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* When I read this the other day, I thought of the governor’s massive and complicated 2019 legislative agenda that is still not yet implemented and the myriad issues brought to fore by the pandemic…
I spent a lot of time knocking doors in 2010 and I cannot stress enough that the problem was not that we tried to do major healthcare reform, it was that we produced a complicated law whose benefits had not yet kicked in and that was an absolute beast to explain to casual voters
— Leah Greenberg (@Leahgreenb) January 24, 2021
* As I told subscribers earlier today, this anger about IDES is not at all confined to Republican legislators…
Illinois legislators are still struggling to get ahold of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), while subsequently thousands of Illinoisans are still waiting in the callback queue.
State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said he has tried everything he can to get ahold of IDES, but after weeks of calling, he never got a response.
McClure said he called the legislative liaison, the department, and even the governor’s liaison, but no one ever got back to him.
So, in a last ditch effort on Tuesday, Jan. 26, he went down to both IDES offices in Springfield to see if someone would talk to him, but they said no one in the office is qualified to do so.
* Another bone of contention with cranky legislators…
After being stifled by the coronavirus outbreak and a series of lawsuits from jilted applicants, state officials confirmed Tuesday that the process for issuing the next round of highly sought-after cannabis licenses is again moving forward.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture issued the latest round of notices detailing specific problems that hopefuls for the upcoming craft cultivation, infusion and transportation licenses can remedy in their applications. Similar notices will also be sent “in the coming days” to applicants who didn’t initially qualify for an upcoming lottery to determine the winners of the next 75 lucrative dispensary licenses, according to Charity Greene, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office.
The move follows months of delays and criticism from applicants of color who have lambasted the governor and other officials for allegedly falling short of their goal of diversifying the state’s overwhelmingly white weed industry.
Long way to go, but this is at least a start (or restart, as the case may be). Even Rickey Hendon is quoted as saying something favorable.
* Legislators in both parties have been getting lots of calls from angry constituents who can’t obtain a vaccine and at least some members are blaming the governor, so this may help…
With Illinois in the first week of ramping up its COVID-19 immunization effort to include elderly residents and “essential” workers, state officials on Tuesday were told to expect a welcome boost in vaccine shipments.
In a phone call with the nation’s governors, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the Biden administration pledged to increase vaccine shipments to all 50 states starting next week, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement.
(According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, 2022 nominating petitions can be circulated on August 31st.)
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:02 am
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The Illinois legislature is great at passing laws, but not great at understanding the departmental ability to get things done. These agencies are severely limited financially and operationally to move quickly on any reforms passed into law.
This is all spelling a very rocky 2022 for Democrats on the statewide ticket (especially if the entire ticket is all coming from Chicago…).
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:15 am
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:15 am:
I’m sure Mike Frerichs will appreciate knowing he’s from Chicago.
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:17 am
=McClure said he called the legislative liaison, the department, and even the governor’s liaison, but no one ever got back to him=
The fraudsters seem to be able to still file fake IDES claims in huge numbers with no delay. 2 more in my small office last week. The problem has been known to JB’s team for 6 months.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:18 am
=== This is all spelling a very rocky 2022 for Democrats on the statewide ticket===
Meh. First see who the Raunerites/Trumpkins have on their side.
The real races, today, in context to this post and the pandemic might be both primaries;
* The Kinzinger folks versus the insurrectionists.
* Frerichs and the Frerich’s Tax primary fight.
* The SoS melee, both parties aligning if that becomes vacant.
* Will someone cause angst for the governor to defend himself with a gadfly primary run that will surely aid the other winning primary candidate by seeing what can stick.
If the Raunerites/Trumpkins have a statewide mistake of a ticket mirroring Trump Party thinking, that won’t help.
If a Republican Party can discuss what are deemed Pritzker failures with IDES, Veterans, Covid, the angst of all things Covid, frankly, in an Illinois prism with a midterm of Dems controlling the national political levers… who knows.
It’s the primaries, both sides, so much to square after the primary.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:23 am
Over and Over again we see the inability for Illinois to effectively implement policy. Except for a brief 4 years of Rauner (and even then the whole of the Dem. machine was about destroying him regardless of the impact on everyday citizens) the Dems have been running things in this state for decades. If we ever want this state to work well we have to change how we staff state jobs, change our funding priorities, eliminate excessive compliance costs for state related business and adequately fund what is critical. Will this happen? Not unless some people start getting voted out of office and the people of Illinois matter more to politicians than the state employee unions do.
Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:25 am
=I’m sure Mike Frerichs will appreciate knowing he’s from Chicago. =
Perhaps he’s from the same “Chicago” that Chris Welch is from.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:27 am
=== Except for a brief 4 years of Rauner (and even then the whole of the Dem. machine was about destroying him regardless of the impact on everyday citizens) the Dems have been running things in this state for decades.===
Governors Thompson, Edgar, Ryan… 26 years of Republicans running the Governor’s office and the agencies.
A decade of President Pate Phillip, Speaker George H. Ryan, Speaker Lee A. Daniels.
Republicans all… decades of them,
This ain’t Facebook.
Have facts.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:32 am
Hard to blame the Governor for COVID, but many voters will, consciously or unconsciously. COVID malaise is heavy. IDES not doing the Governor any favors by being inaccessible, but they are not the only agency operating that way. Hard to get return phone calls from a lot of agencies. And the Veterans mess… my word. Made it a campaign issue against the prior guy and found a way to perform even worse. Serious headwinds for the Governor.
Comment by SAP Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:33 am
Precinct Captain - That’s assuming he’s still on the ticket…we’ll see?
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:34 am
===…than the state employee unions do.===
Is that you Bruce Rauner?
How’s “F-L-A”?
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:36 am
===Just saying, but 2022 petitions can be circulated in 216 days===
sigh.
We really need to move our March primary to June or July.
Comment by Inverted Pyramid Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:39 am
– Hard to blame the Governor for COVID, but many voters will, consciously or unconsciously. –
Why is it hard? Governors own*
*Except when there was a bad governor before him, and except when there was a bad president in the White House, and except when the voters shot down his tax increases, and except when the General Assembly didn’t do everything he wanted.
Comment by JB13 Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:40 am
H/t to @OW @ 11:32 for the fact check
Comment by Scott Cross for President Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:41 am
I keep reading that with the Pritzker governorship in office “the adults are finally back in charge.” Yet, the contents of this post by Rich about the stalled legislative agenda, and the obvious (to everybody) horrific IDES failures for Illinoisans would seem to suggest otherwise.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:42 am
=== *Except when===
Governors own.
They always do.
The rest is the climate of politics and policy with governors still, always owning.
One thing Rauner hoped and banked on was a Hillary Clinton midterm as he ruined Illinois.
A Clinton midterm might’ve helped, we won’t know, but the premise of a midterm timing is trying to deflect… governors own.
Overall, I think the governor and his crew have done an admirable job, no snark. Tough time to be a governor anywhere.
The Covid lens, be it overall… to IDES… Veterans Homes… vaccine distribution… the budget… I don’t think anyone can say it’s been easy-peasy, frankly, sometimes painfully tragic.
Governors own. How it’s to that with a candidate in a primary and the nominee on the other side… there’s plenty for this governor to own… both bad… and good, don’t forget good.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:47 am
if the rate of vaccine distribution (1% per month) doesn’t pick up significantly, we’re looking at YEARS just to get to 80%…oy…
Comment by not quite wisconsin Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:51 am
It seems to me the governor is trying to do too much with too few senior staff.
A lot needs doing and these are challenging conditions, but the inner circle is overly inner and it hasn’t served him well.
Perhaps Sen. Manar can help with that, but they may need a few more Sen. Manars.
Comment by Moe Berg Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 11:54 am
The slow rate of vaccine distribution- among the bottom tier in the country indicates a real failure on execution. Now perhaps that would be true of any Illinois administration but we need to understand where Illinois’s failure lies. Pritzker needs to figure out the failures- vaccinations, IDES, Veterans homes, etc.
Comment by Banish Misfortune Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 12:13 pm
== 2022 petitions can be circulated in 216 days ==
== We really need to move our March primary ==
Good reminder for those wringing their hands over the Heather Steans vacancy and calling for a special election process. There’s always another election right around the corner.
Let’s say we follow the same process we have when there’s a congressional vacancy, where the governor, by law, sets a special election date within 180 days of the vacancy. Cut that in half and say a General Assembly special election has to occur in 90 days. That would set a Steans replacement election for the first week of May. So the winner would serve three weeks before the end of Spring Session and then have to turn around and get petitions on the street a few months later for the ‘22 primary. Is adding a special election to the already condensed election schedule worth the expense?
