being able to fill out a travel reimbursement voucher for Sawyer “in a correct and timely manner.”
Man, the storm that would’ve hit Rauner if that guy had been appointed director. Whew. They dodged a big bullet over there.
Recently, Illinois Democrat State Senator Martin Sandoval, an outspoken critic of President Trump, was caught hosting an event where pictures were taken of a staged assassination of President Trump.
We can not and will not let this dangerous act stand. We must send the message to all Democrats that this despicable act will not be tolerated. We must defeat Sandoval next November!
Take a look at the photos that were shared on social media…
We hope you are as appalled as we are. Please help the Illinois Republican Party continue to demand Senator Sandoval’s resignation and ultimately, his defeat next November.
Will you help us stand against horrific acts like this? Will you help us send a message and defeat Sandoval?
While the secret service is aware and looking into the possible threat, we can’t only rely on that to hold Sandoval accountable for promoting violence against the President. Donate NOW to help us defeat Sandoval in next year’s election!
Your help is appreciated,
Team ILGOP
I’m thinking they’re not going to use even one thin dime of that cash to fund an opponent against Sandoval, unless they decide to back a Democratic primary candidate. JB Pritzker won the district by 53 percentage points, Hillary Clinton won it by 52 points.
*** UPDATE *** It gets even better. A sharp-eyed commenter pointed out that Sandoval is in the midst of a four-year term and isn’t even up for reelection next year. Hilarious.
The recent trip to Venezuela by a group calling itself a Chicago Teachers Union delegation has upset some union members and expats who question the point of the tour and take issue with the group’s praise of the country’s disputed government.
The four travelers, who crowdfunded the July trip under the banner of the CTU, met with Venezuelan government officials and educators, visited a commune and were featured in local media. […]
And though the four travelers regularly called themselves a “CTU delegation” online, the union representing close to 25,000 people has sought to distance itself from the trip, stating the CTU did not endorse, sponsor or fund the trip.
Asked on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” last week about “some controversy” surrounding the excursion, union President Jesse Sharkey said: “Members go all kinds of places in the summer. This was neither an official trip nor something that was funded by the union. This is a group of people who are members of the CTU who decided to go to Venezuela.”
Much of the criticism has come from a few educators in the “Members First” CTU caucus, which lost the CTU election in May that saw Sharkey regain his position as president. Members First is generally more centrally aligned politically than the current progressive CTU leadership and urges the union’s focus to remain on rank-and-file members rather than national or international political issues.
This spring, the Chicago Teachers Union Executive Board and House of Delegates each unanimously passed a resolution condemning Donald Trump and U.S. intervention in Venezuela. Resources that never seemed to find their way to our classrooms are being used to intervene in the democratic processes of other countries instead.
This blog represents the members delegation of the Chicago Teacher’s Union that are currently in Venezuela to learn from educators and activists on the ground. The rest of this week, we will be reporting on what we learn and see while we are here. We are being aided by Dozthor Zurlent (Educator) and Miguel Ángel Nuñez (Facilitator) from the Education Ministry of Venezuela.
One of those posts [retweeted by the CTU] was from teacher Sarah Chambers, a member of the CTU executive board on the trip, who wrote, “While staying in #Venezuela, we didn’t see a single homeless person. USA is the richest country in the world; yet, there are homeless people everywhere. Over 17k CPS students are homeless… This is why @CTULocal1 is fighting for fair housing #CTUAgainstVezIntervention.”
The teachers’ delegation met with leaders from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Communes, Ministry of Education, Adult Education Teachers, and students, as well as on-the-ground activists.
One important meeting was when the delegation sat down with Vladimir Castillo, the Venezuelan Director of International Affairs. They learned that Chavez started to talk about socialism in 2005, at the World Social Forum in Brazil, and that a few years after 2007 and 2008, community councils emerged as a result.
Yesterday, we had the amazing opportunity to meet with Jacobo Torres de León, the president of the Central of Bolivarian Socialist Workers. In his compelling interview, he spoke about his journey alongside President Maduro, his union brother and now Venezuelan President, and how they worked together to improve the rights of workers and unions.
