State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, on Monday was named deputy House minority leader, giving him the second highest ranking in the House Republican Caucus.
* Before we begin, this is a brief description of Aunt Martha’s…
Aunt Martha’s is a private, not-for-profit agency providing coordinated health care and social services for family members of all ages in underserved communities across Illinois. The agency serves more than 60,000 children and adults annually. It is state-licensed to provide child welfare, substance abuse treatment and childcare services
Established in 1982, the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) is a nonprofit trade association of community health centers (CHCs) that proudly serves as Illinois’ sole primary care association. IPHCA represents 48 Organizational members—CHCs—that operate nearly 350 sites in the states of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri—serving 1.3 million patients annually.
* OK, now that you know who the players are and their importance to the state, check out this excerpt of a July 14th memo to members of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association sent by Aunt Martha’s CEO Raul Garza…
I am writing today to bring to your attention the behavior of and remarks directed toward me by Bruce Johnson, IPHCA’s President & CEO, at a meeting that took place at Aunt Martha’s on June 20, 2018. During our meeting, in front of six other members of Aunt Martha’s executive team (seven of us total), Mr. Johnson made multiple references to his ability influence our organization’s business and reputation. He went so far as to state that he has the ability to affect our business dealings and relationships with other organizations, including the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, managed care organizations, congressional leaders, and others with whom Aunt Martha’s is developing partnerships.
Mr. Johnson’s inappropriate remarks did not end with his insufficiently-veiled threats toward Aunt Martha’s. Instead, his behavior took a more disturbing turn. As we closed the meeting, Mr. Johnson asked me if Trump lets me back into the country when I travel to Mexico. When I told him I had been there three months ago and did not have a problem getting back home, he continued, asking, “Did you bring any family back with you?” I responded by telling him that I had not brought any family from Mexico when I returned to the United States. He chuckled to himself. My executive staff and I were at once stunned, angered, and hurt by these vile, bigoted remarks and behavior. [Emphasis added]
Um, OK.
Aunt Martha’s retained an attorney and he sent his report to the IPHCA’s board on June 29th. Click here to read it. Apparently, Johnson was tipped off by an executive committee member and quickly tried to apologize via voicemail, alleging saying he “really didn’t mean to be racist.” Ain’t that always the way?
Aunt Martha’s attorney claimed that IPHCA had gone against “the most basic principles of conducting an investigation as required under federal law.” More here. IPHCA also apparently claimed that they couldn’t move forward because Garza wouldn’t provide witness affidavits.
* Soon after Garza sent that e-mail to IPHCA members, the IPHCA’s chairman Gordon Eggers sent a defiant memo to those same members. Excerpt…
It has come to the attention of the Executive Committee that this past Saturday evening (July 14, 2018) you received email correspondence from Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness,Raul Garza and/or their attorney (collectively, “Aunt Martha’s”) complaining of purportedly offensive racial and ethnic comments allegedly made by Bruce Johnson, IPHCA’s President and CEO, on June 20, 2018. The Executive Committee regards any and all such complaints most seriously, as discrimination of any type is repugnant to IPHCA and contrary to its mission.
The Executive Committee was deliberately excluded from Aunt Martha’s email so has had no opportunity to respond until now. From first learning of Aunt Martha’s concerns on or about June 27, 2018, less than three weeks ago, the Executive Committee, among other action, met with Mr. Garza at his demand on less than two days’ notice; engaged IPHCA’s attorneys in the review and investigation process; caused interviews of material witnesses; determined insurance coverage issues; reviewed and determined applicable HR policies and procedures; had direct communications with Aunt Martha’s prior attorneys and current attorneys; and otherwise acted as quickly and responsibly as possible in the serious circumstances presented.
Aunt Martha’s in fact waited more than a week to even notify the Executive Committee as to any concerns it now expresses. While Aunt Martha’s latest email to membership apparently encourages an impassioned “rush to judgment”, due process and fundamental rights of all parties require otherwise.
* Aunt Martha’s Garza then upped the ante by sending a letter to the General Assembly’s Latino Caucus on Monday, July 16th. An excerpt…
The Association’s insistence that its investigation has stalled because it does not have affidavits [from witnesses] has no basis in reality. Our attorney, Mr. Ricardo Meza, a former executive inspector general for the state of Illinois, is not aware of any circumstance in which the Association would be prevented from investigating a complaint, regardless of its form or content. Making a request for affidavits even more absurd is that the fact that the Executive Committee has in its possession a transcript of a voicemail in which Mr. Johnson’s stated that he “really didn’t mean to be racist.” It seems the only thing preventing the Association from moving forward is a desire to first make public the same finger pointing and victim shaming already displayed in private.
While Bruce’s comments do not – in any way – reflect the opinions of our Committee or IPHCA staff, we know that he was acting as a representative of IPHCA at the time. More than that, we are committed to taking additional steps to ensure this never happens again.
The Executive Committee has approved the creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which will oversee the immediate hiring of a law firm with deep experience in personnel matters. They will be asked to conduct an independent investigation into IPHCA’s current work environment and personnel practices, while also helping us to implement additional employee training. Finally, we will ask them to help us to create a formal process that will ensure any future concerns raised by members or staff receive the prompt attention they deserve.
* In response, Garza sent a defiant memo to his own employees yesterday. Excerpt…
On Monday morning (July 16), IPHCA sent its first message to its members. Their defiant attitude, finger-pointing and victim-shaming - which we had described to all of the members almost 36 hours earlier - were all on full display. In IPHCA’s message, the other member organizations could now see for themselves the same anger and spite we’d experienced.
