Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration is violating state labor law by refusing to allow thousands of state workers to move as scheduled through the state pay plan over the past two years, a state appellate court has ruled.
The state pay plan and collective bargaining agreements provide for state employees to progress via step increases after being hired. But Gov. Rauner’s Department of Central Management Services (CMS) has blocked employees represented by AFSCME—the largest union of state workers—from progressing through the pay plan’s steps since July 1, 2015, when the union’s most recent contract was scheduled to expire.
The appellate court’s decision reverses the Rauner-appointed Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB)’s dismissal of the union’s charge that the administration had committed an unfair labor practice by blocking step progression through the pay plan.
“We’re pleased that the court has halted Governor Rauner’s illegal action preventing thousands of public service workers from receiving their lawful step increases. This is money that working people were promised when they were hired, money they have earned and are counting on to help support their families and pay their bills,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said.
“Illegally denying steps to the newest-hired and lowest-paid state employees fits Bruce Rauner’s pattern of anti-worker behavior,” Lynch added. “Rauner should refrain from appealing this decision and move swiftly to place employees at the appropriate step on the pay scale.”
In its initial charge and its appeal, AFSCME pointed out that state law prevents either party to a collective bargaining agreement from making unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment while a new agreement is being negotiated, and requires employers to maintain the status quo.
“[T]here is no dispute that the step increases are a term or condition of employment, and there is no real question that [the Rauner administration] made a unilateral decision to withhold the step increases during negotiations,” the court found. “… [T]he ILRB’s finding that CMS did not commit an unfair labor practice was clearly erroneous”.
The court’s unanimous decision was issued today by a panel of three judges in the fifth appellate district.
The ruling is not yet posted online and I’ve asked the governor’s office for comment.
The Labor Board ruled in our favor on the issue of step increases. Today the 5th District Appellate Court ruled against the State on that step issue and remanded the matter back to the Labor Board for further proceedings. The State is reviewing the decision and will decide shortly what next steps it plans to take.
* Gov. Rauner spoke to Chicago reporters shortly before he left for Israel on October 27th. The subject of sexual harassment was brought up by numerous reporters, but let’s focus on this question…
Mary Ann Ahern: There’s even allegations within your own staff. Obviously, they’ve not surfaced to the point where we can talk publicly. But some have literally said to us that you have not been as outspoken as perhaps you could’ve been about someone in your staff that you absolutely know who I am talking about. And is no longer there. And absolutely there are allegations and what happened to the internal investigation now that that person is no longer a part of this…?
Gov. Bruce Rauner: Mary Ann, if there were allegations, they would be dealt with. I am very strong on this. Zero tolerance. Zero tolerance. And there are not allegations. Um, and, uh, I have addressed this proactively long before any letter, long before these national headlines. Making sure that sexual harassment, sexual misconduct is addressed. We have zero tolerance and we have training to prevent it and to deal with it if and when it occurs.
OK, that question from last month was about a former staffer. But then today…
.@GovRauner's staff are now being interviewed in an active OEIG probe, source says. Spokesperson has not responded to request for comment.
Tina Sfondeles: Are you aware of some of your staffers being interviewed in an OEIG investigation into someone in your administration?
Gov. Rauner: Well, I’ll say this. Um, the inspector, the Executive Inspector General operates completely independently, in confidence, they have their own rigorous process. I and members of our administration are not involved in it whatsoever. Um, and I, there, there have been lots of rumors circulating. I’ve heard some, I’ve heard some from the members of the media. I don’t comment on rumors, I don’t think it’s appropriate to comment. But, we have a rigorous process. And I have been a strong advocate, as I say, from the earliest days in my administration. Did an executive order, make sure we had a code of personal conduct, make sure we have training for every employee against personal, um, um, unethical behavior and sexual harassment, sexual misconduct. We are making sure that’s a process that’s enforced.
Amanda Vinicky: Governor…
Spokesperson: Last question.
Amanda Vinicky: Are you or anybody, you are aware of, not rumors, are you aware of [inaudible] you been interviewed by the Office of Executive Inspector General for any cases related to wrongdoing within your office, particularly that relating to sexual harassment by high-ranking employees?
Gov. Rauner: I have not been interviewed by anyone in the Office of the Executive Inspector General, I have had no contact or questions from them about this. And they operate completely independent of me and members of our administration.
No speculation and no rumors in comments, please. Don’t get yourself banned for life.
