House Republicans pick new leader

Western Springs Republican Rep. Jim Durkin

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois House Republicans chose Western Springs Rep. Jim Durkin as their new leader today.

Outgoing House Minority Leader Tom Cross plans to vacate his leadership position to run for a statewide office. It is presumed that Cross will make a bid for state treasurer. He would not confirm that today, only saying that he would make an announcement soon.

Cross, who has served in the House  since 1993, was considering a run for the attorney general’s office if Attorney General Lisa Madigan ran for a different office. But she decided to run for reelection. Members of Cross’ caucus have been jockeying for his position for months.

Today, Durkin won the job. He was up against Springfield Rep. Raymond Poe, who has served in the House sine 1995. Over the last few days, Poe took hits from critics over his history of receiving campaign support from unions and his stance on pension reform. Poe was one of several Republicans who voted against changes to the pension systems proposed by House Speaker Michael Madigan and Cross. “I represent my district well,” Poe said. “I think I’m on the right side of that issue.”

Republicans were hit hard in last year’s election, as Democrats won supermajorities in both chambers. Today, party members emphasized unity. During today’s Springfield meeting, which lasted less than an hour, Poe withdrew his bid and made the motion to nominate Durkin for minority leader. According to Republicans who were in the closed-door meeting, no members voted against Durkin.

“I didn’t have the votes here today,” Poe said. “One thing about every legislator, we can count. We count over on the House floor every day. We know where our votes are. I knew today that it so happens my vote weren’t here. There’s seven people missing. I think a large part of those was mine. And for the welfare and the unity of the party, I don’t think we need these scrapes, scrabbles whatever you want to call them. I think what we need to be is unified, and the message today is 47 strong.”

Durkin was first sworn into the House in 1995. He served until 2003. He made a failed bid against U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin for Durbin's Senate seat in 2002 and returned to the Illinois House in 2005. “The task is to unite our party in that we are one, we are a solid group of 47 Republicans, and that we are unified. To me that is the most important job that I have right now with our members. We have had some divisiveness in the past, but the fact is, it’s over. And that’s what we heard in this meeting.”

Durkin played a key role in recent high-profile ethics proceedings in the chamber. He served as co-chair of the special House impeachment committee that determined there was enough evidence to move forward with the impeachment of now-incarcerated former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Durkin and Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang made arguments for expelling Chicago Democratic Rep. Derrick Smith before another special House committee. After Smith was charged with accepting a bribe, the House voted to remove him. But he won the seat back in last year’s election and is now a House member again.

Durkin did not talk much about policy after the vote today. He did reaffirm his opposition to same-sex marriage when asked about his stance. Durkin had once been viewed as a potential “yes” vote by same-sex marriage supporters. He also said that he would not take a stance on pension ideas that are trickling out from a special committee now working to create proposed pension changes until the group has settled on a proposal.

"We will work to try and find resolution to the pension problem. I believe it is a priority.” While unity seemed to be the word of the day, Durkin acknowledged that not all House Republicans will share his views, and he said he does not expect them to vote as a bloc on every issue. “We have a very diverse caucus, but we’re going to use that diversity to our advantage this next coming [election] cycle. I’m excited about the prospects of the future,” Durkin said today after the vote.

Durkin said another priority is rebuilding the House Republican election funds, which he said are “limited.” But he acknowledged that it could be a challenge in the short term. “Were talking about an election cycle where you have a very heated governor’s race. There’s going to be a lot of money that’s going to be placed in the governor’s race, so we have to make the best use of every dollar that we have in our campaign operations."

Durkin did not name new House leadership today. He said he needs time to decide who will serve in those roles. Poe said he is not seeking a leadership job, which comes with a pay bump, but he would like to play a role on Durkin’s “advisory team.” Poe said his top goal is overcoming the Democrat’s veto-proof majority in the House and electing a Republican governor. 

“If that combination would happen, we are back at the table as Republicans. And right now they [Democrats] don’t even invite us to the table.” Both Poe and Durkin said they support Sen. Kirk Dillard in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

The competition between Durkin and Poe was framed by some as an upstate versus downstate battle. But after today’s vote, downstate lawmakers said that they were happy with the results. “Being a downstater myself, I think there will be great representation for downstate and issues important to downstate under leader-elect Durkin’s tenure,” said Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from Bloomington. He said he thought a shake-up could do that caucus good. “He can energize our base more. He can reach out to those that have been supporters in the past that maybe are lukewarm. He can help to calm some of the concerns over the social issues that we all find ourselves in from time to time,” Brady said. “Most importantly, he can take the House Republican organization and move it forward, start building on increasing funds and different things that we need. And he can do that in a variety of ways by bringing in some new people and new ideas.”

Cross, who is from Oswego, retains the minority leader title. He and Durkin are going to meet over the coming weeks in order to make a smooth transition. Then Durkin will take over the job later next month. Brady said the swap is planned for September 20, but Durkin said it could come sooner. “It will be relatively soon. We’re all working together which is very, very nice,” said Cross. He has said he plans to serve out the rest of his House term. “We’re going to have a transition. It’s going to be orderly. It’s all going to be good. ... I think you’re going to see a good united front when we leave here today.”

Union leaders blast new pension framework

By Jamey Dunn

Union leaders today publicly rejected a public pension reform outline that a special legislative committee is considering.

On Friday, the Capitol Fax blog and the Associated Press released details of a framework the bipartisan conference committee has been working on. The plan would toss out the 3 percent annual compounded cost-of-living adjustment retirees currently receive. Instead, cost-of-living adjustments would be half the rate of inflation. The rates would have a base level and cap set, but the outline obtained by the two outlets did not include those limits. The change would likely result in smaller COLAs for retirees.

Proposals in the past have called for retirees to contribute a larger portion of their paychecks to their retirement, but this concept would reduce the amount employees chip in by 1 percentage point. The retirement age would not change under the framework, but the way that retirement benefits are calculated might be changed to consider pay over several years of employment instead of the final typically higher-paid years. The changes in the outline are estimated to reduce the almost $100 billion unfunded pension liability by $18.1 billion and save the state $145 billion over 30 years.

The decreased contribution from employees would likely be used as consideration for reductions in benefits elsewhere. Several lawmakers believe that the state Constitution requires any cut in retiree benefits to come as part of a trade for something of value. However, there has been broad disagreement in the past on how consideration would be achieved and whether it is even necessary to cut future benefits that employees have not yet earned.

Union officials do not believe that the new plan would meet constitutional requirements. “Published reports suggest the legislative conference committee on pension reform is ready to rehash the same unfair, unconstitutional attacks on retirement security,” said a statement from the We Are Once Coalition. “Teachers, police, nurses, caregivers and hundreds of thousands more working and retired public servants earned their pension, never missed a payment, and in most cases aren’t eligible for Social Security. They deserve better from the conferees. So does the Illinois Constitution, which lawmakers are sworn to uphold and which provisions of the committee’s outline would directly violate.” The statement calls for lawmakers to reconsider the union-backed Senate Bill 2404. Senate President John Cullerton sponsored that bill, which was approved in by the Senate. But House Speaker Michael Madigan refused to call the bill for a vote because he said it did not save enough money. Supporters of SB 2404 said it could have easily passed in the House if called for a vote. The union support of the bill definitely helped to bolster its popularity among lawmakers.

Committee members have been saying for weeks that they are making progress toward a proposal for changes to the public employees' pension systems. However, they say the outline obtained by members of the press is not necessarily their final proposal. “The committee has not come to a consensus,” Committee chair Sen. Kwame Raoul, a Chicago Democrat, told the AP. “Our work is not done.”

Quinn signs liability protections for landowners

By Jamey Dunn

Gov. Pat Quinn today signed a law that could open up more land to the public for recreation.

Senate Bill 1042 will limit the amount of liability landowners will face if they open up their property to the public. After an Illinois Supreme Court ruling in the early 2000s, the legislature rewrote the law, known as the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act, to specifically protect people who allowed hunters onto their land. However the rewrite left everyone else out. After the change, Illinois was the only state in the country that did not grant some liability protections to property owners as an incentive for them to allow people to enjoy their land. Landowners would potentially be liable for any accident on their property, such as a hiker twisting an ankle.

“We should make it easier for generous people to open their lands to the public — not harder. This new law should create opportunities for rock climbers, hikers, kayakers and other outdoors enthusiasts across the state,” said Oak Park Democratic Sen. Don Harmon, a sponsor of the bill.

Proponents of the new law say the current regulations have a chilling effect on property owners. “There are some private landowners who simply could not afford to continue to allow public access because of rising liability insurance costs or concerns about litigation,” Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller said in a prepared statement. Landowners will still be liable if they know of dangerous conditions on their property and fail to warn the public. “If you know that there is something on your property that is inherently dangerous, you shouldn’t make your land open without adequately notifying,” Harmon told Illinois Issues. “You don’t want to invite Timmy and Lassie on there with the open well.”