The first part of our plan had been to contact the IPHCA membership. The next step, which we followed through on yesterday, was to contact elected officials and leaders at all levels. Our message was the same. The President & CEO of IPHCA walked into a meeting with our executive team and made, stunningly offensive, racist remarks. We reported the matter to IPHCA’s Executive Committee, which has a responsibility to investigate and reach and unbiased conclusion. Instead, we were subjected to bullying, victim-shaming, and stall tactics. Once again, the response was nothing less than overwhelming. To judge by the outpouring of support, sympathy, and shared-indignation, it seems almost as if the only people in Illinois who don’t understand the ramifications of Mr. Johnson’s behavior are the same people whose roles require them to hold him accountable.
Then, last night, the Executive Committee sent an email to all members announcing Mr. Johnson’s resignation, effective immediately. The tone of their message was completely changed. Rather than saying their investigating was delayed because the victim was being uncooperative, they had concluded their investigation, having spoken to Mr. Johnson and other IPHCA staff. Rather than dismissing the seriousness of our complaint, they announced the formation of a Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
This may seem, on the surface, a victory; but it is not. The hateful tone we’ve heard repeatedly over the last several weeks was washed over in one message. The hateful tone we’ve heard is part of an underlying current of bigotry that flows directly from the top of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association. Mr. Johnson’s resignation, and the formation of a new committee, are like a Band-Aid on a festering wound. The people who, for three weeks sat across from me - from Aunt Martha’s - fuming with anger because we dared to ask them to do the right thing, those people are still there.
Whew.
I attempted to reach Johnson, but was unsuccessful. If he would like to comment, I’ll post it whenever I get it.
* NRA President Oliver North is hosting a state legislative campaign fundraiser tomorrow in Effingham, where the state’s “gun sanctuary” movement began. From a Facebook ad…
Illinois Republican state treasurer candidate Jim Dodge sent out a media advisory yesterday announcing he will be attending the event as well.
* By chance, Gov. Rauner was in Effingham yesterday on a campaign swing to promote his FireMikeMadigan.com website…
Joined Blaine Wilhour, Darren Bailey, Chris Miller, and Rob Arnold at the People’s Pledge event in Effingham today. Visit https://t.co/tVHBlGbmmV to learn more about putting the people back in charge of state government. pic.twitter.com/oFI2zgZuHQ
* Back in the day, Effingham was considered a swing county. Democrat Neil Hartigan won it in 1990 and Glenn Poshard took it in 1998. Comptroller Dan Hynes and Secretary of State Jesse White both won it in 2002. Attorney General Lisa Madigan prevailed in 2006. And Sen. Dick Durbin managed a win in 2008.
But Donald Trump won it by 60 points and the last statewide Democrat to win the county was Secretary White way back in 2010. It’s solidly GOP now. White lost the county by 17 points four years ago.
On Monday, Rauner had signed a law extending the waiting period in Illinois for all firearms to 72 hours. Previously, the limit was 72 hours for handguns and 24 hours for other firearms. Rauner called it a common-sense reform that respects the Second Amendment and improves public safety.
It runs directly counter to the Effingham County firearms sanctuary resolution.
“I respect the passion that those who defend the Second Amendment have,” Rauner said. “And I support the Second Amendment as well. I’m not familiar with all the resolutions that have been passed at the county level. I believe that, as a state, we should protect and defend the Constitution and the Second Amendment, while also finding thoughtful ways to help increase public safety.”
Effingham County Republican Chairman Rob Arnold was present at the stop. As an Effingham County Board member, he voted in favor of the sanctuary resolution. Arnold said it’s clear Rauner agrees with the county’s way of thinking, but differs in specifics.
Arnold isn’t just a gun sanctuary proponent. He wanted to put the sanctuary issue up for a popular vote this November, but his idea was recently rejected by his fellow county board members.
* Part of the idea behind the whole “Madigan, taxes, corruption, toilets - lather, rinse, repeat” is to try and convince Republicans to forget about his divisive primary fight with Jeanne Ives and get them to focus on unifying ahead of November.
Rauner lost Effingham County to Rep. Ives by 14 points, 57-43. But his post-primary tack is apparently working with people like Arnold.
* Gov. Rauner got some solid press pops yesterday. From KWQC TV…
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation that expands the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy and cuts the red tape on future construction projects, allowing the administration to move quickly to build a new state-of-the-art facility at the campus.
“We’re building a brand new facility and making sure our veterans have a safe place to call home,” Rauner said. “Building this new facility should not be caught up in the bureaucratic process. Our veterans deserve the best. They have fought to secure our freedom and we’re fighting to make sure they have the care they need for generations to come.”
Rauner’s administration has outlined a $230 million plan to update the 130-year-old campus, first replacing ancient, corroded plumbing that provides a breeding ground for Legionella bacteria that can sicken when it’s inhaled in water vapor. Lawmakers approved $53 million for the first of what officials expect to be a five-year plan, said Michael Hoffman, Rauner’s senior adviser.
“I’m glad to see the governor taking such swift action to begin construction on one of Quincy’s most important landmarks,” said Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy. “Securing the design-build contract is one of the final steps to kick-start the Quincy Veterans’ Home $52 million capital development plan.”
“There is no one who believed that the entire facility and the entire plumbing facility needed to be replaced,” Rauner said. “No one knew that; no one believed that.”
Rauner said it only became apparent over time that the entire plumbing system had to be replaced to make the buildings safe.