* Meanwhile, in other developments…
Senate President John J. Cullerton issued the following statement regarding next steps to address ethics and sexual harassment complaints now that the Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission has an inspector general.
“I want to make it clear that there should be zero tolerance for sexual harassment and intimidation in any workplace, and the Illinois General Assembly is no exception.”
“With an inspector general in place, it is incumbent upon the General Assembly to give her the tools to do the job. The first thing needed is an extension of the statute of limitations to ensure the pending complaints can be investigated. The next step is to make sure there are clear standards in place regarding the professional conduct of members of the General Assembly and a direct and secure avenue for victims to come forward with confidence to report complaints.”
“I anticipate swift action to resolve these issues this week.”
On April 14th, J.B. Pritzker pledged to release his tax returns ’soon.’ Now, six months later, we’re hearing the same old promises from Pritzker, who continues to stall and hope this goes away.
Other Democrats have already challenged Pritzker on his obfuscation, and Illinois voters are demanding to see what Pritzker is hiding.
We already know that he has gamed the system through fellow Madigan crony Joe Berrios so he could receive a $230,000 tax break on his Gold Coast Chicago mansion.
What else might Pritzker be hiding? If you ask Pritzker, we’ll find out ‘soon.’
The Cook County Democratic endorsement of [Sen. Kwame Raoul for attorney general] follows an earlier one by Democrats in southeastern Illinois Madison County. But U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who made a brief visit to the slatemaking session, said Quinn has the benefit of being familiar to voters who maybe don’t know other candidates in the crowded primary race.
“Pat Quinn’s appetite for public service is insatiable. I’ve seen it throughout his life and his political life. He loves public life, and he loves service,” said Durbin, whose winning effort for the U.S. Senate in 1996 included a primary challenge from Quinn.
“He’s run against everybody,” Durbin said, laughing.
* Legislative Ethics Commission compliance audit published by the Illinois Auditor General on May 3, 2017…
The Legislative Ethics Commission (Commission) did not comply with certain procedural requirements established by State laws and regulations as described below:
• The Commission did not file a Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act certification with the Office of the Auditor General for Fiscal Year 2016 as required.
• The Commission did not timely submit two of two (100%) State property inventory certifications to the Department of Central Management Services. The certification for Fiscal Year 2015 was submitted 52 days late, and the certification for Fiscal Year 2014 was not submitted at all.
• The Commission failed to perform and document 24 of 24 (100%) monthly reconciliations of its expenditures with the Office of the Comptroller’s Monthly Appropriation Status Report. (Finding 1, pages 7-8). This finding has been repeated since 2010.
We recommended the Commission timely submit its FCIAA certification to the Office of the Auditor General, timely submit the required property reports, and document performance of expenditure reconciliations monthly. (Finding 1, pages 7-8). This finding has been repeated since 2010.
We recommended the Commission timely submit its FCIAA certification to the Office of the Auditor General, timely submit the required property reports, and document performance of expenditure reconciliations monthly.
The Commission accepted our recommendation.
* Legislative Ethics Commission compliance audit published October 15, 2015…
• (14-1) The Commission did not timely prepare and file all required reports.
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS PROCEDURAL DEFICIENCIES
During our testing of the Legislative Ethics Commission (Commission), we noted procedural deficiencies. Some of the conditions we noted follow:
• The Commission submitted 2 of 2 (100%) Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act certifications for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 with the Office of the Auditor General 28 and 8 days late, respectively.
• The Commission submitted 1 of 2 (50%) inventory certifications with the Department of Central Management Services 99 days late.
• The Commission submitted 1 of 4 (25%) Travel Headquarters reports to the Legislative Audit Commission 73 days late. (Finding 1, pages 7-8). This finding has been repeated since 2010.
We recommended the Commission ensure all required reports are prepared and filed timely as required. The Commission agreed with our recommendation.
* Legislative Ethics Commission compliance audit published January 30. 2013…
• The Legislative Ethics Commission did not timely prepare and file all required reports.
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS PROCEDURAL DEFICIENCIES
During our testing of the Legislative Ethics Commission (Commission), we noted procedural deficiencies. Some of the conditions we noted follow:
• The Commission submitted 2 of 2 (100%) Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act (FCIAA) certifications for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 with the Office of the Auditor General 473 and 107 days late, respectively.