A coalition of environmental groups and advocates for public open spaces have been lobbying lawmakers for years on the issue. “Openlands worked with its partners for seven years to reinstate protections for generous private landowners who open their land to the public for recreation,” said Lenore Beyer-Clow, public policy director for Openlands, a conservation group with a focus on protecting land for public use. “We are excited that this law will offer new opportunities for people to connect to nature and enjoy Illinois’ beautiful open spaces.”

The bill passed through the legislature with no opposing votes. The new law will go into effect on January 1, 2014. “Our state is full of natural treasures, and many of those fall on private land,” Quinn said in a prepared statement. “Increasing landowner protections will boost the confidence of our residents who want to allow public access but have reservations about their own liability. This new law is a win-win for landowners and outdoor enthusiasts.”

For more on the law and what it could mean for those who enjoy the outdoors in Illinois, see the 2013 environmental issue of Illinois Issues.

House minority leader considering run for treasurer

By Jamey Dunn

House Minority Leader Tom Cross is mulling a run for state treasurer.

Cross was considering running for attorney general but scrapped that idea after Attorney General Lisa Madigan decided to seek reelection. Madigan had said she was considering a run for governor but later announced she would not seek the office as long as her father, House Speaker Michael Madigan, retained his leadership position in the legislature.

Cross reportedly held a conference call this morning to discuss his plans with members of his caucus. Cross told his members that he plans to serve out his term in office, but he would give up his leadership position this fall. He has been minority leader since 2002.

“As I consider the challenge of serving Illinois at a higher level, I did ask my colleagues in the House Republican caucus to begin the process of a succession plan so that a new leader may be chosen in preparation for the 2014 elections,” Cross said in a prepared statement. He said he will officially announce his plans in the next two weeks.

 Champaign Sen. Mike Frerichs, whose candidacy for treasurer was recently endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party, did not waste time striking out at Cross.

“State House Republican Leader Cross has been a Springfield insider for over two decades, during which he contributed to many of the most hazardous fiscal decisions leading to our current financial crisis,” said a statement from Frerichs’ campaign. “Leader Cross has championed a Republican caucus which has lost touch with the middle class and has sought to cut to the core the very programs that working families across Illinois depend on, like public schools and programs to protect Illinois’ seniors. I look forward to a vigorous and exciting debate about how best to protect the retirement security and college savings of working- and middle-class families.”

DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan and DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, both Republicans, are also exploring bids for treasurer. Chicago businessman Michael Scott Carter, a Republican, is also running.  A request for comment from Grogan was not returned, a campaign staffer for Schillerstrom declined to comment and Carter could not be reached for comment.

Quinn signs bill to increase speed limit to 70 mph

By Jamey Dunn 

Despite opposition from members of his own administration, Gov. Pat Quinn approved increasing the speed limit on some state highways to 70 miles per hour.

Senate Bill 2356 will increase the speed limit on divided four-lane highways from 65 to 70 miles per hour. Local officials in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair and Will counties can vote to opt out of the increase. The new limit will also apply to Illinois tollways. However, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority will have to power to designate other limits in some areas. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2014.

“This limited five miles-per-hour increase will bring Illinois’ rural interstate speed limits in line with our neighbors and the majority of states across America, while preventing an increase in excessive speeding,” Quinn said today in a prepared statement. “I encourage all motorists to continue to respect our traffic laws, avoid distractions and exercise common sense behind the wheel to protect the safety of themselves and others.”

The Illinois State Police oppose the change, and Quinn’s own transportation secretary lobbied against the legislation when it was up for consideration in the General Assembly. “The higher the speed limit, the more likely you are to be in a crash. And if you’re in a crash, the more likely you are to be killed,” Anne Schneider, secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation, said when the Illinois House was still considering the bill. Despite her stance, the bill passed both legislative chambers with bipartisan support. The new law will also lower the speed at which drivers can be charged with excessive speeding from 31 miles per hour over the limit to 26 miles per hour.

While Quinn may be swimming against the opposition of some in Illinois, he is going with the national flow — something that is pointed out twice in a news release issued by his office upon his signing of the bill. “Illinois joins 36 other states with speed limits of 70 mph or higher, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.”

However, some national experts say the move toward higher speed limits does not necessarily indicate that they are safe. “The politics is that the public wants to go faster; they don't see it as a safety issue, so it's no surprise that legislatures have followed,” Jonathan Adkins, deputy executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association told the Associated Press last week. “Unlike with drunk driving and seat-belt use and even distracted driving ... the public just doesn't see speeding as a safety issue.”

On Friday, Quinn signed another bill that bans talking on hand-held cell phones while driving. The measure allows for the use of hands-free devices. That ban will also go into effect at the start of 2014.

Quinn signs ban on drivers using handheld cell phones

By Jamey Dunn

Starting next year, drivers will have to put down their cell phones before they get behind the wheel.

Gov. Pat Quinn today signed House Bill 1247, which bans the use of cell phones while driving, unless drivers use hands-free devices to talk. “Distracted driving is not only dangerous — it’s deadly,” Gov. Quinn said in a prepared statement. “Too many Illinois families have suffered because of accidents that could have been prevented. Anyone driving a car should be careful, responsive and alert behind the wheel. These new laws will save lives.”

Illinois joins 11 other states and the District of Columbia in banning phones behind the wheel. The state already prohibits texting while driving. The ban on chatting while driving will go into effect on January 1, 2014. “When people get behind the wheel, they have a responsibility to themselves and to others to drive safely,” Chicago Democratic Sen. John D’Amico, who sponsored the bill, said in a prepared statement. “When motorists are on the phone, they are not giving their full attention to the most important task they have. This law will help reduce traffic accidents and make Illinois roads safer.”

Drivers using hand-held cell phones are four times more likely to get in accidents that cause injuries according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “We want drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel,” Sen. John Mulroe, who sponsored the bill, said in a prepared statement. “The phone call can wait.”

Opponents say the ban is an overreach by government into people’s lives. “This kind of stuff is the ultimate, ultimate in Big Brother,” Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican, said when the bill passed in the House. Bost noted that drivers do many other things behind the wheel — such as applying makeup, disciplining children or eating — that can be distracting and dangerous. “I know it is dangerous, but there’s a lot of things that we do every day while driving in our cars that become dangerous. ... Where do we stop [on bans]?”

Republican candidates highlight what they hope are winning qualities

By Jamey Dunn

Republican candidates for governor touted their electability at political events centered on the state fair today.

Four candidates are taking a shot at winning the Republican nomination this year. Three are familiar faces, and one is a newcomer. Businessman Bruce Rauner rode his Harley motorcycle into Springfield for today’s party breakfast and Republican Day at the fair. Talking to reporters on his way into breakfast, the first-time political candidate refused to get specific on a number of issues, including same-sex marriage and whether motorcyclists should be legally required to wear helmets. Rauner would only say that he always wears one. There is no law in Illinois that requires helmets, but there have been several attempts to pass one in recent years. Each time, the efforts have been defeated by the influential motorcycle lobbying group ABATE. “Today, it’s about victory and unifying the party,” Rauner said when asked to comment about his stances on social issues.

He was only willing to get specific on one issue. “We’re going to get term limits put on everybody in Springfield. All the legislature, as well as the governor, both today and in the future.” Rauner said that lawmakers and the governor should be restricted to serving eight years in office. Rauner would not say if he would support making Illinois a right-to-work state. But he did say he looks to former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as a political role model. Daniels, whose name was in circulation as a possible presidential challenger to Barack Obama in 2012, signed legislation in 2012 making Indiana a right to work state.

While Rauner may look up to Daniels, the priorities he listed today did not sound too different from those in speeches given by Democrats on their political day yesterday. He said he wants to help grow jobs, employ veterans, address corruption by bringing efficiency and transparency to state government and improve education. Rauner highlighted the fact that he is somewhat of a political outsider who would bring business experience to the job. “I have never run for office in my life, but I love our state passionately, and I cannot stand to watch us go down the drain the way we are. I will not sit by and let it happen,” he said. “I’m going to bring business talent, business success, to the governorship in Illinois.”

Rauner said of himself, “I’ve been a leader at everything I’ve touched throughout my career.”

Treasurer Dan Rutherford pointed to his win for his current office as proof that he can defeat a Democratic opponent in the general election. “I’m the only candidate running for governor that has actually run a statewide race. I know how to win.” Rutherford has attributed much of that that victory to outreach efforts in minority communities. “I know how to win. I know that going into communities of diversity is imperative for us as Republicans to earn the right to governor — communities of diversity of ethnicity and religion. I’ve done it. A great part of success is just showing up.” He said he could appeal to the independents and even bring over some Democrats. Rutherford said he would be able to garner solid support in Cook County.

He took a veiled swipe at Rauner’s lack of political experience in his speech to party leaders this morning. “It is good to be back at the state fair. This is not my first time here.” Rutherford highlighted his own hands-on style of politicking. “I’ve been to every single [one of the]102 counties,” Rutherford said.

