State Senate

SB 2925, sponsored by Mike Frerichs,  requires every county to set up early voting sites on college campuses.  For Champaign County that would mean setting up early voting at Parkland College and the University of Illinois.

It’s hard to find a justification for this law beyond purely partisan motivations.  Does anyone really believe that a student at the University of Illinois has a more difficult time getting to a polling place than a working mother or father who may work as far as an hour away from their polling place?  Is there a single student at the University of Illinois who has a difficult time getting to a polling place on election day? 

Those of you who have voted at our office prior to the election are aware that our early voting center requires 12 ballot boxes to be set up to cast votes as well .  To replicate those items at at an early voting center is going to cost $75,000 alone.  Staffing and the technical issues of getting our voter registration information to the two sites will drive costs up even higher.

This question has come up in the past.  No doubt, a number of voters, be they on campus, in southwest Champaign, Mahomet, Rantoul, or Homer would like to see expanded opportunities to cast early voting ballots closer to their homes.  I’ve told everyone the same thing.  If those opportunities are expanded in one area, then in fairness they must be expanded to other areas.

With up front costs nearing $100,000 to implement and ongoing costs of $20,000 to $40,000 this bill flies in the face of the fiscal problems of the State of Illinois and Champaign County.  Ironically, state reimbursements for election judges and early voting judges have been reduced already.

Hopefully, this bill, which has already moved out of the Senate Assignments Committee, will be killed by Senators who can recognize it for its unfairness to the vast majority of  voters and its outrageous fiscal impact.

I've mocked claims that Illinois' House and Senate Republicans are somehow responsible for our current budget disaster, in language very similar to this:

What Madigan just flatly refuses to acknowledge is that Democrats could take the first major step toward fixing the state's finances all on their own. More specifically, they could bring to the floor some version of HB 174, which passed out of both the Illinois Senate and a House committee last May. In its basic form, this legislation brings in new revenue via an income tax hike while offsetting the burden on low-income taxpayers by boosting the state property tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Nine Democrats could vote against the bill and the caucus would still have enough votes to approve the measure by simple majority.

In short, Speaker Madigan and his allies in Springfield need to stop whining about the Republicans when they have the votes to pass a sustainable budget on their own. No one is going to buy the idea that the GOP is responsible for the inaction in Springfield. Such an argument makes the speaker -- and the party as a whole -- look dysfunctional and cowardly. Come November, that perception could hurt Madigan's precious majority more than an income tax increase.

(Emphasis added.)  The difference, this time, is that this is coming from Progress Illinois, an excellent liberal blog sponsored by SEIU.

They're right, of course.  If Democrats in Illinois think that the best solution to our budget problems is a tax increase, they can pass one all by themselves, with votes to spare.  They don't need Republicans any more than they need them for anything else.

State Sen. Mike Frerichs has laid serious groundwork for his re-election campaign.

Frerichs' latest campaign disclosure report, filed Tuesday, shows that he has $198,555 on hand, a record sum for any Senate candidate in the 52nd District at this point in the election cycle.

And, if he needs help, the Illinois Senate Democrats are as well-funded as they've ever been:

The Senate Democratic caucus committees took in over $1,919,000 in the last six months. Over the last four election cycles for this time period the caucus committees average of just over $940,000 with the best period being just over $1,120,000 in 2005. The Senate Democrats financial prowess shows no signs of slowing as they have already filed over $130,000 in contributions since January 1st.

Discuss.

From Tom Kacich:

Republican leaders are striking out in their recruiting efforts in the 52nd District, which includes nearly all of Vermilion County and most of Champaign County, including Champaign, Danville and Urbana.

"We continue to talk to folks," Champaign County Republican Chairman Jason Barickman said. "I'm still optimistic that we're going to recruit a top-tier candidate."

The problem is that time is running short. The deadline to file candidacy papers for the primary election is less than a month away (Nov. 2). And at least two top Republican candidates have said no to challenging Frerichs.

Discuss.