• The Commission submitted 1 of 2 (50%) inventory certifications with the Department of Central Management Services (DCMS) 48 days late.
• The Commission submitted 2 of 2 (100%) Annual Real Property Utilization reports for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 to DCMS 388 and 22 days late, respectively. (Finding 1, pages 7-9)
We recommended the Commission ensure all required reports are prepared and filed timely as required. The Commission agreed with our recommendation.
Full reports and more info can be found here. Audits of the Legislative Inspector General’s office are here.
Dynegy says that, at least in Southern Illinois, it faces a unique set of problems.
The company argues that its struggling fleet of coal plants in the region contends with more than the usual market challenges presented by cheap natural gas and other mounting competition. Instead, it claims operations are disadvantaged by a double whammy of bad rate designs from the region’s grid operator and by new state subsidies for nuclear plants that have further undercut coal’s local competitiveness.
The company warns that the bleak outlook for its plants could mean uncertainty in terms of cost and reliability for Southern Illinois electrical customers.
“The system is becoming dangerously short on capacity and added retirements will put much more pressure on that,” said Dean Ellis, Dynegy’s executive vice president of regulatory affairs.
Already, the company reports that approximately 20 percent of its downstate Illinois’ power generation has shut down in the last two years, with another 30 percent set to close in the next three years “due to an inability to cover operating costs,” according to a recently released statement. The company declines to speculate on the future plans awaiting specific plants in the area.
Dynegy, which bought five Southern Illinois coal plants from Ameren in 2013, has long criticized the market structure implemented by the regional grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO. Southern Illinois is one of the only places in MISO’s expansive territory where electricity is deregulated, and not provided by regulated monopolies assured of certain fiscal returns.
The proposal could reportedly raise electric bills by $115 a year for the average Ameren Illinois household to support outdated, expensive coal plants that were built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Dynegy is Illinois’ biggest owner of coal plants, having bought five from Ameren in 2013. The company operates eight plants and more than 5,000 megawatts of coal generation in Southern Illinois.
What would Dynegy’s bill do?
The legislation effects the pricing of “capacity”—a key component of electric rates. Capacity prices, which are wrapped into the electric supply rate, are payments we electric customers make to big power generators for the promise to meet power demand during peak periods of usage.
Dynegy’s legislation would aim to create a capacity-pricing system for Central and Southern Illinois that is run by a state agency, the Illinois Power Agency, and would produce higher prices closer to what customers in Northern Illinois pay. Northern Illinois’ capacity-pricing system is more lucrative for power generators. It is run by a power-grid operator that covers 12 other states, including several in the eastern United States, where power prices tend to be higher.
Is Dynegy threatening to close power plants if it doesn’t get its legislation?
Dean Ellis, Dynegy’s executive vice president of regulatory and government affairs, told Crain’s Chicago Business the lower capacity prices under the current system “will inevitably lead to (plant) retirements.” He stopped short of saying Dynegy will close specific plants.
SB 2250/HB4141 says it a bit stronger, claiming 3,000 MW of electric generation is “at risk” of early retirement, energy writer Jeff Tomich reports.
Crain’s points out that plant closures pose little financial risk to Dynegy, because it essentially paid nothing to acquire the plants from Ameren in 2013. (Ameren gave the facilities to Dynegy, and even threw in $200 million to entice the company to take them off its hands.)
Is Central and Southern Illinois in danger of a power shortage?
Not immediately. Illinois has an electricity surplus. CUB Executive Director David Kolata said if there is any reliability issue for downstate Illinois, it likely won’t develop for another four or five years. Regardless, the answer is not to prop up expensive, aging coal-fired power plants. The reason CUB supported the Future Energy Jobs Act last year is to create a plan for Illinois’ energy future that emphasizes efficiency and renewable energy—not outdated and inefficient sources of power.
Why are coal plants hurting?
While some blame environmental regulations for the ailing coal industry, the major reason coal plants (and other generators, like nuclear) have seen their revenues drop is because of a glut of natural gas (thanks to new “fracking” drilling procedures). Improved energy efficiency and renewable energy also are factors.
With power prices falling, capacity payments have become a key source of revenue for plant operators like Dynegy. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Steve Daniels does a nice job explaining how generators of coal and nuclear energy have responded to the fall of wholesale power prices because of the glut of natural gas.
The first company to obtain a permit for fracking in Illinois announced Friday it won’t use it, citing market conditions and the state’s “burdensome and costly” regulations.