Rauner would not say what he plans to do with two other bills that lawmakers passed in response to the Quincy problems. One would require that family members, staff and others be notified within 24 hours of a Legionnaires’ outbreak at a facility. The other would raise the cap on damages people can get from the state if their relatives died of Legionnaires’ at Quincy.
The Democratic Governor’s Association says he’s trying to “wipe his hands” of the ordeal while Sen. Tom Cullerton said he doesn’t deserve a pat on the back for trying to govern at the 11th hour. JB Pritzker, Rauner’s opponent in November, says it’s too little, too late.
Rep. Randy Frese (R-Quincy) said they need the help, regardless of the timing. “The heroes that reside there deserve certainly deserve the very best care,” Frese said.
* But Greg Bishop of the Illinois News Network picked up on something that I think everybody else missed, including the Chicago types…
Touting bipartisan success on implementing fixes to the troubled Quincy Veterans Home, Rauner said taxpayers are going to have to eat the cost of an unfinished veterans home in Chicago.
That $70 million-plus project in Chicago began in September 2014 and still sits unfinished. Rauner took office in January 2015. After signing legislation Tuesday to speed up the Quincy project, Rauner said the Chicago project needs to be scrapped.
“There’s a classic Illinois government bureaucracy at work,” Rauner said. “That veterans home has been stumbling and struggling and over budget and restarted for years, years and years, long before I became governor.”
Rauner said the process involved in the Chicago home is a “nightmare” and he’s committed to finishing the project but said many millions of tax dollars have been wasted already.
* Transcript…
REPORTER: Governor, the Chicago area has a veterans’ home that has been in need for how long? And to Representative Chapa LaVia‘ s point, yes, Quincy is an issue and it’s beyond time to address that. What about a building that is maybe unfinished costing taxpayers now?
RAUNER: Yeah, and one that frankly probably has to be mostly pretty much started completely over. There is a classic Illinois, government bureaucracy at work. That veterans’ home has been stumbling and struggling and over budget and restarting for years. Years and years. Long before I became governor. It is part of the problem of our system of procurement, part of the problem of our system of development and construction when it’s handled by the government bureaucracy. It’s really a nightmare and we need to improve it. I am committed to making sure that that veterans’ home is completed and that we change the process so it’s done on time and on budget. Because right now it’s been, prior to my becoming governor, that project a complete mess. And really needs a complete redo.
REPORTER: Are you suggesting that we redo, I mean what about the millions of dollars that have been put into it already?
RAUNER: Oh boy. There have been many millions wasted on that facility.
* Yeah, well, the governor himself stopped construction on the Chicago facility during the impasse three years ago. Here’s Mark Brown in November of 2017…
A neglected five-story skeleton of a building on the city’s Northwest Side looks almost exactly like it did when I last visited two years ago, except for the weeds being taller and the temporary braces rustier.
By now, this was supposed to be a new Illinois Veterans Home, the first to be located in the Chicago area where the largest concentration of the state’s veterans reside.
Instead, it remains a sad brick-and-concrete symbol of the dysfunction in Illinois government.
Gov. Bruce Rauner halted construction on the project in July 2015 in the early stages of his state budget fight with Democratic legislators.
And that’s exactly how the abandoned structure remains 29 months later, open and exposed to the elements of what will soon be its third winter.
The Chicago area is home to more than half of the 764,000 veterans in the state, according to the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, but the closest skilled nursing home with specialized care for veterans is more than an hour drive south of Chicago, in Kankakee County.
So, the governor forcefully pushes a $230 million plan to upgrade an ancient facility way out in western Illinois at a cost of almost a million dollars per resident, but grumbles about the cost of a Chicago facility where most of our veterans live?
And here I thought this was supposed to be campaign season. Oh, wait. “Chicago.” Right.
Gov. Bruce Rauner joined Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn and local officials today to mark the opening of the East Main Street underpass, a project that will enhance quality of life and promote commerce.
The underpass carries regular vehicle traffic beneath BNSF Railroad tracks, eliminating the delays caused by passing trains and improving safety, traffic flow and emergency response times in Galesburg’s central business district.
“Separating rail from regular traffic at this critical location will improve safety in Galesburg immediately,” Rauner said. “Drivers will no longer have to cross busy train tracks, and police, ambulance and fire personnel don’t have to worry about waiting for a passing train. The project also makes this area more attractive to business investors that are looking to grow and expand in this strategic location in Illinois.”
Construction of the underpass began in October 2016, routing U.S. 150 under the tracks and just north of a BNSF railyard. The total cost was $26.5 million, funded through a combination of federal, state, local and railroad funds.
The project is the final piece of a larger plan with the state to reduce the impact of train traffic in Galesburg, one of Illinois’ busiest rail hubs. The Donald L. Moffitt Overpass on West Main Street was finished in 2012 and the Bickerdyke Bridge opened in 2014, separating vehicle and train traffic at both locations. Upgrades were made at 13 other crossings, improving safety and helping to establish a quiet zone in which trains no longer needed to sound their horns through town.
“These projects have shown how teamwork can lead to solutions for problems that at one time might have seemed unfixable,” Blankenhorn said. “We look forward to working with more communities to advance their goals and make life better for residents and businesses.”
* JB Pritzker’s campaign has a ton of different TV ads running at the same time. One Republican operative told me he counted 8 different Pritzker spots last week. Pritzker can obviously afford to run multiple message tracks and he’s undoubtedly targeting various voters on cable. Here’s a new positive ad called “Make a Difference”…
I’m JB Pritzker, and throughout my life I’ve tried to make a difference. In Illinois, I founded the world’s #1 small business incubator that’s created over 7,000 jobs. I led the effort to build a museum dedicated to fighting bigotry and hatred. And I’ve been a national leader in early childhood education, advocating for universal preschool and quality childcare. We’ve got a lot of challenges in Illinois, but I know we can get big things done.