Bloomington state Sen. Bill Brady, who lost the 2010 race to Quinn, said that his failed bid for governor has helped him to gain name recognition across the state. He said that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, brother of former president George W. Bush, encouraged him to run again. Brady said Bush told him that his own failed bid for governor of Florida helped him to eventually win the office.

Some political observers say that Brady’s conservative stances on social issues helped sink his campaign in 2010 because he was unable to gain the support of upstate moderates. But Brady said today that candidates have to make their opinions clear, come what may. “People have to know what you stand for. They know what I stand for. I stand for less government, lower taxes more private sector business. Regardless of who your candidate is, if they don’t know what you stand for, they don’t know what their supporting or not supporting.” However, Brady said that he thinks the focus of the 2014 race should be economic issues and not social policy.

Brady and the other candidates will likely not be able to match the wealthy Rauner’s ability to spend on his campaign. “We’ve conceded the fact that we’ll probably be outspent,” Brady said. “I don’t think there’s any question the people of Illinois regret their choice in the last election, and we’re going to win this time around.”

When asked what his biggest misstep in 2010 was, Brady did not have an answer. “I don’t know that I can point to that. What I can point to is that we’re going to run a strong campaign, build on what we’ve done and finish the job we started.”

Hinsdale state Sen. Kirk Dillard lost the primary to Brady in 2010 by fewer than 200 votes. Dillard noted that many pundits have since speculated that if he had beat Brady, he would be governor today. Dillard said to Republicans today that he could be the “unifier between the conservatives and moderates of our party.” Dillard said that he has appeal throughout Illinois and the “right profile” to win a statewide office. “I’m a suburbanite with strong downstate agricultural roots. I will be a governor for all of Illinois. I am not a regional candidate.”

Dillard pointed to his time as former Gov. Jim Edgar’s chief of staff as proof of his ability work with lawmakers and get things done. “I have experience that money cannot buy. ... I once worked for the last clean and competent governor of Illinois.” Edgar is again supporting Dillard’s bid for office. “I am the one candidate that is electable statewide. I know how to govern a Democrat legislature to get it to do things, and I’ve proven it as state senator as well as a gubernatorial aide — to get that Democrat legislature to live within its means,” Dillard said today. “I’m tested. I’m proven. And I’m committed to reinvigorating the Republican Party, but most importantly, making this great state of Illinois, the capital of the Midwest, work again.”

House Minority Leader Tom Cross was not in attendance today. The official line is that he had a prior family commitment and would be seeing his daughter off to college. However, rumors were circulating all day that he is considering a bid for treasurer. Cross had been planning a run for the attorney general’s office if Attorney General Lisa Madigan vacated the position. However, Madigan passed on a bid for governor and instead decided to seek reelection. While Cross was mulling his run, other members of his caucus were stepping forward in hopes of filling his leadership position. Since the revelation that Cross might stick around, he has been met with hostility from some of his members who were eyeing his job. Today, people close to the leader speculated that he may not have wanted to field questions from the press about a possible run for a different statewide office until he had made up his mind.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno was on hand. She said she would not be endorsing anyone in the elections. “I could imagine endorsing all of them; consequently, I will endorse none of them. ... I think all of them could do a good job, so I am going to be 100 percent behind whomever wins.” Radogno urged all Republicans who will be out campaigning during the 2014 election season to “remind our voters to keep focused on the result of 10 years of Democratic control.” She added, “People in this state I hope are smart enough to realize at this point, 10 years of one-party control has not been good for them.”

Democrats insist party unity remains, even as tradition is broken

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois Democrats stuck to the script of party unity today during annual political events centered on the state fair, even as primary rivals gave dueling speeches and the state party chairman, House Speaker Michael Madigan, was nowhere to be found.

Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton recently sued Gov. Pat Quinn over his veto of the funds for lawmakers’ salaries. “It’s something that will be resolved in court. It’s in litigation right now. It’s a major constitutional issue. And we have a resolution probably in a month, and we’ll now what the court says,” Cullerton said this morning at the party's annual breakfast. Cullerton and Madigan have argued that Quinn’s veto of lawmakers’ pay sets a dangerous precedent that would give the governor too much power over legislators. But in his speech at the breakfast, Cullerton likened the dust-ups among members of his party to the arguments he and his eight siblings had as children. “You’re still in a family. There’s never any doubt that you’re all in it together. That’s true of the Democrats. We share the same goals and the same values.”

Madigan was notably missing from the day’s festivities. When asked about the absence, Cullerton said on his way into the event that he was not aware the speaker was not attending. Quinn brushed aside the idea that the powerful House speaker was snubbing him. “I don’t know why he’s not here. But I talked to him this week, and I think he’s fired up and ready to go for [the] 2014 [election],” Quinn said. A call to Madigan's spokesman for comment was not returned.

Musicians sit behind Quinn on the stage that has held party leaders in past years.

Sen. Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat, got a joke in about the pay freeze as he gave his speech this morning. “I saw some of my colleagues here this morning enjoying their breakfast, but I don’t think you got the memo from the governor’s folks that you’re not allowed to eat until there’s pension reform.”

But the digs that Quinn and primary opponent Bill Daley traded in each of their speeches were far from lighthearted. Daley painted Quinn as an ineffective leader and a candidate who can’t win the general election. “We have a pension crisis and a job crisis. Our most serious crisis is the crisis of confidence in Springfield’s ability to get things done.” Daley touted his experience and the connections he made while working with former President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama “We need a leader who can call business people and labor leaders throughout the country and the world to build support for investment and job creation here in Illinois.”

Meanwhile, Quinn pointed the finger at “bankers” and “big shots” for wrecking the country’s economy. Daley has worked in the banking industry — job experience that he mentioned in his own speech.  Quinn closed his remarks with a populist appeal that has become one of his signatures on the stump. “There may be some things you haven’t agreed with me over the last four years on, but I think everybody agrees that I work as hard as I can every single day for the common good and the public interest, and that’s what we need in a governor,” he said. “We need somebody who understands everyday people, who knows how to work together with folks who don’t have lobbyists in Springfield, who don’t have necessarily big-shot friends. But they understand that they’re the heart and soul of America. They volunteer for tour military. They work hard on their job. They’re raising their kids. That’s what Illinois is all about, and that’s how we’re going to make the will of the people the law of the land.”

Quinn was greeted by enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd of Democratic county officials and other party members. In contrast, Daley was met with measured applause that came across as more of a courtesy than an endorsement. Daley said the reaction did not worry him. “It’s Springfield. He’s ... got a lot of people that work for the state,” Daley said after the speeches. “I think there may be a lot of people who obviously have known or worked for Pat, or work for Pat now or over the years, and they’re appreciative of those jobs.” He called Quinn unelectable in the general race. “Pat Quinn will not win if he’s the nominee of Democratic Party.”

Quinn said that many did not believe he could win in 2010, and he plans to use a similar strategy to pull off a victory next year. “I won an election in the primary in 2010, and I won again in the general election in 2010. There were a lot of folks who counted me out, but I won the election because I had everyday people on my side. And I’ve been doing that my whole life. That’s the only way you run an election: You organize your supporters and the people of Illinois and I think that we can come through again.”

Both Quinn and Daley could face another primary opponent. Chicago Democratic Sen. Kwame Raoul is considering jumping into the race. Raoul had planned to make a bid for Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s job if she ran for governor, but Madigan has decided to stay put. Raoul said people have been reaching out to him about the possibility of challenging Quinn. “There are a lot of people asking me the question, and so I have to consider those questions that are being asked, quite frankly, from all over the state.” He said the idea of running is new. “I didn’t enter this year, I didn’t enter this summer, I didn’t enter this month thinking that I was going to be running for governor or even considering running for governor.” Raoul said he thinks some people want more “options” in the primary.

Raoul and Quinn have publicly disagreed about some of Quinn’s recent headline grabbing moves, such as trying to use his veto pen to rewrite a bill dealing with concealed carrying of firearms. The General Assembly voted to override Quinn’s changes. “I like him as a person. I just wish he would embrace a different leadership style," Raoul said of the governor.

Raoul has been a key player in some of the biggest pieces of legislation to come out of the General Assembly in recent years, including the abolition of the death penalty and concealed carry legislation. He is now the chairman of a special committee working to hammer out an agreement on changes to public employee pension systems that can pass in both legislative chambers. He said that job comes first. “The top priority is pension reform. It’s the most important issue that our state is facing.”

Raoul said he does not want his political considerations to interfere with the committee’s work. “It’s a very delicate balance. You don’t want to do anything to undermine the work that we’ve done in a bipartisan, bicameral basis.” He said that there is a possibility that the committee’s timeline on presenting a recommendation to lawmakers could keep him from running for higher office. “There are time challenges, and certainly I anticipate the conference committee will be coming out with something soon,” he said. “We’ve moved the ball way forward from where we were as a legislature at large in a stalemate in June.”

