* From a state Republican Party e-mail to supporters…
The State Fair is coming up in a few short weeks - we’re excited to spend another Governor’s Day with fellow Illinois Republicans celebrating our great state and our efforts to bring back Illinois.
But we wanted to keep you in the loop: Like years past, we expect Mike Madigan and his special interest allies to protest outside of our rally. The Chicago Machine organizes this group to distract from their disastrous Chicago agenda and block our reforms.
We need you to come to the Governor’s Day rally at the State Fair to show the people of Illinois that Madigan’s status quo has put us in a ditch - we need Governor Rauner and Republican lawmakers to continue their fight to turn our state around.
We’re excited to see you there - thanks for stepping up for the ILGOP.
From punishing schools for enrollment declines to penalizing them for their communities’ aggressive job-creation efforts, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner appears to be lining up an all-out assault on Illinois’ long-standing commitment to public education.
And most of the unwitting victims in this battle are school districts that already are underfunded by the state of Illinois and struggling with growing numbers of impoverished students and other challenges.
“What Gov. Rauner outlined in his veto of Senate Bill 1 this week would cause the state to pull back from its investment in public education at historic levels and starve public schools everywhere,” said Senator Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat and a longtime school funding reform advocate. Manar is the chief Senate sponsor of Senate Bill 1.
“This was never about a so-called ‘Chicago bailout.’ This is about Bruce Rauner seizing upon an opportunity to get what he wanted all along: divestment in public education and shifting costs onto local taxpayers.”
In his veto of Senate Bill 1, Rauner proposed more than 100 changes to Senate Bill 1. Among them were provisions that pit schools against local economic development efforts (tax increment financing districts) and penalize schools for losing students.
Many downstate communities utilize TIF districts for job creation and economic development, and more than 360 school districts have seen enrollment declines for various reasons.
In addition, Rauner’s veto language suggests the state should pretend school districts have access to resources that they don’t so that the state is on the hook for less funding, forcing districts to make difficult decisions about asking for local property tax increases or making cuts. He went so far this week as to accuse them of purposefully hiding property wealth.
Manar said the veto language goes against everything Rauner has led people to believe about his commitment to public education.
“Gov. Rauner has suddenly taken a hard right turn and abandoned all of his own policies and achievements to betray public schools – all within a matter of weeks,” he said.
“What the governor has proposed in his veto of Senate Bill 1 does not ‘make it a better bill,’ as he continues to insist. Every lawmaker who signed on to support this veto before they saw the language was sold a bill of goods.
“We need to override this veto, and we need to do it as soon as possible, because what Gov. Rauner has proposed will devastate Illinois schools and will set us back even farther than we are today.”
* The GOP Leaders react…
Senate Republican Leader-Designee Bill Brady and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin today issued the following statement regarding Illinois’ school funding crisis and claims made in the State Capitol Thursday.
“Schools and students don’t need another press conference, what they need is an assurance that their schools will open on time and that every school district in Illinois is treated fairly and equitably. The Governor’s Amendatory Veto of Senate Bill 1 provides those assurances. If the Democrats are unwilling to support his Amendatory Veto, then it is up to them to return to the negotiating table and offer a solution that bridges the gap between both plans. We cannot let another 60 days pass without working to solve this unnecessary crisis. The students of Illinois deserve nothing less than our best effort, and time is of the essence.”
* One of the points that’s getting lost is what the governor did with schools within TIF districts and schools under PTELL (Property Tax Extension Law Limit). That’s what Manar was talking above above when he claims the governor “suggests the state should pretend school districts have access to resources that they don’t so that the state is on the hook for less funding.”
Here’s the graphic displayed at the press conference on this topic…
Following Community-Led Effort, Gov. Rauner Commits to Sign Illinois TRUST Act
Bill backed by broad coalition would make Illinois a national leader in welcoming immigrants, and provide strongest statewide protections in the country
(CHICAGO, IL) After hundreds of community leaders visited their state legislators in Springfield and in district, thousands of residents called the Governor’s office, and two days after community leaders presented the Governor with over 3,600 postcards collected in just three weeks, the Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois is proud to announce that Governor Bruce Rauner has committed to signing the Illinois TRUST Act (SB 31). The TRUST Act received bipartisan support in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. A date and time for the bill signing will be announced shortly.
“At a time when many are scapegoating immigrants, Republicans and Democrats are coming together in Illinois to reject xenophobic rhetoric and policies,” said Andy Kang, legal director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. “We want to thank the Governor’s team for working with us in the lead-up to this announcement, and we look forward to the signing ceremony.”
Under the TRUST Act, local police cannot comply with immigration detainers and warrants not issued by a judge. Local police also cannot stop, search, or arrest anyone based on that person’s immigration or citizenship status.
Estela, a founding member of PASO (West Suburban Action Project) and an undocumented mother of three from Melrose Park, was a key leader in the statewide Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois. “This law will go a long way to shield me, my family, my community and hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents from the risk of family separation through deportation. I am grateful that the Governor and the General Assembly have listened to the desires of people from throughout Illinois and bring us one big step closer to make our state welcoming for all.”
“The Illinois TRUST Act will be a national model for common-sense, constitutional state-level immigration policy,” said Mark Fleming, associate director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center. “We are proud to live in a state that is taking action to defend basic due process rights for all of our residents, no matter where we come from or what we look like.”
“Illinois will soon have the strongest statewide protections for immigrants in the country. This is due to the tireless efforts of over 60 organizations from across the state that were part of the campaign to pass the TRUST Act,” said Lawrence Benito, chief executive officer at Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, one of the co-conveners of the campaign steering committee. “This accomplishment is a testament to our communities’ power. It shows what we are collectively capable of during these trying times, and sets the stage for our next campaigns and future victories.”
The TRUST Act is the work of the Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois, and is endorsed by over 60 community organizations from across the state. The full supporter list can be found at www.TrustInIL.org. The TRUST Act has also received support from legal and advocacy groups, and law enforcement agencies from throughout Illinois.
“Illinois is corrupt,” said Scott Drury, Democratic candidate for governor, during a press conference, as he made the case for his blueprint to Rebuild Illinois. “It’s morally corrupt, ethically corrupt and, yes, can be criminally corrupt.” According to Drury, time is of the essence for Illinois to get serious about wiping out this culture of corruption as it is the primary cause of most of the State’s problems. “An honest government pays its bills, balances its budget, only makes promises it can keep and values its citizens,” said Drury.
Titled “Rebuild Illinois,” Drury’s blueprint builds the foundation for Illinois’ bright future and upon that constructs long-term structural fixes that will restore stability, prosperity and opportunity to every corner of the State.” Drury, a former federal prosecutor and sitting state representative, said that Rebuild Illinois is based on his depth of experience both as a prosecutor and a legislator. “Illinois needs an experienced and trustworthy leader with a history of fighting for the public, not political insiders like Mike Madigan,” he said. “I stand alone in offering that.”
The most comprehensive plan offered by any gubernatorial candidate, Rebuild Illinois takes aim at Illinois’ rigged election process, overwhelming debt and culture of corruption. The blueprint offers a constitutional and fair solution to Illinois’ government-created pension problem, promotes competitive elections through fairly drawn electoral maps and campaign finance reform, and promises balanced budgets by mandating that Illinois pay its bills on time. The blueprint also tackles public corruption by finally empowering the Illinois Attorney General to prosecute it, as well as giving prosecutors new tools to use in the battle. Further, the blueprint addresses what Drury calls the “Madigan problem,” calling for term limits for legislative leaders, prohibiting legislative leaders from holding outside employment and cutting off a major source power – the ability to covertly direct and solicit third-party campaign contributions to other candidates and PACs.
Unlike others’ plans that rely on increased income taxes, Rebuild Illinois generates savings to pay for Illinois’ bright future. The savings result from the pay down and responsible management of existing debt and a significant reduction in Illinois’ prison population. That savings will be used to fund public education, healthcare, job training and neighborhood investment.
