THE ILLINOIZE: How Democrats hope redistricting will demoralize Republicans...Who is impacted most (with visuals!)...Looking at the Prisoner Review Board...6 days to adjournment
May 25, 2021
Good morning.
There are 7 days left in the spring legislative session, there are 532 days to the November 2022 General Election, and it’s been 166 days since the Governor’s office responded to an inquiry from The Illinoize.
The Senate will be back at 10:00 this morning. The House is in at 12:30 P.M.
If you aren’t yet a paid subscriber, you want to be. We were the first this weekend to outline the new maps and the potential member vs. member primaries first thing Saturday morning. We also went through all 177 lawmakers and how they fit in the new map Sunday night and subscribers had a first glimpse yesterday morning.
We’re trying to provide more than inside baseball here. We want people to know what is happening, why, and how it impacts them. If you like our content so far, we hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber today. It’s $7.99 per month or $75 per year (we also have group subscriptions.)
Remember, we’ll have two regularly scheduled subscriber-only newsletters tomorrow and Friday as well as breaking news and updates throughout the final week of the legislative session. Click below to become a paid subscriber now.
There’s a lot to get to, so what are we waiting for?
THE WELCH POWER PLAY
The late Friday release of proposed state legislative maps left 22 of the 45 members of the House Republican caucus drawn into a district with another sitting Republican legislator. The new 107th draws four conservative “Eastern Bloc” allies into one district.
Republican lawmakers expectedly denounced the maps for being drawn behind closed doors with data sources that haven’t been disclosed (as census data isn’t available yet).
But in conversations with Republican operatives from around the state Monday, House Speaker Chris Welch’s plan was designed to “demoralize” Republicans and exert his authority over the chamber that had been ruled by Michael Madigan by nearly 40 years.
"For anyone who had the slightest glimmer of hope that the end of Mike Madigan would bring upon a new era in Illinois politics, Chris Welch just showed Illinois voters his true colors,” said one longtime GOP strategist. “The era of corrupt Mike Madigan-style politics has not ended with Welch as Speaker.”
“Welch makes Madigan look reasonable,” said one longtime suburban operative.
Read more of their thoughts here.
HOW SOME NEW DISTRICTS CHANGE
There are nearly two dozen House Republicans drawn into potential member vs. member primaries. But, even the ones not drawn in with another GOP members are seeing dramatic shifts in the territory they represent.
Visual aids forthcoming.
Take Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who was drawn into a new district surrounding more of Springfield and moving south. It’s a complete change from a district that currently runs to the north.
Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) loses much of the Rockford area in the new map and gets drawn all the way south to almost LaSalle-Peru.
The same happens to the district of Eastern Bloc Republican Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland). Coles County is at the north of his current district, but would be at the southern end of his new district. He may benefit, though, because his wife, Congresswoman Mary Miller, represents much of the area.
One Republican potentially appears to have improved his standing. Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Rosemont) traded some of the more liberal suburban neighborhoods of his district for some of the most conservative (such as they are) parts of the northwest side of Chicago.
Then there’s Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst), who was drawn a block out of her current district into a competitive race with Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park). One GOP operative called the move “spiteful” by Democrats.
More on the new districts here.
PRITZKER “SKIRTING” VOTES ON CONTROVERSIAL APPOINTMENTS?
Three Senate Republicans said yesterday Governor JB Pritzker is skirting the state constitution to protect Senators from voting on parole board appointees who have released inmates convicted of violent crimes.
Pritzker has taken four appointments he made early in his administration in 2019 that haven’t received a Senate vote, withdrawn them, and re-appointed them the same day or two days later to restart the clock of their appointments.
“This is a clear and intentional manipulation of the process by the Governor,” said Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville), the top Republican on the Senate Executive Appointments Committee.
Pritzker nominated Arthur Mae Perkins of Peoria and Joseph Ruggiero of Wheaton to the Review Board March 21, 2019, after taking office about two months before. He withdrew the appointments March 12 of this year and reappointed each the same day.
Pritzker also nominated Oreal James and Eleanor Wilson of Chicago to the Board April 2, 2019. Both were withdrawn March 23 of this year and reappointed two days later.
The GOP members say either some, or all, of Pritzker’s appointees have voted to release violent criminals from prison and back into the community. They outlined five specific cases, including Johnny Veal, who killed two Chicago Police officers in 1970 and Joseph Hurst who killed a Chicago officer in 1967. Both were released by the Prisoner Review Board in February.
Executive Appointments Committee Chair Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) was pressed about the delay on the Senate floor yesterday, but she wouldn’t commit to moving the appointments before the Senate adjourns.
Obviously Senate Democrats don’t want to deal with the potential campaign ads that write themselves for next year, but apparently, nobody in Senate leadership can tell the Governor “no.”
Here’s our story on the topic.
SIX DAYS TO GO
Tick tock.
The House and Senate will begin hearings on the redistricting proposals today. Many Republicans I’ve talked to are confident the proposed lines aren’t final, but I keep asking them one question: “who’s going to stop them?” I suppose we’ll get our first sense of that tonight.
There’s been little movement on the budget since our last update last week.
I have no idea on the status of the proposed energy bills. Nobody is talking. If you have any insight, drop me a note at patrick@theillinoize.com. I promise to keep you anonymous.
Apparently discussions are still ongoing for a “trailer bill” to the police reform legislation passed earlier this year. Time is running out if they’re going to move something, but they did pass the original bill at 4:00 A.M. the last day of session in January. So, who knows?
Oh yeah, and we would expect something about spending $8.1 billion in American Rescue Plan dollars before the end of session.
If you’re wondering, Governor Pritzker hasn’t held a public event since the new maps came out. He has no public events on his schedule today.
CONGRATULATIONS
Our best wishes to Senator Dick Durbin’s downstate director, Bill Houlihan, who is retiring at the end of the week. Houlihan is one of downstate Illinois’ biggest Democrat players, and will likely be spending a little more time on political work now that the pesky federal government will be behind him. Senator Durbin honored Houlihan on the Senate floor yesterday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS
Former State Senator turned Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart celebrates a birthday today. Former Senate President Pate Philip and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky celebrate tomorrow, as does former State Treasurer Dan Rutherford. My friend and House Republican campaign arm director Jayme Odom celebrates Friday. She shares a Friday birthday with former Congressman Aaron Schock. GOP consultant Grant Culp and former Illinois Realtors’ Association lobster Neil Malone celebrate Sunday.
BEFORE WE GO…
Thanks for all of your kind comments this weekend on our breakdown of the maps as they came in. It made a couple of long nights of work a lot easier.
I’ll be in Springfield later in the week for the final stretch run. Subscribers (hint, hint) will get lots of updates through the weekend.
As always, send your questions to patrick@theillinoize.com, keep an eye on the website, and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Have a great week.