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* Read the whole thing if you can…
Republican state lawmakers, outnumbered and looking to boost their relevance, had one goal for the election-year legislative session — to paint majority Democrats as soft-on-crime and anti-police.
Democrats, sensing political vulnerability, knew they had to counter by passing some pro-police, anti-crime legislation that didn’t weaken their larger equity-based criminal justice goals.
They also sought to change the subject, pushing election-year tax relief for families amid public concerns over inflation.
Crime and inflation became the watch words as the final hours of the truncated spring legislative session played out early Saturday. Those two themes, brought from the national stage to the local statehouse, are likely to be struck repeatedly in TV ads and campaign literature as the June 28 primary and Nov. 8 general election grow closer.
How do you think the Dems did?
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:09 am
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Previous Post: CPS received $87 million in mistaken state funds
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Not sure what the outcome will be on the election for the Dems and their session ending package of bills.
I do think the debate went completely off the rails when Slaughter closed his comments with what seemed to be nothing more than dipping to the level of the House GOP grandstanders.
I realize it was late, but his comments about the stench of racism coming from the other side of the aisle was a little over the top for me and diminished the impact of his arguments in favor of the bill.
Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:20 am
Too early to tell. Very few actual voters outside of those on this forum are aware that the legislature completed their work. They likely don’t understand the nuances of state legislative action regarding crime and inflation, compared to national politics regarding the same. They will likely form opinions from the national politics on the matter and then will be potentially subject to paid media by local legislators on what was passed. How much filters down so an individual voter can understand it is very slim.
I think the major differences can be whether any moderate democrat legislators convinced any pro-law enforcement groups that they are not “captured” by the major policy changes from the past two years regarding policing that connects with larger national trends on crime. Moderate democrats are probably tied national politics on inflation, which is a shame to the point that real progress was made for the first time in years on the state’s fiscal situation. However, because said fiscal situation is tied to the exorbitant, generational outlay of funding to state governments, which likely influences the national inflation problem, this is likely deserved too. IMO nothing ends up moving the needle in this state and national politics drives November results.
Comment by Geezus Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:22 am
Largely window dressing on taxes and public safety.
No sign that crime or inflation is decreasing any time soon
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:22 am
They did very well in realizing they had to do something. Inflation is something that happened under Biden and Pritzker, so they own. If they did nothing it they would be attacked for it (same with crime).
Republicans voted “no” on the budget. That’s more Raunerite starvation. How is that good for the party’s image of obstructionism?
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:23 am
I don’t think they changed the subject, but they generated themselves some talking points, and that’ll mitigate some damage.
Politics aside (if that’s ever possible) I’m really impressed by this budget from a governing standpoint. It really finds an interesting balance between addressing some long-term fiscal issues in the state and addressing the public’s more momentary concerns in a momentary way.
Whether or not it works probably depends on what happens next. Doesn’t everything?
Comment by Arsenal Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:24 am
A budget ahead of time. Man, takes me back.
Dems left a lot for Repubs to capitalize on, and the GOP I grew up with would turn it into votes.
This bunch, well if they can’t they really are pikers.
Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:26 am
I don’t agree with the premise. I don’t think the dems had to push back on the narrative the ILGOP is pursuing in defining the dems. I think IL Dems needed to govern competently and let the ILGOP define itself. To which I say they did a good job.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:27 am
Dems look crass, trying to sugarcoat the Frankenstein that is and will be the Safty-T Act. The direct checks of $50 - $100 can be seen as nothing more than an election-year giveaway - but hey for them it works.
Comment by Donnie Egin Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:41 am
=== Dems look crass, trying to sugarcoat … .The direct checks of $50 - $100 can be seen as nothing===
Have you told any GOP legislators that might have voted for those checks or other things this session?
Why or why not?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:48 am
The crime issue will do a substantial amount of damage to democrats in 2022 and in the (nonpartisan but you get the idea) 2023 municipal races.
They cannot un-ring the bell and they clearly know it.
Comment by de Gaulle Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:50 am
===How do you think the Dems did?===
To the simple?
They did enough to offset the expected abortion discussion that might implode a great deal of the GOP “social agenda and crime” discussions, as “being dangerous to women’s health” might worry women in the suburbs.