Drury said that much of Rebuild Illinois has already been filed as legislation, with the remaining components to be rolled out throughout the course of the campaign. Earlier today, Drury filed House Bill 4079 which ends the morally corrupt practice of lobbyists providing politicians with gifts and nominally free meals. In 2017, alone, lobbyists lavished over $100,000 of these gifts and meals on state legislators. Not a penny of that went to Drury. “Real people know there is no such thing as a free lunch,” said Drury. “This begs the question, what are these lobbyists paying for?”
– A State defined by hope and prosperity
– Stability for employers and residents
– No more partisan bickering
– A government you can trust and want to invest in – A State you can be proud of
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is sending a strong message to anyone who wants to mess with her pop tax: Don’t.
In an action a judge said could have “a chilling effect” on government and citizens’ rights, county attorneys are seeking $17 million in damages from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the group that, with a couple of co-plaintiffs, won a temporary restraining order delaying the levy by about a month.
Preckwinkle spokesman Frank Shuftan says seeking damages is appropriate: “Actions have consequences.”
He added in an email: “The financial damage to the county as a result of this delay is projected at more than $20 million. . . .The county has every right to be made whole as a result of the judge’s ruling upholding the ordinance and removing the TRO.”
Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, has so far spent at least $9 million with the help of significant self-funding on his challenge to Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. While most of this spending has focused on TV ads and other paid media that promote his own candidacy, the longtime donor is also promising to back up down-ballot candidates.
“We do not have a strong state party that’s out defending the Democratic message writ large,” Pritzker said in an interview, emphasizing he is focusing on promoting his anti-Rauner message. “So my campaign is really having to fill in.”
Illinois Democrats see Pritzker’s candidacy as an opportunity to expand beyond Cook County, something one Democratic strategist said has been a longtime goal never fully realized. Pritzker is already running robocalls in state legislative districts outside of Cook and DuPage counties, and as far as the Missouri and Kentucky borders. But he also plans to open at least seven office spaces that could help down-ballot candidates, according to two Illinois Democratic strategists.
In “internal conversations about J.B. Pritzker, there is a level of excitement about his willingness to invest financially” in party building, said Illinois Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos. The congresswoman, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “heartland engagement,” is the only Democrat in the delegation from outside of the Chicago area.
He’s certainly right about DPI’s messaging. The party is all about helping a few House incumbents and candidates.
Democratic state Sen. Daniel Biss, another Illinois gubernatorial candidate, said in an interview that the party lacks a “unified message.” He in part faulted Democratic Speaker Mike Madigan, the chair of the state party, and warned that “the Pritzker-Madigan alliance, while powerful, seems to be all about doubling down on just being present” in “a few swing districts.”
I followed up today and was told that the additional $221 million is used by Gov. Rauner to fund moving CPS’ normal pension costs out of the school funding formula and to the pension code. So, he’s leaving $221 million in his new formula projections that, by all rights, shouldn’t be there if he wants a balanced budget with no other spending or revenue changes.
In reality, therefore, the governor’s district-by-district numbers for schools outside Chicago would be inflated by a grand total of $221 million, if yesterday’s analysis was correct and the CPS pension move is fully funded with existing revenues.
* Gov. Rauner spoke with the Joliet Herald-News editorial board yesterday and told them that the ISBE will likely release an analysis on Monday about his new education funding proposal. The governor warned the board against the coming political spin…
But you’ll hear the mayor up in Chicago and other people saying ‘Oh, the governor’s numbers are phony,’ or ‘He made ‘em up,’ or ‘They’re fuzzy math.’ I mean, you’ll hear that [chuckles]. That’s part of their political messaging. The reality is the real numbers will be out from ISBE and, my numbers will, I mean I’m sure they’ll get adjusted, but, when they do the real calculation, but they’re not, I mean, a million dollars more for Joliet’s a lot of money and it’s not gonna go to zero or $200,000, it’s gonna be a lot of money.
“Fuzzy math” would certainly encompasse double-counting $221 million, in my opinion. But that’s just me.
The other thing is that you’ll hear some superintendents supported SB1 in its current form. Cause they had no alternative, there was no other bill that the Speaker would allow. So, they’re like “that’s what’s available, I’ll take that.” They and many of them as I’ve explained the numbers to them they go, “wow Governor, your bill’s way better your measure… veto is way better.”
But, maybe they won’t be nearly as good as he’s been claiming.
* For future reference, the governor’s site that contained his district-by-district breakdown is no longer password protected. But the numbers are gone and visitors are told this…
These numbers are currently being updated to reflect the amendatory veto issued by the governor on Tuesday, August 1st.
* I’ve been telling you that 222 school districts lost enrollment between 2015 and 2016. That’s incorrect, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The ISBE’s Jackie Matthews sent me this today…
Based on Fall Enrollment Counts, 527 school districts showed an enrollment decrease of at least one student between 2015 and 2016.
Illinois has 852 public school districts, according to Wikipedia. So, according to the ISBE, 62 percent of those districts lost pupils.
Why is this important? As we’ve already discussed, the governor’s amendatory veto strips out the district-based hold harmless provision in SB1 and replaces it in a few years with a hold harmless based on the number of students.
Cards Against Humanity and the Marijuana Policy Project are partnering to support an effort to legalize and regulate marijuana use among adults in Illinois. Cards Against Humanity donated $70,000 to the MPP today and will continue to raise money for the campaign until legislation is passed.
Such legislation is currently pending before Illinois lawmakers and likely to come up for a vote next year.
To fundraise for the effort, Cards Against Humanity released the Weed Pack, which features 30 new cards and is for sale at CardsAgainstHumanity.com for $5. Proceeds from all sales will go to the MPP; the donation amount will grow.
“We’re proud to support the Marijuana Policy Project because our current marijuana laws are failing,” said Cards Against Humanity head writer Jo Feldman. “Nationally there are more arrests for marijuana possession each year than for all violent crimes combined. The MPP has been at the forefront of changing marijuana laws for the better, in Illinois and nationwide.”
“Also, I could really go for a bean chalupa,” Feldman added.
Similar Cards Against Humanity expansion packs have raised nearly $5 million for charity partners including DonorsChoose.org, the EFF, the Sunlight Foundation, the Wikimedia Foundation, Heifer International and the Chicago Design Museum.
“A recent poll says that 66 percent of Illinois voters support regulating marijuana like we do alcohol,” said Cards Against Humanity co-creator Max Temkin. “You’re telling me this effort is something the vast majority of people support that makes everyone happy and pays for our schools and roads, and we’re not doing it?”
Founded in 1995, the MPP was the driving force behind five successful state campaigns to make adult-use legal. In Illinois, MPP spent nearly a decade and more than $1 million securing an effective medical marijuana law, which passed in 2013.
“The team behind Cards Against Humanity is doing a great service helping us fight what really is a crime against humanity: marijuana prohibition,” said Chris Lindsey, senior legislative counsel for the MPP. “The Weed Pack is a hilarious approach to the topic but doesn’t overlook the fundamental injustice in arresting adults for using something that is safer than alcohol.”
Said Temkin: “For us, this is a common sense issue of racial justice, health justice and criminal justice. State and national politics are incredibly screwed up right now, but it gives us hope to think that we can make progress on these kind of common sense issues that everyone supports.”
In our capacities as the Senate Leader Designee and House Republican Leader, we are requesting a formal legal opinion from your office. As you know, Governor Bruce Rauner recently issued an amendatory veto of the 100th General Assembly’s Senate Bill 1, known as the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act. As a result, the General Assembly faces the immediate prospect of a vote either to accept the Governor’s amendatory veto or to override it.
For the reasons explained below, we are concerned that an outright vote to override the Governor’s amendatory veto of SB1 may result in a law that cannot constitutionally become effective until June 1, 2018. We are therefore requesting an official legal opinion on the following two questions:
1. If the General Assembly votes to override the Governor’s amendatory veto of SB1, what will be the effective date of the bill under Article IV, Section 10 of the Illinois Constitution, given that the General Assembly chose not to pass SB1 until July 31, 2017?
2. If the General Assembly votes to accept the specific recommendations made by the Governor’s amendatory veto of SB1, what will be the effective date of the bill under Article IV, Section 10 of the Illinois Constitution?