Cullerton said that he has talked to Raoul about a potential bid for governor but is not encouraging him one way or the other. He said that he expects that neither he nor Madigan will endorse any primary candidate. But he said he does think that Raoul is up to the job. “Kwame’s very capable. He’s qualified to be the governor. There’s no question about it.” Raoul said he will not run unless he thinks he can be a viable candidate. “I wouldn’t put myself out there on a political suicide run.”

So far, Quinn has not received endorsements from any prominent Democrat — not even Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who will not be Quinn’s running mate for 2014. Simon’s own race for the state comptroller office got a little bit easier today when her primary opponent, Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn, announced in his speech this morning that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing her for the office. There are no other Democrats running for comptroller, but Simon faces a difficult race against well-liked and well-funded incumbent Judy Baar Topinka.

Instead of giving more stage time to a group of Democrats who have not endorsed him, and potentially even his challengers, Quinn opted to break tradition at the Governor’s Day rally at the Illinois State Fair after the breakfast. The governor made a brief speech, and the rest of the time was filled with musical acts and entertainment. Historically, party leaders have given speeches at the event. However, their addresses were often just shorter versions of the remarks they gave at the morning event.  Quinn said that the political breakfast, which lasted about three hours today, provides plenty of time for public speaking. “I don’t think we need to double up on political speeches at the state fair,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to have fun.”

Feds to bring more oversight to Metra

By Jamey Dunn

The federal government will provide more oversight for Chicago’s commuter rail service as the number of board members dwindles.

The action from the Federal Railroad Administration is just another development in the ongoing fallout from allegations of political influence being asserted over hiring decisions and contract terms at the agency. Alex Clifford, the former chief executive officer of METRA, has said that lawmakers, including House Speaker Michael Madigan, tried to wield clout over the agency. His claims come as the Regional Transit Authority has launched an audit of Clifford’s severance settlement, which could leave him with more than $700,000. Legislative Inspector General Thomas Homer is investigating Clifford’s allegations, and Madigan has said publicly that he did nothing wrong. 

After the resignations of four Metra board members — including former chair Brad O’Halloran — the board lacks enough members to name a new chair. U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin wrote a letter asking Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo to intervene while Metra’s “current leadership issues are being resolved.” Durbin wrote in the letter sent to Szabo earlier this month: “I know the professional, non-political staff at Metra is dedicated to running this railroad in the safest way possible, however the lack of permanent leadership at the board and management levels creates a situation where accountability is hard to find and priorities like safety could become neglected.” In response, the Federal Railroad Administration will increase the number of train inspections and increase oversight of Metra’s testing and inspection program. The administration also plans to communicate directly with top Metra officials, reach out to labor leaders and attend meetings between labor and management. “Safety is our first priority,” Szabo said in a written statement. “Historically, Metra has had an exemplary safety record, in large measure due to the dedicated career personnel who oversee and perform the daily operations. Our goal is to ensure that legacy of safety does not erode during this period of transition.”

According to a statement from Metra, the agency plans to welcome the additional federal involvement. “Safety is our number one priority at Metra, and while we believe we are operating as safely as possible, we appreciate the efforts of Sen. Durbin and the FRA to provide additional oversight.”

Gov. Pat Quinn has also called for increased state involvement at Metra and RTA. He said he plans to bring together a group of experts to work up changes that would be ready to present to lawmakers when they return to the Statehouse for the fall veto session in October. “I think we need to have a little bit more direct action on behalf of the public,” he said. “Right now, the role of our department [of transportation] and our state is basically to just hand the money over to RTA and Metra. I think we need far more oversight under law of these entities.”

Former Public Health chief of staff charged with corruption

By Jamey Dunn

An indictment released today alleges that the former chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Public Health accepted bribes and kickbacks for directing grants and contracts to certain providers.

Quinshaunta Golden is accused of taking $433,000 in kickbacks from state grant and contract funds. Golden, who is the niece of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, is charged with bribery, theft and fraud. Golden was chief of staff to from 2003 to 2008, serving for most of that time under Department of Public Health Director Eric Whitaker. The indictment does not indicate that Whitaker knew of Golden’s alleged misdeeds. “At this point the evidence has taken us to Quinn Golden, and the evidence has not taken us farther,” Jim Lewis, U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois, said at a Springfield news conference. Golden is also accused of witness tampering/obstruction of justice because prosecutors say she tried the influence a witness in an attempt to cover up the alleged crimes.

Today’s indictment stems from an investigation that has led to charges against 12 other people, including former Chicago Democratic state Rep. Constance Howard. She pleaded guilty in July to one count of wire fraud. Howard is accused of spending money from a scholarship fund on personal and campaign costs. She faces a sentencing date in November. Prosecutors have said they will seek a six-month prison sentence and six months home confinement for Howard. “Charges filed against these 13 defendants collectively allege the misuse of more than $16 million in taxpayers’ money intended to provide a wide range of health care, student assistance, job training programs and services to disadvantaged citizens. These include programs to promote wellness and improve health care; to prepare for major health and natural disaster emergencies; to provide health care advocacy programs and student job training assistance; to provide skill training and apprenticeships; and to provide statewide HIV prevention plans and HIV/AIDS facilities to assist African-Americans,” stated a news release from Lewis’ office.

The IDPH did not respond for a request for comment, and Golden could not be reached. Her first court appearance is scheduled for August 23. Lewis said that the investigation continues. However, he said that the charges do not indicate that the corruption touched all the programs at the IDPH. He said that so far, the focus has been on about $16 million in grants and contracts. “That’s a fraction of the money that was used [by the department]. My assumption is that a lot of the money for job training went to job training, that a lot of the money for education went to education; a lot of the money for health went to health. What we’re saying is that certain individuals, either grantees or contractors or an individual in the department, would occasionally steer some of the money into their private pocket.”

However, Lewis said he did not want to downplay the severity of the charges. “Public corruption makes my blood boil. It strikes at the heart of who we are as a people, how we govern ourselves. And do we live up to the contract, the agreement, that we have with each other?” Lewis called on state workers and the public to blow the whistle if they suspect corruption. He said anyone who suspects wrongdoing can call his office at (217) 492-4450. “I encourage everybody, if you see something that’s wrong, say something. Say it to the authorities, and let’s see if there’s something there.”

Quinn wants state to play a larger role in oversight of Metra and RTA

By Jamey Dunn

Gov. Pat Quinn said today that he wants to present lawmakers with a plan to address oversight at Metra and the Regional Transit Authority by the legislature's fall veto session, scheduled in October.

“I think it really needs fundamental overhaul,” Quinn told reporters in Chicago today. Four Metra board members have stepped down, including former board chair Brad O’Halloran, after allegations surfaced that lawmakers were pressuring board members about personnel and contract decisions. Former Metra CEO Max Clifford says that legislators, including House Speaker Michael Madigan, made suggestions to the board about hiring and employee compensation. Board members have also been called on to explain a severance package given to Clifford that could be worth more than $700,000. Clifford signed a confidentiality agreement as part of his severance settlement. The Regional Transit Authority, which oversees the Metra commuter rail service, is conducting an audit of the severance agreement.

Legislative Inspector General Thomas Homer has launched an investigation. O’Halloran has denied any wrongdoing and said he stepped aside because media attention has made it impossible for him to continue in his leadership role. Madigan also said he did nothing wrong. “I have reviewed the facts surrounding the issue, and I am confident that my actions were not inappropriate or violative of any applicable law or ethical rule,” he wrote in a letter to Homer in July. 

Quinn said today that he wants to bring together a group of transportation experts, whom he described as “not political,” to make reform suggestions for Metra and the RTA. The governor talked today about “restructuring” the two entities. “Clearly, the current system doesn’t work, and we need to find a system that does work.” He said he wants to have a proposal ready for lawmakers to consider by the time they are scheduled to return to the Statehouse on Oct. 22 for the veto session.

Quinn noted several times that he does not have the authority to appoint or dismiss Metra board members. The 11 board members are appointed by the county boards of counties that fall in the Metra service area. “I do not have the appointment power of Metra or RTA — there’s not one person I appointed at RTA or Metra — and I think that’s something that needs to be looked at very carefully.” Metra and RTA did not respond to requests for comment on the governor’s statements today.

Quinn said that because the state provides funds to both entities, he thinks it should have a role in oversight. “I think we need to have a little bit more direct action on behalf of the public,” he said. “Right now, the role of our department [of transportation] and our state is basically to just hand the money over to RTA and Metra. I think we need far more oversight under law of these entities.”

Quinn signs off on medical marijuana

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois became the 19th state to legalize medical marijuana today as Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation that proponents say are some of the strongest regulations of the drug in the nation.

House Bill 1 creates a four-year pilot program for medical cannabis in the state. The Illinois Department of Public Health will screen patients seeking medical marijuana permits. With the approval of their doctors, patients with one of 35 debilitating illnesses listed in the new law or their caregivers would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2014.