Wichita, Kansas-based Woolsey Companies Inc. was given permission in September by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to drill near the southeast Illinois community of Enfield.
“The process we have gone through to receive a permit was burdensome, time consuming and costly due to the current rules and regulations of the state of Illinois, and it appears that this process would continue for future permit applications,” Woolsey vice president Mark Sooter said in a statement. […]
The Illinois Legislature in 2013 passed a law regulating fracking. At the time, the law was considered one of the most stringent in the nation. But oil prices soon dropped, and companies that secured leases to frack put their plans on hold.
An Illinois Senate subcommittee on energy is scheduled to hold a hearing on state fracking rules later this month in Chicago, said Fujan.
“They called a hearing to discuss fracking and whether new research should have been taken into consideration,” she said. “We’re going to pursue further restrictions on fracking and an outright ban, if possible.”
Department of Natural Resources spokesman Ed Cross said a new permit would be required if Woolsey decided to revive the Illinois wells.
“They’d have to start the whole process over,” said Cross.
Two other energy development companies registered for hydraulic fracturing in Illinois, though neither applied for a permit and one later withdrew the registration.
Darlene Senger and Jim Dodge are circulating joint nominating petitions, Senger for Comptroller and Dodge for Treasurer. Jason Helland is circulating nominating petitions for Secretary of State
Senger is a former state Representative who worked for the Illinois Policy Institute before becoming Rauner’s chief legislative liaison during the Great Summer Purge of 2017.
Dodge ran for comptroller in 2010 and came in third place behind Judy Baar Topinka and William Kelly. Yes, you read that right.
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news network…
Illinois lawmakers this week could get a chance to freeze some of Illinois’ high property taxes, but a freeze won’t bring down the already high burden in some areas.
Illinois has the second highest property tax burden in the country behind New Jersey. There have been proposals over the years for a permanent freeze, a four-year freeze, a freeze with required referenda to increase or decrease property taxes and more, but none have been successful.
A House committee last week approved an amendment to Senate Bill 851 that would bring about a two-year property tax freeze for Cook and a handful of collar counties and allow for the rest of the state to freeze property taxes through voter referendum. […]
Americans for Prosperity Illinois State Director Andrew Nelms said a freeze doesn’t lessen the already high burden.
“You’re going the wrong way,” Nelms said, “to go from a permanent, to a four-year, to a two-year, never mind the fact that they continue to water it down with these exemptions.”
Mussman’s amendment would still allow local governments to increase property taxes for debt service and pension payments. It would also exempt several dozen school districts that are on a financial watch list, including Chicago Public Schools, from having their property taxes frozen.
The bill could be approved in the House and concurred in the Senate when lawmakers return for veto session this week.
Voting against a two-year property tax freeze, even with these exemptions, would probably be difficult to explain to the folks back home.
Additionally, the measure would provide relief to taxpayers by increasing senior-specific exemptions, as well as exemptions for every other homeowner..
Farmers in Illinois are asking Gov. Bruce Rauner for a little help as they try to quickly wrap up this fall’s harvest.
Because of a rainy spring and late rain this fall, there are still farmers in some parts of Illinois with acres and acres of corn and beans in their fields, and they are running out of time to harvest it.
The Illinois Farm Bureau asked Rauner for a Harvest Season Emergency declaration about two weeks ago.
Kevin Rund with the Farm Bureau said a declaration will allow farmers to add 10 percent more grain to the trucks taking their crops to storage. […]
But farmers have not yet heard back from the governor’s office. Rauner himself is in Israel this week on a weeklong trade mission.
I asked the governor’s office for comment last week, but never heard back.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has declared a “harvest emergency” across Illinois.
The designation means trucks carrying grain can exceed weight limits by 10 percent. Jeff Kirwan, with the Illinois Farm Bureau, says weather challenges have made for a unique harvest season.
* But farmers will still have to deal with red tape…
“We didn’t start harvesting corn until Oct. 15,” said Brent Riewerts of Hillsdale, Rock Island County Farm Bureau vice president. “Everybody has the same window to get the crop out, and this declaration allows you to throw on an extra 50 or 60 bushels. It’s going to speed up our travel time by 5 to 10 percent by having that. We can put on a few more bushels and not break the law.”
Farmers will need to seek a permit from each authority with jurisdiction over the routes they plan to use, according to Kevin Rund, Illinois Farm Bureau transportation specialist.