Sharkey says with 25,000 members, the CTU is a diverse union, and its members are proud – they represent the union in many different activities – and he has no interest in policing what everyone says.
But more than that, he says right now, members should focus on being unified while they negotiate this critical contract.
“I would say to the people for and against Venezuela: please stop, it’s not where we need to be going right now,” Sharkey said.
“I have no interest in policing what they’re going to say. I don’t have the ability even if I wanted to do that.”
Meh. Whatever you think of Venezuela, you’d think a union could at the least publicly chastise a group that misrepresented itself on a foreign mission.
* Whenever you toy publicly with running for higher office you can raise your local public profile, but you also run the risk of prompting people in your district to start thinking seriously about running for your vacant district. Rep. Allen Skillicorn (East Dundee) did just that by teasing a congressional bid against US Rep. Lauren Underwood.
Skillicorn only fueled speculation about a possible “up or out” scenario when he didn’t raise a single dime in the second quarter and reported having only about $13K in his campaign bank account on June 30th.
He recently said he’ll announce his reelection next month at a fundraiser and then loaned his campaign $45,000 a couple of days ago.
McHenry County Board member Carolyn Schofield of Crystal Lake has announced she will run for the Illinois 66th House District seat in the 2020 primary election.
Schofield, who also serves on the executive board of directors for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), said residents of the 66th District deserve better representation than they have received over the last three years.
“The people of the 66th District have had three years of failed leadership by Allen Skillicorn and it’s time for a change,” said Schofield. “While other House Republicans have been able to get bills signed into law that directly benefit their constituents, our current Representative has burnt bridges and become completely ineffective. He’s done nothing to build relationships that provide a foundation for personal legislative success. As a result, during his three years in office he still has not written even one bill* that he’s been able to carry through the entire legislative process. The people of the 66th District deserve a representative who is committed to working collaboratively to deliver real, sustainable results for McHenry and Kane Counties.”
Schofield said Skillicorn’s recent suggestion that he may run for Congress instead of the Illinois House is a clear indicator that the people of the 66th House District may no longer be his top priority. “He won’t say which office he’s running for in 2020,” Schofield said. “While he wallows in a state of indecision, I stand committed to serving the people of the 66th District where reforms have the greatest financial impact— at the state level. High property taxes and pension debt are the biggest issue here, and those problems are solved at the state level, not in Congress.”
Schofield said she decided to run for the 66th District seat after being approached by several community leaders who felt new state-level leadership was in order. “Successful legislators build relationships, establish trust, and respect their colleagues- even when their opinions on issues clash,” Schofield said. “We don’t have that in the 66th District. Instead, we have an individual who refuses to work with local municipalities on their issues, and rails against not just Democrats, but also members from his own caucus. We don’t need an obstructionist who believes the key to success is widening the political divide. That strategy does nothing to bring taxpayer dollars back to McHenry and Kane Counties.”
Schofield said she will leverage her reputation as a consensus-builder to bring change and reform to Illinois. “Consensus on key issues in Springfield is possible when we find common ground and work together on solutions,” Schofield added. “Only then can we make real progress in addressing the state’s financial problems, improve the jobs climate, and solve the pension crisis. Most importantly, since Republicans work from a position of super-minority, only when we work together will we be able to provide real and sustaining property tax relief for Illinoisans.”
Prior to being elected to the McHenry County Board in 2012, Schofield served on the Crystal Lake City Council from 2009-2012 and on the Crystal Lake Planning & Zoning Committee for ten years, from 1999-2009. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in General Engineering with an Environmental Quality Specialization from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Skillicorn…
Perennial candidate Carolyn Schofield is once again announcing her intention to run for State Representative in the 66th District. Voters in the Republican Party will be given a clear choice between a committed conservative who is resolutely opposed to tax increases and a candidate in Schofield who has never met a tax increase she didn’t like.
She once told Kane County GOP Executive Vice Chairman Jeff Meyer that the reason she supported so many property tax increases over the years was because the voters were not paying attention. Public servants should always be on guard for the taxpayers whether they are paying attention or not because protecting taxpayers’ hard-earned money is the right thing to do.