Growers would be licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and only 22 permits will be issued — one for every state police district. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will license 60 dispensary operations. Patients, caregivers, owners and employees of growing operations and dispensaries will all be required to pass background checks. Owners of growing operations or dispensaries will be banned from making campaign contributions.

“This bill is a very carefully drafted bill,” Quinn said in Chicago today. He did not openly support the bill as it moved through the legislature but said he would keep an open mind if it reached his desk. “Our law enforcement will be involved, our Department of Public Health, our Department of Agriculture. And the reason I’m signing the bill is because it is so tightly and properly drafted.” Last week, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a medical marijuana bill into law. Medical cannabis is also legal in Washington, D.C.

Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, sponsor of SB 1 and a longtime advocate for medical marijuana, said he has been trying to get a medical cannabis bill passed in Illinois for years because of stories he hears from the patients who are turning to an illegal solution for their pain. “Are we really going to be a state where we’re going to allow a 74-year-old granny with colon cancer to have to search for a remedy for her pain and her nausea? I don’t think that’s the kind of state we want to be,” he said. Lang said he is already getting calls from lawmakers in states that do not have legalized medical marijuana “asking for copies [of the legislation], asking how we did it.” Lang said the drug should be an option for patients who know have to rely on powerful pain killers such as oxycodone, which can leave patients dazed, unresponsive and ultimately addicted. “Those medications, which are designed to help them feel better, actually ruined their lives,” he said.

Marijuana is illegal at the federal level. But Lang said that growers and sellers who follow the rules in Illinois run little risk of getting arrested by the feds. He said that when the federal government has intervened in other states, it was when growers or sellers were “breaking state law,” “selling product out the back door,” or when the “grow sites are way larger than they need to be.”

The bill has the support of several prominent groups in the legal and medical communities, including the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Nurses Association. However, opponents have voiced concerns that the law would send the wrong message to young people about the drug or may open the door to the eventual legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Last year, voters in Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the drug for recreational use. But Army veteran Jim Champion, who has been advocating for the new law, says that it is a template for other states looking for a way to tightly regulate medical cannabis. “They’re looking at Illinois and saying, ‘That is the right way to conduct a legitimate medical cannabis program,’ and it makes me proud. Illinois gets dissed on a whole lot, but I’m proud to stand here today to say that this isn’t a Cheech and Chong bill. We’re an actual model for the rest of the United States,” said Champion, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 25 years ago. Champion said he is proud of his service in the Army, but he says, “I have always been ashamed that I was criminalized by the actions that I was forced to take for my pain relief.”

It is likely that Champion's story, along with input from other veterans whom Quinn talked to, played a significant role in the governor’s decision to sign the bill. Quinn is known as a passionate advocate for veterans’ issues. Under the new law, patients must have longstanding relationships with the doctors who prescribe them marijuana. However, there is an exception for veterans because presumably they will not be able to obtain prescriptions from doctors working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who have been treated by a military doctor for one of the illnesses listed under the law would be able to seek approval from a civilian doctor.

Sandy Champion, Jim's wife, said that at first she was opposed to him using the drug, until she saw how much it helped relieve his pain. She is her husband’s caretaker and also obtains marijuana for his treatment. “When I go out to the streets to get this medicine, I risk my life, I risk my career future and I risk getting him bad product because any of us know that there can be some chemicals put in this stuff and it can be really bad for them,” she said today. “So this bill is going to help me to be able to go into a dispensary legally, walk in and buy it with no fear.”

Lt. Gov. Simon enters race for state comptroller

By Jamey Dunn

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon kicked off her campaign for state comptroller with a series of evens throughout the state today.

Simon announced in February that she would not run for lieutenant governor again. At the time she said, “I want to serve the people of Illinois in a role where I can have an even greater impact.” Since then, political observers have speculated about which constitutional office she would seek. “Because I want to shine a light on corruption, blow the whistle on waste and be the fiscal watchdog that we so desperately need, I am running for comptroller,” Simon said today.

Simon has served as a prosecutor and worked as a law professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She served on Carbondale’s city council and made an unsuccessful bid for mayor of the city against incumbent Brad Cole in 2007. She served on an ethics commission chosen by Gov. Pat Quinn to make reform recommendations after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office.

Quinn picked Simon as his running mate after Scott Lee Cohen, a pawnshop owner with a checkered past, was pressured off the ticket. Cohen won the primary as a relatively unknown candidate, but allegations of drug use and domestic violence sunk his hopes of being a candidate in the general election. The state Democratic State Central Committee voted in Simon, the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, as his replacement. In her role as lieutenant governor, Simon has focused on education policy, college affordability, rural issues and recently concealed carry of firearms.

Quinn will pick his running mate for his current bid for governor. Under a new law, all the candidates will pair up with their choice for lieutenant governor and run as pairs in the primary. The law, which will be used for the first time this race, came after the Cohen fiasco.

Simon could face a primary challenge: Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn has voiced interest in the comptroller’s office. If Simon makes it through the primary, she will likely face a difficult race against incumbent Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, who has also served as a legislature and the state’s treasurer. Topinka unsuccessfully challenged Blagojevich for the governor’s office in 2006. So far, Topinka has Simon outgunned on fundraising with $805,000 to Simon’s $272,000 at the end of the second quarter.

Though Simon lacks solid financial experience on her resume, she says there is more to the job of handling the state’s checkbook than being a whiz with numbers. “It’s time for a comptroller who provides not just accounting but accountability,” Simon said. “Voters need someone they can trust. That’s why I’ve held myself to a higher standard. I don’t accept contributions from state contractors, state employees or their spouses, and I don’t take contributions from my own staff.” Simon said she would adhere to the same policies as comptroller.

Legislative leaders sue over pay freeze

By Jamey Dunn 

Democratic legislative leaders filed a lawsuit today to halt Gov. Pat Quinn’s move to suspend lawmakers’ pay until a pension reform bill is passed.

Quinn used his veto pen earlier this month to strike out the money for lawmakers’ pay from the budget. At the time House Speaker Michael Madigan’s public reaction to Quinn’s decision was not negative. He noted that lawmakers had made much effort to try to get pension legislation passed. “The governor’s decision follows my efforts, and I understand his frustration. I am hopeful his strategy works,” Madigan said in a prepared statement. Senate President John Cullerton called Quinn’s splashy strategy “unproductive.”

Today, both leaders are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Quinn claiming that his move to cut off paychecks is unconstitutional. In a letter to lawmakers, they called Quinn’s action “purely political” and an “unconstitutional attempt to coerce the legislature to comply with his demands.” The suit says that if the governor were allowed to cut lawmakers’ pay, it would break down the separation of powers between the branches of government because any governor going forward could hold paychecks hostage to extort votes from legislators.

“If the governor’s line-item veto is upheld, the independence of each member of the General Assembly will be forever compromised. Any governor will hold a trump card over a co-equal branch of government, attempting to bend the members of the General Assembly to his or her will with the threat of eliminating their salaries, which for some legislators is their only source of income,” the complaint says. “In this particular instance, Gov. Quinn has stated that his dispute with the General Assembly is over the lack of pension reform legislation. Next time, it may be gun control or abortion rights or tax policy.”

Quinn defended his veto again today. “My action to suspend the appropriation for legislative pay is clearly within the express provisions of the Illinois Constitution,” he said in a written statement. Quinn also is not taking a paycheck.

The Illinois Constitution does address the salaries of lawmakers, as well as those of constitutional officers and judges. The document says that salaries cannot be changed during their terms. From the legislative article: “A member shall receive salary and allowances as provided by law, but changes in the salary of the member shall not take effect during the term for which he has been elected.”

However, the Constitution also states that the governor may “reduce or veto any item of appropriation in a bill presented to him.” Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said last week that she did not have the authority to pay lawmakers with out the appropriation, which Quinn had vetoed. She said that the only way legislators would get paid is if they voted to override the veto or a judge ordered that they get their checks.

Madigan and Cullerton likely do not want an override vote because continuing in the standard process would be tacit acknowledgement that the veto was legitimate and constitutionally sound. “The purpose of this lawsuit is to protect the independence of the legislature and preserve the separation of powers. It is our hope that the court will remedy this constitutional violation and that future governors will not feel empowered to use such coercive tactics,” they said in their letter.

Quinn said that instead of focusing their efforts on a lawsuit, lawmakers should be working on formulating changes to the pensions system that can pass in both chambers. “Today's lawsuit filed by two members of the Illinois General Assembly is just plain wrong. If legislators had put forth the same effort to draw up a pension reform agreement that they did in crafting this lawsuit, pension reform could have been done by now. Instead of focusing on resolving the state's pension crisis — which is costing taxpayers millions of dollars a day — legislators have chosen to focus on their own paychecks and waste taxpayer time and money on this lawsuit. Legislators should not be rewarded for an endless cycle of promises, excuses, delay and inertia on the pension problem.”