Under a harvest season emergency, a farmer with a permit may haul up to a maximum of 10 percent more than the standard weight restriction of the gross, axle and registered weight restrictions, Rund explained. He added the 10 percent limit is the maximum a road authority may offer, and any authority may also issue a permit for an overweight of less than 10 percent above the standard limit.
For state routes, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) serves as the authority. Harvest season permits are not available for interstate highways. IDOT officials indicated the agency would use an automated permit, according to Rund.
Farmers need to check with local road authorities whether they plan to issue harvest season emergency permits and whether those will be a blanket permit or individual permits, Rund said. With individual permits, local authorities may put restrictions, such as which roads are designated for the permits or times of day the permit is valid, or special conditions, such as not valid during a rainstorm, he added.
On county roads, farmers will need to check with county engineers in each respective county they will travel. In addition, farmers need to talk to township road commissioners for township roads and street departments for municipal streets.
Illinois attorney general candidate Sharon Fairley, a former federal prosecutor, is pumping $100,000 into her candidacy today, her campaign tells us. That places Fairley, who left her post overseeing a Chicago police oversight group to run for attorney general, in a competitive position financially. It’s a competition for Dem dollars among the many candidates running in the Democratic primary. Last week, Rod Blagojevich attorney Aaron Goldstein contributed $50,000 to his campaign fund. Sen. Kwame Raoul reported having about $400,000 in his account.
The bottom line, though, is that Fairley’s contribution to herself will help her scale up her campaign. Let’s see what the first-time candidate does with the cash.
Quinn benefits from high name recognition and a record of involvement in consumer and environmental protection, said Bradley.
However, he said, “His drawback is the most recent thing people will remember is his time as governor.”
Jackson said Quinn has to be considered a front-runner at this point, although “he’s got baggage” and the most recent poll he saw put Quinn’s support at only 28 percent.
“It all depends on the campaign he runs,” said Jackson. “He’s never been a great fundraiser.”
Quinn raised a bunch of money in 2014. And a former governor polling at 28 percent is not good at all, and was probably a significant reason why the Cook County Democrats weren’t all that concerned about slating Sen. Raoul over Quinn.
Quinn claims the statewide phone poll of 1,047 likely Democratic voters conducted this month by Public Policy Polling shows him leading six contenders vying to become the state’s top legal eagle, netting him an overall lead with 28 percent of the vote. […]
According to Quinn, the poll included several announced or potential candidates for Illinois attorney general. State Sen. Kwame Raoul came in second with 12 percent, State Rep. Scott Drury with 4 percent, former Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability chief administrator Sharon Fairley with 2 percent, Water Reclamation Board President Mariyana Spyropoulos with 2 percent, Chicago Park District Board President Jesse Ruiz with 5 percent and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering with 3 percent. […]
He also claims he led among all racial groups, with Raoul coming in with 23 percent to Quinn’s 25 percent among African-Americans. For Hispanic voters polled, Ruiz came in with 31 percent to Quinn’s 32 percent.
“Amongst white voters, I led with 30 percent” said Quinn.
Not great.
* Related…
* Hinz: My take on the army of Illinois attorney general candidates
The claims followed the abrupt resignation of one of Latvala’s allies, incoming Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Clemens of Atlantis on Oct. 26 — after he admitted to an affair with a lobbyist — and the revelation that a state senator had discovered a surveillance camera placed by a private investigator in a condominium where several legislators stay during the annual session. […]
The sense that people can get away with this kind of behavior in Tallahassee is widespread. One of the tools of the trade is the use of attractive young men and women who are hired by lobbyists to show up in the Capitol and nearby bars in the closing weeks of legislative sessions, flirt with lawmakers, and maybe even offer sexual favors.
They’re called “closers,” a reference to the end of the session when lobbyists need amendments tucked into bills and budgets — and will go to great lengths to get the legislative votes to pass them.
Yikes on both counts. Just imagine a surveillance camera at Lincoln Towers. And I’ve never heard of “closers” before. That state is bizarre.
Six women who work in Florida’s Capitol say the state Senate’s powerful budget chairman, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Latvala, has inappropriately touched them without their consent or uttered demeaning remarks about their bodies. […]
Known in the state Capitol for associating with a bevy of young female lobbyists in his office and at bars and restaurants, Latvala, who is married, was under surveillance last spring by an undercover private investigator who snapped a photo of him kissing a lobbyist on the lips in public. In that case, Latvala and the lobbyist said the kissing was innocent and consensual.
