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Morning stuff

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Illinois

* A quick roundup to start your day…

* With redistricting, two IL lawmakers don’t live in the districts they want to represent: Two candidates from Madison County filed to run for state offices in the Nov. 8 election even though they do not live within the new boundaries of the districts they wanted to represent. But since this is the first election after the state’s redistricting process, the two candidates — state Rep. Amy Elik, a Republican running in the 111th District, and state Sen. Kris Tharp, a Democrat running in the 56th District — are allowed to stay on the ballot.

* In highly political, richly funded contests for Illinois Supreme Court majority, pledges of impartiality stir skepticism: Douglas Keith, counsel at the center’s democracy program, said that amount will no doubt rise as state courts grapple with heavyweight issues. Despite candidates’ claims of independence, he said, research has shown that judges do indeed favor their contributors. “No one is spending that much money to ensure an impartial judiciary,” he said.

* Suburban Democrats spend big to hold two U.S. House seats in newly redrawn districts: ‘We are running to win’: The congressional districts mapped last year by the Democratic super-majorities in the state Legislature were drawn to give the party an advantage, and analysts have rated both seats as likely wins for Democrats. On top of that, Underwood and Casten both have out-spent their Republican rivals, with Underwood’s $3.7 million more than 10 times the $300,000 Gryder had spent as of the latest campaign finance reports. Casten has outspent Pekau nearly 5 to 1.

* Southland candidates for Illinois House seats say increased state school funding could help ease property tax burden: Incumbent Democrat Fran Hurley said property taxes and inflation for everyday purchases such as groceries and fuel are a major concern. […] Republican Tom Toolis said the evidence-based formula “is a good start to ensure schools are appropriately funded by our state, but the governor and legislature must make it a budget priority.”

* Neither side is taking anything for granted in this congressional race: Foster is in a potential semi-pickle in part because Democratic Party leaders got greedy earlier this year. In hopes of shoring up neighboring suburban Democrat Lauren Underwood and creating a second district for Latinos on the north side of the metropolitan area, Foster’s old district was dismembered in the remap. Joliet and parts of Naperville and Aurora were taken out and the new district was moved so far west, all the way to Belvidere, that Foster prizes an endorsement that he just got from the Illinois Farm Bureau. A district that was majority minority now is heavily white.

* Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s campaign visits Quincy: The Chicago Democrat stopped at the American Legion Post in Quincy to share her thoughts on why she believes voters should elect her to her second full term in office.

* Rep. Mary Miller a national leader when it comes to ‘incendiary rhetoric’ that’s fueling ‘polarization’: The study, printed in the Sunday New York Times, “found that in the current Congress, representatives who fought certifying the election used polarizing language on Twitter about 55 percent more often than other Republicans, and nearly triple the rate of Democrats.”

* We’re getting out of the endorsement game: Crain’s reporting is and always will be independent and rigorous. But at a time when trust in the media generally is at a low point, we’re cognizant that anything we do that erodes that trust further is a mistake. And given the plethora of political information that’s readily available now, continuing an endorsement tradition rooted in the days when such information was scarce is unnecessary.

* More to come!

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 8:34 am

Comments

Crain’s getting out of the endorsement game is sad to hear. I recognize that there is a plethora of political information. Sadly, there is far too much intellectual sewage (here’s looking at you, Dan Proft) out there and having real papers give endorsements is still valuable.

Comment by The Way I See It Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 8:51 am
==Crain’s getting out of the endorsement game is sad to hear. I recognize that there is a plethora of political information.==

SJ-R stopped doing endorsements prior to the 2020 election IIRC. Most likely they won’t do them again this year. And most likely the lack of endorsements was probably more of one of their many “cost cutting measures” rather than the plethora of other info, not to mention the skeleton staff that is still brave enough to remain at the paper.

Comment by AcademicUnionStateEmployee Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 9:17 am
== “Ms Miller’s inflammatory words underscore the extent to which polarizing rhetoric is now entrenched among Republicans in the House of Representatives, especially among those like Ms. Miller, who voted against certifying the Biden victory, according to an examination by the New York Times of partisan language over the past 10 years.” ==

So what’s the point of this article? To say that Republicans are worse than Democrats. So this article on divisiveness is really just another example of how divisive Democrats and their allies in the media are.

Comment by Occasional Quipper Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 9:35 am
===To say that Republicans are worse than Democrats.===

Another victim heard from.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 9:41 am
It is sort of sad to think I will soon be represented by the most Trumpian, divisive congressional representatives in America. Currently, I am represented by the most ineffective congressional representative in Congress. He always votes Trumpian, but he rarely says much.

Hard to believe I live in a blue state.

Comment by H-W Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:25 am
So some reps voted against certifying the presidential election. And you think the divisive part is pointing that out? Just listen to yourself and hear how laughable and pathetic you sound.

Comment by The Velvet Frog Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:26 am
Way to side with the “Hitler was right” lady.

Comment by The Velvet Frog Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:28 am
== and hear how laughable and pathetic you sound ==

Thank you all for reminding me that opposing political comments are not welcome here.

Comment by Occasional Quipper Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:06 am
===are not welcome here===

The constant victim doubles down.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:05 pm
won’t debate but polls. ok then. https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/podgorski-pulls-out-of-lwv-cook-county-candidate-forum/

Comment by Amalia Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:16 pm
== The constant victim doubles down. ==

I don’t know why you keep using that word. My last point was that unless you agree with the prevailing left bias of this site, your comments won’t be met with intelligent and reasoned arguments. Instead, you will be met with name-calling and belittlement. But it’s not like I’m going to lose any sleep over it. I’m just reminded to avoid trying to participate in any kind of intelligent debate on this site.

Comment by Occasional Quipper Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:37 pm
Ok, let’s try again to respond to your original comment.

“To say that Republicans are worse than Democrats”

Did you read the article? It was about a study that quantified incendiary tweets and listed the person who had the most. So no, the article isn’t about what your spin tries to make it out to be about.

And no, it’s not “divisive” to make factual observations, even if they are about divisive content. Just hypocrisy and “both sides” whataboutism trying to change the subject.

Comment by The Velvet Frog Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:49 pm