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What in the heck is going on in Will County?

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* It’s difficult not to notice this trend of moving from opposing trans rights to openly opposing gay rights. It’s neatly summed up in this Jeanne Ives social media post…

* Earlier this week, I told you that the Will County Board’s June 15 agenda included a list of three honorary resolutions: Recognizing the Juneteenth Holiday; Recognizing June as Pride Month 3 and Recognizing Moms for America. Those three items were quietly removed from the agenda.

Moms for America was recently designated as one of 12 “anti-government extremist groups,” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group is virulently anti-trans and backs book bans.

* So, how did that group make it on Will County’s proclamation list? Well, former Will County Board member Debbie Kraulidis is now a vice president of Moms for America. Kraulidis chose not to run for reelection last year after she was excoriated for her attendance at the January 6, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally…

Kraulidis also said in the video she was at the rally “making sure that only legal votes were counted.”

While she said in the video she was “not here to debate my Democrat friends,” she repeated the false claim that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Kraulidis wasn’t the only Will County Board member in attendance on Jan. 6. Dan Butler was also there…

Some Chicago area-supporters of President Donald Trump who attended the rally in Washington D.C. that quickly turned into a violent mob storming the Capitol building, said the president is not to blame for the violence. […]

Dan Butler and David Wiersma road tripped together to Washington, first attending the rally and then marching to the Capitol. They were impressed by how peaceful everything seemed, even though the crowd got boisterous. […]

“I was just kind of shocked that it was happening because I didn’t know how they were going to plan on dispersing a peaceful demonstration, you know, I mean, we had a right to be there,” Butler said.

Yeah, a rally named “Stop the Steal” turned ugly. Who woulda ever thunk it?

* With that background in mind, let’s now turn to the Daily Southtown’s coverage of this week’s county board meeting and the removal of the three resolutions…

Board member Meta Mueller, a Democrat from Aurora, said her phone blew up last weekend with constituents and members of Pride organizations asking why the board would recognize Moms for America, which has spoken out against the LBGTQ community. […]

“Democrats don’t like Moms for America. They think they are extremist and radical,” [Steve] Balich, the county board’s Republican leader, said. “If you look at Moms for America, they are for families. They are not extremist at all.” […]

The County Board is comprised of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans.

Balich said he felt the declaration for Pride month could potentially get 11 no votes from Republicans and the declaration for Moms for America could get 11 no votes from Democrats. Balich said he agreed to remove the proclamations along with other board leadership. […]

The Will County Board unanimously approved a proclamation in 2022 recognizing June as Pride month, according to meeting minutes.

Emphasis added for obvious reasons.

By the way, click here to watch board member Balich gleefully spout some racist crud.

* Point being, Will County Republicans were perfectly happy backing a Pride month resolution last year, but when a Republican-backed resolution in praise of an anti-trans group had to be pulled off the agenda because of strong public pushback, they then refused to support the Pride month and the Juneteenth resolutions.

This was a horrible move and further signals a very dangerous trend.

…Adding… Press release…

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant issued a proclamation today recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth Day of Observance in Will County.

“Will County is proud to celebrate Juneteenth and the history of emancipation in the United States,” said Bertino-Tarrant. “Recognizing this important holiday offers an opportunity for all of us to reflect on our history and commit to work together in becoming a more tolerant society.”

In an Executive Proclamation issued on Friday, June 16, County Executive Bertino-Tarrant called on residents to “celebrate the emancipation of Black Americans and to condemn the history of slavery in the United States of America.”

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger’s proclamation ordered the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth has grown to become the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States of America.

Juneteenth is a recognized county holiday for Will County government. All county buildings will be closed on the holiday, with the exception of essential county services and public safety operations.

Read the full proclamation at www.WillCountyIllinois.com.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:27 am

Comments

Obviously Jeanne Ives has always been this way, she’s just emboldened to say it all out loud given the growing, welcoming climate for hate speech. Still a few words on her list she’d like to unlock though, I gather.

Maybe in the meantime she can swing by Charlie Kirk’s place to help him determine if his ketchup is woke.

Comment by Roadrager Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:33 am
Demonstrates that the MAGA GOP is demanding adherence to their expanding hate list.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:34 am
Balich has a long history of this kind of stuff:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/homer-township-english-only/1898509/

He bills himself as a taxpayer watchdog, but believe he double dips as township supervisor and a county board member. He certainly holds both offices.

Comment by George Ryan Reynolds Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:35 am
“If you look at Moms for America, they are for families.”