It’s something you don’t hear much about, but across Illinois, businesses like this one have good paying jobs waiting to be filled, but struggle to find trained workers needed to fill them. We need to do more to help high school students get vocational training, technical training for transitioning workers at community colleges, and connect businesses to the workers they are looking for. I know we can create the jobs Illinois needs now.
What could Illinois get with a billion dollars? Buy 6,000 books for every public school in the state, begin to fix our roads and bridges, or provide Meals on Wheels to 375,000 seniors. But what did Bruce Rauner get for a billion dollars? Nothing. That’s right, Rauner wasted a billion dollars and got nothing for it, because that’s how much Rauner lost on interest penalties by refusing to pass a budget. Bruce Rauner, four years of failure is enough.
* The Senate Transportation Committee will hold a hearing about some Illinois Tollway contract policies next week at the urging of Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines)...
Tollway spokesman Dan Rozek said the agency “would welcome the opportunity to set the record straight on our competitive bidding process, the safeguards we have in place to prevent potential conflicts of interest and the independent review our contracts are subject to in order to ensure maximum compliance, integrity and transparency.”
One case that drew concerns from legislators involved a $6.6 million subcontract with Morreale Communications that piggybacked onto a larger engineering contract and thus did not require a separate vote by the tollway board. The PR firm’s CEO, Kim Morreale, is married to Republican state Rep. Michael McAuliffe of Chicago. The tollway said the firm was chosen on its merits.
Another situation that raised questions was a $157 million contract with Omega and Associates for Tri-State Tollway management services in November.
Omega employs the grown children of tollway officials and has contributed to two board members’ charities.
* Marni Pyke has been all over this topic. From last November…
Illinois tollway directors on Wednesday approved a controversial $157 million, 10-year contract with engineers Omega & Associates that has sparked concerns about potential conflict of interest.
Three members of the board and a top executive have links to the Lisle firm that will supervise Central Tri-State Tollway reconstruction, but officials said the agency has followed all proper procedures.
Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, whose daughter is a marketing coordinator for Omega, left the boardroom during the vote.
Chief Engineer Paul Kovacs’ son is a civil engineer at the firm, and Directors Neli Vasquez Rowland and Corey Brooks run separate charities that have received donations from Omega.
A politically connected Illinois tollway employee hired last year for an important $80,016 engineering department job last worked in 2001 as an account executive selling office furniture.
Laura Durkin is the agency’s general manager of engineering and sister-in-law to Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. Tollway officials recently released Laura Durkin’s resume to the Daily Herald after withholding it for weeks.
Speaking in general terms, Republican state Rep. David Harris of Arlington Heights said “the tollway has always been a hotbed of patronage. Both parties have taken advantage of the fact it is a relatively independent body and not subject to great legislative or General Assembly scrutiny.”
The Morreale Communications contract was reviewed for conflict of interest by the state Procurement Policy Board and Chief Procurement Office and approved, tollway officials said.
The agency is committed to diversity, including women-owned businesses, and “we have an obligation to judge these businesses based on the quality of their work, not their personal decisions,” a statement said.
The Illinois tollway contends its no-bid process that uses a selection committee to makes recommendations to the board on expensive engineering contracts is independent and transparent.
But when asked to provide meeting minutes, the agency blacked out the names of committee members in a majority of cases, making it impossible to see who is voting — a response criticized by attorney and public access expert Don Craven as improper under Illinois open records law.
When the names did surface they included tollway board Director Corey Brooks, who like all directors is appointed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, countering claims the selection process for contracts is independent.
Knowing who sits on the selection committee is important because unlike construction contracts that are competitively bid and go to the lowest bidder, professional firms are screened by tollway staff, then ranked by committee members who send a final recommendation to the board.
The Daily Herald has reported on potential conflicts of interests involving contracts where firms have political ties to Republicans or connections with tollway executives. The agency denies any patronage and said it follows state regulations on contracts.
Brendan Kelly’s campaign for Illinois’s 12th Congressional District today released its first television advertisement for broadcast, titled “Faith.”
In the ad, Brendan details his reasons for running. He affirms his commitment to overcoming divisions by rebuilding his home district and restoring faith in Southern Illinois. Brendan also restates his pledge to push for new leadership in BOTH parties.
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner took action today on the following bill:
Bill No.: SB 2273
An Act Concerning Elections
Action: Veto
Note: Veto Message Below
Veto Message for SB 2273
July 17, 2018
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
100th General Assembly:
Today I veto Senate Bill 2273 from the 100th General Assembly, which would limit the State of Illinois to participation in a single, exclusive interstate voter registration program.
The right to vote is the bedrock of our society and system of government, and this administration has demonstrated a commitment to increasing access to the vote. Last year, I signed historic automatic voter registration legislation to remove barriers for eligible Illinois voters to exercise their rights and encourage robust participation in the democratic process. In pursuing this expansion of registration, I have also remained focused on ensuring the integrity of the electoral system and pursuing opportunities to identify and investigate potential voter fraud.
