THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All
Gov. JB Pritzker and GOP nominee Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) square off in their first televised debate tonight in Normal.
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October 6, 2022
Good morning, Illinois. Happy Debate Day.
Governor JB Pritzker and Republican nominee Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) square off tonight in Bloomington-Normal for the first of two debates before the November 8 General Election. You can watch it on Nexstar stations (WGN, WCIA, WTVO, etc.) around the state. I’ll be at ISU tonight, probably tweeting snarky things. Follow along.
Thanks to Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) for joining us on our Livestream and Podcast yesterday. We had a good conversation about the SAFE-T Act, changes to the law, crime, and police. Watch it here. You can also download the podcast version here.
If you have yet to join us as a paid subscriber, I hope you’ll take the chance to join us over the final few weeks of the fall campaign. We’ll be covering debates, talking to candidates, previewing races, and discussing important issues. All of those things cost time and money and we’re supported by you.
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YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
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Debate tonight at Illinois State needed many hands to come together (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Months of planning and coordinating logistics, from building a stage to feeding workers, will culminate Thursday night at Illinois State University as the state's two gubernatorial candidates meet for their first debate.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his Republican opponent, state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, are set to face off at 7 p.m. at an event sponsored by the university and AARP Illinois. Nexstar Media Group will broadcast the debate through its affiliates throughout the state, including Central Illinois’ WMBD-TV, and radio broadcasts will be carried on NPR affiliates, including WGLT and WCBU.
AARP and ISU are approaching the debate as an intergenerational event, giving the audience a chance to hear about issues that impact both young adults and older adults. AARP regularly advocates for changes that benefit college students too, Gruenenfelder said, such as the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program and the requirement to provide coverage to children up to age 26.
The debate is at 7pm tonight. You can watch on WGN in Chicago, WCIA in Champaign-Decatur-Springfield, WMBD in Peoria-Bloomington, and WTVO in Rockford. They’ll also stream at wgntv.com.
Related: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP challenger Darren Bailey facing off in first televised debate (Chicago Tribune)
Douglas County State's Attorney, sheriff file suit on SAFE-T Act (Champaign News-Gazette)
Douglas County’s state’s attorney and sheriff have filed a lawsuit in hopes of overturning the SAFE-T Act, the state’s criminal justice legislation that will eliminate cash bail on Jan. 1.
State’s Attorney Kate Watson and Sheriff Nathan Chaplin filed the suit at the Douglas County Courthouse on Tuesday, claiming the 764-page act contains “numerous constitutional violations.”
“This is not about politics; it is about public safety,” Watson said.
Watson and Chaplin seek injunctive relief on the act, claiming it violates several provisions of the Illinois Constitution, such as single subject law, separation of powers and the three-reading requirement.
La Salle County joins lawsuits to halt SAFE-T Act (Shaw Media)
La Salle County has joined a broad effort by state’s attorneys in Illinois to block or halt the SAFE-T Act, the disputed police reforms enacted last year.
Wednesday, La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro and Sheriff Adam Diss announced the filing of a lawsuit in La Salle County Circuit Court to prevent numerous law enforcement changes from taking effect Jan. 1.
The lawsuit, Navarro said, will be substantially similar to dozens of others — he anticipated up to 90 filed by fellow state’s attorneys, Democrat and Republican — filed to thwart the SAFE-T Act.
“This is not what Illinois needs and it’s not what La Salle County needs,” Navarro said.
“Both the sheriff and I, and every law enforcement officer and all my assistants take an oath to protect the people of La Salle County, and this is going to make it extremely, extremely difficult to do.”
Related: A Focus of Political Campaigns, Illinois’ SAFE-T Act Likely to See Tweaks This Year (WTTW)
Lawmakers criticize potential financial burden Safe-T Act poses to local governments (ABC 7 Chicago)
Opinion: A rehash of the Democrats’ playbook on SAFE-T Act: Discredit, disparage, pivot (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: New detention system under the SAFE-T Act will make us safer (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: SAFE-T Act defenders try to have it both ways (Champaign News-Gazette)
POLITICAL LITTER BOX (SEE BELOW)
Republican congressional candidate Lauf stands by debunked claim about schools and litter boxes (Daily Herald)
GOP contender Scott Gryder says local experience could help him unseat U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in congressional race (Chicago Tribune)
In Illinois' hottest congressional race, campaigns spar over abortion ad (Quad-City Times)
Trump-backed Miller, off hotly-contested primary, takes on Lange for 15th District seat (State Journal-Register)
Secretary of State’s Race: Giannoulias, Brady vying to replace Jesse White (Capitol News Illinois)
Alexi Giannoulias and Dan Brady offer differing visions for Illinois secretary of state’s office (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois Secretary of State: Candidates want to cut wait times, modernize offices (Rockford Register Star)
Comptroller’s Race: Mendoza touts state’s fiscal progress; Teresi focuses on recent corruption (Capitol News Illinois)
Voters will decide on ‘right to unionize’ constitutional amendment (Capitol News Illinois)
Taxpayer-funded electricity rate relief for downstaters is on the table (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Lightfoot’s extra pension payments don’t let Springfield off the hook, Civic Federation says (Chicago Sun-Times)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces disaster declaration to help those affected by Austin apartment building collapse (Chicago Tribune)
SOME TOP LINKS FROM THE WEEK SO FAR