===No sign that crime or inflation is decreasing any time soon===
So… cheer for more crime and inflation as a plan?
Midterms are always bad for the resident of the White House’s party, but not having a blueprint for “better” is hope, and hope isn’t much of a plan… then in Illinois… Bailey, Rabine, Schimpf, or Sullivan… they won’t help anyone
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:53 am
Agree that the $50-$100 checks are nothing more than a giveaway, and not a terribly meaningful one. I do support other components of the budget. It’s likely good politics on the dem side to deal with the public safety side, but I do believe discrediting the Republican narrative at least in part would also be good politics rather than seeming to surrender to it. There are and have been inequities and unfairness in the bail system, in sentencing, and in policing in too many instances. That matters, and if the first effort to address those inequities has some failings, fix them and defend the rest.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:58 am
Rather then send folks a measly check- JB could have been the adult in the room and said let’s use the extra money to make a pension payment which in the long run would have saved taxpayers a lot more then $50
Comment by Sue Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:00 am
Much of this is inside baseball. Don’t think most voters even follow that closely. My own opinion is crime is up. People do notice that. Dems will get most of the blame for that—fairly or not—and that might move the needle in burbs. But it’s a long way to November
Comment by Galway Bay Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:05 am
The red wave coming will likely be felt anywhere but Illinois. Sure maybe a couple races for towards GOP but IL ain’t turning red any time soon if ever.
Comment by Politics Drives Policy Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:28 am
The Dems checked a few boxes and created some mitigating talking-points for themselves, but how things go in November is largely out of their hands. The national mood, inflation, gas prices, the Supreme Court ruling on Roe, who’s on top of the statewide GOP ticket, crime during the summer, and any breaking news from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois will all likely be a bigger factor than anything that happened Friday night/Saturday morning.
Comment by Roman Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:39 am
People understand that elected Democratic party members have been oblivious to the issues confronting the citizens they presume to represent, both in Springfield and in Washington, DC. Soaring gasoline prices, food prices, runaway inflation, a border out of control, crime increasing while they lectured to those who voted for them. Closed store fronts once populated by small businessmen, looting increasing without any real prosecutions, and now in a panic, Democrats presented some window dressing, smoke and mirrors to all these problems, after spending the last two years fretting over equity issues, sexual identification issues, and who to cancel through the newly instituted woke culture. They can’t even fill appointed vacancies to agencies for crying out loud, and why are courts both statewide and on the federal level mostly still shut down. Zoom calls and plea bargains can only go so far.
Why isn’t anyone talking about the owners of Water Tower place with their vacancies galore, simply handing the place over to their mortgage holders?
While our Governor who inherited billions and the tone deaf in the other party celebrate and argue that those issues being raised by the opposition party they ignore and ridicule are mere showboaters, then why suddenly are they making these minor attempts to showcase that they in fact do care, somewhat, more or less, even though they spent the last two years pushing higher taxes, more government control over lives (except for criminals), telling parents they can’t control their children’s lives and how to raise and educate them while still blaming bad parenting for increases in violent crime and canceling all those who spoke out against those actions?
Whoa.
Just asking, of course. The whole thing still smacks of way too little. $50.00? The individuals not being prosecuted aren’t paying taxes now.
Crazy times we live in. Time for politicians of both parties to start acting like adults.
Comment by Louis G Atsaves Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:39 am
===No sign that crime or inflation is decreasing any time soon===
Two things neither party are able to do much about (especially in the short term; although, they appear to be among the top topics Republicans want to complain about.
To the question, the Dems didn’t do anything to hurt themselves, so that’s a plus. However, there was nothing really big that passed (like free college tuition) and the important stuff (like balancing the budget and nudging up education funding) was not stuff that grabs headlines.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:44 am
What is the short term? Biden and the Governor have 4 year terms to try and address both issues instead of ignoring them.
Pretty clear the Democrats energy agenda is making life much more expensive for everyone and their refusal to pass effective measures to deter crime in the name of racial justice is having unintended ripple effects on economic recovery
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:54 am
> No sign that crime or inflation is decreasing any time soon
Gas (and oil) prices have already started falling and the election is in 7 months.