Background:
By way of background, the General Assembly initially voted on Senate Bill 1 on May 31, 2017, with the House voting 60 to 52 and the Senate voting 35-22 to concur in two House amendments. However, Senator Donne Trotter on that same day filed a motion to reconsider in the Senate, which prevented SB1 from being passed out of that chamber and delayed starting the 30-day clock provided in Article IV, Section 9(a) of the Illinois Constitution for presentment to the Governor.
Sixty-one days later, Senator Trotter on July 31, 2017, withdrew his motion to reconsider. As a result, on the same day, SB1 passed both houses of the General Assembly and was sent to the Governor.
The Governor issued an amendatory veto of SB1 on August 1, 2017, pursuant to his power under Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution. That amendatory veto revised several provisions of SB1.
Following the Governor’s action, the Senate, as the legislative body in which SB1 originated, placed the amendatory veto on its calendar on August 1, 2017. Pursuant to Article IV, Sections 9(c) and (e) of the Illinois Constitution, the Senate now has 15 calendar days, or until August 17, 2017, in which to either accept the Governor’s amendatory veto or attempt to override the veto outright. If either vote is successful, the House will then be required to take up the same issue within the 15 calendar days following that vote.
Interaction with the Effective Date of Laws Provision:
We raise the two questions listed above to understand the interaction of these procedures with another provision of the Illinois Constitution, Article IV, Section 10. That section is entitled “Effective Date of Laws” and provides in relevant part that “A bill passed after May 31 shall not become effective prior to June 1 of the next calendar year unless the General Assembly by the vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house provides for an earlier effective date.”
Determining the date on which a bill is “passed” for purposes of determining the date on which it takes effect is governed by another statute and Illinois Supreme Court cases. These authorities distinguish between the effective date of a bill that becomes law following a vote to override a governor’s veto and a vote to adopt a governor’s recommendations made in an amendatory veto.
The law states that “[f]or purposes of determining the effective dates of laws, a bill is ‘passed’ at the time of its final legislative action prior to presentation to the Governor pursuant to paragraph (a) of Section 9 of Article IV of the Constitution.” That statute codifies longstanding Illinois Supreme Court precedent defining “the time when a bill is passed as the time of the last legislative act necessary so that the bill would become law upon its acceptance by the Governor without further action by the legislature.”
In the context of a vote to override a governor’s veto, courts have held that passage, or the “last legislative act necessary,” occurs at the time of initial passage prior to presentment to the governor, not upon the legislature’s vote to override. As one court explained, “[t]he override procedure can be distinguished from the procedures . . . which deal with the initial consideration and passage of a bill by the legislature.” Because “the action of the legislature in voting to override a veto culminates in the bill becoming law,” override is “no more an element of final ‘passage’ than the Governor’s signature. . . . the action of the legislature in overriding the Governor’s veto is not part of the ‘passage’ of a bill, as that term is used in [Article IV,] section 10” of the Illinois Constitution.
Based on this law, it appears that if the General Assembly votes to override the Governor’s veto of SB1 outright, the law will have been “passed” for purposes of determining its effective date as of July 31, 2017. That is the date on which the final legislative action prior to presentation to the Governor occurred. Based on that date, SB1 appears to require a three-fifths majority in both houses of the General Assembly to become effective before June 1, 2018. The House of Representatives vote of 60 to 52 provides just over 50% of the 118 members elected, and the Senate’s 35 to 22 vote provides just 59% of the 59 members elected. Both are less than the three-fifths constitutionally required for SB1 to become effective prior to June 1, 2018, and the veto override vote itself appears not to count for purposes of calculating that percentage.
An amendatory veto, however, appears to have a different passage date and therefore a different vote for purposes of calculating the three-fifths requirement. The Illinois Supreme Court has held “that a bill that is the subject of an amendatory veto under article IV, section 9(e), of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 is not ‘passed’ for purposes of determining its effective date until the final vote approving the Governor’s recommended changes is taken in the General Assembly.” That decision also cited a number of Illinois Attorney General Opinions reaching the same conclusion. This is because “[a] bill changed upon the Governor’s specific recommendation is no longer the same bill as initially ‘passed’ by the General Assembly[,] and the ‘final legislative action’ would not simply be a reaffirmation of the bill’s original language as in the situation involving an override of a non-amendatorily vetoed bill.”
Under an amendatory veto, then, the passage date depends on the date that the second house of the General Assembly adopts the Governor’s recommendations. In the case of SB1, that would be the date that the House of Representatives votes following the acceptance of SB1 by the Senate. In turn, so long as those votes meet the required three-fifths majority, the bill would be effective immediately by its own terms upon becoming law. In that instance, the evidence-based funding model in SB1 would be available to allow schools to open this fall.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we are concerned that the General Assembly may jeopardize the date on which SB1 may constitutionally become effective if the General Assembly pursues an outright veto override motion. It appears that the decision to delay SB1’s passage until July 31, 2017, may prevent the General Assembly from making an SB1 veto effective before June 1, 2018. If that is the case, the evidence-based funding formula established by SB1 may only be used this August to distribute school funding to schools across the state if the legislature adopts the Governor’s amendatory veto by a three-fifths vote.
Please feel free to contact either … if you wish to discuss this request.
Sincerely,
Senate Republican Leader Designee Bill Brady
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin
OK, so the analysis is right except maybe for the highlighted text and whatever relates to that text.
* Where they may go wrong is claiming that the withdrawal of a motion to reconsider a vote is “legislative action.” I talked to some folks about this first, and from what I’ve been able to discern, “legislative action” is understood to be action that requires a vote. If you click here for the Senate rules, several things are deemed to be legislative action. The Senate President can set and even change deadline dates for those actions. Withdrawing a motion does not require any vote at all and the submission deadlines are set by rule and can only be changed if they change the rules.
So, withdrawing a motion is not an action, a lot like officially transmitting a bill to the governor is not considered an action.
So the last “legislative action” on SB1 was in May. At least, that’s how I look at it. We’ll see how the attorney general views this. Her office declined comment yesterday.
…Adding… From comments…
If the motion to reconsider is something that could delay the effective date of an Act that doesn’t get a 3/5 vote, wouldn’t immediate effect on any Bill that doesn’t get 3/5 be able to be scuttled by someone who opposes it (just by filing the motion and letting it sit past 5/31)?
That’s correct and no court is going to allow that.
If elected governor, state Sen. Daniel Biss said Wednesday that he intends to help working class families by raising the minimum wage, getting rid of the flat income tax and fixing the pension system.
The Democratic gubernatorial candidate was introduced by Rock Island County Board member Kai Swanson during a town hall meeting at the Laborers’ Local Union 309, 2835 7th Ave., Wednesday night. […]
Sen. Biss told the crowd of more than 50 people that Gov. Bruce Rauner was to blame for much of the state’s dysfunction.
“Bruce Rauner is a dismal failure,” Sen. Biss said. “We’re supposed to be a blue state, but yet have one of the most aggressive tax codes in the nation. We can’t adequately fund our schools. We’ve had a broken system that hasn’t been working for decades.” […]
Sen. Biss said the state could begin fixing its pension crisis by requiring payments into the pension system.
I’m assuming he said “regressive” and not “aggressive,” but some might agree with “aggressive,” what with the new income tax hike, the new Cook County pop tax, etc.
* Anyway, maybe those alleged 50 attendees were on the other side of the room, or they left before this newspaper pic was taken?…
*** UPDATE *** The campaign tweeted this pic so you can see there were people at the event…
State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, will be making an announcement Thursday regarding his future in the Illinois General Assembly.
Mitchell, an Assistant Republican Leader in the Illinois House, has represented his Central Illinois district since 1999.
Rep. Mitchell took huge heat when he voted to override the governor’s tax hike and budget vetoes last month. I’ll update this post when he makes an announcement.
Pretty sure we’ll be in double digits on retirees before too long.
Bill Mitchell, the Forsyth Republican who has represented Central Illinois for nearly 20 years, announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election in 2018.
“I can’t repay the people of Central Illinois what they’ve done for me, because they’ve allowed me to serve in a democratically elected body. For a citizen, there’s no greater honor,” said Mitchell, who represents the 101st House District and has served since 1999.