One major way that Illinois combats fraudulent voting is through participation in programs that allow cross-referencing voter information from various states to identify where individuals are and are not eligible to vote. This legislation would hinder that effort by prohibiting the State from utilizing any interstate voter registration program other than that provided by the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), except for limited opportunities to contract with our border states that do not use the ERIC program. This prohibition could result in inefficiencies and gaps in knowledge, as less than half of states currently participate in ERIC, many of which will not qualify for separate contractual data sharing agreements under this legislation.
There is no need to codify such a limitation in state law and hamstring Illinois’ efforts to combat voter fraud when other safeguards are available to ensure the security, reliability, and appropriate use of any data being shared.
The security of Illinoisans’ personal data is of utmost importance, but the law does not mandate that Illinois participate in any database or program other than ERIC. When other options are available, the State Board of Elections is best situated to determine the risks associated with a given data sharing program. Instead of legislating limitations on our options, we should empower and rely on the Board to determine what programs are appropriate for voting fraud identification in Illinois and to monitor those programs to ensure their transparent and accountable use.
Furthermore, voter registration data should never be used to curb the legitimate exercise of the right to vote. But completely prohibiting potential sources of information that could help identify fraud and abuse in our election system is the wrong solution. The law already protects against potential mistakes or misinterpretations of data that could risk an eligible voter’s participation in an election. Before a voter’s registration is removed from the rolls, election authorities are required to give notice under both state and federal law, which provides an opportunity to respond to and resolve disputed registration status. Beyond that, in the unlikely event that a voter’s registration is inappropriately cancelled, Illinois’ same day voter registration opportunities allow for voters to properly identify themselves and correct the error up to and including election day.
The importance of pursuing both access to legal voting and integrity of the system cannot be overstated, but structural protections are a more appropriate way for Illinois to continue balancing these priorities than blanket prohibitions on current and future options for mitigating fraud.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 2273, entitled “AN ACT concerning elections,” with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
…Adding… Press release…
State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago 13th) criticized Gov. Bruce Rauner for vetoing legislation that would have ended Illinois’ participation in the controversial Crosscheck voter registration system.
“I can only suppose that the governor’s veto was politically motivated, as this piece of legislation is a sensible way to protect voter information,” Raoul said. “We have heard from numerous experts that the Crosscheck system is unsafe and that it can be used as a tool to discriminate and suppress voters. There is no reason to continue using this system when we have a better option readily available.”
The Illinois Board of Elections currently subscribes to two national voter database systems designed to help election authorities identify voters who may be registered in more than one state: the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program and the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Raoul’s legislation, Senate Bill 2273, would have removed Illinois from the Crosscheck system but allowed the state to remain in ERIC, widely viewed as the better system.
Cyber security experts testified to a joint committee last year that the Crosscheck system has several security concerns that make private information easily accessible.
Additionally, many voting rights activists say that Crosscheck is a vehicle for discrimination at the voting booth. The system compares first and last names of state voter databases, ignoring middle names and designations like Jr. or Sr. This is viewed as problematic by experts because communities of color are more likely to share last names, making them easy targets for voter suppression.
“Illinois residents deserve a governor who will act in their best interest rather than blindly following a partisan agenda,” Raoul said. “Despite the governor’s actions today, I remain committed to my long record of fighting for voting rights in our state.”
* Another one…
Today the governor rejected legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) that would have ended Illinois’ participation in the deeply flawed and discriminatory Crosscheck system.
“Crosscheck threatens the rights of Illinoisans to participate in our democracy,” Collins said. “It has been used as a discriminatory tool to purge voter rolls in other states, a practice which we attempted to prevent here. I am disappointed that the governor chose to continue to use this faulty system that also puts all Illinois voters’ information at a cybersecurity risk.”
Senate Bill 2273, co-sponsored by Collins, would have discontinued Illinois’ involvement in the controversial Crosscheck system, which is used by election authorities to identify voters who may be registered in multiple states.
Crosscheck has been found to adversely affect voters with similar last names by disregarding middle names and designations like Jr. or Sr. and only comparing first and last names. Furthermore, Crosscheck takes inadequate measures to safeguard voters’ personal data from cybersecurity threats.
“Illinoisans should be able to participate in our democracy without fear of their personal identification being compromised,” Collins said. “I will continue to work to end Illinois’ participation in Crosscheck.”
* And another…
ov. Rauner took steps today to endanger Illinois voter’s personal information.
Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 2273 which would prohibit the Illinois State Board of Elections from sharing any voter information with the controversial Crosscheck system or any other interstate voter registration program other than the mandated Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).
State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is outraged that the governor supports storing sensitive voter registration information unnecessarily on insecure servers.
“Elections empower residents to take an active role in the democratic process. Illinois’ citizens should be able to register to vote without fear that their personal information may be susceptible to hackers,” Cullerton said.
Illinois currently participates in two multistate voter registration sharing programs: Crosscheck and ERIC.
State elections officials say the ERIC system provides more reliable information and greater security for personal information than Crosscheck.
Crosscheck is managed by Kansas’ Secretary of State Kris Kobach, and according to researchers at Harvard and Stanford, the program compares data that is insufficient to produce dependable results.
Astoundingly, researchers found Crosscheck was 99 percent more likely to purge legitimate voter from the rolls as opposed to illegitimate ones. The system is also a glaring security risk, as it uses minimal IT security and its operators have demonstrated a disregard for basic cybersecurity protocol, leading to the personal information of Illinois of voters vulnerable to hacking, tampering and manipulation.
The data is stored on a standard server in Arkansas, which the state admits is insecure.
Illinois’ election board’s 2016 election hacking was referenced in the indictment of 12 Russian hackers which resulted in the theft of the information of approximately 500,000 voters.