Just not non-heterosexual families.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:41 am
Has a “back in my day” argument ever ended well.

Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:41 am
Like the rest of the party, the Will Co GOP doesn’t know what it stands for. It only knows what it reacts to.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:43 am
Jeanne Ives came way, way too close to winning IL-06 just a few years ago. And she’s only gotten nuttier and more hateful since.

Comment by The Truth Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:49 am
“cuckoo” - Richard M Daley

Comment by Jerry Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:50 am
===Has a “back in my day” argument ever ended well.===

Well back in my day, it was called Cosley Farm, not Cosley Zoo. Also back in my day, a goose there stole my glove and then a chicken pecked my finger which I used to joke was just another example of DuPage County’s homophobia but I guess I can’t make that joke anymore. Happy Pride (banned punctuation).

Comment by /s Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:58 am
Pretty sure rainbow bunting won’t make the animals gay, Jeanne.

Comment by Proud Papa Bear Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:59 am
Why is a pride resolution a “must” for local governments? Isn’t it like Seinfeld’s you must wear the ribbon?

Comment by Bolingbrook party of 7 Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:59 am
Excellent report, Rich. This should be worked into an opinion piece for a wider audience. It points to the hypocrisy of politics. I see flip-flopping in one context, and failure to lead by the board chair.

Compelling the members to vote is exactly what the chair should do, not avoiding the vote so as to empower vocal minorities.

If you are an elected politician, and you hate groups of citizens, say so. Be transparent. Do not hide behind cute words like “Moms for America is families.”

Comment by H-W Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:05 pm
What can the ILGOP do but keep losing in the collar counties. Same sex marriage support ties a record high, published by Gallup this month, and much higher among independents than Republicans.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/506636/sex-marriage-support-holds-high.aspx

There is substantial support for SSM among Republicans in the poll, but clearly they are for manufactured culture wars (see top two presidential frontrunners in polls).

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:10 pm
It’s really interesting how the trans-panic quickly lead back to old school homophobia, just like everyone predicted.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:11 pm
What is going on in Will County?

Comment by Time Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:13 pm
“What is going on in Will County?”

We can tie this back even more, by noting this board is made up from the new map the county exec drew all on her own, with no input from the board. It was provided to the board in a way that didn’t allow any changes before the time limit for approving the maps was up.

The county exec drew an absolute atrocious county district map, with what seems the intent to create a split board, despite the majority of the county not being republican anymore. She may run as a democrat, but her actions have at almost every step been designed to help republicans.

This leads to today, where a board makeup that should never have existed in the first place, has taken more power in a way that is not reflected by the electorate.

During the board meeting yesterday, it was pointed out there is no ‘official’ process for adding resolutions. This despite there being a county executive committee meeting that is scheduled the week prior with the explicit purpose of setting the board agenda.

I can’t see this any other way than proclamations are used internally by the board as trading cards to negotiate.

Will County is currently not being governed by serious people.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:26 pm
===“Democrats don’t like Moms for America. They think they are extremist and radical,”===

Well which is it, extremist or radical? The two are not interchangeable, Steve.

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:31 pm
Bolingbrook - you just don’t get it. You don’t get it because you don’t want to get it. Take a look at the hundreds of resolutions that pass on a procedural vote, and then explain to me why a resolution that tells the most marginalized members of our society why their government shouldn’t tell the members of that society who live in their county that their government represents them too.

Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:45 pm
Will County seems to be quite the mess right now. This should have been an easy deal. Couldn’t the Chair just remove the one resolution? Leave Juneteenth and Pride then remove Moms.

Challenge the GOP members to vote against the LGBTQ and Black communities. Put them on record. Missed opportunity.

Comment by Frida's boss Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:45 pm
– Debbie Kraulidis is now a vice president of Moms for America.–

While true today, it was also true in January 2021. Kraulidis skipped her Jan 6th scheduled meeting for the County Board committee she was appointed to - the Public Health and Safety committee. That’s right, an anti-government anti-vaxxer was placed on the Public Health and Safety committee.

http://willcountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=3951&Inline=True

She also organized the MFA event in DC the day before when Mary Miller wandered onto the stage where she proceeded to pontificate about what mid 20th century European leaders did right.

“quietly removed from the agenda.”

Looks like that link needs to be fixed.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:59 pm
I’m embarrassed for anyone not for Juneteenth.