During a news conference in Clinton, Mitchell said he announced the move in August to give his potential successors plenty of time to start next month circulating petitions to get on the ballot.
“I have been privileged to serve alongside Bill Mitchell since he first came to the Illinois General Assembly in 1999. He has always been a passionate advocate for downstate Illinois, standing up for the priorities and values of his constituents. Bill’s advocacy was instrumental in helping keep the Clinton nuclear power plant open. As a member of my leadership team, Bill continues to provide me with a perspective that is much needed in the Capitol. More importantly, Bill Mitchell is my friend and someone whose opinion I’ve always respected. I wish him all the best as he looks forward to a well-deserved retirement at the completion of his term.”
Jeremy Yost, chief executive officer of Yost Enterprises and Yost Management Services, Inc., announced his candidacy for state representative of the 110th District on Thursday at the Lifespan Center, according to a press release.
A part of his platform includes not raising taxes, the release states. It stated that he spoke on “why raising taxes on the hard working people of Illinois is not the right path to get our state in the right direction.” […]
According to his website, Yost also is focused on business reforms and property tax reform. […]
The announcement of Yost’s candidacy came a day after incumbent Rep. Reggie Phillips told constituents at a budget forum that he would reveal more about his intentions on running for a third term in August.
When running for his second and current term, Phillips expressed that he’d hold to a two-term limit for himself, but that might have changed. Phillips acted more open to the idea of a third term this spring, noting that if he was needed he might stay.
PolitiFact Illinois and the Better Government Association, or BGA, have botched their fact-checking of Senate Bill 1, a bill that bails out Chicago Public Schools as part of a rewrite of Illinois’ education funding formula.
CPS gets to keep $200 million in block grant funding
Um, keeping what you currently have isn’t a bailout, it’s keeping what you have. You may not think CPS deserves it, but status quo funding isn’t a bailout.
SB 1 allows CPS to appear poorer than it actually is when applying for state aid, granting the district even more funding. No other district gets to do that.Currently, CPS contributes about $500 million annually to pay down its unfunded pension liability. The new funding formula allows CPS to deduct that $500 million from its local resources for education when it applies for state aid. That makes CPS look poorer and helps ensure the district gets more money from the state than it should.
I’ve seen numbers of up to $40 million in state costs for that, so it’s hardly a bailout. Also, the state picks up all legacy costs for suburban and Downstate teacher pensions, and that would of course continue. So, are those school districts being bailed out because they keep the largesse they currently have?
SB 1 allows Chicago to benefit from a set of rules that allow select school districts to undervalue their property wealth so they look poorer than they actually are.Districts whose revenues are affected by local property tax caps (Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL) and special economic zones (tax increment financing, or TIF) are able to underreport their available property wealth when applying for state aid under the new SB 1 formula, just as they can under the current formula.
“Just as they can under the current formula,” according to the Institute. So, again, they keep what they have. How is that a bailout?
Chicago will also be a major beneficiary of SB 1’s “hold harmless” provision. This provision ensures that a district cannot receive less in state aid funds than it did the previous year. The provision protects a district’s state funding even if it experiences changes in demographics, such as a drop in student attendance that would have otherwise led to less state funding.
As we’ve already discussed today, 222 school districts lost students between FY15 and FY16. So, this is not an issue confined to one district.
In addition to all of the above, the state will begin paying CPS’ normal pension costs going forward. SB 1 requires state taxpayers to give the district at least $215 million for CPS’ “normal” pension and health care costs – the additional benefits Chicago teachers earn annually – every year going forward. This puts the district on par with other districts around the state.
And putting CPS on par with other districts in this one regard is a bailout? Gov. Rauner’s AV would achieve the same end by a different means. Is he bailing out Chicago too?
In one case, Emanuel noted how the controversy involving, and Trump’s ultimate firing of, White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci overshadowed what should have been positive storylines for the president — an increase in the GDP and Foxconn adding thousands of jobs in Wisconsin.
“He is his own worst enemy,” Emanuel said of Trump, before drawing a parallel between the president and Rauner. “I actually don’t think it’s an accident — since people say, ‘oh we need a businessman’ — they don’t understand politics, and we see it in our governor’s office. He’s a businessman. He fired all of his staff. He got overridden four times. He has no sense of how to work with other people. He’s got no sense of how to hear what other people are saying. It’s either my way or the highway, and he undermines people in that process. I think that’s why, in both cases, nothing’s getting done.”
Sorry, JB and Chris. You’re businessmen, just like Rauner and Trump. /snark
* Speaking of Drury…
DRURY TO UNVEIL BLUEPRINT TO REBUILD ILLINOIS
Highland Park, Illinois – Today, August 3, 2017, at 1:30 p.m., Scott Drury, Democratic candidate for governor, will unveil his blueprint to Rebuild Illinois and pave the path to Illinois’ brighter future. Comprehensive in scope, Rebuild Illinois will return prosperity to Illinois by tackling its crushing debt, reforming its rigged election process, ending the corrupt deal between lobbyists and legislators, and restoring trust through the implementation of multiple anti-corruption initiatives.
* With thanks to Tony Sanders, the CEO of Elgin School District U-46, here’s a side-by-side comparison of SB1 and the governor’s amendatory veto. This was put together by proponents of SB1, so keep that in mind. If you need a better copy, click here or on the pic…
FITCH: ILLINOIS VETO JEOPARDIZES SCHOOL FUNDING AND RATINGS
Fitch Ratings-New York-02 August 2017: Illinois Governor Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1 (SB1) creates uncertainty as to whether or not Illinois school districts will receive state aid prior to opening for the new school year. Should there be an extended impasse, ratings for the Chicago Board of Education (Issuer Default Rating ‘B+’/Negative Outlook) and other Illinois school districts with limited financial flexibility could be at risk, according to Fitch Ratings. The state budget for fiscal 2018, which was enacted through override of the governor’s veto, made school funding contingent upon legislative passage of a new evidence-based formula for distributing school aid. SB1, which meets that requirement, will now return to the legislature for further consideration. Among other adjustments, the governor’s changes limit the increase in funding to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by removing from the formula a $250 million block grant that the district has historically received and also cutting CPS pension considerations. The governor’s action would include putting monies required to fund CPS’s normal pension cost in statute instead. Any other aid would require additional legislation, perhaps making it vulnerable to separate budget appropriation this year and in the future.
Although the dispute between the legislature and governor is focused on funding to CPS, the veto threatens the timeliness of the first distribution of general state aid to all K-12 school districts, which is set in statute for Aug. 10. Following a veto, the bill must be read again into the record in the state senate the next time it is in session. The legislature then has 15 days during which it faces three options. First, the house and senate can both agree to the governor’s changes; this seems unlikely given the rancour of the debate. Second, the legislature can override the governor’s veto with a super-majority vote. This also seems unlikely despite the override of the governor’s veto of the fiscal 2018 budget. The budget crisis brought bipartisan agreement to a solution in a way that the school funding formula may not. The third option is to allow the bill to lapse and begin again, likely extending past the first distribution date on Aug. 10.
Resistance among key stakeholders and an absence of consensus create a political environment that remains a negative consideration for the state. A return to political gridlock specifically related to school funding puts at risk the ability of school districts to open all of their schools with a full complement of services. This is a notable difference from the state’s fiscal behaviour during its extended budget impasse, during which it consistently appropriated funds for schools and prioritized those payments in its cash flow management. Nevertheless, delayed distribution of school funds would not have a near-term negative effect on the state’s ‘BBB’ Issuer Default Rating. The current Negative Outlook is unrelated to school funding and instead reflects uncertainties related to achieving the revenue and spending assumptions in the fiscal 2018 budget. Delayed distribution may, however, have a negative impact on school district ratings. Some districts should be able to weather a state aid delay by relying on reserves or by short-term borrowing, but others, notably CPS, have much more limited flexibility. Fitch will closely monitor the potential impact an extended impasse may have on Illinois school district credit quality and will take action on a case by case basis as necessary.
Though Gov. Bruce Rauner says his amendatory veto of a state school aid bill is designed to keep Chicago Public Schools from grabbing money that should go to other districts, his rewrite actually potentially dings hundreds of other communities statewide and would shift resources away from the neediest. Downstate schools could be particularly hurt.
