14 Oct 2019

When State Pensions are a Gamble, First-Responders Have Second Thoughts about Putting It All on the Line

By Rich Miller

One of the provisions of the sweeping state pension-reform law passed in 2010 has always stuck in the craw of first-responders.

Police and (especially) firefighter unions fought the local government lobby for decades to increase survivor benefits, and then they watched many of those hard-fought wins get wiped away when the General Assembly decided it had to lower pension benefits for new hires to avoid a fiscal catastrophe.

07 Oct 2019

You’re Nobody 'Til Somebody Puts You on the Feds’ List of Persons Pursuant to Its Investigation into Martin Sandoval

By Rich Miller

The Illinois Senate recently released a heavily-redacted copy of the federal search-warrant served during the raid of State Senator Martin Sandoval's Statehouse office last month. And the Village of McCook also released a heavily-redacted search-warrant from the federal raid of its town hall.

30 Sep 2019

The Raids on State Senator Martin Sandoval’s Offices and Home Prove That Justice Ain’t Beanbag, Either

By Rich Miller

At about the same time last week, Chicago-based investigators with the FBI and the IRS swooped into Democratic State Senator Marty Sandoval's district office, Statehouse office, and home residence, removing boxes of documents and seizing computers.

23 Sep 2019

Lori Lightfoot Risks Being Seen as Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of a Horse Called Victory

By Rich Miller

Whatever else you may believe, you have to commend Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for trying to live up to her campaign promise of making sure that new economic development isn't concentrated in her city's downtown business district.

16 Sep 2019

The Revenue Gods Smiled Down upon Governor JB Pritzker and Said, “Do Not Squander This Gift — Winter is Coming”

By Rich Miller

The governor's top budget people sent a memo last week to agency directors giving them a heads-up about what will be required in their annual budget-request submissions. They are not easy-peasy asks.

09 Sep 2019

Alienating Allies and Poisoning Relationships: Representative David McSweeney’s Career-Path to Political Success

By Rich Miller

Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) announced last week that he will not seek reelection. Instead, he said he'll likely be making a 2022 statewide bid for either US Senate against Senator Tammy Duckworth or Secretary of State if Jesse White retires.

He may not be a household name, but Representative McSweeney has been a huge thorn in Republican leadership's side since he first ran for the Illinois House in the 2012 primary.

02 Sep 2019

Governor JB Pritzker Plays Passive-Aggressive Goalie to Keep Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot from Kicking the Ball into Her Own Net

By Rich Miller

The statement issued by Governor JB Pritzker's office last Thursday night had some good advice for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who gave what was billed as a "State of the City" address earlier that evening. Mayor Lightfoot had outlined the challenges facing the city, including an $838-million budget deficit and her need for Illinois government's help in changing some state laws to allow her to raise more tax revenues.

26 Aug 2019

Tim Mapes: The Indispensable Consigliere Whom Speaker Michael Madigan Wishes Would Take a Roman Bath

By Rich Miller

You don't have to read past the first sentence of Tim Mapes' statement last week to see one of the core problems with the way he ran the Illinois House Democratic operation. Mapes was responding to an investigative report commissioned by House Speaker Michael Madigan to get to the bottom of allegations of sexual harassment and bullying in his Statehouse operation.

19 Aug 2019

So Long, Michael Carrigan, It’s Been Good to Know You. Who’s Next?

By Rich Miller

The Illinois AFL-CIO hosted its annual State Fair reception last week. The highlight was probably a speech by Governor JB Pritzker, who thanked his audience of union leaders for their support in the 2018 campaign and for their help passing an enormous amount of legislation during his first session of the General Assembly.

But there was also some real news. The event was the last time Michael Carrigan attended as the organization's president.

05 Aug 2019

Godfathered: No Aide of Michael Madigan Need Ever Fear Sleeping with the Fishes

By Rich Miller

When Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan announced in February 2018 that he'd fired Kevin Quinn, the brother of Marty Quinn, Madigan's 13th-ward alderman and political general, he said he made the decision because of Quinn's "inappropriate conduct" with Alaina Hampton, a political consultant whom he called a "courageous woman." Hampton had come forward with allegations of sexual harassment by Quinn and retaliation by Madigan's organization.

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