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* No, you actually don’t gotta hand it to the anti-vax crank, Mr. Secretary…
Okay……maybe RFK Jr. is right about one thing - there IS a strong link between chemical food additives and chronic disease in America. 🇺🇸
Illinois must act now. Voice your support for the Illinois Food Safety Act (SB 93) to ensure safer and healthier food for Illinois families. pic.twitter.com/m4QIjANZHw
— Secretary Alexi Giannoulias (@ILSecOfState) February 4, 2025
Needless to say, when you’re trying to pass a bill that’s way out of your zone of influence, you have to read the room.
…Adding… IMA…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) released the following statement about SB 93, which is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Public Health Committee this afternoon:
“This legislation sets a dangerous precedent for food regulation by bypassing the scientists at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and giving politicians the ability to make determinations on food safety,” said Donovan Griffith, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “The FDA has a stringent process for evaluating food safety that has been proven to work. Illinois should not undermine these safeguards. Food safety should be left to the experts.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 9:48 am
Previous Post: It’s just a bill
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sir, go back to the lab with this one please
Comment by sewer thoughts Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 9:57 am
SB93 is a well-meaning but silly bill - banning food additives needs a national response. I’m surprised that Giannoulias, a brazen self-promotor with obvious eyes on the Governor’s seat - would tarnish his reputation with the Illinois electorate by espousing RFK’s views.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:00 am
Typical for Alexi - too cute by half.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:02 am
Seci Alexi dropping them sick beats.
Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:02 am
It’s not the federal bureaucracy - it’s science I believe in, thanks. Really happy I received all my vaccines before this lunacy sunk in.
Comment by This is ridiculous Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:06 am
is he running for Senate?
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:06 am
Did he hire someone from Mary Miller’s staff for his comms team?
Comment by fs Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:09 am
=== No, you actually don’t gotta hand it to the anti-vax crank, Mr. Secretary… ===
In triplicate, bold and underscored. Please don’t sanewash the crazy.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:10 am
I do not see the problem with it. He did not say you have to hand it to RJK Jr. He said he agrees with him about one thing — food additives.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:10 am
You gotta hand it to Mussolini, he did make the trains run on time. *
* NB: he, in fact, did not make the trains run on time
Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:16 am
=== I do not see the problem with it. ===
You missed the “Topinka Polka” ads, I guess.
“Giannoulias praises Trump cabinet pick” is an ad that writes itself.
Comment by Juvenal Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:17 am
=== No, you actually don’t gotta hand it to the anti-vax crank, Mr. Secretary… ===
I am starting to wonder if we now know where RFK Jr’s brain worm ended up…
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:21 am
“Additives” is a completely meaningless word. Meant to scare people with very little information. You can add salt to food for taste and preservation, and lord knows that sodium can have bad effects on your heart, is that a scary “chemical food additive” that he wants to ban?
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:22 am
Democrats are the ones misreading the room. RFK might be a crank on somethings, but he has activated tens of millions of Americans on this issue. Alexi is shrewd politically to not be totally antagonistic toward the RFK crowd.
Comment by James Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:27 am
- but he has activated tens of millions of Americans on this issue. -
I’m sure you have evidence to back this up, right?
Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:31 am
What does this have to do with the state’s investment portfolio?
Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:32 am
===“Giannoulias praises Trump cabinet pick” is an ad that writes itself.===
If you aspire to be like Blago, you’ve already lost.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:33 am
===misreading the room===
So shrewd to be giving quarter to someone whose advocacy had led to the deaths and maiming of children. And whose beliefs if implemented as policy could get a lot of Americans killed.
Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:34 am
I have always got a squirrely vibe from Alexi.
He seems to say anything that he thinks will appeal to the meme informed masses.
Comment by Occasionally Moderated Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:36 am
He’s a super bulked-up middle age man who probably spends half of his day in the gym…of course he agrees with RFK’s fitness/health positions.
The behind-the-scenes people pushing him to be the next Chicago mayor (the same way they coronated him as SoS after a decade in exile) should take a breath and consider if this is a serious man who has what it takes.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:39 am
Alexi, super bulked up. Funniest comment of the year so far.
Comment by ;) Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:42 am
Seems like a staff failure. Did they propose this approach? You don’t necessarily need to amplify those who agree with you on an issue.
Comment by George Ryan Reynolds Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:49 am
===Seems like a staff failure===
Have you learned nothing over the years? Stuff like this is always about the principal.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:53 am
He must have written this one during tummy time.
Comment by Who else Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:56 am
Spot on Rich. He just continues to think he’s the cat’s meow. Who’s his Communication’s Chief?
Comment by Bugsy Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 10:57 am
===What does this have to do with the state’s investment portfolio? ===
What does that have to do with the secretary of state?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:17 am
==Alexi is shrewd politically to not be totally antagonistic toward the RFK crowd.==
That might be the first time Ive seen the name Alexi and shrewd ever used in the same sentence.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:28 am
He’s proven to be politically deft for the most part, but this is a very notable exception. He’s a little too driven by attention-seeking efforts. (google “Giannoulias tummy time”)
Comment by Tony T. Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:29 am
Evidence?