That’s the bottom line of a preliminary analysis of Rauner’s action by Illinois Senate Democratic staff, which also concludes that the veto would poke a $221 million hole in the just-approved state budget. The analysis was distributed to Democratic senators a bit ago, and a copy passed on to me.
Overall, the document suggests the governor didn’t just amend a measure revamping the formula used to give more than $5 billion a year to local grade and high schools, but effectively rewrote it in a complex fashion that will take some time to unravel.
In a statement, Rauner’s spokeswoman denied that the amendatory veto creates a budget hole or that it will cut funding for any district in fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017.
• SB 1 holds all districts harmless, using FY 17 as a base year. The governor’s amendatory veto provides only a 3-year district level hold harmless. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, any district that loses enrollment would lose funding. 222 districts lost enrollment from FY 15 to FY 16.
• SB 1 includes a Minimum Funding Level that is intended to distribute funds more progressively to districts furthest from adequacy in the case of appropriation lower than the MFL. In SB 1, the MFL was $350 million. The governor’s amendatory veto r emoves the Minimum Funding Level (MFL) entirely.
• SB 1 includes a Regionalization Factor to account for the varying costs of education students in different parts of the state. The governor’s amendatory veto places a cap on the Regionalization Factor of 1.04. SB 1 only contained a floor of 0.9 and did not have a cap. A regionalization cap would reduce the adequacy target for 313 districts. This includes every district in Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties.
• SB 1 includes a number of provisions to account for the rising cost of education for districts. The governor’s amendatory veto removes these escalators (teachers, school support personnel, and adult basic education) for the adequacy target. Without inflationary measures, the adequacy target will fail to reflect the true cost of education, which is the purpose of the evidence based model.
• The governor’s amendatory veto also makes the following changes regarding TIF and PTELL:
• Counts TIF EAV as formula EAV. This would penalize districts because typically revenue from TIF EAVs is not accessible to districts.
• Removes adjustments for PTELL EAV. PTELL limitations would no longer be considered. This would have an impact on 70 districts throughout the state
CPS
• SB 1 provides CPS funding within district’s Base Funding Minimum to cover CPS’ normal pension costs. In FY 18, this is $221.3 million. The governor’s amendatory veto would no longe r include CPS’ normal cost in the base funding minimum. Instead, the governor is adding language to the pension code that provides a contribution of $221.3 million for CPS’ normal cost in FY 18 and establishes a continuing appropriation Chicago teacher normal pension costs in future years.
• SB 1 reduces CPS’ Local Capacity Target by the amount of the district’s unfunded liability in a given year. The governor’s amendatory veto removes this language entirely.
• SB 1 increases CPS’ Adequacy Target by the amount of the district’s normal pension cost in a given year. The governor’s amendatory veto does not remove this provision. However, it does remove language that would apply this language to other school districts if a statewide pension cost shift were to occur and local districts became responsible for paying that cost.
• SB 1 sunsets the Chicago block grant for line items not included in evidence based funding, but holds CPS harmless for the $203 million impact to the district as a result of the sunset. In the future CPS would submit claims for reimbursement like all other districts. The governor’s amendatory veto repeals the block grant and does not hold CPS harmless for line items not consolidated into the new formula. This would drive an additional $203 million through the tiers of the EBM.
EFFECT ON ENACTED FY 18 BUDGET
Absent any change to the enacted FY 18 budget, the amendatory veto will (i) drive an additional $424.3 million through the EBM distribution formula (above the $350 million anticipated), and (ii) increase overall state spending by $221.3 million
* Says the guy who once sent a pollster a dead fish…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday accused Gov. Bruce Rauner of “governing through anger” and predicted that Republicans and Democrats alike would chose “loyalty to kids over loyalty to the governor” by overriding Rauner’s veto of a school funding bill.
One day after Rauner followed through on his threat to veto the bill, Emanuel accused his old friend of making a “fundamental mistake” and blowing a “historic opportunity” to rewrite a formula that “fundamentally harms poor kids and kids of color.”
“Re-writing the school formula was a product of the governor’s commission, which is why the governor agrees with 90 percent of it. You can’t then just want to veto it because of a pique of anger,” the mayor told reporters.
“There’s only one way to explain what the governor did. Vetoing a bill that he agrees with 90 percent that almost every school superintendent across the state and almost every paper across the state….agree that he should sign. He is governing through anger.”
But, this does further the theme, pounded home by Senate President Cullerton, that the governor may have some anger issues. And videos like this certainly don’t help…
Today, Chicago Foundation for Women, Voices for Illinois Children, and Loyola University’s Center for Urban Research and Learning released a new report detailing how Bruce Rauner’s 736-day budget crisis hurt women and children across the state.
Here are some of the ramifications of Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership:
* 7,800 victims of domestic violence were left without shelter.
* The state racked up bills forcing social service providers to wait an average of eight months for payments.
* Social service providers had to lay off workers and reduce services.
* The number of women receiving lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings dropped by 34 percent.
* 90 percent of homeless shelters had to reduce services or cut staff.
* 30,000 children no longer qualify for child care assistance.
“Bruce Rauner decimated the services that help women and children build better lives, and it’s clear that the damage is done,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Families were forced to suffer because Rauner treats people like numbers on a spreadsheet and families as pawns in his political games. Women and families deserve a leader that will fight for them, not for a political win.”
Education leaders and editorial boards across the state are rebuking Bruce Rauner’s reckless veto of Senate Bill 1. From the Quad Cities to Belleville, Peoria, Rockford, Bloomington, and Springfield, Rauner is getting blasted for his recently debunked claim that SB 1 is a Chicago bailout and for vetoing a bill that ensures all Illinois schools open on time with the funding that they need.
Here’s what Illinoisans are reading across the state about Rauner’s school funding veto:
“SB1 is the closest we’ve ever come to fixing that formula to more fairly serve and support all students.” — Elgin School District U46 CEO Tony Sanders
“Nobody knows when we’re going to get money now.” — East Aurora School District 131 Assistant Superintendent for Finance Mike Prombo
“We’ll be on fumes heading toward September.” — West Aurora School District 129 Superintendent Jeff Craig
“It’s just not what should be on the minds of parents and folks who serve kids through schools.” — Belleville District 118 Superintendent Matt Klosterman
“It’s just another thing that’s going to derail us, going through how we will have to do business differently until they get their act together.” — Triad District 2 Superintendent Leigh Lewis
“We’ve been watching and hoping that everything would work itself out, but I’ve been prepping the board for the worst-case scenario.” — Collinsville Unit 10 Superintendent Robert Green
“We have health insurance, power bills and other things that have to be paid and can’t be put off.” — Triad District 2 Superintendent Leigh Lewis
Bloomington District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly wants the state to “get an evidence-based funding model in place, which is required in the state budget. Anything short of that is problematic for us all.”
So, is SB1 really a Chicago “bailout”? Just because a politician says something does not make it so, which applies to the governor like anybody else.
PolitiFact Illinois, in partnership with the non-partisan Better Government Association, rates Rauner’s “bailout” claim an unequivocal “false.” Meanwhile, a Chicago Tribune opinion page as pro-Rauner as any in the state has written that “the bill is not a CPS bailout. Repeat: It is not a CPS bailout” while calling SB1 “the best chance in more than 20 years to begin shortening the bridge between what wealthy school districts can spend and what low-income school districts can offer.”
If Democrats are not sinless in this unnecessary standoff, neither should Rauner get off the hook for fueling a very unhealthy Chicago-vs-the-rest-of-us balkanization that is too often knee-jerk and ignorant, from all sides. Last time we checked, Chicago is still within the boundaries of Illinois. Is a poor child there less deserving of an adequate and equitable education than one in Peoria?
“All of our children deserve to be treated fairly and be given the best education possible.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s tweet should have added “unless those kids live in the city of Chicago.” […]
SB1 is an evidenced-based model for how schools should be financed. There are adequacy targets and accountability measures that are meant to ensure that resources go to the schoolchildren who need them most. Staying true to the model helps drive student achievement, a goal we should all embrace. Some states have embraced the model, yet deviated from it, which has stalled student progress.