State Board of Elections officials testified during legislative hearings that hackers took voters’ names, addresses, birth dates and, in some cases, their driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers.
“Gov. Rauner needs to learn from the lessons of the past. It’s his duty to ensure Illinois’ residents have faith in our state’s electoral process,” Cullerton said. “Once again, Gov. Rauner is not willing to consider commonsense solutions to protect Illinois’ citizens.”
Given that Russian hackers breached election systems in Illinois, Gov. Bruce Rauner Tuesday said he’s “deeply troubled” by some of President Donald Trump’s remarks at a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. […]
The statements provoked immediate and bipartisan criticism from Illinois lawmakers. Rauner did not weigh in Monday but in answer to a question Tuesday said, “I was deeply troubled by some of the president’s comments.
“It seems very clear that Russian agents hacked election systems in 22 states including the state of Illinois,” Rauner said at an event in Collinsville.
He later stated, “I’m extremely troubled by the president’s comments and his defense of the Russians. It’s clear from the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Putin and Russia are not our friends and the president should focus on holding them accountable for what they’ve done.”
He also said “I hope the president will stand with us against the Russians.”
In the spring of 2016, a 12-year-old named Gabriel Brasfield spent 3 ½ months in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. His hair, which he liked to wear cropped, grew long and unkempt. He forgot what it felt like to wear shoes because he was allowed to wear only hospital socks. He missed months of school, and couldn’t go outside. He celebrated his 13th birthday at the hospital, where he said the walls were bare and there was little to do.
And for eight weeks of those 3 ½ months, he didn’t even need to be there.
Doctors had agreed Brasfield was ready to be discharged about six weeks after he arrived, but the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, which is his legal guardian, couldn’t find anywhere for him to go.
Brasfield is one of hundreds of children in the care of DCFS who are held each year inside psychiatric hospitals for weeks or months, even though they have been cleared to leave, a ProPublica Illinois investigation found.
Instead of moving on to a foster home or residential treatment center — a less restrictive facility where children attend school and lead more normal lives — these children have languished in secure mental health facilities, the consequence of the child welfare agency’s failure to find them appropriate placements.
* So, DCFS has decided to place kids in other states to get them out of the psychiatric hospitals. There’s a problem, however…
Illinois is ramping up efforts to place children under its care in other states to prevent them from having to stay in mental institutions longer than necessary, but some providers in other states won’t take the kids because of Illinois’ poor record of payment.
Recent controversies over Illinois’ youth-in-care being locked up in mental health facilities longer than they need to be has led to a state push to place these kids in other states, officials said Monday. This, they said, is a better alternative to spending longer periods in an institution. […]
Placement of a child outside of the state may not always sound like an ideal alternative, but in Southeastern Illinois, placement just across the border in the Southwest Indiana Regional Youth Village is closer than a facility in Chicago. Southwest Indiana Regional Youth Village, however, won’t take in children from Illinois.
“Our reluctance in pursuing a contract is really related to the delays in payment that appear to be systemic with the state of Illinois,” said Lynne Rump, director at the facility. “For us to incur delays in payment really places pressure on our cash flow.” […]
Further north, Jane Dobbins, executive director of Group Homes for Children, a group home for teenage girls in Lafayette, Indiana, said the organization was currently at capacity, but would likely decline a request by the state of Illinois due to its history of delaying payment to service providers for weeks, or even months.
Ugh.
*** UPDATE *** Foster Care Alumni of America Illinois Chapter…
We are sadden to hear that still to this day instead of working with providers in Illinois, the Department of Children and Family Services is using the out of State option in placing our kids. Other states are seeing what Illinois providers have gone through and are making the decisions that many providers have made during the last 3 years. We as an organization that would allow these captive young adults a private right of action against the department last legislative session. However The union was against it and some of the Democrats along with Republicans did not feel like it did anything.
Another point is that the Department is spewing this narrative about the majority of these cases are new cases. This is simply not true. We have been FOIA’ing this data on a weekly bases and this is simply not the case. We will release an official end of fiscal year report soon The majority of the Beyond Medical Need youth in care are already under the Departments custody.
Until the Department truly addresses this issue in an honest fashion, Illinois will continue fail our most at risk young people.
Mayoral challengers Paul Vallas, Lori Lightfoot and Garry McCarthy have been in a race against each other to plant their flags as Emanuel’s strongest rival by wracking up big second-quarter fundraising numbers.
Instead, none of the mayor’s three best-known challengers came out ahead. They’re pretty much dead even.
Fired Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy’s quarterly report had not been filed by late Monday. But the seven announced or potential challengers who had filed reported a combined $1.8 million. McCarthy’s staff reports that he had raised roughly $500,000.
That combined $2.3 million is less than a third of Emanuel’s total campaign balance.
The story was posted online at 9:57 pm. McCarthy filed his D-2 at 9:56:38 pm. He reported raising less than half what his people told the Sun-Times: $245,528. McCarthy ended the quarter with $173K on hand. He spent $163K, mainly on consultants, staff and fundraising costs. That’s quite the burn rate.
* Judge Sets Trial Date, Location for Jason Van Dyke: The trial for Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke will begin Sept. 5, 2018, in Cook County, Illinois, Judge Vincent Gaughan ruled Tuesday. … Public outcry in the case sparked change at the Chicago Police Department and beyond, from the firing of then-Supt. Garry McCarthy to the electoral ousting of former State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, as well as the creation of the new Civilian Office of Police Accountability to investigate officer-involved shootings.
“Mike Pence did it for the Hoosiers, and now Mike Pence along with President Trump are doing it for every American right now,” Rauner said at the [Friday] event.
