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* Press release…
Unfortunately, under current state law, Illinois state legislators can claim a full month’s salary for just a day’s work. For this reason, Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza last year introduced her “No Exit Bonus” bill that would pro-rate legislator salaries so they get only a day’s pay for a day’s work.
Edward Guerra Kodatt was sworn in as state representative from the 22nd District on Sunday, Feb. 21. Two days later, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Kodatt submitted his resignation. Our office has received his notice of resignation, but has not yet received his payroll information. Under current law, he is entitled to a full month’s salary, $5,788.66.
“In the spirit of good governance, I ask Mr. Kodatt to decline the month’s salary he is entitled to under this arcane law,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza introduced her “No Exit Bonus” bill in 2020 following a series of high-profile examples of bad behavior by state legislators of both parties caught in ethical clouds delaying their resignations until the first day of the following month so they could collect a full extra month’s salary.
Former State Rep. Luis Arroyo, charged with bribery; the late former State Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to federal bribery and tax charges; and former State Rep. Nick Sauer, charged with online sex crimes, all exploited the same loophole in state law.
In all those cases, state taxpayers had to pay a full month’s salary to both the legislators resigning under an ethical cloud and also to their successors.
In this case, taxpayers could be on the hook for three full months’ salaries for: 1) Former House Speaker Michael Madigan; 2) former State Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt; and 3) whoever committeemen now appoint to replace them, as early as Thursday.
“I would also ask the new appointee once she or he is sworn in to help restore faith in government by taking the principled stand to not take 30 days’ pay for two and a half days’ service – and to sign on as a co-sponsor of my ‘No Exit Bonus’ legislation,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza’s “No Exit Bonus” bill was introduced in the last legislative session, which was truncated because of COVID-19. The “No Exit Bonus” bill was one of many not acted on, though it was included in an ethics package introduced in the House on the last day of session.
This session, the proposal, SB484 and HB3104, has been introduced again by State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, and State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. It may also be included as part of omnibus ethics legislation.
“Taxpayers don’t get a month’s pay for one or two days’ work, and taxpayers should not have to fund that undeserved gift for elected officials,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “It’s time to throw the General Assembly’s ‘Exit Bonus’ on the trash heap of bad traditions.”
Not sure he was even around long enough to fill out all the paperwork, but it’s still a good bill.
* Speaking of appointments, here’s HB3828, sponsored by Reps. Kelly Cassidy and Lindsey LaPointe…
Amends the Election Code. Provides the procedure for filling a vacancy of a Senator or Representative in the General Assembly. Provides that within 3 days after a vacancy, the committee for that legislative or representative district shall create a uniform application for candidates seeking appointment and determine the date, time, and location at which the committee shall make the appointment (allowing for at least 7 days of public notice). Provides that applications received within 2 days before the appointment shall be made publicly available. Provides that candidates shall be granted an opportunity to present their credentials publicly and take questions from the committeepersons. Provides for a proxy for a committeeperson that is ineligible to vote for an appointment. Effective immediately.
* Sun-Times…
With carjackings on the rise in Chicago and elsewhere, a South Side Democratic state representative has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of Grand Theft Auto and other violent video games.
Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. wants to amend a 2012 law preventing some video games from being sold to minors. Friday, he filed HB3531, which would amend that law to ban the sale to anyone of video games depicting “psychological harm,” including “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present.”
Evans had been contacted in January by Early Walker, who started Operation Safe Pump to prevent carjackings at gas stations and shopping centers. Safe Pump positions security guards from the Kates Detective and Security Agency in areas with high numbers of carjackings.
“The bill would prohibit the sale of some of these games that promote the activities that we’re suffering from in our communities.” Evans said.
Um.
Neil Steinberg…
I contacted Evans, to get his reaction, floating the idea that there’s no connection between violent video games and real-life violence.
“That statement is an opinion about what doesn’t work, based off data,” said Evans, who represents the 33rd District on the South Side. “You say it doesn’t work. But it could be five kids, 10 kids, who it makes think this is normalized behavior. There is a reason we don’t have slavery games, games where we’re raping women, anti-Semitic games. You just don’t want to normalize behavior.”
He said studies are one thing, personal experience another.
“I’m talking to these kids,” he said. “I grew up at 85th and Blackstone. I know kids who are carjacking. They steal the car, they drive it around. They’re stealing these cars because this behavior is being normalized. Some of them do believe it’s fun and games. I’m telling you, it’s reality. They’re scaring the sh-t out of women. My mom lives in this neighborhood, and she’s afraid. This is an emergency situation that needs all the attention we can give it. That’s why I filed the legislation, proudly.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:07 pm
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Let’s act like the First Amendment doesn’t exist for a moment and say there’s some merit to Rep Evans’ bill. It won’t actually work. Kids no longer go to GameStop or the mall to buy these games, they download updated versions. Good luck stopping that.