The governor’s amendatory veto disrupts the model and probably would derail student progress.
As promised, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday morning issued an amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1, a measure that would drastically change the way K-12 education funding is distributed in Illinois.
There’s no doubt reform is needed: The state has the most inequitable K-12 funding in the country. There is agreement on key aspects of what is needed in a new formula, including that it be evidenced-based and that new dollars dedicated to education go first to the neediest districts. SB 1 proposed doing both.
Not that Rauner was about to oblige them, or any of the other dozens of editorial boards, school superintendents and civic groups — up and down Illinois — urging him to sign Senate Bill 1. On Tuesday, as expected, he issued an amendatory veto of the bill, throwing education funding up for grabs weeks before schools are scheduled to open.
To our thinking — and we really are speaking for ourselves now — it’s a cryin’ shame. Illinois has had its fill of foolish stand-offs between the governor and the Legislature, and SB 1 is better than just a bill worth signing. It’s a historic chance to reform education funding, easing decades of financial inequities between rich and poor school districts.
“As Bruce Rauner continues to attack Chicago schoolchildren and mislead about SB 1, school districts and editorials across the state are blasting the failed governor,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “No school district loses with SB 1, but all school districts lose with a governor creating lasting damage and leveraging schoolchildren to force his agenda.”
“As Bruce Rauner continues to attack Chicago schoolchildren and mislead about SB 1, school districts and editorials across the state are blasting the failed governor,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “No school district loses with SB 1, but all school districts lose with a governor creating lasting damage and leveraging schoolchildren to force his agenda.”
A school district superintendent in southeast Champaign County supports Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1, the school funding bill. But Andy Larson with Unit Seven said he was frustrated that the issue has turned into a political game.
“It’s gets really frustrating when we are used as the biggest political pawn out there for everybody to get their own agendas taken care of,” he said.
And there are a bunch of stories that quote Republican legislators approving of the governor’s move (although, curiously enough, there was no roundup from the ILGOP today). Some outlets, like the SJ-R, ran headlines that focused on how Chicago got dinged, which probably goes over well with its readership.
Rauner was right to strip the CPS bailout and other bad elements from SB 1, but lawmakers should go even further and scrap SB 1 entirely. Beyond the CPS bailout, the “evidence-based” funding model within SB 1 will be an expensive failure.
Well, actually that paragraph has been deleted from the Institute’s website…
* There is no indication on the original story that it has been altered, so I e-mailed Ted Dabrowski, one of the authors, and asked why that paragraph no longer appears on his website. I haven’t heard back, but he tweeted this out ten minutes or so after I sent him my query…
SB1/No SB1 is a false choice. Lawmakers should keep the existing formula until an agreement can be reached. Don't use kids as pawns. #twill
Chris Kennedy spoke at the Mom+Baby governors candidate meet and greet yesterday. I didn’t see anything on his Twitter page about it, but I’m told about 30 moms and 10 kids had to wait at least half an hour for him to arrive. And it went downhill from there.
* Well, Mark Maxwell at WCIA TV interviewed some of those moms the other day…
“We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired.” A group of moms is setting out to change the political landscape in Illinois. We met them this week on Capitol Connection.
* In case you can’t watch video where you work, here’s a transcript of one of the moms describing the Kennedy meet and greet…
REPORTER: Rebecca Abraham is backing state Sen. Daniel Biss for governor after a meeting with Chris Kennedy left her with a bad impression.
REBECCA: And then he was very defensive when corrected. So it was kind of disrespectful that he wasn’t prepared and I wonder if he had met with a group of men who also were an activist group, I bet he would’ve came a lot more prepared. But because we’re called Mom + Baby and we’re a bunch of women with our children, he blew us off. So I don’t think he would’ve had the same behavior with a group of men.
Ouch.
* Meanwhile…
Chris Kennedy will attend the first annual Kankakee County John F. Kennedy Dinner as the keynote speaker. In his remarks, Kennedy will address his personal history of public service, his family’s legacy and his vision for the future of our state.
If one aspires to become a politician in Illinois, there’s one tried and tested route.
Attend private elementary and high schools.
Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes the Sangamon Sun, researched the K-12 school choices of Illinois’ top elected officials– present and past– and found a clear, unmistakable trend.
They may politically support Illinois’ public schools, but an increasing number of elected officials are opting out of using them personally.
The LGIS report comes as Governor Bruce Rauner and Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich are pushing a measure that would give a state tax deduction to philanthropists who underwrite private school scholarships for low-income and middle class students.
Many opponents of the measure attended private schools themselves.
As we discussed yesterday, private schools are pushing for a 100 percent state income tax credit on donations to scholarship funds for low-income students. So, if somebody gives $20K to a scholarship fund, that person’s state income tax bill will be lowered by a corresponding $20K. At the moment, the governor and other proponents want a $100 million program.
This new tax credit will not allow parents to receive a 100 percent tax credit for their own kids’ private school tuition. You will only get that credit by donating to a private school’s scholarship program.
As far as I can tell, nobody has yet come up with a way to pay for this $100 million program, which is problematic, if you ask me.
* Proft’s paper published a list of legislators who attended private schools. Note the number of Catholic schools on this list. The Catholic Conference of Illinois and the Chicago Archdiocese have been pushing hard for this new $100 million tax credit program and it hasn’t been covered at all by the media…
Rep. Dan Beiser - Alton Marquette Catholic
Sen. Bill Haine - Alton Marquette Catholic
Sen. Neil Anderson - Assumption Catholic (Davenport, IA)
Rep. Jerry Costello, II - Assumption H.S. (East St. Louis)
Rep. Dan Brady - Bloomington Central Catholic
Sen. Bill Brady - Bloomington Central Catholic
Sen. John F. Curran - Brother Rice
Rep. Kelly Cassidy - N/A (Elementary/Bradenton, FL)
Rep. Barbara Wheeler - Carmel Catholic (Mundelein)
Rep. Sam Yingling - Carmel Catholic (Mundelein)
Rep. Emil Jones, III - Chicago Christian (Palos Heights)
Rep. Thomas Morrison - Christian Liberty Academy (Arlington Heights)
Sen. Chris Nybo Fenwick - (Oak Park)
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade - Gordon Tech (Chicago)
Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe - Holy Cross (Chicago)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz - Ida Crown Jewish Academy
Sen. Toi Hutchinson - Infant Jesus of Prague (Elementary/Flossmoor)
Rep. Larry Walsh, Jr. - Joliet Catholic Academy
Sen. Pat McGuire - Joliet Catholic Academy
Rep. Silviana Tabares - Lourdes (Chicago)
Rep. Robert Martwick - Loyola Academy (Wilmette)
Sen. Thomas Cullerton - Loyola Academy (Wilmette)
Sen. Jim Oberweis - Marmion Military Academy
Rep. Frances Ann Hurley - Mother McAuley (Chicago)
Sen. Bill Cunningham - Mt. Carmel (Chicago)
Sen. Heather Steans - Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
Rep. Daniel J. Burke - Quigley South (Chicago)
Sen. Antonio Munoz - Quigley South (Chicago)
Sen. Martin Sandoval - Quigley South (Chicago)
Sen. Jacqueline Collins - St. Carthage (Elementary/Chicago)
Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant - St. Francis (Joliet)
Sen. John J. Cullerton - St. Francis (Wheaton)
Rep. Andre Thapedi - St. Ignatius (Chicago)
Rep. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. - St. Ignatius (Chicago)
Rep. Kelly M. Burke - St. Ignatius (Chicago)
Rep. Michael J. Madigan - St. Ignatius (Chicago)
Sen. Don Harmon - St. Ignatius (Chicago)
Rep. Christian Mitchell - St. Joseph’s (Westchester)
Sen. Mike Connelly - St. Joseph’s (Westchester)
Rep. Arthur Turner - St. Mel (Chicago)
Rep. John Mulroe - St. Patrick (Chicago)
Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst - St. Paul’s Lutheran School (Elementary/Kankakee)
Rep. Marty Moylan - St. Philip (Chicago)
Rep. Cynthia Soto - St. Procopius (Chicago)
Rep. Mike Zalewski - St. Rita (Chicago)
Rep. Sue Scherer - St. Teresa (Decatur)
Rep. Patty Bellock - Trinity (River Forest)
Rep. Barbara Flynn-Currie - University of Chicago Lab School
Rep. Justin Slaughter - University of Chicago Lab School
Sen. Kwame Raoul - University of Chicago Lab School
Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez - Ursuline Academy (Springfield)
Rep. John C. D’Amico - Weber Catholic (Chicago)
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford - Weber Catholic (Chicago)
According to the paper, the current attorney general and four of the seven Illinois Supreme Court justices attended private schools.