Rauner backed up his praise for Pence on Monday, but wouldn’t answer whether his approval of Pence implied a pro-Trump stance. When asked directly whether he supported Trump, Rauner said he’s “supportive of many things,” such as tax cuts and rollback of regulations, but he opposed the way the administration handled the Charlottesville violence or the separation of children at the border.
Rauner’s evasiveness drew ire from Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker at a Women’s Rights and Resistance lunch Pritzker hosted Monday. During his speech at the event, Pritzker accused Rauner of supporting Trump’s “dangerous” agenda.
“Donald Trump is implementing a misogynistic and racist agenda,” Pritzker said. “Bruce Rauner supports that agenda, sometimes explicitly and sometimes by his silence.”
Talk about bad timing. Just as Governor Bruce Rauner was embracing President Donald Trump’s administration, Trump met with President Vladimir Putin and all but absolved Russia from accusations it interfered with America’s elections. Trump’s trip coincided with the announcement that the state’s voter database was “likely targeted” by Russian hackers who stole the data of 500,000 voters in the 2016 election.
Rauner was especially effusive with his praise for Vice President Mike Pence, whom he called one of the “greatest leaders in American history.” What was the Vice President’s view on the meeting? He said it was proof Trump “will always put the prosperity and security of America first.”
“Bruce Rauner’s embrace of the Trump administration could not have come at a worse time,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Just days ago, Rauner was praising Mike Pence as one of the ‘greatest leaders in American history’ and now the Vice President is defending Donald Trump’s sellout to Russia. Does Rauner regret his words?”
…Adding… Check out the view count on this Facebook ad. Trump apparently sells well…
* Related…
* Editorial: McCann is a McFraud: It’s hardly a secret, but the relationship between third-party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann and Democrats backing J.B. Pritzker for governor is becoming more and more obvious every day.
* Fact-check: Pritzker camp wrong on Rauner and jobs, just ask Pritzker camp
* Deputy GOP state central committeeman for the 17th Congressional District Bill Bloom has an op-ed in the Dispatch-Argus…
The other simple math is this: Rauner plus Erika Harold equals House Speaker Michael Madigan’s retirement. Madigan has not been too worried about an attorney general who might look into his real estate law practices and the conflicts of interests his revenue stream, influence in Cook County and control of legislation represents.
After all, Attorney General Lisa Madigan is his daughter. Capturing the attorney general’s office and sustaining the new AG with a re-elected Rauner will put a spotlight on Madigan’s dealings.
I would expect that Mike (age 76) might well find it time to retire rather than sit through the first serious state-level investigation into his activities.
The simple math shows removing Madigan is the first step in turning around the tax, spend and business environment in Illinois. That requires us to re-elect Rauner and elect Harold as attorney general. In November. Please do not sit on the sidelines. Re-elect the governor of Illinois.
I have yet to hear a good explanation about why Speaker Madigan’s law practice is in violation of conflict of interest laws. Also, the guy has been probed more than once by the federales, so you’d think if he was operating illegally they’d have busted him by now.
Mark Walsh from the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, which supports gun-control legislation, said his group is reacting.
“While this is quote-unquote symbolic, it also sends a message to people that these groups think gun ownership is more important than protecting human life,” Walsh said.
Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson said those pushing for the sanctuary resolutions are sending a message to groups supporting gun control legislation.
“They only affect the law-abiding gun owner and they only affect the law abiding firearms dealer,” Pearson said. “They’re just trying to push gun control down the throats of Illinois citizens who don’t deserve it.”
Reporter: How concerned are you about the sanctuary counties who are trying to, or who have considered taking action to try to get around your gun laws?
Rauner: Well, I respect those who are passionate about defending the Second Amendment. I agree with them in supporting the Second Amendment. I will never sign a bill that violates the Second Amendment. What we’ve done is find, we’ve found compromise to increase public safety while also protecting the Second Amendment.
The Rauner campaign is launching a new ad titled “Just Call Madigan” highlighting JB Pritzker’s corrupt connections to Mike Madigan. Pritzker took advantage of his insider relationships with Mike Madigan and Joe Berrios to save thousands on his property taxes.
Property taxes too high? If you’re a politically-connected insider like Pritzker, that’s no problem! Just Call Madigan!
Anyone with a TV already knows that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker are both spending a bundle of cash on their campaigns, but records show Pritzker has spent far more in the last few months.
Pritzker’s campaign spent $20.1 million in the second quarter of the year, compared to $7.8 million by Rauner’s campaign. And that’s long before the traditional big push that begins after Labor Day.
Both candidates should have plenty of money for the final sprint later this year. At the end of June, Pritzker still had $18.3 million in the bank, compared to $31.8 million for Rauner.
The campaign finance reports released Monday evening also document where the campaigns are getting their money, but that hasn’t been much of a secret. The governor gave his campaign $50 million back in late 2016, and hedge fund founder Ken Griffin chipped in $20 million last year. Pritzker has given his campaign more than $100 million already.
Of Pritzker’s post-primary spending, more than $3.2 million went to other Democrats, including $1 million each for House Speaker Mike Madigan’s Democratic Majority fund and the Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee. The billionaire gave $500,000 to both Senate President John Cullerton’s Senate Democratic Victory Fund and the Illinois Democratic Heartland Committee, a Downstate fund.