Kentucky Speaker of the House Jeff Hoover resigned from his position Sunday amid sexual harassment allegations, saying he had made “mistakes.”
Hoover, who The Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville reported had secretly settled a sexual harassment allegation by a woman on his legislative staff, did not resign as a state representative, however, and has denied all allegations.
“I did make mistakes, in that I engaged in inappropriate text messages,” the Republican lawmaker said at a press conference announcing his decision. “I engaged in banter that was consensual, yet make no mistake, it was wrong on my part to do that. And for that I am truly sorry.” […]
Hoover’s resignation comes a day after Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, also a Republican, called for “the immediate resignation of every individual who has settled a sexual harassment case, who is party to trying to hide this type of behavior.”
House Speaker Jeff Hoover’s confidential sexual harassment settlement also involves three other House Republicans, as well as Hoover’s chief of staff, sources tell Courier Journal.
Reps. Jim DeCesare of Rockfield, Brian Linder of Dry Ridge and Michael Meredith of Brownsville and Ginger Wills, the chief of staff, also were parties to the settlement, according to sources with knowledge of the deal who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal.
Legislative interns and other young women in the Kansas Capitol have faced sexual advances and lewd comments from lawmakers of both political parties, but their harassment remained largely hidden until recent revelations.
Three women have accused a former Washington state lawmaker of sexual harassment and assault during his time in the Legislature, becoming the latest statehouse with women reporting misconduct by men.
Top Rhode Island Democrat Joseph DeLorenzo quit the party Thursday after making dismissive comments about a Democrat state representative’s sexual harassment claims against a fellow lawmaker.
Describing himself as ‘‘infuriated and deeply disturbed’’ about allegations of sexual harassment at the Statehouse, the Democratic leader of the Massachusetts House on Friday ordered an immediate review of his chamber’s policies on harassment and retaliation, while promising to investigate any reported incidents.
Speaker Robert DeLeo took to the House floor shortly after a column appeared in The Boston Globe that detailed a series of alleged incidents over the past two decades or so, including one in which a female lobbyist said a legislator strongly implied to her that he would vote for a bill in exchange for sex.
A longtime Oregon state senator has been warned bluntly by the Senate president not to touch any women following complaints of inappropriate contact.
“Let me (be) very clear,” reads a letter from Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney to Sen. Jeff Kruse, a Republican. “Women in the Capitol do not want you to touch them.”
The leaders of the Oregon House of Representatives said Friday that they’ve fielded complaints of harassment against a male lawmaker in the House as well as male staff members and lobbyists.
House Speaker Tina Kotek said two people made informal complaints to her about the conduct of Rep. David Gomberg.
One of the most disturbing incidents to emerge involves Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, a Los Angeles Democrat who lost his seat to Democrat Patty Lopez in 2014, but regained it in 2016 with broad support of his party’s leaders.
He received that support even though he had been secretly admonished for stalking a legislative staffer and grabbing her beneath her clothes at an event in 2009. After the case was revealed, Bocanegra issued an apology, but now faces demands from women in his district to resign, The Sacramento Bee reported last week.
The story about the harassment letter broke just two days after Kevin de León, the president pro tem of the state Senate, announced that he would challenge U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, next year.
For de León, the timing could not have been worse. For four years running, his close friend, Sen. Ricardo Lara, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has buried, without a vote, legislation that would give legislative employees the same rights that civil service workers enjoy to complain about working conditions without retaliation – bills introduced by Republican Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez.
I’m sure I’ve missed some states here. But you get the idea.
“None of us in the building can risk being iced out,” a female friend of mine said the other day.
My friend has done quite a bit of lobbying at the Illinois Statehouse, a place where folks in her profession often use any means necessary to take clients from each other or go to extreme lengths to pass or kill bills. Legislators also participate in these games, oftentimes at the behest of their lobbyist friends.
A few years back, a handful of lobbyists cold-called a dying colleague’s clients to try to snag his contracts, even though the sick man’s wife was his lobbying partner.
I’ve seen lobbyists attempt to plant news stories to discredit rivals. There have been targeted whisper campaigns. Outright lies are told. Some of these lobbying contracts can be worth tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And some people will do just about anything to make more money or to retaliate against someone for losing clients.
