THE ILLINOIZE: Rep. Willis for Speaker?...Dems deny GOP warning of tax hike...Manar's big payday...Open seat posturing...Vallas wants to open the schools...36th veteran dead at LaSalle

January 5, 2021

Good morning. As House Speaker Michael Madigan continues his attempt to cling to power, one of his top lieutenants may be planning his ouster. Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) shocked Springfield yesterday with his resignation, but he’s getting a big payday from the Governor’s office. And while Democrats have moved away from chatter of an income tax hike during the lame duck session, Republicans are continuing to claim a vote is in the cards.

Did we mention we’re just five days into the new year and session hasn’t even started yet?

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REP. WILLIS TO CHALLENGE MADIGAN?

More than a couple of House Democrats tell us one of Speaker Madigan’s lieutenants, Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison) will announce her candidacy for speaker as soon as Wednesday.

Willis, 58, was elected to the House in 2012 and was the first member of Madigan’s leadership team to defect from the embattled Speaker’s campaign for another term leading the chamber. She is one of 19 Democrats who has said she would not vote for Madigan for Speaker.

Madigan still appears to have the majority of votes in the horserace for Speaker, with an expected 73 votes in the Democratic caucus when members are sworn in January 13, though he is short of the 60 necessary votes to win the Speakership.

Willis may be attempting to bridge the gap between the 19 holdouts and a group of undecided lawmakers, which, we’re told, could still number in the dozens. Both the House Black Caucus and the House Latinx Caucus have endorsed Madigan.

Here’s our story this morning.

THERE’S WORK TO DO FIRST

House Republicans are warning of a secret Democratic plan to raise income taxes during a lame duck session beginning Friday, but leading Democrats say there is no tax increase in the cards next week.

“Madigan and his cohorts will be trying to sneak a tax increase into the lame duck session,” Durkin said.

He claimed comments from Speaker Madigan in December declaring the Speaker would raise the state income tax “at the Governor’s request,” signaled a tax increase was bound for a vote. Pritzker, as recently as late December, confirmed he would not ask for a tax increase during the lame duck session.

State Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), a Madigan ally, says he doesn’t believe there’s any plan to pass a tax hike.

“Given the leadership fight the House Democratic Caucus is facing, coupled with our sincere desire to make our tax truly flat by closing loopholes, my prediction is the income tax rate will remain the same headed into the 102nd’ General Assembly,” he said.

When asked if House Republicans would release a list of cuts they would support to help close the state’s remaining budget deficit, Durkin baulked.

“Governor Pritzker and Speaker Madigan own this budget mess and its errors.”

Here’s our story on the GOP claims.

MANAR MOVES TO GOV’S OFFICE

After last week’s announcement that one of the most recognizable downstate Republicans, Bill Brady, was resigning from the Senate, one of the top downstate Democrats announced his departure Monday.

Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) will resign January 17 to join Governor JB Pritzker’s office as a Senior Advisor.

Manar was elected to the Senate in 2012 after serving as Chief of Staff to then-Senate President John Cullerton. He won a contentious race in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2018. Manar was left on the outside looking in when he backed Kimberly Lightford for Senate President instead of eventual winner Don Harmon.

The Chicago Tribune reported Monday Manar’s salary with the Governor’s office will be $278,000. Half will be state salary and another half will be paid by Pritzker himself. The Governor’s office did not confirm those numbers to The Illinoize.

Manar, 45, represents a closely split district downstate that includes conservative rural areas and more liberal blocks of voters in Springfield and Decatur.

Here’s our story on Manar.

So, who may be interested in the appointment to finish out the final two years of Manar’s term?

APPOINTMENT ANGLING ALL AROUND

Three downstate seats in the State Senate have come open in recent days, and already there’s plenty of speculation as to who may be eyeing appointments to the seats vacated by Sens. Brady, Manar, and Weaver.

Let’s start with Weaver, since that’s the easy one.

He didn’t seek re-election in November, and everyone I’m hearing from is expecting that Win Stoller, who was elected to replace him, should be in place by the time the Senate comes back to Springfield this weekend (we think the Senate is coming back this weekend.)

Three candidates have emerged for Brady’s seat: former Chief of Staff to then-Treasurer Dan Rutherford Kyle Ham of Bloomington, Logan County Board Chair Emily Davenport, who already works on Senate staff, and Tazewell County Board Chairman Dave Zimmerman. All three tell me they’re interested, but aren’t willing to say they’re “all in” just yet.

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) and Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman took themselves out of the running yesterday.

Manar’s seat requires a lot more speculation.

Only former AFL-CIO State President Michael Carrigan has said he’s not interested.

You can see the five other names I heard last night by clicking here. (I promise it’s not clickbait, you actually want to read the story.)

Why is this important? Because there are no special elections for legislative seats in Illinois. So you have unelected party chairmen elevating someone who hasn’t been before voters to serve up to two years in Springfield voting on important things. Almost 15% of the State Senate has resigned early. It’s essential for people who don’t go through the process of meeting voters and earning actual votes get scrutiny before they’re appointed.

VALLAS SAYS STUDENTS SHOULD BE IN THE CLASSROOM

Roughly 9 months after the pandemic hit, many schools around the state remain closed to in-person learning. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, a former Democratic candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, as well as a 2019 candidate for Chicago Mayor, says schools should have been open already.

“Schools should have been re-opened. By May, it was pretty much determined that schools posed minimal risk for children,” Vallas said. “That children were least likely to suffer seriously from the pandemic and that children were least likely to be contagious.”

Vallas says continuing to keep students in remote learning has stunted development and forced many students, especially those in low-income households, to fall hopelessly behind.

A top teachers’ union leader disagrees.

Read our story and watch our interview with Vallas here.

36th VETERAN DEATH AT LaSALLE, VFW CALLS FOR RESIGNATIONS

36 residents have now died at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home since a COVID-19 outbreak struck the home in early November. 36 residents dead in a facility with around 120 beds.

That’s a full 30-percent of the residents.

Now a group of veterans’ advocates from around the state are calling on Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia and her Chief of Staff, Anthony Kolbeck, to resign or for Governor JB Pritzker to fire the pair.

When I asked Pritzker late last month if Chapa LaVia had offered her resignation, he said she hadn’t. But he declined then to give her a vote of confidence.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday yesterday to former State Senator Gary Forby. Today, my old boss Congressman Rodney Davis turns 51. Former State Representative Chad Hays is also celebrating a birthday today.

ONE LAST THING…

Here’s a 2004 interview with House Speaker Michael Madigan. He was asked then if he enjoys the job. Is the answer the same today?