Comment by Roman Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:24 pm
Gov. Blagojevich took up this violent video game ban in his first term. The GA passed a bill that was signed into law and it was struck down by the courts. The state was forced to pay legal fees amounting to $520,000.
Comment by Nagidam Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:24 pm
“I know kids who are carjacking. They steal the car, they drive it around. They’re stealing these cars because this behavior is being normalized. Some of them do believe it’s fun and games. I’m telling you, it’s reality.”
The first Grand Theft Auto game was released in 1997.
The last Grand Theft Auto game was released in 2013.
The recent spike in carjackings lack correlation with the sale of Grand Theft Auto games, much less causation.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:26 pm
=He said studies are one thing, personal experience another.=
In other words, his mind is made up, don’t bother him with the facts.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:26 pm
Hmm I didn’t know about Blago’s violent video game ban, thanks for pointing that out. Personally, I’m fine restricting video game sales to minors according to its ESRB rating. But as pointed out, this issue has been decided by SCOTUS’ Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association ruling in 2011. Besides, the latest version of GTA came out in 2013. Us gamers have been waiting years already for GTA 6. I don’t know when it’ll ever come out.
Comment by Hot Taeks Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:30 pm
These kids might not even be playing video games. And children the age of the carjackers are old enough to tell reality from fiction anyway. I think if it is that carjacking has been normalized as a hobby, then it has been normalized in the kids’ peer groups in reallife not from video games.
Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:34 pm
Rich - Mendoza’s bill is indeed a good idea.
But, I’d ask her if she swore off her full months legislative salary when she got sworn in as city clerk. Should be a quick search.
Comment by Not for nothing Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:35 pm
Rep. Evans; I wish the carjacking problem was as easy as banning video games. Dig deeper because you are looking foolish.
Comment by Gametop Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:39 pm
Mendoza’s bill is common sense. I wonder if she’ll give credit to the House Republican members who filed the bill several years ago. Those bills were introduced long before the scandals that she referenced.
Comment by NotAnonymous Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:42 pm
Back in the “Good Old Days” I’m told that a legislator could collect his entire annual salary on the first day of session. Going from annual to monthly is called progress in Illinois.
Comment by Nitemayor Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:43 pm
There’s a difference between seeing it in a video game and in real life. Young people are seeing others carjack without any retribution, or in many cases without even an investigation by CPD.
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:51 pm
don’t think the problem is just from video games. but there are studies that talk about how first person shooter games affect people so who knows what the affect is on kids. and more important, arresting and prosecuting and putting inside whomever is doing carjackings now. there is a reason why we need places to keep juveniles inside, and not in community settings.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:52 pm
@Nitemayor. So what happened way back when after a person collected his salary all at once and retired? Did he get to keep it all? If a new person appointed did we have to pay him too?
Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 12:52 pm
Tipper Gore blamed violence on Rock music. And before that, violence was blamed on TV. And before that, violence was blamed on pulp novels and comic books.
Comment by A Jack Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:02 pm
“I’m talking to these kids.”
And the kids are telling him “We play Grand Theft Auto and decide to carjack IRL”?
I think he needs to consider IRL causes of IRL carjackings first.
Comment by dbk Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:04 pm
Is buying a physical game even a thing? I haven’t seen my 18yo with a physical game in years, are they all just downloads and updates?
Comment by PMS Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:04 pm
=Tipper Gore blamed violence on Rock music=
Ah yes Tipper Gore and the PMRC,
“This spells out freedom, it means nothing to me
As long as there’s a PMRC”
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:11 pm
I worked at DCFS during the Blago years. The cost of that video game lawsuit came partially out of DCFS’ budget. So Blago’s folly hurt more kids than it helped.
Comment by A Jack Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:14 pm
Actually, games have been created with anti-semitic and raping women, along with any other nasty thing you can think of. Many older ones lead to the rating system we now have. We don’t hear as much about them cause not much market for them.
Comment by Union thug Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:16 pm
Does the 22nd House District now have the record in IL &/or the United States as having both the longest and shortest serving member of a legislature of all time ??
Would be a fun trivia question.
Comment by Helm Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:17 pm
==He said studies are one thing, personal experience another.==
Man, I like Marcus, but borrowing the logic behind the entire eastern bloc is a really bad look
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:29 pm
Taxpayers were on the hook for the successor’s salary as well.
Comment by Nitemayor Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:36 pm
Instead of banning the sale of these games (problematic, for the reasons mentioned above), it may be more effective to have the manufacturers change the name from “GTA” to “Class 3 Felony - 5 Year Sentence” or something equally catchy.
Comment by Dysfunction Junction Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:39 pm
“Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. wants to amend a 2012 law preventing some video games from being sold to minors.”
There have been multiple studies indicating there is no causal connection between violence in video games and real life. Here is one study-https://tinyurl.com/zmu6uyyw. And, video games already have a ratings system similar to movies and TV shows. Just like Rated R movies, parents can and will still buy them, https://www.esrb.org/ratings/
Comment by Steve Polite Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:40 pm
The first url didn’t become a link. I think it’s my mistake, ugh.