Members of a special committee that is working on pension reform say they are making real progress. However, they say that it may be mid-August or later before the have a proposal to present to the General Assembly at large. Barring immediate court action, lawmakers will miss a their first paycheck under the veto this Thursday. Credit Union 1, which serves state employees, has offered to loan lawmakers half of their $68,000 monthly base salaries for 60 days. Non-members would have to join the credit union and would be charged interest on the loans.

Quinn said he plans to fight the issue in court. “I will defend the interest of Illinois taxpayers in the courts. Nobody should be paid until the pension reform job gets done for taxpayers.”

Union leaders took the lawsuit as a chance to remind lawmakers that public workers’ pension benefits are also protected by the state's Constitution. “Today, legislative leaders sued over the constitutionality of Governor Pat Quinn’s line item veto of legislators’ salaries. We remind lawmakers that the entirety of the Illinois Constitution must be upheld for all citizens, including public employees and retirees — teachers, police, nurses, caregivers, and others — whose modest pensions are protected in Article XIII, Section 5,” said a written statement from the We Are One Coalition. The coalition called on lawmakers to support the union-backed proposal, Senate Bill 2404. “Legislators take an oath to support this constitutional provision — just as they promise to support all constitutional provisions equally. Lawmakers must not cherry-pick or apply a double standard in determining what parts of the Constitution should be defended. They shouldn't adhere to the Constitution only when it's convenient.”

Topinka says she cannot pay lawmakers

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said today that without intervention from lawmakers or a judge, she cannot pay legislators.

Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed the money for lawmakers pay earlier this month, saying that they would not get their paychecks until they pass “comprehensive” changes to public employee pension systems. Topinka, who is responsible for cutting checks for the state, sought a legal opinions on whether Quinn could eliminate lawmakers’ wages. She said there were “conflicting” opinions among her legal team, but Attorney General Lisa Madigan advised Topinka that she cannot issue checks unless legislators vote to override the veto or a judge orders her to pay up.

Lawmakers are due to be paid again on August 1. Quinn has also asked that he not be paid. Topinka said the opinion is based on the case of AFSCME v. Netsch, in which a court ruled that the comptroller could not pay state workers without an appropriation. “This situation is different in that it involves two coequal branches of government,” Topinka said at a Chicago news conference today. “The distinction may well be considered by the court down the line, but at this point and time, the attorney general has advised that these payments cannot be made without an appropriation or a court order. Those are the only two ways we can do this.”

Topinka said she hopes the situation comes to a quick resolution because she believes Quinn’s veto sets a “serious precedent.” While Topinka can do nothing about Quinn’s move, she said she disagrees with it. “I think we’re on some really dangerous ground here,” she said. “This is no way to run a government. Threats of blackmail and inertia may be good theater, but it makes us look ridiculous and it takes away from our ability to get things done. So I think it’s time for leaders to lead.”

Quinn told reporters in Chicago today that he had no doubts that he has the authority to use a line item veto to remove lawmakers’ pay from the state budget. “It’s crystal clear the governor has this authority,” he said. “They’re not going to get paid until they enact fundamental pension reform, and I’m not going to take a salary either.”

However, Quinn cannot just undo the veto if lawmakers pass a pension bill. They would have to vote to override his veto, which Quinn has said they will have “his blessing” to do once a pension plan is on his desk. Of course, they could opt to vote on their pay before that time, or any member of the legislature could sue and let the courts sort it out.

Members of the conference committee that is working to craft a pension bill that can pass in both chambers told the State Journal-Register this week that they may not have a proposal ready until mid-August. “It feels like weeks left,” said Northbrook Democratic Rep. Elaine Nekritz.

“I would hope that they could move with dispatch, but I understand their need to study everything they’ve got to study,” Quinn said today. “The bottom line is, we’ve got to get this done, and no one in the legislature is going to get paid unless they get the job done when it comes to pensions.”

Obama keys Illinois speech on renewing the middle class

By Jamey Dunn

GALESBURG  —  President Barack Obama kicked off a speaking tour today meant to shift focus to economic issues in Galesburg, which has had its own economic ups and downs in recent years.

Obama delivered his speech at Knox College, a private school that he visited eight years ago as a U.S. senator. The White House played up the history as the president coming full circle on his push to strengthen the middle class. And the middle class was clearly the target for the president’s speech.

“So eight years ago, I came here to deliver the commencement address for the class of 2005. Now, things were a little different back then. For example, I had no gray hair or a motorcade. Didn't even have a (tele)prompter. In fact, there was a problem in terms of printing out the speech because the printer didn't work here, and we had to drive it in from somewhere. But it was my first big speech as your newest senator,” Obama recalled. “And I came here to talk about what a changing economy was doing to the middle class and what we as a country needed to do to give every American a chance to get ahead in the 21st century.”

Today, Obama focused on the insecurity that many in the middle class feel as jobs have disappeared in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse. “In the period after World War II, a growing middle class was the engine of our prosperity. Whether you owned a company or swept its floors or worked anywhere in between, this country offered you a basic bargain, a sense that your hard work would be rewarded with fair wages and decent benefits, the chance to buy a home, to save for retirement, and most of all, a chance to hand down a better life for your kids,” Obama said. “But over time, that engine began to stall, and a lot of folks here saw it. That bargain began to fray.”

He also painted a picture of what he described as growing inequity and a declining opportunity for Americans to improve their economic standing. “So the income of the top 1 percent nearly quadrupled from 1979 to 2007, but the typical family's incomes barely budged. And towards the end of those three decades, a housing bubble, credit cards, a churning financial sector was keeping the economy artificially juiced up, so sometimes it papered over some of these long-term trends,” he said. “But by the time I took office in 2009 as your president, we all know the bubble had burst. And it cost millions of Americans their jobs and their homes and their savings. And I know a lot of folks in this area were hurt pretty bad. And the decades-long erosion that had been taking place, the erosion of middle-class security, was suddenly laid bare for everybody to see.”

While the economy in Illinois has slowly improved since that bubble burst, at 9.2 percent, the state’s unemployment rate is higher than the national rate of 7.6 percent. The Flash Index, an economic indicator produced by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, reached its highest level in May since 2007. “While the economy continues its long, slow recovery, there appears to be considerable optimism that growth will continue and accelerate during the last half of 2013 and into 2014,” said economist J. Fred Giertz of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Knox County’s unemployment rate is lower than it has been in recent years. In May the county rate was 7.7 percent. Even before the recession, the county’s unemployment rate was higher than much of the rest of the state. In January 2004, it was 9.4 percent. It peaked in January 2010 at 12.1 percent.

Children play in the street as they wait for the president's motorcade to pass.

The declining unemployment rate implies that things may be improving in the Galesburg area, but  people who live here say many are underemployed. “There’s a lot of people working two different jobs and that. They’re just surviving on those jobs. They’re menial jobs. We heard young people that say, well, they were probably fortunate that they got a job at McDonald's. ... There’s a lot of them that can’t find work,” said Donovan Tucker, a retired Galesburg resident. Tucker worked as a senior design draftsman in the product engineering department at the Maytag plant, which was closed in 2004. The work went to a new plant in Mexico. Before the closure, Maytag was the biggest employer in Galesburg. More than 1,000 jobs were lost, but a study from Western Illinois University estimated that the economic impact of the closure cost the area more than four times that many jobs. Tucker remembers when then-state Sen. Obama addressed plant workers in Galesburg. Obama went on to tell the stories of Maytag workers in his stump speech while running for the U.S. Senate. However, the workers’ union was critical of his fundraising ties to top Maytag investors and ended up backing Hilary Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary. 

Tucker, thinking back to his time at the plant, said, “I saw a lot of changes out there over the years.” He said he was shocked when Maytag moved the jobs to Mexico. “I woke up a lot of mornings thinking. ‘Was that a nightmare or what?’”

Local politicians say Galesburg was the appropriate stage for Obama to start his economic tour. “Galesburg was the right place to deliver this. His whole message is that we need to do something to really stabilize the middle class because that’s the future of America. He laid out an aggressive program,” said Peoria Democratic state Sen. David Koehler. “I think what’s new and different is his sense of urgency. He knows that he has no more elections; he’s got a little more than 1,200 days left in his presidency. Certain things he’s going to do as president that he can do, but he also has to reach out and work with Congress. So I think this is really an appeal to the Republican moderates as well as his own party, the Democrats, to roll up their sleeves and really get something done.”

Obama focused on four things that he said are cornerstones of a solid middle class: job growth, access to education, home ownership and secure retirement. While the president appears to be positioning the economy squarely in the center of his agenda, he said that other issues are still on his to-do list. “Now, of course, we'll keep pressing on other key priorities. I want to get this immigration bill done. We still need to work on reducing gun violence. We've got to continue to end the war in Afghanistan, rebalance our fight against al-Qaida. We need to combat climate change. We've got to stand up for civil rights. We've got to stand up for women's rights,” he said. “So all those issues are important, and we'll be fighting on every one of those issues. But if we don't have a growing, thriving middle class, then we won't have the resources to solve a lot of these problems. We don't have the resolve, the optimism, sense of unity that we need to solve many of these other issues.”