Comment by supplied_demand Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:55 am
===woke culture===
If you’re using “woke culture” to explain where a budget and legislative session “failed”, you better hope Roe isn’t wholly gutted in a way that suburban women “wake” to an idea that Republicans are dangerous to women’s health
It wasn’t long ago, “here” in a comment section one made it a “bad” thing women came here, Illinois, for safe abortions.
“A destination” for abortions. Safe medical is bad.
I dunno… assessing this session in a “woke” way to the bad is likely a “wakening” to worse things ahead.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:55 am
===…and their refusal to pass effective measures to deter crime in the name of racial justice…===
I really-really don’t think you realized all you typed here, abd this idea of catering to racists and those sympathetic to racist thinkers… is a political positive.
I had to re-read this THREE times… goodness
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 11:58 am
==I do think the debate went completely off the rails when Slaughter closed his comments with what seemed to be nothing more than dipping to the level of the House GOP grandstanders.
I realize it was late, but his comments about the stench of racism coming from the other side of the aisle was a little over the top for me and diminished the impact of his arguments in favor of the bill.==
Does this HGOP mailer change your mind at all?
https://twitter.com/jobip/status/1513538563362770952
Comment by charles in charge Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:01 pm
An election year. 50 dollar checks for errybody. Yay.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:04 pm
The good news. The D’s didn’t shoot themselves in the foot (or anywhere else). So no unforced errors to haunt them in the ballot box. And for the people who understand the budget, it was good news … but the average voter would get it.
Neutral news - the D’s created a few talking points about tax relief and, maybe put a bandaid on the crime issue. Going to depend how many voters view the tax relief as an election year gimmick … which it mostly is. Have to await further developments to see if it plays in Peoria and elsewhere downstate.
Bad news #1 - there are a few fires burning. DCFS is the big one at the moment. IDOC is still smouldering, as is Veterans hospitals. Violence in Chicago is perceived as out of control. Any of those issues could explode and backfire against the D’s.
Bad news #2 - as others noted, it is out of the state level D’s control.
What happens between now and August on both crime and inflation will drive the voters in November. If we have another summer of cities rioting and burning, it will be a bloodbath for the D’s at the ballot box.
It doesn’t matter what the Feds do on inflation, the news won’t be pretty this summer. If I’m right and it looks like the late 1970’s, no amount of spin can make it look better. The only question is which party gets blamed for it.
Finally, you have the COVID wildcard. Typically, mid-term elections have reduced turnout. A bad outbreak could further reduce that to where only the dedicated loyalists and the angry center show up at the polls … and if that happens, it won’t be good for the D’s because turnout will drive the results. The D’s won’t completely lose control of the State legislature, but they may not have enough of a majority / luxury to allow vulnerable legislators to take a pass on hot topic bills.
The bottom line for me is the recent session didn’t appreciably make things worse, and even improved some stuff, but only (mostly?) the policy wonks will notice.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:27 pm
==While our Governor who inherited billions and the tone deaf in the other party celebrate and argue that those issues being raised by the opposition party they ignore and ridicule are mere showboaters, then why suddenly are they making these minor attempts to showcase that they in fact do care, somewhat, more or less, even though they spent the last two years pushing higher taxes, more government control over lives (except for criminals), telling parents they can’t control their children’s lives and how to raise and educate them while still blaming bad parenting for increases in violent crime and canceling all those who spoke out against those actions?==
Sir, this is an Arby’s.
(Holy cow, that was ONE SENTENCE.)
Comment by Arsenal Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:04 pm
==50 dollar checks for errybody. Yay.==
Really wish I was as well off as ya’ll must be that you can poor-mouth any amount of free money (which, for my family, will actually be $400, plus $300 off my property taxes).
Comment by Arsenal Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:08 pm
Hey Sue, they added $500 million on top of the scheduled pension payment.
Then they stuck $1 billion in the rainy day fund.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 5:25 pm
Dems did what Dems do. Give taxpayers an insignificant and temporary amount of their own money back. Fortunately for them Illinois voters are not too bright and will fall for it. Again. Would have been better spent paying down the state’s debt.
Comment by Really Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:17 pm