* Back to the story, which seems designed to shame legislators into supporting the new bill…
For thee, but not for me
State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) are two of Chicago’s most vociferous advocates for raising property and income taxes to spend more money on Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Neither have said how much CPS would have to spend to convince them to send their own kids there, however.
Raoul has a daughter at University of Chicago Lab School, his own alma mater. His son graduated from Chicago Lab last year and attends Lake Forest College.
Cassidy’s three children attend Francis Parker, an elite private school in Lincoln Park.
Both Chicago elected officials argue their constituents should choose Chicago Public Schools, while simultaneously avoiding the schools themselves. And they’re in good company.
* Background is here. From the Illinois Republican Party…
“J.B. Pritzker’s new television ad is a deceptive attempt to cover up his family’s history of attacking the labor movement. Pritzker personally profits by exploiting union labor - just listen to what union protesters have to say about the billionaire family. Just like Mike Madigan, J.B. Pritzker is a politician with zero credibility who says one thing and does another.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
In response to J.B. Pritzker’s new television ad lauding his insider endorsement of Madigan-backed labor groups, the Illinois Republican Party today released a digital video highlighting Pritzker’s true record on labor.
Pretty well done. The quote from the IFT’s leader is particularly impressive…
I want to thank the Pritzker family for uniting us all here today. It’s not enough for them to go after the workers in their hotels, they have to go after teachers.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the IFT’s Dan Montgomery, who is featured in the above video…
“IFT members know that the Illinois Republican Party has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bruce Rauner, who has been leading the charge to rob workers and deny them a voice in the workplace. This six-year-old video clip is an attempt to distract attention from the Governor’s abysmal record and unpopular political demands that nearly drove Illinois off a fiscal cliff had members of his own party not stepped up to do the right thing. Rauner should focus less on campaigning and more on doing his job.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez…
“It’s clear that Bruce Rauner is leading the Illinois GOP and this attack on JB. For Rauner to pursue this line of attack after we’ve seen the way he treats public-sector workers across Illinois is hypocritical and laughable. He and his special-interest friends have tried to destroy our state’s labor movement and the public services that so many residents of Illinois rely on every day. Everything we care about is under assault by Bruce Rauner. There is no greater priority for us than defeating him in November and sending a leader like JB Pritzker to Springfield.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan…
“If it wasn’t so pathetic, it would be laughable that the Illinois Republicans levy an attack concerning union member and worker rights. Many Republican Party politicians in Illinois have followed blindly down Bruce Rauner’s path of destruction. His refusal to compromise on a budget hurt so many – all driven by his obsession to subvert wages, destroy unions and weaken protections for middle class Illinois families. If the Republican Party would like to take a stand with unions and working families of this state, they should start by standing up to their leader and chief benefactor.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* And the accompanying oppo dump…
During the recession, the Pritzker family faced mass protests from its workers over mistreatment and attempts to prevent unionization.
As Crain’s Chicago Business notes, “Hyatt fought efforts by Unite Here union to organize and secure raises for Hyatt workers.”
In one infamous incident, the Pritzkers turned heat lamps on picketing workers during a heat wave.
J.B. Pritzker personally profits from the family business, owning nearly 2% of Hyatt and acting as a key member of the majority voting block that controls the company. One of Pritzker’s cousins chairs the board of directors.
Pritzker even agreed to align his share’s vote with his cousins’, making him a critical part of their voting block and an enabler to all of their controversial decisions regarding employee mistreatment.
Pritzker even bragged about his role in Hyatt on his website – describing himself as a “principal owner”.
JB Pritzker Has Enabled And Supported Hyatt’s Management
JB Pritzker Currently Controls 1.9% Of The Total Voting Power For Hyatt Hotels Corporation. (Form SC 13D, Charles E. Dobrusin, SEC Accession No. 0001144204-17-001664, 1/10/2017)
When The Pritzkers Took Hyatt Public, The Family Controlled 80 Percent Of The Class B Shares, Which Have 10 Times The Voting Power Of Class A Shares. “Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced recently that the shares will be priced at $23 to $26. The offering is structured so the Pritzker family would own 80 percent of Hyatt’s Class B common stock, each share of which has 10 times the voting power of a Class A common share. The company’s initial public offering of 38 million Class A shares would raise between $874 million and $988 million.” (Julie Wernau, “Hyatt IPO Plan Draws Fire,” Chicago Tribune, 10/29/2009)
This “Super-Voting” Stock Allowed The Pritzkers To Maintain Control Over Hyatt Even If Their Ownership Of The Company’s Outstanding Shares Fell Below 50%. “Hyatt Hotels Corp. is likely to see “outsized profit growth” over the next decade, but the Pritzker family’s tightfisted control over the underachieving hotel chain should make investors wary of its initial public offering, a prominent real estate stock research firm said Wednesday. The proposed IPO could raise about $1 billion for Chicago-based Hyatt, the crown jewel of the billionaire family. Pritzker family trusts plan to sell 38 million shares for as much as $26 apiece, according to a filing last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But the family plans to retain its grip on the company through so-called “super-voting” stock, which would allow the Pritzkers to outvote other common shareholders even if the family’s stake falls to nearly 15%.” (Thomas Corfman, “Hyatt’s Corporate Structure Criticized In Report,” Crain’s Chicago Business, 10/29/2009)
JB Pritzker Agreed To Vote His Super Shares In Line With The Recommendations Of Hyatt’s Board Of Directors. “Until the later to occur of (i) January 1, 2015 and (ii) that date upon which more than 75% of the FD Stock is owned by Persons other than Pritzkers and Foreign Pritzkers, all Pritzkers (and their successors in interest, if applicable), but not the transferees by sale (other than Pritzkers or Foreign Pritzkers who purchase directly from other Pritzkers or Foreign Pritzkers) or by, or following, foreclosures as aforesaid, will vote all of their voting securities of Hyatt (and successor Companies) consistent with the recommendations of the board of directors of Hyatt with respect to all matters (assuming agreement as to any such matter by a majority of a minimum of three Independent directors or, in the case of transactions involving Hyatt and an Affiliate thereof, assuming agreement of all of such minimum of three Independent directors). All Pritzkers will cast and submit by proxy to Hyatt their votes in a manner consistent with this Section 3.1(c) at least five business days prior to the scheduled date of the Annual or Special Meeting of stockholders of Hyatt, as applicable.” (“Amended and Restated Global Hyatt Agreement,” Hyatt Hotels Corporation, 10/1/2009)
JB Pritzker’s Cousin, Thomas J. Pritzker, Is The Executive Chairman Of Hyatt’s Board Of Directors. (Board of Directors, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Accessed 1/17/2017)
Jason Pritzker, Thomas Pritzker’s Son, Is Also On Hyatt’s Board Of Directors. (Board of Directors, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Accessed 1/17/2017)
Penny Pritzker, JB Pritzker’s Sister, Served On Hyatt’s Board Of Directors Until She Was Appointed Commerce Secretary In 2013. “Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker intends to resign from corporate boards, including that of Hyatt Hotels Corp., and reported that she received nearly $54 million in consulting fees last year from an offshore Bahamian trust, the Commerce Department secretary nominee said in documents released Wednesday.” (Melissa Harris and Katherine Skiba, “Pritzker Opens The Books On Finances,” Chicago Tribune, 5/16/2013)
* Before it quietly updated with a new story, the Illinois Policy Institute, like Gov. Rauner, was claiming a vote to accept Rauner’s SB1 amendatory veto only required a simple majority…
* Now, let’s look again at the brutal video of Gov. Rauner being informed that it’ll require a three-fifths majority to accept his amendatory veto and not the simple majority that Rauner claimed…
Watch how the governor physically leans into his answer. People often do that when they’re trying to emphasize a point.