Ryan Hickey, who is from Galesburg and will start his sophomore year at Millikin University in Decatur in the fall, said he was glad that the president addressed the growing cost of higher education. Hickey, who sang the national anthem before the president’s speech, is studying acting. He said that Obama’s call to raise the minimum wage could help him if he ends up waiting tables before he gets his big break. “The points that he hit were, I think, what our country needs right now.”

Obama called for an end to the partisan gridlock in Congress and said he planned to use his executive powers to do what he could to put his agenda in place. “Now, in this effort, I will look to work with Republicans as well as Democrats wherever I can. And I sincerely believe that there are members of both parties who understand this moment, understand what's at stake, and I will welcome ideas from anybody across the political spectrum. But I will not allow gridlock or inaction or willful indifference to get in our way,” he said. “That means whatever executive authority I have to help the middle class, I'll use it. Where I can't act on my own and Congress isn't cooperating, I'll pick up the phone. I'll call CEOs. I'll call philanthropists. I'll call college presidents. I'll call labor leaders, I'll call anybody who can help and enlist them in our efforts because the choices that we, the people, make right now will determine whether or not every American has a fighting chance in the 21st century.”

 U.S. House Republicans from Illinois, however, were not moved by the speech. “Today, President Obama made his 19th pivot back to what has always been most important to Americans, jobs and the economy. With its 9.2 percent unemployment rate, full-blown budget crisis and sky-high taxes, our shared home state of Illinois is an example of government making all the wrong economic choices. However, no amount of presidential pivots and speech making will change the fact that too many Illinoisans are out of work. It doesn’t have to be this way,” said a written statement from Rep. Peter Roskam, Rep. Rodney Davis, Rep. Randy Hultgren, Rep. John Shimkus, Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Rep. Aaron Schock. “House Republicans have never strayed from our focus on creating jobs and strengthening our economy. We are developing a tax reform package for individuals and businesses that would increase American competitiveness in the global economy. We have passed a jobs and skills training package, approved the Keystone XL Pipeline, acted to protect families and individuals from a costly health care law and put forth a plan to permanently fix our student loan crisis. These proposals would immediately and demonstrably boost the economy and set the foundation for long-term growth. We agree with the president: Too many Americans are struggling in today’s economy, and we stand ready to work.”

Tucker said he felt optimistic after hearing the president’s speech. “He’s very positive all the time. I wish he could be able to convince the others to work with him to get things done.”

Quinn approves key piece of federal health care plan

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois took a major step today toward implementing federal health care reform law when Gov. Pat Quinn signed a substantial Medicaid expansion.

Senate Bill 26 will expand Medicaid coverage to individuals who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, which is $15,860 for adults and $21,408 for couples. This expansion of Medicaid benefits to childless adults, who were previously ineligible in Illinois, is a key piece of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Quinn said he wanted to be sure to sign the bill before President Barack Obama makes a visit to Illinois on Wednesday.

“So we can tell him we got the job done,” Quinn said in Chicago today. “This is essentially implementing the Affordable Care Act. Some call it Obamacare. I call it ‘I do care.’ And this is the way that we, the people of Illinois, are going to get more health insurance coverage for at least 342,000 of our neighbors. I think that’s really an important objective, that all of us have decent health care for everybody.” Quinn's administration estimates that 342,000 people will be covered under the expansion by 2017.

The new Illinois Medicaid population will be able to enroll in October, and their coverage will kick in on January 1, 2014.

The Affordable Care Act, as originally written, would have required all states to make the expansion or risk losing their federal reimbursements for Medicaid. But the United States Supreme Court viewed that as an overreach and ruled that states had the option to forgo the expansion without the penalty. Illinois is one of 24 states, including the District of Columbia, that moving is ahead with the expansion. Six states are still debating the issue, and 21 states have no immediate plans to expand. (For more on the Supreme Court ruling and the Medicaid expansion, see Illinois Issues September 2012.)

The federal government will cover the cost of the expansion for the first three years. Then the federal match is scheduled to taper down to 90 percent by 2020. Illinois officials estimate that the state will receive $12 billion in federal funds under the expansion by 2020. Chicago Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans, who sponsored SB 26 and serves on the Senate’s budgeting committees, said the federal money will cover some medical costs currently being covered by the state. “It replaces what the state is paying for now, what local governments are paying for right now and really all the uncompensated care that hospitals are having to do. So this is going to help every single hospital throughout the state of Illinois.” She said that more than $200 million in spending from the state’s general revenue fund would be replaced by the federal match. “This is in my view very strongly both fiscally and morally the right thing to be doing.”

Steans said that most of the people who will be able to get Medicaid coverage are employed. She said the expansion will make health care accessible for people all over Illinois. “Sixty percent of these folks have jobs ... but low-income jobs that don’t provide affordable health care,” Steans said. “It’s every single part of the state where we have people who are going to be newly eligible here. It’s critical for downstaters, for our suburbanites, for the city of Chicago. It’s everywhere.”

Chicago Democratic Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, said the expansion will bring coverage to traditional underserved residents, such as those living with mental health issues. “From the perspective of a legislator trying to meet a need, trying find a medical home for our constituents, this legislation today is the game changer.” (For more on how the expansion could affect mental health care in the state, see Illinois Issues March 2013.)

Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the expansion is not just about getting more people coverage, it’s about making sure they have efficient and effective care that will make them healthier overall. “The Affordable Care Act and the promise of the Affordable Care Act is not just about putting a health insurance card in everybody’s pocket. It’s about redesigning the health care delivery system, and we are very hard at work doing that to create coordinated integrated delivery systems that will really serve the clients,” she said. “The promise of the Affordable Care Act is to get better health outcomes for all the people in Illinois and the country, that’s the most exciting part. That’s the work still ahead of us.”

But opponents of the expansion are concerned that it would further damage an already troubled system. Ted Dabrowski, vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said such a large expansion would redefine the nature of the program. “Medicaid was supposed to be a safety net for the poor, but when you add 25 percent of the population onto Medicaid, then it is no longer a safety net. It’s become so bloated and so expensive to run that the poorest of the poor can’t get access.” Stagnant reimbursement rates have led to some health care providers opting to not serve Medicaid patients.

Dabrowski said there could be access problems after the expansion. He said that the problems with health care in the state should be solved through the insurance market instead of through a “top down” federal plan that grows state programs. “There are legitimate problems that need to be handled,” he said. “We should fix those problems and attack those problems directly but not totally turn upside down the private market in order to reach those problems.” He said that by deciding to implement the expansion, the state is taking on future responsibility for residents who could instead buy insurance in the online marketplace that also comes along with the Affordable Care Act. SB 26 would roll back the expansion if the federal matching rates decline. But Dabrowski said that once the benefits have been given out, it is unlikely that lawmakers would support reducing them. “Most state governments have a hard time taking away any benefits they have given.”

Supporters say that the state should not pass on a golden opportunity to offer health care to a group that currently has few options and often seeks costly treatment in emergency rooms. “One would wonder why we wouldn’t want $12 billion of health care that is 100 percent match[ed by federal funds],” Feigenholtz said.

 “That’s an important fundamental right that everyone has. It’s not a privilege to have decent health care, it’s a fundamental right,” Quinn said.

Madigan encourages investigation of ex-Metra chief's clout claims

By Jamey Dunn

In the wake of the legislature’s inspector general announcing an investigation into whether Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan tried to use his clout to influence Metra personnel decisions, Madigan has issued a letter denying any wrongdoing

Alex Clifford, the former chief executive officer of the Chicago suburban commuter rail service, claims that Madigan asked that a Metra employee be given a raise. Clifford said he was pressured by members of the Metra board to give Patrick Ward, a Madigan donor and then-Metra employee, a pay increase and to promote another employee. Ward now works in Gov. Pat Quinn's administration at a job for which Madigan recommended him. Clifford said at a hearing this week that he thinks Madigan’s actions were “a character flaw, both ethically and morally.” But since neither the raise nor the promotion were given, he does not think that “the law was broken.”

Madigan sent a letter today to Legislative Inspector General Thomas Homer and members of the General Assembly’s Legislative Ethics Commission saying he encourages the investigation and that his office will cooperate. “I have reviewed the facts surrounding the issue, and I am confident that my actions were not inappropriate or violative of any applicable law or ethical rule,” Madigan wrote. Homer has said he plans to investigate Clifford's claims.