This isn’t everyone, mind you. Most lobbyists I know, believe it or not, are actually pretty upstanding folks. Years ago, when the General Assembly was working on a bill to ban gifts from lobbyists to legislators, some of the strongest support for the proposal came from lobbyists who were sick of being shaken down by pols. You really got a good idea of what sort of people were around you by watching that debate play out.
But in an environment like that, just imagine how difficult it would be for a female lobbyist who’s been sexually harassed by a legislator or a fellow lobbyist to publicly come forward with her story.
The culture of retaliation and retribution is so strong that speaking your mind or trying to buck the system on almost anything can result in a career disaster. Pretty much nobody’s bills absolutely have to pass, nor do they have to pass in a way a legislator or a lobbyist wants them to pass. Bills can suddenly start dying, or be amended in a hostile manner. And then clients start complaining, and then people get fired. So speaking out about sexual harassment could be the kiss of death.
* Republican leader wants sexual harassment hotline in wake of Capitol scandal: The toll-free number would be run by the Illinois Department of Human Rights and would help connect people to counseling services and advice on filing complaints with the proper authorities. It will be open to state employees, as well as residents who work in the private sector.
* Lawmaker: Women “need to get their voices heard”: Veteran state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz said an offshoot of lawmakers’ discussion this week on how to deal with sexual harassment may be an increasing awareness of women’s issues and the voice women bring to government and politics… “We can write as many laws as we want in Springfield, as you know we do, but if we don’t change the culture and we don’t stop pointing fingers at each other and using these things as a partisan issue and stay focused on empowering women — I mean that’s what I’m hoping we accomplish here,” she said.
* Mark Brown: Piece of advice, nobody cares what you dreamed about last night
Until recently, state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) had been passing separate nominating petitions for both her re-election to the Illinois House and a possible primary bid for governor against incumbent Republican Bruce Rauner.
The ultra-conservative firebrand now says she has stopped passing re-election petitions. But if a recent poll is any indication, Rep. Ives might want to keep her House re-election bid alive because the state’s Republican Party may not be nearly as divided as some GOP politicians have been claiming it is.
A Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll found that 61 percent of 1,064 likely Republican voters had a favorable impression of Gov. Rauner. Just 24 percent had an unfavorable opinion, despite the fact that he has been taking enormous heat from his right flank ever since he signed a publicly funded abortion on demand bill into law in late September.
The intensely outspoken anger directed at Rauner over the abortion bill, which he promised to veto last spring, is pretty much without precedent. “In the face of overwhelming evidence of Rauner’s inability to competently administer the Illinois government, inability to stand up to Mike Madigan effectively, and inability to keep his word and his commitments, I can no longer support him,” said Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) after Rauner signed the bill. “And whether or not they are able to agree publicly, I know hundreds of elected Republicans, along with hundreds of thousands of Republican voters, who feel the same way I do.”
Maybe not.
We didn’t test President Donald Trump in this poll, but nationally he’s been getting somewhere between 80 and 85 percent support from members of his own party. So while Rauner has some very real problems when compared with Trump, is the opposition stiff enough to actually take him out in the primary?
The poll, conducted for my newsletter subscribers Oct. 25-29, found Gov. Rauner is leading Rep. Ives 64-19, with 16 percent undecided. The poll had a margin of error of +/-3 percent.
Rep. Ives told the Daily Herald not long ago that she had commitments for “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in contributions. But she’s gonna need a whole lot more than that because almost nobody knows who she is.
According to the poll, 83 percent of Republican voters have never heard of Ives.
Rep. Ives can tap into a strong statewide network of seasoned pro-life activists to collect enough signatures to get her onto the ballot against Rauner. And while that network also can generate lots of word of mouth for her candidacy (including via social media), it has historically never generated the kind of money that Ives will need to compete with the deep-pockets Rauner.
If no millionaire surfaces to fund her campaign, she’ll need to tap into national small-dollar sources. So, it was somewhat surprising that Rep. Ives did not try to use her kickoff to closely tie herself to President Donald Trump. She never uttered his name during a long Illinois Channel television interview and didn’t appear to mention her party’s national leader when she launched her petition drive. That’s probably the easiest way to attract national attention and support, particularly since Gov. Rauner is so reticent to comment on anything the president says or does.
According to the poll, 85 percent of Downstaters and suburban Cook voters have never heard of Ives, and neither has 78 percent of collar county suburbanites.
