03 Aug 2020

Voting Blocs Prefer the Madigan They Know ... for Now

By Rich Miller

The calls were mostly brief and to the point, recipients said. House Speaker Michael Madigan just wanted to know where his members stood last week after two of his members demanded he step aside as House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois chairman. Did they agree with their fellow Democratic state Representatives Terra Costa Howard and Stephanie Kifowit that he should resign? he asked.

27 Jul 2020

Now the Shoe's on Michael Madigan's Own Foot

By Rich Miller

A couple of days after the July 17 disclosures in ComEd's deferred-prosecution agreement with the US Attorney's office, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan called individual House Democrats to try and reassure them that all would be well.

According to multiple legislators, the House Speaker told his members that he had done nothing wrong and that he never did things like recommend unqualified people for jobs, and fully expected that, if they were hired, they would actually show up for work.

20 Jul 2020

Feds Implicate Madigan in Bribery Charges While Colleagues Calibrate Responses

By Rich Miller

One of the most politically powerful entities in this state, ComEd has basically admitted bribing the most politically powerful person in this state, House Speaker Michael Madigan, and agreed to pay $200 million and continue cooperating with federal investigators for at least the next three years.

13 Jul 2020

Three Directors Later, Pritzker May Have a Winner in Richards

By Rich Miller

Governor JB Pritzker has not had a lot of luck with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) since taking office in 2019. Governor Pritzker appointed Gustavo Giraldo as his IDES director in March of last year. Giraldo abruptly walked out of the office two weeks later. The Pritzker administration has never explained why.

06 Jul 2020

Governor Pritzker Tells Illinois House Democrats Unemployment Claimants Will Not Be Moved to Front of the Line

By Rich Miller

Months after the nation's economy crashed and millions were (and continue to be) put out of work, a large group of Illinois House Democrats is still quite upset at the way Governor JB Pritzker's administration is handling unemployment insurance-claims.

But the Pritzker administration is refusing to bend on their most important demands, saying the governor will not move selected constituents to the “front of the line” ahead of others, which created a backlash within his own party.

29 Jun 2020

Illinois Rising Action Hits Pritzker in New Television Ads

By Rich Miller

Illinois Rising Action, a dark-money super PAC, is running a TV ad against Governor JB Pritzker. The group is reportedly putting $1 million behind the spot on both cable and broadcast over two weeks.

22 Jun 2020

While Form Has Changed, Function of Paying for Political Access Has Not in Illinois

By Rich Miller

As Illinois slowly begins the reopening process, some state legislators have decided to start hosting in-person fundraisers.

08 Jun 2020

Neither Sheriff Nor Politician Wants to Look Like “Bull” Connor When Black Lives Matter Visits Illinois

By Rich Miller

Organizers of a Black Lives Matter protest in Anna, Illinois, figured 10 people might show up for their event on June 4. The organizers endured threats of violence for days leading up to the rally.

Hey, this is Anna we're talking about here. Excuse my bluntness, but they don't call Anna "Ain't No N------ Allowed" for nothing. Anyone who knows even a tiny bit about southern Illinois and race history knows that Anna is Illinois' most infamous "sundown town." To this day, some residents still wear that moniker as a badge of honor.

01 Jun 2020

Can You Declare Victory and Withdraw When Your Enemy Is Air?

By Rich Miller

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), in the period just prior to and just after Governor JB Pritzker issued his first stay-at-home order in March, houses of worship in Illinois experienced thirteen COVID-19 outbreaks, resulting in 88 cases.

Since then, Illinois has seen no such outbreaks until one was revealed last week. IDPH told me of a very recent church-related outbreak of 39 cases, including the pastor.

25 May 2020

Some Things Shouldn’t Be Done by Remote Control, and That Includes Reporting

By Rich Miller

Last winter, a buddy of mine asked me if I thought I could cover state-legislative sessions from a remote, perhaps warmer, location.

I've been writing about Illinois politics and government for 30 years. Like many of my more-experienced colleagues, I've developed an extensive list of sources and contacts that I can reach out to. I can also watch General Assembly floor debates and many committee hearings on the Internet.

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