THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All...Candidates scramble for votes the weekend ahead of the primary...Pritzker proposes demolishing, replacing Stateville and Logan prisons
March 18, 2024
Good morning, Illinois.
Happy Primary Eve to those who celebrate.
We’re hosting an Election Night Live Stream for you tomorrow night beginning at 7pm. We’ll be results heavy with a ton of smart, thoughtful people joining us through the night for analysis, perspective, stories, thoughts, and probably a little debate, too.
It should be a lot of fun. Here’s the YouTube link to bookmark now. You can also subscribe to your YouTube page when you get there and click the bell to get a notification when we’re on live. We’ll also stream on Facebook and Twitter.
But, before politics: how bout them Illini? NCAA First Round on Thursday against Morehead Sate, which, it turns out, is from Kentucky. Who knew?
We’ll have a huge primary day edition for you tomorrow morning. I’m scheduled to talk to Congressman Mike Bost today and we’ve asked to talk to Darren Bailey, we’ll see what they say. I’ll also have a bunch of predictions for you.
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Governor Pritzker will sign an executive order on sickle cell disease treatment at 11 at La Rabida Children’s Hospital on the south side. The House and Senate are back Wednesday.
Let’s get to it.
YOUR MONDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets, because good journalism isn’t free)
From parades to pulpits, candidates make one final push before primary (Chicago Tribune)
Politicians fanned out across Chicago during a furious final weekend of campaigning, making appearances in St. Patrick’s Day parades, church pulpits and restaurant gatherings as they sought to energize voters ahead of Tuesday’s Illinois primary elections.
A day after tens of thousands of green-clad revelers watched the front-of-the-line jousting among politicians at Chicago’s downtown parade along Columbus Drive, the focus on Sunday was the traditional South Side Irish Parade, where candidates trekked down Western Avenue amid Irish Wolfhounds and high school marching bands.
“It’s a great moment to celebrate another culture,” said Appellate Judge Jesse Reyes, a Democratic candidate for a Cook County seat on the Illinois Supreme Court who is challenging appointed Justice Joy Cunningham. “Today, and tomorrow, everybody’s Irish, right?”
Noting contested countywide races for state’s attorney, circuit court clerk and the seat on the state’s highest court, he urged voters to come out on Election Day. “If you’re really interested in your community, Cook County, I think the people will come out to vote,” he said.
Without contested presidential primary contests to help drive voter turnout at the top of the ticket, expectations are for a low voter turnout, so “institutional support is very important,” said Mariyana Spyropoulos, who is challenging incumbent Democratic Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez.
A day earlier, before joining the crowd at the front of the line of the city’s downtown parade, Martinez several times referred to the party organization as a “dictatorship” and said she’d taken its refusal to support her personally.
Also on Saturday, Martinez joined retired Appellate Judge Eileen O’Neill Burke, who is facing Clayton Harris III for the nomination for the open-seat county prosecutor’s spot, in a back room at Ann Sather’s restaurant in Lakeview.
There, volunteers, precinct captains and North Side elected officials — many clad in green — fueled up on eggs and hash browns as they received marching orders from former 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney, the restaurant’s owner.
Martinez is facing “a bruising battle,” Tunney said.
“Part of that is within the Democratic Party,” he added, before turning his attention to promoting O’Neill Burke, who, like the county circuit clerk was not endorsed by county Democrats.
Tunney suggested Tuesday’s results could help maintain commonsense centrism in the party.
“This is, again, a real struggle about how do we make sure our party is as diverse as possible with the most qualified candidates,” he said.
Related: Candidates across Chicago make final pitch to voters before Tuesday’s primary (Chicago Sun-Times)
On Election Day, progressive candidates and causes are at the center of Democratic primary ballot (Chicago Tribune)
Muslim community leaders urge Illinois voters to protest Biden by writing in ‘Gaza’ on primary ballot (Chicago Sun-Times) [note: Illinois doesn’t have an “uncommitted” vote in the presidential preference race, so these don’t matter at all.]