Here is one study: https://tinyurl.com/zmu6uyyw.
Comment by Steve Polite Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:42 pm
Elgie Sims was quoted in the Sun-Times saying: “What keeps down crime is the ability for individuals to be caught.”
That’s true, and it’s not just anecdotal. Criminal justice studies have demonstrated it. And therein lies the problem with carjacking. Very few carjackers get caught. And those who do — at least the juveniles — are often quickly released.
Actually catching young carjackers and holding them accountable might be the best way to teach them it’s not a game.
Comment by TNR Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:44 pm
=== Very few carjackers get caught===
That’s just not true.
https://capitolfax.com/2021/01/25/carjacking-as-a-means-to-social-media-fame/
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:44 pm
Well, we’ve blamed guns and videogames for the rise in carjackings. When will we start blaming the criminal? When we will hold the “community” responsible for harboring criminals that younger criminals emulate, by their own “code of silence”? Or the parents for failing to teach and enforce right from wrong? Or the adults for having children do carjackings and supplying the guns? Oh,wait, this is Illinois; where only the law-abiding have personal responsibility for their actions or failures to act.
Comment by thisjustinagain Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:45 pm
I’m showing my age, but this very much reminds me of my catholic school years and all the constant warnings we were given about how Dungeons and Dragons was actually a recruitment tool for stanists.
Everyone has an axe to grind.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 1:58 pm
===I’m showing my age, but this very much reminds me of my catholic school years and all the constant warnings we were given about…===
I must be older than you. They warned us we’d go blind.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:06 pm
I’m not even going to discuss the video game ban as wrong as I think it is. I could discuss the salary thing. It seems fair for a Rep to have only official been a member of the legislature two days only to resign to forgo a whole month’s salary. It seems fair and perhaps there needs to be some reform.
I could ask this question is the General Assembly considered a part-time or a full-time legislature?
Comment by Levois J Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:08 pm
I would bet no study shows a link.
It would instead show a correlation, possibly.
When I was a youngin there was a game on an older generation game console called “Splatterhouse”. I can assure you I had no desire to start attacking people with a plank of wood with a few nails in it. But maybe I was more violent than normal in pulling the weeds out of our family garden.
Understand the difference between link and correlation. Then remember that there is a correlation with ice cream consumption and the murder rate.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:09 pm
===where only the law-abiding have personal responsibility for their actions or failures to act===
Are you arguing that you shouldn’t?
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:11 pm
Parenting has a lot to do with it. My kids played Doom and Mortal Kombat growing up and they are all law abiding citizens. Roman is also correct, most games played today are on line.
Comment by Not the Dude Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:35 pm
If watching a video might provoke violent crime, does watching a YouTube video of Horace Silver or Dave Brubeck mean that I can play piano with their expertise. Just asking.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:38 pm
Some of the people here need to take a breath and read the title of the post: “It’s just a bill.”
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:41 pm
The best part about the GTA idea is that some kid actually convinced Evans that that was the reason he stole a car.
Comment by Watcher of the Skies Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:41 pm
== That’s just not true ==
Rich, at that same city council meeting where CPD offered those encouraging January ‘21 arrest numbers that you linked to, they also reported that in 2020 there were 1,417 carjacking incidents in Chicago but only 178 arrests for vehicular hijacking and aggravated vehicular hijacking. Let’s hope they keep up those January numbers, but the clearance rates are pretty darn low.
Comment by TNR Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 2:53 pm
Resignations at the start of a pay period may be linked to the continuation of health insurance for another month rather than drawing a month’s salary.
Comment by Ed Wards Ville Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 3:20 pm
Wanted to share.
Here’s the link to the 2011 U.S. Supreme Court opinion striking down a California law that ended the violent video game debate.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf
Comment by Third Reading Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 3:35 pm
I really like Rep. Evans, BUT, this bill needs to die in Rules. It’s not informed by facts or data. GTA has been around for what? 20 years? There is no correlation. None. Nada. Zero.
Comment by A Voter Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 7:39 pm
Regarding Blagojevich’s violent video game ban I was the only NO vote in the House. I voted NO because the Supreme Court already decided legislation in another State which had the same or similar language was unconstitutional. Also because of the potential legal costs to the State. The media and others beat me up for that vote. Insinuating that I didn’t have a problem with violent video games and didn’t understand the law. . After it was declared unconstitutional and after the State paid over a half million in legal fees did I feel a sense of exoneration. Yet that part was never reported. Lesson learned. Vote yes if it’s politically popular even if it will cost the taxpayers and even if it’s unconstitutional.
Comment by John Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 10:13 pm
FYI, if I were still there I’d do it again.
Comment by John Wednesday, Feb 24, 21 @ 10:15 pm