I don't know that I necessarily agree with it, but this appears to be the conventional wisdom that is forming about the 2010 re-election campaign for State Senator Mike Frerichs in the 52nd District:

52nd District (Downstate: Champaign, Urbana, Danville, Rantoul): By combining a liberal college town with rural Republican territory, Democrats made the senate district competitive. When incumbent Rick Winkel (R) retired in 2006, Republicans nominated Judy Myers, a former state senator from Danville. She faced Democrat Mike Frerichs, former Champaign County auditor, and independent liberal Joe Parnarauskis. The result was exceedingly close: 27,149-26,607-1,894, with Frerichs squeezing out a 542-vote triumph.

Frerichs voted for the income tax hike, arguing that it gave 8 percent property tax relief, even while raising the income tax by a third. A pro-tax posture, however, won't hurt him in Champaign-Urbana. Republicans have yet to unearth a credible opponent. Frerichs is favored.

Discuss.

State Sen. Mike Frerichs announced that he's running for re-election on WDWS' Monday podcast.  He also defends his votes this spring to increase taxes, and pledges support tax increases in the future.  You can listen to the whole thing here.

Astroturf seems to be in the eye of the beholder:

All throughout August, our members of Congress are back in town. Insurance companies and partisan attack groups are stirring up fear with false rumors about the President's plan, and it's extremely important that folks like you speak up now.

So we've cooked up an easy, powerful way for you to make a big impression: Office Visits for Health Reform.

All this week, OFA members like you will be stopping by local congressional offices to show our support for insurance reform. You can have a quick conversation with the local staff, tell your personal story, or even just drop off a customized flyer and say that reform matters to you.

We'll provide everything you need: the address, phone number, and open hours for the office, information about how the health care crisis affects your state for you to drop off (with the option of adding your personal story), and a step-by-step guide for your visit.

According to our records, you live near Rep. Timothy Johnson's office in Champaign, IL.

Sign up now to visit Rep. Timothy Johnson's office in Champaign this week.
(Not your representative, or think there might be another office that's easier for you to get to? Click here to find a different office.)

As you've probably seen in the news, special interest attack groups are stirring up partisan mobs with lies about health reform, and it's getting ugly. Across the country, members of Congress who support reform are being shouted down, physically assaulted, hung in effigy, and receiving death threats. We can't let extremists hijack this debate, or confuse Congress about where the people stand.

Office Visits for Health Reform are our chance to show that the vast majority of American voters know that the cost of inaction is too high to bear, and strongly support passing health reform in 2009.

Click here for a screenshot of the whole email.  I'm sure that the President's fans will claim that his effort to pack the Town Hall meetings of members of Congress is somehow more genuine, or better, or less partisan, or just a response to the efforts being made by those opposed to government-run health care.  It stretches credibility beyond the breaking point to label one's opponents as ugly partisan mobs when you're asking your supporters to do exactly the same thing.

(Disclosure: I work for Congressman Johnson's campaign.)

Lincoln's Challenge gets an interesting assist:

East Central Illinois also gets money for a great number of other projects, large and small, that were submitted by lawmakers as part of the $28.3 billion construction plan. But the money set aside for Lincoln's Challenge, an Illinois National Guard youth intervention program, dwarfs almost every other project in the state.

"I wish I could take credit for that, but I can't," said Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, whose district includes Rantoul and the old Chanute Air Force Base where Lincoln's Challenge is located. "I think someone else gets a lot of the credit."

The someone else apparently is Pamela Cullerton, the wife of Senate President John Cullerton, who is on the Lincoln's Challenge board.

The Governor hasn't signed the capital bill yet, and has hinted about using it as leverage for a budget deal, so these project may not yet come to fruition.

Local legislators will also point to the list of projects included here when running for re-election next year.  Sen. Mike Frerichs, for example, will use the Lincoln's Challenge funding, and the other money appropriated locally, to try and blunt some of the criticism that he voted for the largest tax increase in state history.