In her announcement she says the key to solving the state’s financial problems is “consensus.” It was “consensus” that gave us a 32 percent income tax increase in 2017. It was “consensus” that doubled the gas tax this year. It was “consensus” that created the pension crisis as both Democrats and Republicans in the Springfield establishment refused to act responsibility in terms of managing the state’s pension obligations. “Consensus” is a fancy way of voicing support for the failed policies that are bankrupting our state. The Illinois General Assembly already has a bunch of tax hikers. We don’t need more. My record on taxes speaks for itself. I have and will continue to stand up for taxpayers.
Teachers will see an increase to their minimum salary under a new law sponsored by State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker.
“We’re facing a severe teacher shortage in Illinois and increasing their salaries is just one way we can attract and retain qualified teachers in this state,” Manar said. “We need to start taking this problem seriously and this legislation is a good step toward solving it.”
House Bill 2078 will increase the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 over a four year period.
Illinois had not updated its minimum teacher salary since 1980. Since that time, state statute has mandated that that Illinois school districts pay teachers with a bachelor’s degree a minimum of only $10,000.
“This is a long-needed change and I’m glad to see that both sides of the aisle came forward to support this legislation,” Manar said. “We’re showing that we value teachers in Illinois and that’s going to go a long way toward attracting qualified teachers in Illinois and convincing young people to consider a career in education.”
Under the measure, the state would update the minimum mandated salary for teachers annually over four years, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. After that, subject to review by the General Assembly, it would be increased according to the Consumer Price Index. The phase-in would look like this under the proposal:
· $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year;
· $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year;
· $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year; and
· $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year;
A coalition of mayors from mostly African American south suburbs are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reconsider a key portion of the state’s new gambling law, which they say gives the house edge to owners of a combination horse racetrack-casino over majority-black towns vying for a separate casino license nearby.
Not only would the two new full-blown gambling dens compete with one another for customers in a saturated suburban market, but the law also potentially allows the racino owners to block a traditional casino from setting up shop in the first place. That “11th hour” provision to the gaming bill only benefits “a wealthy, white track owner,” according to Matteson Village President Sheila Chalmers-Currin.
”While this proposed law appears to allow two casinos (one with a track), in fact, we all know that this will never happen, and the favored track owner will have the only gaming property in South Cook County,” Chalmers-Currin wrote in a June 11 letter to Pritzker publicly released Wednesday. “I speak for the many minorities that suspect this is all a ruse and special legislation to benefit the private racino operator to the disadvantage of the African American community and its leaders.” […]
The bill also authorized another casino located in one of the following townships: Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Rich, Thornton or Worth.
One hangup: that casino can’t be located within 35 miles of the track — effectively ruling out any of those townships — unless the track operator “has given written consent” for the casino to open there, the law says.
(230 ILCS 5/) Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. […]
(230 ILCS 5/19.5)
Sec. 19.5. Standardbred racetrack in Cook County.
Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary, in addition to organization licenses issued by the [Illinois Racing Board] on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Board shall issue an organization license limited to standardbred racing to a racetrack located in one of the following townships of Cook County: Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Orland, Rich, Thornton, or Worth. This additional organization license shall not be issued within a 35-mile radius of another organization license issued by the Board on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, unless the person having operating control of such racetrack has given written consent to the organization licensee applicant
Horse-racing advocates on Thursday shot down the incorrect claim of a south suburban mayor who said owners of a soon-to-be-licensed racino can block a standalone casino from breaking ground nearby.
But Matteson Village President Sheila Chalmers-Currin says there are still flaws in the expansion, which, as written, gives substantial leeway to one of the state’s most powerful horse-racing families. […]
The Matteson mayor acknowledged the misreading, saying she and other south suburban leaders have since “gotten some clarification on that” from state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, an architect of the casino expansion.
* Bernie asked House Republican Leader Jim Durkin about the Eastern Bloc’s proposal to kick Chicago out of Illinois…
“They’ve got interesting ideas, and I will say that if it works back in their district, good for them,” Durkin told reporters on the Illinois State Fair’s Republican Day last week. “But we know that’s not a possibility.”
