THE ILLINOIZE (Lame Duck Edition): House Dems in disarray...Criminal justice bill moving as early as today...IDOR on Pritzker tax plan...Rep. Bailey update...
THE ILLINOIZE (Lame Duck Edition): House Dems in disarray...Criminal justice bill moving as early as today...IDOR on Pritzker tax plan...Rep. Bailey update...
January 11, 2021
Good morning from our chilly state capital.
House Democrats were put on the record last night for the first time in the battle between House Speaker Michael Madigan and three (now two) members of his caucus for control of the Speaker’s gavel.
Let’s just say we’re nowhere near a resolution with some 55 hours left to go in the 101st General Assembly.
We’re in Springfield through the duration, so like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. We’re not and won’t be on Parler.
As always, shoot over your questions, comments, and concerns to patrick@theillinoize.com. We’re still trying to figure out a good time for a Facebook Live today, so get your questions and comments in this morning.
As always, we hope you’ll share this newsletter with your colleagues, friends, and the guy on your Facebook feed who keeps posting wild Nancy Pelosi conspiracy theories. We’re here to save their brains.
Let’s do this thing.
MADIGAN IN PERIL
Going into the first House Democratic caucus vote last night for Speaker, we knew there were 19 of 73 Democrats voting against incumbent House Speaker Michael Madigan, enough to keep him from a 60-vote majority to retain his seat.
After the first round of voting, there were actually 22 Democrats against the Speaker.
Reportedly, there were 51 votes for Madigan, 18 for Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), 3 for Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego), and one member, Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) confirmed to us after the caucus she voted “present.”
“I just don’t think we’re there yet,” said Cassidy.
She pointed out the original group of 19 anti-Madigan votes grew to 22 Sunday night. Incoming Reps. Suzanne Ness and Denyse Wang Stoneback reportedly sided with Williams while Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-Schaumburg) supported Kifowit.
Cassidy said it is clear Madigan has no path to a majority.
“Who can’t get to 60 is the Speaker,” Cassidy said. “If you can look through the list and find nine people who will switch, I don’t see that.”
Williams told us she felt “good” following the vote, and issued a statement saying she saw the tally as a sign of strength for those opposing the incumbent Speaker.
“Today’s vote makes clear the House Democratic Caucus is ready for a change in leadership,” she said. “I am grateful for the support of so many of my colleagues and will continue to work to earn the support of the rest and unify the caucus.”
Via text Sunday night, Kifowit said she wasn’t sure what Democrat could get to 60 votes, but she isn’t giving up.
“I’m still in,” she wrote.
I spent 8 hours at the Bank of Springfield Center yesterday. Here’s our rundown.
We’re interested in your predictions. What do you think will happen? E-mail me at patrick@theillinoize.com. We won’t use your name in any response.
CONTROVERSIAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM MOVING TODAY?
Outside of the battle for Illinois House Speaker, nothing has gotten more attention during the lame duck session so far than the proposed criminal justice reform package spearheaded by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.
In fact, the package could get a vote in the Senate as early as today.
Many law enforcement advocates argue the process has been rushed, even though the Senate sponsor, Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) says a joint Senate and House committee heard 30 hours of testimony over the summer.
“We can no longer delay, distract, or deny the damage that is being caused to our communities,” said Sims. “I don’t say [this] to demonize nor vilify law enforcement. This is about ensuring that we have a criminal justice system that works for everyone, no matter where you live, what you look like, or what your ZIP code is.”
A message to members this weekend from Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Ed Wojcicki derided the legislation.
“This is one of the most anti-police bills ever drafted by the Illinois General Assembly,” he wrote. “It is also very bad for local governments, which could be stripped of additional funds at a time when funding already is in crisis.”
The bill cuts municipal funding if local departments don’t phase in body cameras on all officers.
The Illinois Sheriffs' Association has dubbed the proposal the “Defund the Police Bill.”
“This is about rooting out bad policing and racist policing,” Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) said.
DIRECTOR HARRIS ON PRITZKER TAX PROPOSAL
Governor JB Pritzker’s office issued a release late Friday laying out plans to reduce tax savings for business saving the state an estimated $500 million dollars.
But the release came with no news conference, no details, and no responses from the Governor’s office.
Pritzker’s Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue, former Republican State Representative David Harris, was at the Bank of Springfield Center for a few minutes yesterday, so I threw a few questions about it in his direction.
Harris says the state would decouple from that federal bill, instead not giving the “carryforward” net operating loss tax break to businesses for the last five years, but would continue to do so moving forward.
Harris says the bill only impacts pass-through businesses like Limited Liability Companies or “S” Corporations. He says that only makes up about 9% of some 450,000 pass-through businesses in the state.
Republicans and business groups in the state criticized the move as anti-business, but Harris says the change won’t hurt small businesses.
“We have a very small number of pass-through entities that even have carryforward losses,” he said. “The ones that do tend to be larger entities.”
Harris says the losses businesses face this year can still be used in future tax years.
“They don’t lose the ability to use the losses,” he said. “They can carry those losses forward indefinitely, up to 80-percent of operating income. It’s not like the benefit is going away, it’s just simply that you can’t carry it back five years. Only forward.”
REP. BAILEY UPDATE
You may have seen yesterday that State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who will be sworn in to the Senate Wednesday, collapsed early on during the House session yesterday afternoon.
I saw it happen first hand from the media section above the Bank of Springfield Center. He was on the ground for a few minutes in a very frightening situation. His closest friends in the legislature, Reps. Chris Miller (R-Oakland), Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), and Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) were all visibly shaken and appeared to lock arms in prayer while EMT’s attended to Bailey.
Some folks I talked to yesterday said Bailey had said he was participating in a fast for religious reasons and it may have played a role in his fainting. His office announced last night he was spending the night in the hospital and he had tested negative for COVID-19. A hospital spokesperson told me yesterday he was listed in “stable” condition.
Best wishes to Rep. Bailey for a quick recovery.
LEGISLATIVE APPOINTMENT UPDATE
Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) told us last night she hasn’t decided yet to seek Sen. Andy Manar’s (D-Bunker Hill) seat when Manar joins the Governor’s office later this month. It appears the field is frozen until Scherer makes up her mind.
As for former State Senator Bill Brady’s seat, there are two confirmed candidates, Tazewell County Board Chairman Dave Zimmerman of Morton and former Chief of Staff in the State Treasurer’s office, Kyle Ham of Bloomington both say they’re in. Emily Davenport of Lincoln, who is the Logan County Board Chair and also a nonpartisan Senate staffer, says she has not made a decision yet whether or not to seek the seat.
ONE LAST THING
It’s been 10 years since I was last in Springfield with a media credential.
While I spent time on both House and Senate staff in the last decade, it’s different being back in a media perspective. So, if I miss a few things, I apologize. If I step on a few toes, I apologize. If I’m a pain in the rear end to a spokesperson…well, sorry not sorry.
Seriously, though, thanks to Steve Brown, John Patterson, Liz Mitchell, Eleni Demertzis, Whitney Barnes, and Rachel Bold for being helpful with my annoying questions. And a shoutout to John O’Connor from the Associated Press (and chairman of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents’ Association), who has been handling a lot of media arrangements this week.
I’m still trying to get my feet back under me in a session situation. Thanks for your patience. But we’re going to keep doing our best to provide you good information that helps folks get an understanding of what’s going on around here.
If you're in Springfield, stop by to say hello. I'll be the guy in the mask.
Have a great week.