Rauner spent a fraction of that number — a little over $100,000 — supporting fellow Republicans. […]
In other races, Republican nominee for Attorney General Erika Harold has spent a little over $100,000 in April, May and June — about half as much as her Democratic opponent state Sen. Kwame Raoul. She ended June with about $230,000 in the bank on June 30, compared to $780,000 for Raoul.
Further down-ballot, campaign reports for the three-month period show strength for Democratic incumbents in statewide races. Democratic incumbent Comptroller Susana Mendoza spent three times as much as Republican challenger Darlene Senger, and ended the reporting period with 43 times as much cash on hand. Democratic Treasurer Michael Frerichs had $1.2 million on hand, compared to a $32,000 for Republican Jim Dodge.
The Sun-Times missed $2.5 million in transfers by Pritzker’s campaign since July 1. So, he’s up to $5.7 million in transfers since primary day. When you add that post-report cash into the mix, you get the headline on this post.
Buried amid a list of millions of dollars in expenditures for J.B. Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign is a donation of $100,000 to Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center—an El Paso, Texas, organization helping reunite families separated by the Trump administration’s draconian immigration crackdown.
Pritzker made the donation to the immigration nonprofit after recently asking his supporters via email to do the same. […]
Pritzker’s campaign finance report also shows he spent $625,000 on airline flights, $650,000 on polling and $381,000 on digital advertising. In all, the billionaire Democrat spent $9 million in the second quarter and has about $31 million on hand for the November election.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign finance numbers are equally revealing. He also has about $31 million on hand after spending $7.8 million in the second quarter. Some of his big expenditures: $3.9 million on TV ads, $253,000 on robo calls, $694,000 on online advertising and $100,000 on polling.
* I was flipping channels the other night and settled on Velocity for a bit. The show that happened to be on at the time featured some big, tattooed, bearded guys building a hot rod and I couldn’t stop watching. They just seemed so genuine. Hard-working people who loved what they were doing and who thoroughly enjoyed working with each other. No fake “reality” drama, no contrived “plot” twists, no awful “acting” like you get with most of those goofy shows.
And then they cut to a shot of the Midwestern prairie town where their business was based and an image of this water tower appeared on my screen…
Holy moly, I thought. I have a bunch of family in that town. No wonder those folks seemed so oddly familiar to me. I binge-watched every episode over the weekend.
* The show is called “Wrench’d,” a title which I’ll bet was contrived by some suit at corporate headquarters since they don’t do a whole lot of wrenching. It’s about the men and one woman who work at Nichols Paint and Fab. Justin Nichols owns the shop, following in his late father’s footsteps.
They started production last year, and focused their first two episodes on a build for the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas…
Built by Justin Nichols and the crew at Nichols Paint and Fab in Watseka, Illinois, this bright-green Chevy is one of the most radical performance truck builds we’ve seen yet. To prove it is head and shoulders above other “performance” C10 builds, Nichols will take the truck to compete in the demanding Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It takes a lot to stand up to those no-barrier hairpin turns and staggering elevation changes; it’s a good thing this truck is made for it.
Nichols Paint and Fab has been around for 11 years, and the company has lent its talents to everything from custom choppers and hot rods to award-winning show trucks. But Justin says he’s always been especially inspired by race cars that have the function to back up their looks.
* The Iroquois County Times-Republic featured Justin Nichols and his crew back in January…
The film crew is at the shop four to five days a week, while the Nichols crew works on the many custom car and bike orders they have. The filming takes place from 8:30 a.m. and can last until 1 or 2 in the morning.
“We are building a car for a guy in Florida,” Nichols said. “The show is about trying to communicate and build the relationships with about 10 different people on this project.”
* Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) represents Watseka, so he headed over to the shop to have a look-see. From his Facebook page…
Had a chance to stop by to visit with family business owner Justin Nichols of Nichols Paint & Fab in Watseka. Amazing place. They custom make hot rods and motorcycles. Beautiful work. Justin is a hometown guy and loves what he does. From the several magazines he has been in and the TV shows he has been on, he does this very very well.
Thank you Justin. Creative young man! Take a look at his website. Lot going on. More TV coming this January. Look for it.
The gentle giant pictured on the far right above is Nick, and I became a devoted fan when he taste-tested some motor oil as it was drained from an old engine. “Tastes fine,” he deadpanned with an ever-so-slight smile. I about died laughing.
I gotta meet these people.
* Justin Nichols grew up in Watseka and is fiercely loyal to his hometown roots, even though he could live just about anywhere because he sells to customers throughout the country. He’s an entrepreneur, a design artist and a regular, blue-collar dude who’s been working on cars since he was 7 years old. One of the episodes features him working with some kids at the local high school shop class, and he seemed determined to pass his knowledge along to future generations.
I’m totally hooked on this program, not just because these are interesting characters living out their version of the American dream, but because they’re working their tails off to make an out-of-the-way “Rust Belt” Downstate town best known to the outside world for its chronic flooding problems a better place to live.
The show also features Justin’s girlfriend Maegan, who is a talented welder/fabricator and appears to have a lot of respect from the men around her. Some of these cable programs use women as eye candy or comic relief. Maegan is the real deal and, unlike on so many other reality car shows, she’s treated as an equal. It’s subtly done, but definitely refreshing.
Hopefully, corporate headquarters will keep its hands off this show and allow the people to just be themselves. They’re fiercely proud of their work, of course, and they seem at ease in front of the cameras, but they’re not obnoxious, spendthrift braggarts like some other clowns on my teevee.
* Rep. Bennett talked to me yesterday afternoon about maybe doing something to recognize Nichols and his crew in Springfield. This state could use some working class heroes during these trying times. I’m all for it.