But that’s the evil tool of the CDC, the FDA, WHO and 300 years of post-Enlightenment scientific method‼
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:40 am
Guys, you are missing the bigger picture here, he’s wearing glasses now. He’s really smart. He can be the Governor, Mayor, US Senator or whatever. When people that dont usually wear glasses wear glasses its means they are deep thinkers. We should really pay attention here.
Comment by Red Ranger Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:47 am
Perrid, no, sodium is not a food additive he wants to ban. It’s all right there in the bill and the short video. “brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, or red dye 3″ are all known to be nasty stuff for decades and should not be in food.
I’ll take one nothingburger with a side of brominated vegetable oil please.
Comment by Bromide bro Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:48 am
=== Stuff like this is always about the principal. ===
100%. Alexi makes a lot of smart decisions from a PR perspective. Frankly, part of me admires his shameless pandering and self-promotion.
But you have to have someone in your inner circle who is never afraid to tell you that this latest idea of yours is a stinker,
Comment by Juvenal Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 11:53 am
Not surprising from a guy who thinks he runs the DMV rather than the SOS.
Comment by West Side the Best Side Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:00 pm
“RFK might be a crank on somethings, but he has activated tens of millions of Americans on this issue.”
I’ve never seen the word ‘activated’ mangled in this way.
RFK Jr. isn’t ‘activating’ anything other than his own grift. That there are millions of Americans too dumb to see through this obvious con man doesn’t amount to some kind of movement. Movement to where? For what?
Comical stuff in some of your heads.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:01 pm
Fitness bros stay repping each other. That’s what this is.
Comment by Mike Gascoigne Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:05 pm
Sigh. Listen to your staff Alexi. I’m sure they discouraged you and yet you didn’t listen. We are kinda busy with some other stuff and never, ever use a crank to make your case.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:06 pm
And if you are watching Rogan. Just stop. Now.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:07 pm
== when you’re trying to pass a bill that’s way out of your zone of influence ==
Because it’s not about passing the bill. At least unlikely. He’s following Polis in Colorado. Reaching a skeptical audience that *may* one day remember he said something that sounded bipartisan back in the day. It might generate a little national X attention.
Comment by Lakefront Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:08 pm
=== What does that have to do with the secretary of state? ===
Sorry, brain lapse. I was thinking of when he was Treasurer. Point is still valid though - has nothing to do with his state job.
Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:08 pm
The State needs to act because of “regulatory capture”. I trust the Danish and Swedish academies of science and the Japanese Ministry of Health over the people in Washington DC.
Comment by Peter Kowalski in Champaign Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:22 pm
All of this from the man who wouldn’t print Rules of the Road for a year and a half, nor give Rules of the Road classes to seniors anymore. The seniors will remember being turned away at the facility as walk-ins, so why the smoke and mirrors with food additives.
Comment by JR Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:23 pm
He ran off the OG Sec of State Comms staff. Not one works there anymore. It’s all run out of CHI now.
Comment by TK in the USA Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:26 pm
== And if you are watching Rogan. Just stop. Now. ==
Anecdotal, but getting real sick of my peers (unsurprisingly, white guys) in their mid-20s and 30s pushing Rogan on me. Had a guy at the dog park recently try and sell us all that nicotine is good for you, actually, which he learned from a Rogan podcast.
Comment by Treefiddy Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:29 pm
“Food safety should be left to the experts” sadly today everyone who has a computer and a platform to broadcast their opinion is an expert, god help us all.
Comment by Annon3 Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 12:39 pm
Never a great idea to attach anything science related to a known science denier, but I do agree with the Secretary….these products are dangerous and bad for our children and for our health. It is why the US is one of the few Western nations who still allow these products in our food.
Comment by Firefighter Bob Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 1:04 pm
I can’t get the image of him with the wet white t-shirt from the pride parade. But, I’m probably the problem there.
Comment by Two Left Feet Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 1:09 pm
Alexi does not bother me a bit. I find him pretty decent. It spoke volumes to me when he won over Dan Brady but ask him to head/help as part of transition team. That does not exist anymore in politics it seems. Maybe I am naive. Also, Trump and his agenda continue irritate seems most in Illinois. In the minority but in the end even Illinois will be better off. What would happen if a middle ground was found?
Comment by clec dcn Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 1:14 pm
You could reference that RFK Jr is in favor of wearing seatbelts, and that’d be enough for me to second guess that.
Don’t reference that knob for anything, please.
Comment by TJ Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 1:16 pm
Roughly 2 in 10 Americans have a “great deal of trust in the CDC”
That sure is a lot of “science deniers”
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 1:36 pm
—-That sure is a lot of “science deniers”
Yeah, it’s what happens you treat well understood science as debatable. Congrats on taking the most advanced health organization that has ever existed in the history of the world because some grifter thinks deworming meds work on viruses.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 1:46 pm
I wish I could get my license plate stickers before they expire. The on line system is lacking efficiency.
Comment by flea Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 3:15 pm
==but in the end even Illinois will be better off==
lol. In what world?
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 4, 25 @ 4:30 pm