23 Mar 2020

Governor Pritzker Doesn’t Want to Die in a Steven Soderbergh Film, Either

By Rich Miller

"We know now, just the fact of community spread says that at least one percent, at the very least one percent of our population, is carrying this virus in Ohio today."

That was Ohio Department of Health Director Doctor Amy Acton speaking on March 12, when Ohio had only five confirmed COVID-19 cases. One percent of Ohio's population would be about 117,000 cases. "Community spread" means that the virus was transmitted by someone from inside the community, not someone who brought it in from outside.

16 Mar 2020

General Assembly Members Stare into the Abyss and the Abyss Stares into Them

By Rich Miller

The Senate Democrats caucused by phone last week. Among other things, members heard updates about what is happening in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Senate President Don Harmon told members that he, the other legislative leaders, and the governor are working on a list of must-pass bills.

09 Mar 2020

Can State Representative Thaddeus Jones Play the State-Politics Game?

By Rich Miller

The Democratic primary opponent of State Representative Thaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City) recently ripped into the incumbent for his position on a bill last year to create a new state board that would have the power to cap some prescription drug prices.

02 Mar 2020

How to Get Votes in the Illinois House and Not Leave an E-mail Trail

By Rich Miller

Chicago's public radio station WBEZ recently published a story about e-mails between House Speaker Michael Madigan's former consigliere Mike McClain and top staffers in Madigan's office. Federal investigators raided the former ComEd lobbyist's home last year.

24 Feb 2020

Rod Blagojevich Gets Out of Prison at President Trump’s Behest

By Rich Miller

Former Governor Rod Blagojevich emerged from prison just like he went in: Defiantly proclaiming his innocence and ostentatiously displaying his carefully-coiffed victimhood.

If you were too young to know about Blagojevich or your memory is hazy, you're now getting a lesson in Rod 101. He knows what reporters want and he's more than happy to give it to them if it serves his purposes. He will say anything, literally anything, to stay in the public eye, no matter how far from the truth it may be. And reporters are eagerly obliging him.

17 Feb 2020

Everyone Wants Mike Madigan Gone, But No One Wants Mike Madigan Gone

By Rich Miller

All six Democratic candidates vying to replace former State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) gathered for a candidates' forum last week moderated by Laura Washington of the Sun-Times. Feigenholtz was recently appointed to the Illinois Senate.

10 Feb 2020

Items to Consider for When the Rubber Meets the Road

By Rich Miller

I've read and heard a lot of commentary about what Governor JB Pritzker didn't say in his State of the State address last month. Some folks are still quite angry that he didn't address their pet causes.

03 Feb 2020

Unsafe at Any Speed: Ex-State Senator Martin Sandoval

By Rich Miller

"It's hard for me to swallow how [people] make so much off of you. Right? And I gotta do the work."

That's from the July 31, 2018 federal surveillance of now-former state Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) complaining, according to media reports, to one of the founders of the red-light camera company SafeSpeed. Sandoval was bemoaning how he was killing and passing bills on the company's behalf while watching other people make bank off the red-light-cam industry.

27 Jan 2020

Harmon Retains Cullerton’s Shipmates and Perhaps Avoids Mutiny

By Rich Miller

Give new Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) some credit. He's made a few very solid moves since January 18, when he was elected to his chamber's top job.

20 Jan 2020

Reflecting (and Deflecting) with Governor JB Pritzker, One Year In

By Rich Miller

Governor JB Pritzker regularly deflects questions about House Speaker Michael Madigan's future by saying he wants to let the investigative process work.

But during an interview with me to mark his one-year anniversary in office, the governor pointed to his reaction after Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) was indicted, now-former Senator Martin Sandoval's (D-Chicago) Statehouse office was raided, and now-former Representative Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) was arrested. In every instance, he said, he called on the legislators to step aside or resign.

Pages

Subscribe & Listen to Reader Podcasts

On Stands Now

 

Tagged Content

Two Ways to Subscribe

1. Subscribe to free weekly e-mail content updates.

You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Amy Alkon Advice Goddess, Real Astrology, Red Meat cartoon and RCR Crossword every week?) 

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

2. Get 12 monthly issues mailed first class for $48

Get 12 issues mailed monthly for $48 per year.

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Subscribe now.