THE ILLINOIZE: LaSalle Vets Home Administrator fired...Still no answers from the administration...Why Schneider is quitting state GOP...Halbrook Christmas Party has 100+ without masks...
December 8, 2020
LaSALLE ADMINISTRATOR FIRED
Angela Mehlbrech, the Administrator of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home, was fired yesterday by Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia. It came after Mehlbrech announced Saturday the 32nd resident of the facility had died in a COVID-19 outbreak.
Governor JB Pritzker was asked yesterday if the firing was a sign of breakdowns in the management of the home.
He was, uh, less than definitive.
“You know, there’s an investigation that’s still ongoing. We need to make sure we know exactly what happened. What I know is that our job right now is to make sure that we do everything to protect the people who are at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. We’ve been trying to do that all along. This is another step to make sure. Since the moment that we found out there was an outbreak, there’s been a lot of effort that’s been made to evaluate the problems at the home and to mitigate those problems. This is another way for us to keep the people in that home safe.”
Pritzker continues to blame the outbreak on community spread. More on that on www.theillinoize.com this week.
THE COMMUNICATION BLACKOUT
It appears Governor JB Pritzker’s office isn’t interested in answering questions about the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
The Governor’s office uses a web portal to take questions from reporters who don’t attend Pritzker’s daily COVID-19 news conference in person. A staffer, typically Press Secretary Jordan Abudayyeh, chooses the questions that are asked of the Governor or Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
With the exception of last Friday, we have submitted a LaSalle Veterans’ Home question everyday since before Thanksgiving. Each day, those questions have been ignored by the Governor’s office.
We aren’t sure why Abudayyeh has been choosing to exclude LaSalle-related questions.
We’re pursuing all options, including legal ones, to be sure questions about this massive failure are asked.
GOP CHAIRMAN’S JOB “WIDE OPEN”
When Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider announced over the weekend he was stepping down as state party chair, a movement was already underway among some state central committee members to oust him.
At this point, Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw appears to be the only candidate openly working for the job, but we’ve heard of many names for the position, who does not have to be a member of the state central committee.
Sources tell us candidates like former Miss America and 2018 GOP Attorney General Nominee Erika Harold of Urbana has been discussed as a candidate. She did not return an e-mail from The Illinoize Monday night.
Lake Forest businessman and former State Senate candidate Barrett Davie as well as Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts have been mentioned as candidates. A spokesman for Ricketts did not respond to a request for comment Monday night.
What does a new chairman need to do?
Whoever gets the job has a tough job attempting to unite the conservative-leaning grassroots, especially downstate, with the more business-minded and less socially conservative Republican donors, specifically in Chicago and the suburbs.
Not to mention a race for Governor in 2022 against a billionaire incumbent with an unlimited war chest.
“One thing is for sure, whoever it is will have a big job building bridges if we’re going to position the party well for the next gubernatorial,” said Jay Reyes, a central committee member from suburban Riverside.
MADIGAN WILL RAISE TAXES IF PRITZKER WANTS
Embattled House Speaker Michael Madigan made his pitch to the House Black Caucus for another term this weekend and he promised to raise taxes if Governor JB Pritzker asked him to.
Sun-Times sleuth Rachel Hinton had an ear in the HBC meeting this weekend and quoted Madigan’s comments”
“My pledge to the caucus, on state finances and also on redistricting, is to provide the same type of strong leadership that I provided to our caucus when we were fighting against Gov. [Bruce] Rauner,” Madigan said while making his case before the House Black Caucus to remain speaker.
“Most of us who were there for the Rauner years know how bad it was, how difficult it was,” Madigan said. “The strong leadership I provided against the Rauner program is the same leadership that I pledge to provide to the caucus on state finances and on redistricting.”
A showing of that strong leadership may come if Gov. J.B. Pritzker asks the legislature to raise the state’s flat income-tax rate, which Madigan said is “very possible,” according to a recording of the closed candidate forum reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I’m prepared to vote for that, presuming it’s the governor’s request,” Madigan said.
Some Democrats have told us they expect a vote to increase taxes in the lame duck session in early January before a new General Assembly is sworn in.
Asked about Madigan’s comments Monday, Pritzker reiterated he wants to start with cuts, but its unclear how and if Pritzker will stomach or find support for $2 billion in one-time cuts.
A VERY SUPER-SPREADER CHRISTMAS
Governor JB Pritzker slammed State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) after Halbrook hosted a Christmas Part at a downstate restaurant with no masks in sight and no social distancing among the 100 or more attendees.
Halbrook held the event at a restaurant in Arthur last week. Arthur is about 30 miles southwest of Decatur.
Halbrook has been associated with a group of ultra-conservative legislators known as the “Eastern Bloc.” Among the members is State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who has repeatedly sued and lost cases challenging Pritzker’s authority to issue COVID-19 related emergency orders.
Photos of the event show more than 100 people in the room, none wearing masks, and many packed together at round banquet tables. A Chicago TV station even reported on the event.
“Shame on him. Shame on him for having people in a room packed together, not wearing a mask,” said Pritzker. “He knows better. He should know better. And if he doesn’t, maybe he shouldn’t be in the General Assembly.”
MEA CULPA
In our story last week about the congressional career of outgoing Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville), I mistakenly mentioned he lost to Dick Durbin in a Congressional race in 1994. The race was actually 1992. Durbin moved to the Senate in 1996 and that’s when Shimkus ran and won for the seat Durbin held.
Thanks to Phil Gonet, the retired President of the Illinois Coal Association for correcting my flub.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Happy Birthday tomorrow to former State Senator Rickey “Hollywood” Hendon. The flamboyant former lawmaker is 67.
THE SIGNIFICANT NEED
I wanted to remind you again that we’re raising money for the Salvation Army this holiday season.
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