Asked if the idea could damage the state, Durkin said: “If (there) was ever a chance that it could happen, it would be, but this is just political rhetoric by some members. I don’t put much stock into it and nor does anybody else.”
Asked if the lawmakers are playing a game, Durkin said: “I think they’re playing the game of re-election in an arena where it sounds good.”
“It is a vehicle to express a very real frustration with a lack of respect for our values and our way of life,” Halbrook said. “People in rural counties are tired of these far-left policies being forced on those of us who simply have a different point of view. Maybe, a formal separation won’t happen, although it has happened four times in U.S. history, but this movement is gaining momentum. The separation issue is rural America telling folks in Chicago how much they disapprove of the policies they have forced on this state. And the fact that their views are being ignored and dismissed as political rhetoric is only going to serve to fan the flames because it is another example of how rural Illinoisans are again overlooked.”
He said those who think it’s a bad idea should look for ways to show they care about concerns of rural residents, “instead of dismissing what is for many a serious idea and a serious effort to separate from Chicago.”
It is neither a serious idea nor a serious effort. Durkin nailed it.
* Would you rather read a post about former Illinois US Rep. Joe Walsh talking about running for president, or would you rather I post some videos of musician Joe Walsh’s tunes? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
A day after an explosive report revealed years of bullying under the reign of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s chief of staff, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday dodged questions about whether he’s still confident in the speaker’s leadership.
Now that a report of a toxic workplace at the Capitol is out, Gov. JB Pritzker’s glad the culture of harassment, intimidation, and bullying is now known to all.
But, he says, it doesn’t end here.
“I think we need to hold everybody accountable, and that means we need to address the culture,” Pritzker said Wednesday in Chicago after a bill-signing ceremony. “The only way to do that — you can’t just do one-time training; you can’t just announce that this is a problem. You have to be persistent and consistent about addressing it. People need to be reminded, and new people are coming to Springfield all the time.”
“The culture of sexual harassment exists in Springfield on both sides of the aisle,” the rookie Democratic governor said Wednesday at an unrelated event in Chicago. “It has been pervasive for a long time. I think anybody that’s worked in Springfield has talked about it and knows about it. And it is a very positive thing that these things have come to light.”
The report from Maggie Hickey, a former federal prosecutor and state executive inspector general under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, pointed the blame for many of the problems within the speaker’s office at his longtime chief of staff, Tim Mapes.
Mapes, who also was House clerk and executive director of the Madigan-led state Democratic Party, was ousted from his positions last summer after a staffer publicly accused him of fostering “a culture of sexism, harassment and bullying that creates an extremely difficult working environment.”
Pritzker says the report detailed “a special kind of harassment and intimidation from Tim Mapes.” But when asked if putting Mapes in positions of power reflects poorly on the speaker’s judgment, Pritzker answered it depended on what Madigan knew.
Pritzker on Wednesday refused multiple times to single out Madigan himself.
“The culture of sexual harassment exists in Springfield on both sides of the aisle,” Pritzker said. “I am counting on the speaker and the Senate president and the minority leader of the House and the minority leader of the Senate to carry out functions that will safeguard women, anybody that could be sexually harassed or attacked.”
Pritzker was asked again if Madigan had dropped the ball, presiding over a workplace culture where abuse was rampant.
“I think it’s clear on both sides of the aisle. I think everybody in Springfield, we’ve let this culture go on too long,” he said.
[House Republican Leader Jim Durkin] said Republicans have had their share of problems, but said under his leadership, employees should feel safe to come forward with complaints. He said when there have been complaints, officials have acted swiftly.
“We didn’t need an extensive investigation for us to make decisions and to take action. We will continue to do that in those situations when you get into harassment of employees, but also conduct that’s unbecoming of members,” Durkin said.
Durkin said Madigan’s future depends on House Democrats.
“I’m not going to get involved with the House Democrats and how they manage their operations,” Durkin said. “I have nothing further to say on that.”