The State House and Senate failed to agree on a budget or tax and fee increases in time for last night's midnight deadline.  The Senate had earlier approved a very large income and sales tax increase in a Hail Mary effort to get the House to do to the same, but in the end the House did not.

The Governor now has to weigh whether to sign, reduce or outright veto a capital (construction) spending plan passed earlier, and has similar decisions to make about a six-month stopgap budget that passed both chamber of the legislature at the deadline.

Tom Kacich:

The undermanned Republicans somehow won this budget session. Neither Gov. Quinn nor Speaker Madigan came out of the session with what they wanted -- an income tax increase. They may still get it, but it won't come easy.

The elation in the Senate 24 hours ago -- after a huge income tax and sales tax expansion bill was passed -- has been replaced by grousing about the lack of courage in the House.

There may be grousing about the House, but at the moment, there is no pent-up demand among voters that taxes must be increased to solve these problems.  There is still sentiment, especially in wake of the recently-passed "incumbency protection" campaign finance reforms, that spending can and should be reduced.  For those who argue that a tax increase is a necessity, there has been precious little effort to sell that necessity to the public at large, and the effort that has been made (the SEIU and teachers' unions advertising) has been transparent.

Stay tuned to CapFax Blog to track the budget action as it continues once again through the summer.

UPDATE:  WDWS' Patrick Pfingsten got in a late-night podcast interview with Sen. Mike Frerichs after session had adjourned.

New Illinois Senate President John Cullerton was in town yesterday:

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton knows the relationship between the Democrats and Republicans is not going to be an easy fix.

"I've been telling the Republicans that the Democrats are not going to act like Democrats this year," said Cullerton, D-6, in a speech Monday at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs in Urbana. "But we want you (Republicans) to help us, so maybe you shouldn't act like Republicans this year."

Read the whole thing. Cullerton also stopped by a Chamber meeting.

I can't imagine former Senate President Emil Jones ever doing the same thing.  Kudos to Sen. Mike Frerichs and the IGPA for bringing Cullerton down.

Things must really be hopeless for appointed Sen. Roland Burris when even "tough and independent" Sen. Mike Frerichs is calling for resignation.

That said, at least he's doing the right thing, even if it's late.

Shameless Plug:  My brother-in-law is blogging again, and has done a nice job on the appointment process in Illinois' 51st Senate District (the Frank Watson vacancy).

I grew up and worked in politics down there, so I know several of the applicants personally, and I'm watching the process with interest.  I'm glad that the pressure applied by Adomite to get the list released publicly was rewarded.

Rod Blagojevich has now been convicted and impeached, and is no longer Governor of the State of Illinois.  Pat Quinn is now Governor, regardless of a swearing-in ceremony. 

The final vote tally hasn't been posted due to a technical glitch, but it'll be 59 to zero in favor of conviction.

UPDATE:  Heh.  The Senate Dems just had Sen. Mike Frerichs make the motion for the second vote, to bar Blagojevich from holding office in the future.  Gee, I wonder why?

There will be a vote as soon as today in the State Senate on whether to convict Gov. Rod Blagojevich on impeachment charges and remove him from office.  WDWS will carry the Governor's closing argument scheduled for 11 AM. 

I think the vote to convict will be unanimous, or very close to it.

Finally, the Illinois State Senate will begin its impeachment trial of Governor Rod Blagojevich today.

The best place for coverage, online or otherwise, is still Capital Fax Blog.

UPDATE:  Here's video of the Governor on Good Morning America.

Tom Kacichs writes:

State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, wasn't a candidate for re-election last fall, so his campaign fund got a big bounce, with income of nearly $60,000 and spending of about $25,000.

Frerichs now has $108,192 in his campaign treasury, which is a lot more than his predecessor, former state Sen. Rick Winkel, R-Urbana, had in his campaign fund four years ago. Winkel, now an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois, had about $17,000 in his campaign fund on Dec. 31, 2004....

Frerichs is building up a substantial treasury to discourage a Republican challenger in November 2010 in a district that went Democratic in last year's presidential election but is more competitive in off-year elections.