Transcript…
REPORTER: What makes you think that three-fifths of the House and three-fifths of the Senate will agree on any particular thing here?
RAUNER: Well, upholding — Dave, it’s a great question — upholding my, uh, amendatory veto and passing it in concurrence requires a simple majority. Upholding my amendatory veto, supporting the changes I’ve recommended just, just…
REPORTER: Democrats say otherwise because of the immediate effect, because it needs to take effect immediately.
RAUNER: So, okay, so, upholding it can be a simple majority
“Great question,” he says, as if he’s actually been prepared for this very query. And then he says twice that it only requires a simple majority and tries to say it yet another time, but is cut off by a pesky reporter with an annoying fact.
* So, why is this important? Well, because it would’ve been a really good message: Hey, it just takes a simple majority to accept my changes while it will take a three-fifths super-majority to override my AV, so let’s just accept it and move on. Easy peasy.
Indeed, Rep. Avery Bourne, a close Rauner ally and one of just eight education funding reform negotiators, used that very same messaging on Facebook recently…
* And the Champaign News-Gazette, which has been a staunch Rauner supporter, published this editorial on July 27th…
Rauner wants the bill now so he can use his amendatory veto power to excise the Chicago-friendly provisions.
Then the General Assembly has three options
It can do nothing, effectively killing the bill. It can override the veto by a three-fifths majority of each chamber. Or it can agree with the recommendations made by the governor by a simple majority vote in each of the chambers.
Gov. Rauner is hoping his planned action will be sustained in the Legislature, most particularly the House, where Speaker Madigan lost his super-majority in the last election. Madigan will be looking for four Republicans he can buy off to be able to overturn Rauner’s amendatory veto, the tactic he used to pass his version of the state budget/tax hike plan over the governor’s veto.
It sure looks to me as if the Best Team in America™ had a plan in place, but it was based on an erroneous assumption.
* Back to the press conference transcript…
REPORTER: Wouldn’t that be something though that your staff would have found out before you did this? Are you concerned at all that there’s a big difference between a simple majority and three-fifths and this could all blow up?
So, it may not just be a foiled messaging plan, it could also be a foiled legislative strategy that could do real harm.
* Perhaps the governor should’ve taken a meeting with Senate President John Cullerton before issuing his veto. Cullerton wanted to explain what the veto would mean, but Rauner called that suggestion “outrageous”. And the Chicago Tribune editorial board slammed Cullerton’s request for talks as an unconscionable delay tactic…
Rauner’s changes include eliminating a $250 million block grant Chicago schools have received for years that critics said the city would not get if the money was distributed through existing school aid formulas.
Rauner’s changes would still give Chicago schools $215 million to help with its teacher pensions. Chicago is the only school district in the state not covered by the state-funded Teachers Retirement System.
However, Rauner’s change would make the Chicago pension payment part of state pension law rather than the state’s school code. The seemingly innocuous change will require a follow-up budget bill to implement, Manar said.
* This is so weird. The governor moved the $215 million for pension money into another state statute after spending weeks “messaging” against the Chicago teacher pension money, and after vetoing that same $215 million in December of 2016…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill that would have eased Chicago Public Schools’ massive pension burden threatened to blow a $215 million hole into a budget that has been criticized by bankers and civic groups for its reliance on uncertain state assistance.
In reality, the CPS block grant has no formal relationship to pensions. All districts receive state reimbursement for seven “categoricals” above what they receive in General State Aid. Every district except Chicago has to submit vouchers to get reimbursed for these categoricals. But since 1995, Chicago has been reimbursed via a block grant, based, at least in part, on the reality that submitting claims for thousands of different students was burdensome. Over the years, as CPS enrollment has declined, the block grant resulted in the district receiving $250 million more than it would if it had to submit vouchers for reimbursement.
Rauner’s education czar Beth Purvis has said those extra funds have been audited, and aren’t being misspent. “There’s no implication that CPS is misusing those funds in any way, shape or form,” she told me in May. “We believe that they’re using them for the educational costs of educating those children.”
* So, the governor cut classroom money for CPS and kept the pension money in place (albeit in another statute) - the exact opposite of what he said he actually did…
“What the amendatory veto prevents is a diversion, an unfair diversion, removal of money, from the classroom to fund a broken pension system that deserves to be reformed and that deserves to be treated the same way all teachers pensions are treated,” Rauner said.
The governor also made some technical changes to the bill, including creating a per-pupil “hold harmless” provision in 2021 and beyond – rather than a district-level “hold harmless” provision, which was included in the original bill
Rauner would keep that so-called “hold harmless” provision in place until the 2020-21 school year, then switch the way funding is calculated from a per-district basis to a per-pupil basis. The upshot is that CPS and some Downstate districts that have seen declining enrollments stand to lose money.
For example, changing a provision in 2020 from holding each district harmless overall to holding it harmless on a per-pupil rate would affect the hundreds of Illinois districts losing students, and that’s problematic, Ostro said, because the state’s funding already is too low.
“Under the SB 1 model no district loses money year over year — it’s about how new dollars are distributed,” she said. “That’s important when districts are already inadequately funded.”
But how many is it?
* The House Democrats have a spreadsheet which claims 222 school districts lost enrollment between F& 2015 and FY 2016, or just shy of a quarter of all districts. Click here for the list. Some of those lost just a few pupils, but if that continues and the governor has his way, those districts are still going to be hurt.
Of those 222 districts which lost population, 156 were in House Republican districts, mostly Downstate. Click here for that info. Rep. Avery Bourne, a Republican school funding negotiator, has six school districts which lost population, according to the HDem spreadsheet.
Needless to say, the districts which are gaining lots of students are generally in areas that are economically thriving. So a per pupil-based hold harmless would benefit those well-off districts at the expense of those which are struggling.
* What’s needed is a compromise. Allow many of the growing districts to receive more money to help with their expanding needs, but allow districts with declining student populations to hold onto their money.
Just because a district loses students doesn’t mean its fixed costs decrease by the same percentage, after all.
Today, the JB Pritzker for Governor campaign released a new TV ad, “Enough.” The ad features working Illinoisans who are passionate about electing JB Pritzker and defeating Bruce Rauner next fall.
“Enough” highlights union members discussing Bruce Rauner’s attacks on working families and JB’s commitment to fighting for them in Springfield. The ad comes as labor support for JB continues to grow across the state, with recent endorsements coming from Illinois Painters District Councils, United Steelworkers, and the Illinois AFL-CIO. In total, JB has been endorsed by 17 individual unions so far.
“Working families across this state are ready for a real leader who fights for them in Springfield and that’s exactly what I’ll do as governor,” said JB Pritzker. “Together, we will defeat Bruce Rauner and end his attacks on the labor movement and working families. When I’m governor, the labor movement will once again have a seat at the table as we grow the economy, create jobs, and protect the rights that help workers thrive. I am grateful to have support from the labor movement across the state and I will always stand with working families as governor.”
JB will stand up for working families. And he’s focused on creating jobs.
JB’s the one we trust to beat Bruce Rauner.
To beat Bruce Rauner.
To get Illinois — to get Illinois back on track.
…Adding… Some of y’all in comments are a bit unclear on the concept. This is a TV ad for a Democratic primary. And unions are more popular overall than some of you realize. From a, October, 2016 Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll…
Among the 1,000 Illinois registered voters surveyed, more than half (57 percent) say they have at least a somewhat favorable view of labor unions, more than 20 points ahead of the 36 percent who have an unfavorable view. […]
Self-described liberals (75 percent), Democrats (73 percent), and members of union households (75 percent) were most likely to have favorable views of unions. Only among conservatives and Republicans (37 percent each group) did fewer than half hold a favorable view.
Historically marginalized groups tend to desire that unions have more influence than they do today. Notably, 49 percent of African Americans want unions to have more influence compared to only 26 percent of whites.
Similarly, 40 percent of people with household incomes below $50,000 would like to see unions have more influence compared to only 24 percent of those with incomes over $100,000.