Clifford also says other lawmakers tried to influence Metra hiring practices and that the board mishandled contracts while he was on leave for treatment of thyroid cancer. RTA board members deny that they pressured Clifford, who left earlier this year with a more then $700,000 settlement that also came with a confidentiality agreement. They say Clifford only raised such concerns after it became clear that his contract with Metra would not be renewed. “I deny Mr. Clifford’s allegations, but out of an abundance of caution, immediately forwarded all of his claims to the inspector general,” Metra Board Chairman Brad O’Halloran said in a written statement. “I have never intervened with Metra’s staff regarding any jobs or contracts. The board attempted a fair and unbiased review process for Mr. Clifford that was upended by his threatened legal strategy, which resulted in the settlement.” The Regional Transportation Authority is auditing Clifford’s severance deal.

The Metra board is bringing in former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins, who led the investigation against former Gov. George Ryan, to look into Clifford’s claims and make recommendations for tightening the agencies hiring and contract policies. Collins is scheduled to report his finding to the board at a public hearing in 90 days. “Patrick Collins has an unquestioned reputation for integrity, honesty and fighting corruption,” O’Halloran said. “I look forward to an unflinching report which makes recommendations that help the agency restore confidence with riders, taxpayers and the communities we serve.” UPDATE Monday July 22: Collins will not be heading the investigation because of a potential conflict of interest tied to his law firm Perkins Colie. “I am personally disappointed that Patrick Collins cannot undertake this endeavor,” O’Halloran said in a prepared statement. “I felt he would have done an excellent job. I remain committed to interviewing other lawyers with outstanding reputations and investigative skills, and to once again ask the board for its approval.”

 Meanwhile some lawmakers are calling for the ousting of the entire Metra board. “I've seen enough. ... It's time to blow up the board at Metra,” Sen. Kirk Dillard told the Daily Herald last weekend. “It's not just hiring — it's on-time performance, mechanical breakdowns and a bad rollout of the fare increase.” Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican is also running for governor. Marengo Democratic Rep. Jack Franks called for the board members’ resignations after none of them showed up to testify before a legislative committee last week. “They have no business being in the public trust.

Madigan's announcement ripples the political pond

By Jamey Dunn

Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s decision to seek reelection instead of running for governor will have a ripple effect on the state’s political landscape.

Of course, Madigan decision not to run will affect the governor’s race. The popular attorney general has done well in the polls and was expected to be the front runner if she jumped into the governor’s race. Madigan announced yesterday that she would run again for her current office. In her written statement she cited her father Michael Madigan’s position as House speaker as one of the reasons for her decisions.

“For the last several months, I have considered the best way to continue serving the people of Illinois. Deciding whether to seek reelection or to run for governor has not been easy. I love my job as attorney general and continue to be excited about the important work we are doing and what we can do for people and families in the years ahead. I considered running for governor because of the need for effective management from that office and the frustration so many of us feel about the current lack of progress on critical issues facing Illinois,” Madigan said. “Ultimately, however, there has always been another consideration that impacts my decision. I feel strongly that the state would not be well-served by having a governor and speaker of the House from the same family and have never planned to run for governor if that would be the case. With Speaker Madigan planning to continue in office, I will not run for governor.”

Gov. Pat Quinn has said in the past that a Madigan in the governor’s office and a Madigan as speaker would be a conflict of interest. He did not reiterate that opinion today when asked about Lisa Madigan’s decision. Instead, he praised her service as attorney general, the job she has held since 2003. “I think it was well-said,” Quinn said in Chicago today of Madigan’s statement.

With Madigan out of the way, Quinn’s only challenger is former White House chief of staff Bill Daley. Daley served as chief of staff under President Barack Obama and commerce secretary under former President Bill Clinton. Despite his connections to national politics, most Illinois probably know him best from his family ties. He is the brother of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, the longest serving Chicago mayor to date, and son of former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, the second-longest serving mayor.

Quinn's comments today indicate that he may try to present Daley, who has also worked as a lawyer and a banker, as a rich insider while paying up his own populist credentials. “I think I’m quite a bit different than Bill Daley. He has a better tailor than I do.” Quinn said of himself: “I’m a people person. I think that anybody who has ever worked with me in public life knows that I interact with everyday people. I’m not going to be a champion of millionaires — everybody knows that. I fight hard for folks who don’t have lobbyists, who don’t have political action committees, who aren’t in high places, but they’re the heart and soul of Illinois.”

But when it comes to campaign funds, so far Quinn is Mr. Moneybags. According to campaign filings due yesterday, he raised $1 million between April 1 and June 30 and has $2.3 million to spend. Daley has raised more than $796,000. “I think that they understand we’re doing a good job,” Quinn said of his donors. “I think we ran a campaign in 2010 in a pretty tough environment and I won the primary won the general election. That’s what’s going to happen next year, too.”

Meanwhile, Daley has painted Quinn as an ineffective leader. “General Madigan's decision not to run now gives voters a clear choice between a proven leader who gets things done and a governor who can't seem to get anything done,” Pete Giangreco, spokesman for the Daley campaign, said in a written statement in reaction to Madigan’s announcement Monday.

Both candidates were likely happy to learn that Madigan is opting out of the race. Both face their own unique challenges in the Democratic primary: Quinn his unpopularity and Daley his unfamiliarity among voters outside of the Chicago area. “Daley has to go out and make public opinion, and Quinn has to change it,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.

At face value, Madigan’s decision seems to most benefit Daley, who can now paint himself as the only alternative to a governor many in the state dislike. However, he is an as of yet unproven candidate. If Daley was to fall in his face, all Quinn would have to do is step over him to secure the Democratic nomination now that Madigan is out of the picture. “It may be a huge plus for Quinn if Daley crashes and burns,” Redfield said.

For the Republicans, Redfield says Madigan’s decision may give all the four candidates a slight morale boost. “This may add a little bit of energy on the Republican side in general for the governor’s race because everybody sees a clearer path to being governor,” he said. But he cautioned, “If the Republicans eat each other alive and beat each other to death, so that it’s the last man standing, it may not make that much difference.”

Some members of the legislature may now be planning to stay put. “Where we thought we were going to open up a bunch of musical chairs here, open up a bunch of seats, it really kind of freezes everybody,” Redfield said. House Minority Leader Tom Cross had said he was weighing a run for the attorney general’s office if it were open. Now that it is not, he may need to work to soothe a caucus after many members have been vying behind the scenes to replace him. But since no clear successor exists, it appears likely he will hang onto his leadership position. “I think Cross probably maintains his leadership role, but again, that’s dependent on nobody becoming a viable alterative that can really bring everybody together,” Redfield said.

Chicago Democratic Sen. Kwame Raoul was also considering a bid for Madigan’s office if she left. Raoul has been at the center of the two premier legislative debates of the spring session, concealed carry of firearms and finding a solution to the public employee pension crisis. He is chair of the conference committee that is working to draft pension legislation that the group hopes can pass in both chambers. Raoul publicly sparred with Quinn in recent weeks over Quinn’s attempted rewrite of concealed-carry legislation and the governor’s move to suspend lawmakers' pay until pension changes are passed. While the two agree on many policy points, Raoul has taken issue with Quinn’s leadership style. The populist moves that Quinn is playing up for the governor’s race are the decisions that are putting him at odds with lawmakers. Raoul called Quinn’s veto of lawmakers pay unconstitutional grandstanding. “Listen, I like the governor. I like the governor, but I just don’t like the communication I have experienced over the last few weeks,” he said after a recent conference committee hearing.

With Madigan out of the governor’s race, the Illinois political rumor mill is churning at full speed and spitting out names of potential Democratic candidates, Raoul among them. He says he weighing his options. But a gubernatorial bid from Raoul might risk his status as a rising star in the Senate for a long-shot bid at higher office. “He’s for sure going to be in the majority and for sure going to be an important player in the Senate,” Redfield said. He said that Madigan’s decision not to run could open the door for another Democrat to join the race, but he can’t think of an obvious candidate. “I’m hard-pressed to think who that would be. Is there an opportunity for someone who is not a white male from Chicago? Sure. But I don’t know who that is,” he said. “A state legislator is at a huge financial deficit in terms of being able to put together a campaign — not having name recognition, not having any kind of statewide network, not having any kind of statewide fundraising in place.”

 Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon was also reportedly mulling a run for the attorney general’s office. Several Chicago media outlets have reported today that she will instead announce a bid for state comptroller in the near future. She will be challenging incumbent Judy Baar Topinka, which could be an uphill climb, especially considering that Simon’s fundraising totals have been lackluster so far. “She needs to have a clear field [in the primary] and the support of the Democratic Party,” Redfield said about Simon. “Once you get into the general [election], then obviously the party is going to help you.”

Madigan’s bombshell announcement Monday will no doubt have a lasting impact on Illinois politics — for one thing it indicates her powerful father isn’t going anywhere — and the outcomes of the 2014 general election. But the results are nearly impossible to see as campaigns are just beginning to kick off. Perhaps Quinn said it best when asked today if he was taken aback by Madigan’s announcement. “I’m not surprised about anything in Illinois politics.”