"I don't see this as anything surprising or overly challenging for an opponent," Jason Barickman, the Champaign County Republican Party chairman, said of Frerichs' fund-raising. "It's just not a lot of money when you look at how much was spent in 2006, which was a great year for Democrats, and where he won by just a few hundred votes."

In fact, Frerichs spent about $1.1 million winning the seat by 542 votes over Republican Judy Myers, who spent about $780,000.

You can view Sen. Frerichs' fundraising report here.  I can quibble with what Kacich wrote by arguing that $100,000 isn't all that substantial when a campaign in a targeted Senate race will cost more than $1 million, but it's a fair point considering that it's $100,000 more than the GOP candidate has at this point.  I will note that only a handful of Frerichs' contributions come from within Champaign and Vermilion Counties.

For Rep. Jakobsson, she raised about $27,000, got another $18,000 in in-kind contributions, and spent about $23,000 in crushing UI student Frank Calabrese in November.  She has about $18,000 on-hand as of 12/31.  Calabrese's campaign committee had not filed its required fundraising report as of last night's deadline.

The newly inaugurated Illinois House of Representative just re-impeached Gov. Blagojevich, 117-1.  New State Rep. Deb Mell, who is Blagojevich's sister-in-law, was the lone vote against impeachment.

Blagojevich also presided over the swearing-in of the new State Senate that will now conduct his impeachment trial.

Only in Illinois.

After weeks of a sham "investigation," the House Impeachment Committee voted unanimously last night to recommend impeachment to the full house.  A House vote on the impeachment resolution could come today, or tomorrow. 

Once that's done (and I expect a unanimous vote in the full House as well), the State Senate can take its own sweet time in setting up an overly elaborate process and preening for the media so they can pretend they opposed corruption all along.  I wouldn't expect a State Senate vote on conviction before the end of January.

UPDATE:  Gov. Blagojevich is impeached by the House, 114-1-1.  I'm surprised it wasn't unanimous.

A $50 million dollar figure for conducting a special election is being bandied about, generally by the opponents of the special election.  This figure is inaccurate, although it is based on some substance. $25 million is more accurate since the special election schedule could be wrapped in with the current election schedule.

But there's a free option that isn't getting enough attention.  As I said in a previous post, by having the parties slate candidates for the general election and allowing a filing period for independent candidates, we avoid the cost of a February primary and put the Senate candidates on the April 7th ballot when every voter in Illinois is already scheduled to vote.

This option isn't unusual.  In fact, if Barack Obama had quit on July 1st of this year, the scenario I am proposing would be exactly what would happen.  The Senate race would have been forced on to the November ballot, beyond  a primary date, thus creating a vacancy in nomination.  The three State Central Committees would then meet and slate candidates. 

The cost of doing this isn't quite free.  For Champaign County voters it would be under $1000.  About a thousand federal only ballots would have to be printed and some people overseas would be sent ballots who would otherwise be ineligible to vote in the April 7th election.  Add a few more bucks because the newspaper publication would increase by about two column inches. 

Of course, primary elections are the preferred way of selecting these candidates.  But the slating method would save $25 million and also give us a date certain for having a Senator.  It also is a reasonable compromise between all parties.  As it stands now, I wouldn't want to bet on the impeachment and removal process ending before then.  And certainly the public support for the person elected is going to be higher than if he/she is selected by the Governor, either Bloco or Quinn. 

It's looking that way.  The election bill was scheduled to be called in the house committee today.  The committee didn't even meet.  Mike Madigan on the floor cited concerns within his caucus about the cost .  Sen. John Cullerton expressed the same concern.

The reality is, a special election can be had for virtually no cost by having the parties nominate through their state central committees and by having the voters throughout Illinois vote on this on April 7th.  A host of Democrats have already come out in favor of a special election, but one by one they seem to be steering clear of the proposal.  Hopefully Republicans will find a few Democrats in Springfield who will buck their party leaders and make this happen.