Gov. Rauner’s Downstate lead over Rep. Ives is 65-17. It’s 67-16 in suburban Cook County and 65-22 in the collars.
Among men, Rauner leads 69-21 with 10 percent undecided. Among women, it’s 60-17, with 23 percent undecided. Forty-seven percent of the respondents were mobile phone users.
Her only “bright spot” is Chicago, where Rauner’s lead is 41-34. Even so, 76 percent of Chicagoans say they’ve never heard of her, meaning they chose her without knowing who she is. Chicago is the only region where Rauner’s favorability is upside down. Just 40 percent have a favorable opinion versus 49 percent who have an unfavorable view.
“It won’t be easy to convince potential deep-pocket contributors that she has a fighting chance,” said pollster Gregg Durham of Rep. Ives. “In this first, albeit early poll, it’s hard to see a path for her success should she decide to take the plunge into these very treacherous waters.”
Citizens for Rauner today released a new tv ad highlighting the corrupt Madigan Machine that has run Illinois for too long.
Governor Rauner has worked tirelessly to make state government work for all Illinoisans. He closed the revolving door between government and lobbyists, helping to clean up Springfield. He’s brought thousands of jobs to Illinois, and vetoed Mike Madigan’s 32 percent tax hike on Illinois families.
Bruce’s efforts have reduced unemployment, pushed back on big spenders in the state house, and shown the Madigan Machine that the people of Illinois are not going to put up with corrupt, insider government any longer.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, but Bruce is fighting every day to destroy the Madigan Machine and bring real change to our state — because Illinois is home, and home is worth fighting for.
Governor Bruce Rauner continued his Hollywood-inspired ad campaign this morning, this time releasing an ad that has to be labeled as science fiction. In pure fantasy, the ad claims that Rauner has “brought in thousands of new jobs” and that “unemployment is down.” In fact, Bruce Rauner has one of the worst job creation records in the nation and his two-year budget crisis only made it worse.
Since September 2016, Illinois has only created 3,700 jobs. That’s a job growth rate of 0.06% and good for third worst in the nation, behind only Kansas and Wyoming. Comparatively, the nation grew jobs at a rate of 1.23% over that time period. And Illinois’ unemployment rate is still one of the highest in the nation.
Rauner’s been running a reelection campaign in an alternate universe with some of his claims; this latest ad on jobs only follows that pattern.
Oh, and there’s a robot.
“Rauner’s claims to have grown jobs in Illinois is pure science fiction,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “In reality, Rauner hurt Illinois by forcing the state through a two-year budget impasse that drove up debt and drove out people. Illinois’ economy is lagging under Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership. Illinois voters won’t be fooled by ads set in alternate universes – they’ll remember that Rauner’s failed to grow jobs like he promised.”
The members of the Legislative Ethics Commission have unanimously approved the appointment of Julie B. Porter to serve as the Special Legislative Inspector General.
Ms. Porter has committed her career to seeking justice and becoming a voice for those who might not otherwise be heard. As a founding partner at Salvatore Prescott & Porter, PLLC, as well as during her time as a former Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, Ms. Porter has brought her deep experience with complex commercial litigation and prosecuting public corruption, financial crimes, and child exploitation to a private practice that focuses on sophisticated criminal defense and investigative work, commercial litigation, and civil rights and employment litigation for individuals.
Ms. Porter’s appointment takes effect immediately and will expire on June 30, 2018.
The Office of the Legislative Inspector General is responsible for investigating complaints of violations of any law, rule or regulation or abuse of authority or other forms of misconduct by members of the General Assembly and state employees under the jurisdiction of the legislature.
* Press release…
The newest member of the Legislative Ethics Commission, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement in response to Julie B. Porter’s appointment to Inspector General of the commission:
“Julie Porter has a proven record of fighting public corruption as the Assistant United States Attorney,” Castro said. “She has extensive experience seeking justice for the people of Illinois. I look forward to seeing her get to work as our new Inspector General. I’m confident she will work swiftly and thoroughly to investigate and resolve all outstanding complaints.”
Porter is well known for her work trying complex cases as the corruption case that led to the conviction of Illinois powerbroker Bill Cellini and top Mayor Richard Daley’s top aide Robert Sorich, among others. Porter worked at the U.S. Attorney’s office for 12 years and was appointed chief of the office’s criminal division before leaving to join a private practice in Chicago.