Stealing campaign signs is a Chicago tradition steeped in machine politics (WBEZ)
An Irish name isn't the instant clout-getter that it used to be for Chicago pols (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Opinion: The Five Most Exciting Election Contests (Chicago Magazine)
Pritzker announces $900 million plan to demolish Stateville, Logan prisons (Chicago Sun-Times)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced a $900 million plan to demolish and rebuild Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill and Logan Correctional Center in downstate Lincoln.
The plan still requires legislative approval and places him at odds with AFSCME Council 31, the union representing 10,000 corrections employees.
The $900 million ask was included in Pritzker’s proposed capital budget, and construction costs are estimated to total between $805 to $935 million, according to the governor’s office. Lawmakers must still approve the capital plan during the spring session.
Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections say the state will ultimately save an average $34 million in annual operating savings by lowering overtime, maintenance and utility costs. The rebuild will also save the state “hundreds of millions” in deferred maintenance and annual upkeep costs by rebuilding the two correctional centers.
“These investments will allow staff to work in modern and safe facilities, ensure those who are incarcerated can safely serve out their sentences, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions in deferred maintenance costs from years of neglect,” Pritzker said in a release.
If the plan is approved, Stateville would be temporarily closed and demolished, with a new facility to be built on its grounds. Plans for Logan Correctional Center are still pending, including where the new facility would be built.
There is no doubt that the correctional centers need heavy repair, or a rebuild, but AFSCME on Friday said the department did not seek or consider the input of frontline employees of the union in the plan’s development.
“We have grave concerns,” Robert Lynch, executive director of AFSCME Council 31, said in a release. Those include safety and logistical questions about where offenders will be relocated during construction, including the maximum security prisoners at Stateville and women prisoners at Logan.
The union also claims the rebuild will result in layoffs at both facilities. Positions would be available at other facilities, but it’s unclear what distance employees will have to travel.
“This plan could all too easily drive staffing levels so low that the entire system would be destabilized,” the union said.
AFSCME is also questioning why Stateville can’t be built on another site. And Lynch said the union won’t support the plan until the department provides “satisfactory answers to compelling questions.”
Related: Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces plan to tear down, replace historic Stateville prison (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois plans to tear down, rebuild Logan Correctional Center (Bloomington Pantagraph)
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POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Chicago slowly starts evicting migrants from shelters (Chicago Sun-Times)
Behind the wheel without a license: Migrants buying cars to make a life in Chicago (Chicago Tribune)
Pritzker agency heads questioned on $1.1 billion revenue proposals (Capitol News Illinois)
Pritzker proposal would more than double sports betting tax rate (Daily Herald)
Diversity, judicial appointments at issue in 1st District Supreme Court race (Capitol News Illinois)
Illinois primary features competitive congressional races in the Chicago area (Associated Press)
As incumbent, US Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ García faces first-ever Democratic primary challenge from Ald. Raymond Lopez (Chicago Tribune)
As U.S. Rep. Danny Davis seeks 15th term, opponents argue it’s time to move on (Chicago Tribune)
Israel, abortion and Capitol riot among the issues dividing congressional candidates (Daily Herald)
Southern Illinois GOP congressional candidates race to win the hearts, minds of Trump conservatives (Associated Press)
Darren Bailey is challenging U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (The Southern Illinoisan)
Bailey vs. Bost congressional race among GOP primaries to watch (Capitol News Illinois)
Moore, Snellgrove set to face off in primary to replace Frese (Quincy Herald-Whig)
Editorial: Chicagoans should vote down 'Bring Chicago Home' (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Editorial: Ed Burke remains a licensed attorney. No, that’s not a joke. (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: House GOP targeting licensing delays with common sense proposals (Shaw Media)
Opinion: What suburban businesses, residents need to know about governor’s budget (Daily Herald)
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