Comment by Roman Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 12:15 pm
=I’m sure Mike Frerichs will appreciate knowing he’s from Chicago.=
Frerichs is from Gifford in Champaign County.
But didn’t Quinn say in 2011 that with high-speed rail he thought Champaign could soon become a suburb?
https://capitolfax.com/2011/07/15/todays-quotables-jaffe-declares-war-and-quinn-says-champaign-could-soon-be-a-suburb/
Comment by Essential State Employee Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 12:23 pm
==Yet, the contents of this post…would seem to suggest otherwise.==
Crises are always going to exist. Whether it’s a pandemic, recession, both or more. Not excusing any blunders, and yes governors own, but Pritzker has not shown one iota of interest in holding hostage the state budget and the millions of people who depend on its passage for a personal agenda, so in that very big regard - the single most important annual job of the governor and legislature - yeah, the adults are finally back in charge.
Comment by John Deere Green Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 12:31 pm
I am only 42, so other than Quinn in 2010 and Blagojevich in 06, can anyone remember the last time an incumbent, Democratic, statewide officeholder faced a primary challenge?
Can anyone explain how you run to the right of Frerichs and win a Democratic primary? I can’t wait to hear the radio ads accusing him of being a tax-and-spend-liberal from….whatever self-funder relies on the Internet for political advice.
Frerichs may indeed face a primary challenge from some wealthy pigeon, and kudos to whatever consultants pluck their feathers, but Frerichs seems a heavy favorite.
The biggest challenges for Democrats right now are two unknowns — how will Democrats nationally be faring in the midterms, and who will fill the void left in the SOS office if indeed Secretary White decides not to run. Democrats should try very hard to recruit a progressive woman of color for that post.
Whomever the GOP picks will likely have enough Trump or Rauner baggage that Pritzker should still win the governorship, but it will be a much harder race than before.
Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 12:34 pm
COVID is a global pandemic inflicted on every state — it is understandable that some things had to make way for pandemic management, but it doesn’t absolve the failures to govern in other areas. With the number of employees on the payroll, and the incredible number of things that haven’t been done, something has to change. Either empower your agencies or change your managers. Leaders lead and governors wear the jacket.
Comment by puh-leese Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 12:51 pm
“Overly inner and it hasn’t served him well” was an interesting way to reflect on Pritzker’s administration..
Hoping a choice or two will show up in the Democratic Party primary.
Comment by Back to the Future Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 1:03 pm
===can anyone remember the last time an incumbent, Democratic, statewide officeholder faced a primary challenge?===
Dude. Dan Hynes ran against Quinn.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 1:07 pm
=== can anyone remember the last time an incumbent, Democratic, statewide officeholder faced a primary challenge?===
Look up Dan Walker. See how that went for him. (Sigh)
=== Can anyone explain how you run to the right of Frerichs and win a Democratic primary?===
You don’t need to, the Frerichs Tax alone will do the trick.
“Seniors, Mike Frierichs wants to tax your retirement income. He’s said so. Don’t be fooled by Mike Frerichs and his Frierichs Tax. Say no to Mike Frerichs”
Right, Left… it’s who Mike Frerichs is.
Mike Frerichs stands tall… to tax retirement income.
=== Frerichs may indeed face a primary challenge from some wealthy pigeon, and kudos to whatever consultants pluck their feathers, but Frerichs seems a heavy favorite.===
LOL
“Frerichs may indeed face a primary challenge from some wealthy opportunist, and kudos to whatever consultants decide to win with the Frerichs Tax hammer and a boatload of cash, Frerichs seems to have serious senior issues.”
Better.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 1:20 pm
Speaking of petitions, how are people going to get the signatures needed to get on the ballot if the ‘Rona fear is still around?
Comment by BigLou Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 1:59 pm
I totally disagree with your take Rich. Legalized sports gambling is all over the TV and legalized weed sales are everywhere in northeastern IL (I haven’t traveled much this year).
I would dare say that those two pieces of Pritzker’s agenda alone are probably more concretely felt by more Illinoisans than any agenda by any IL Governor in a very very long time.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 2:33 pm
==I would dare say that those two pieces of Pritzker’s agenda alone are probably more concretely felt by more Illinoisans than any agenda by any IL Governor in a very very long time.==
Now THAT is…an, um, “interesting” take. How many people do you suppose are actually impacted by those laws?
Comment by SumGai1986 Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 3:13 pm