Comment by We've never had one before Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:11 pm
==The county exec drew an absolute atrocious county district map, with what seems the intent to create a split board, despite the majority of the county not being republican anymore. She may run as a democrat, but her actions have at almost every step been designed to help republicans.==

Seems like this is a pattern in Will County. In the last election cycle, “Democratic” State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow enthusiastically joined forces with Republicans to wage a well-funded campaign of misinformation and fear-mongering to push false narratives about Democrat-sponsored criminal justice reforms supposedly compromising public safety.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:14 pm
(sorry, Anonymous comment at 1:14pm was me)

Comment by charles in charge Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:14 pm
“Just not non-heterosexual families.”

Think there are some other families they don’t approve of, too.

Typical “liberty for me, but not for thee” group.

Comment by Chris Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:16 pm
I think they are just showing who they have always been.

Longer term, how does the help the party (I realize long-term thinking is a big ask)? Do they think young people will move to the right on this issue when they hit 30 or 40 or something? This isn’t taxes, I don’t get how someone will wake up in 20 years and go, oh no, Pride is bad…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:18 pm
==Why is a pride resolution a “must” for local governments?==

Because intolerance is necessarily corrosive to democracy.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:26 pm
>>>>Because intolerance is necessarily corrosive to democracy.

Must we be intolerant of anyone not in favor of a pride resolution?

Comment by We've never had one before Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:31 pm
Run ‘em all, as they say. Let the intolerant members go on record with their bigotry. I’d go on record against Moms for America.

Comment by Jibba Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:31 pm
–Seems like this is a pattern in Will County.–

This is also why locally Rachel Ventura was described by the area politicos as a ‘rable-rouser’ and confrontational, during her term on the county board.

Outside of Will County, she is seen as a rational, methodical, approachable, and reasonable state Senator.

She held everyone accountable on the committees she sat on, and did not tolerate the usual Will County nonsense. Holding people accountable is a cardinal sin in Will county, thus the dislike for her.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:39 pm
=== Must we be intolerant of anyone not in favor of a pride resolution? ===

No, but should they oppose such recognition, we should know why they oppose.

Comment by H-W Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:56 pm
===Must we be intolerant of anyone not in favor of a pride resolution?===

“Please don’t be upset with me for my own intolerance, because it’s really you who are intolerant!”

C’mon. Take your position and deal with it.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:01 pm
=== Must we be intolerant of anyone not in favor of a pride resolution? ===

No, however, if you are an elected official, you should have the courage to explain (or at least vote) why you feel like you do about such things. Have the courage to explain your convictions, not hide from them because you are concerned about the negative impacts of your convictions.

We had a state senator in Aurora who occasionally voted against things where he would be one of the few or the only ones to vote no. When asked why he would explain, you might think he was wrong (and sometimes his explanations were a bit goofy or corner cases), but he wouldn’t hide from it.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:11 pm
Potential voters should note that along with Trump, you get Bailey, Ives and Balich…too…do remember…it’s a package deal.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:14 pm
What do we do with all of the animals at the zoo that are now LGBTQA?

Are they going to be segregated from the heterosexual population at the zoo?

Comment by Jerry Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:24 pm
So they table a recognittion of a federal holiday (Juneteenth).
They must have thought it wasn’t white….errr I mean right.

Comment by btowntruth from forgottonia Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:32 pm
- We’ve never had one before - Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:11 pm:
I’m embarrassed for anyone not for Juneteenth.
================================================
Me too.

Comment by btowntruth from forgottonia Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:37 pm
“Must we be intolerant of anyone not in favor of a pride resolution?”

You don’t have to be. I certainly will be.

Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:38 pm
@Frida - you don’t get it. The Republican speaker is the one who removed them all. She basically said if she couldn’t have the bigoted one, Democrats didn’t get to have Pride and Juneteenth. Never mind that in years past and in other areas D and Rs vote together to recognize Pride and Juneteenth. But that’s what happens when you have two radical Republicans running the leadership of the county board. The somewhat sane Republicans left. Now you’ve got Julie Berkowicz who said she wanted to vote for it only if it was “SLGBTQ” - the S being for straight.

Comment by NotYourGramma Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 3:52 pm
I, for one, would’ve preferred they kept all three proclamations on the agenda and let me see who voted for what. What would’ve been really interesting would’ve been if all three were 11-11… which would County Executive Jennifer Bertino Tarrant have cast the deciding yes tie breaking vote for? Inquiring minds would like to know.

Comment by NotYourGramma Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 3:59 pm
“She basically said”

And she actually said, out loud during the meeting during board comment, that ’she had a gay friend’.

Because, that somehow makes what she did better. In her mind.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 4:16 pm