THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All...Elected Chicago School Board goes to Governor's desk...Trump delegates have said the darndest things...What will be on the ballot in November?
March 11, 2024
Good morning, Illinois.
It’s eight days before an election. I’ve been called “fake news,” a “MAGA Republican” a “Pritzker henchman” and many other things in recent days. Ready to hit the “Do Not Disturb” button on my phone until March 20.
I was out in the hinterlands over the weekend to put together another primary preview for you. We’ll have that in the newsletter tomorrow. We won’t get to every race, but we’ll write what we can.
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The House and Senate are back tomorrow. There’s nothing on Governor Pritzker’s public schedule today.
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)
Illinois House passes plan for Chicago’s elected school board (Chalkbeat)
The Illinois House has approved a Senate proposal that would allow Chicagoans to vote for 10 out of 21 school board members during the Nov. 5 election. The bill now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s officer for final approval.
Senate Bill 15, which passed 75-31 on Thursday, includes boundaries for the districts that school board members will represent, ethics guidelines, and term limits.
November marks the first time Chicago voters will be able to elect school board members. Voters will elect 10 board members while Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint 11, effectively keeping control until the end of his first term. In 2026, all 21 seats will be up for election, with 20 members elected from districts and the board president voted on by the entire city.
The House vote Thursday comes just two weeks before March 26, when school board candidates can start to gather signatures to get on the Nov. 5 ballot. According to the bill, candidates will need to collect at least 1,000 signatures by June 24 to get on the ballot.
Rep. Ann Williams, a Democrat representing neighborhoods on Chicago’s north side, said Thursday afternoon that if this debate had taken place a year ago, she would have pushed for a fully elected school board. However, with November only a few months away, she feels the plan to elect 10 instead of all 21 is the best way to move forward.
“CPS is a $9 billion dollar agency which serves over 325,000 students,” said Williams. “It feels irresponsible to completely turn over the governance of Chicago Public Schools in a matter of months without adequate time to plan.”
Related: Plan for hybrid elected Chicago school board now in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s hands (Chicago Tribune)
Trump’s Illinois delegates: Some tout election denials, others claim vaccines were useless or QR codes lead to government tracking (Chicago Tribune)
The 51 Illinoisans running as Republican Party delegates in the March 19 primary who are pledged to make Donald Trump the GOP nominee for president include two members of Congress, several candidates for the U.S. House, former and current locally elected officials and a few frequent and often unsuccessful contenders for other public offices across the state.
Many of Trump’s delegate candidates share the former president’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was merely a protest of “patriots.” But a deeper examination of the delegates’ backgrounds, their public comments and social media posts shows some also have repeatedly promoted the belief that COVID-19 vaccines were useless — including a state veterans’ home nurse — and some have pushed conspiracy theories that 5G phone transmission towers, wind turbines and QR codes lead to digital government tracking.
Despite the Republicans’ call for election integrity in the wake of Trump’s 2020 loss, one of his downstate delegate candidates was previously indicted for forgery over his petitions in a failed bid for Congress. The case was later dismissed on a technicality.
Another Trump delegate candidate is a former congressional contender from Chicago who appeared at a conference known for featuring neo-Nazis and white supremacists. One candidate from Park Ridge vouched for the truthfulness of a conspiracy-spreading Trump election lawyer who later pleaded guilty to election interference. And another delegate candidate, who is from Lake Forest, faced protests after the Lake County Republican Party he headed at the time featured a gun raffle less than two weeks after the deadliest mass shooting in the nation’s history.
Republican voters in Illinois will elect three delegates from their congressional district to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July — 51 in all, plus another 13 at-large delegates to be chosen later by party leaders — where they are expected to formally nominate Trump for president and tend to other party responsibilities.
Most delegate candidates contacted by the Tribune either never responded to requests for comment or said they were instructed to refer inquiries to a Trump campaign aide who works with Republican state party organizations. That aide, Clayton Henson, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
There was some pushback among the MAGA Twitter crowd complaining the Trib reported on the things people said. Which, of course, is stupid. The fair criticism is that the Tribbies should do the same thing for Democratic delegates, because you know there’s a crazy or two in there.
Statewide election referendums beginning to take shape (State Journal-Register)
The November election ballot could include more than just candidates' names.
Several public questions are being weighed throughout the state through proposed constitutional amendments and statewide advisory referendums.
Advisory referendums are non-binding and are typically devised to collect public opinion on an issue. Petitions and referendums would require at least 328,371 signatures from registered voters to move forward to the ballot. Deadlines are May 5 and May 6 respectively.
A constitutional amendment requires either 60% of those voting on the issue or a simple majority of those voting in the election to pass. Voters in 2022 approved the Workers' Rights Amendment by clearing the 50% threshold, codifying a worker's ability to organize and collectively bargain in the state constitution.
Here are a few ballot questions to keep an eye on this election year.
Ethics reform, a persistent rallying cry in Springfield, could see action in November through a campaign backed by former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria.
The Ethics Initiative Amendment would allow voters to impose stricter ethical standards for state and municipal lawmakers. Almost two years to-the-date of former House Speaker Michael Madigan's indictment on racketeering and bribery charges, Quinn said the time to act is now.
An advisory question, asking whether parents should have to grant approval for their children to receive gender-affirming care, could be added to the ballot. Advocates were in Springfield last month, collecting signatures and discussing the referendum. The push has the backing of the far-right Illinois Freedom Caucus and former gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives.
State statute protects access to abortion in Illinois, however, a future with a Republican-led legislature could reverse those protections. Passage of an amendment would prevent that by codifying abortion into the constitution.
The House Reproductive Health and Dobbs Decision Working Group is engaging in those conversations currently. Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, leads that working group and previously told The State Journal-Register it is unlikely a ballot question will come before voters this year.
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POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Illinois is working on incentive deal with Rivian (Cain’s Chicago Business)
Illinois students in tutoring program largely met goals in reading and math, researchers say (Chicago Tribune)
How much of state’s capital improvement dollars are targeted for suburbs? (Daily Herald)
Bally's hunting for $800 million to kick off Chicago casino project (Crain’s Chicago Business)
A new casino coming to the south suburbs says it will hit the jackpot despite a run on casinos (WBEZ)
Obama Presidential Center opening pushed from late 2025 to 2026 (Chicago Tribune)
Activists, volunteers call on mayor to extend migrant removal deadline from shelters (Chicago Tribune)
Democratic congressional candidates differ on NATO, military spending (Daily Herald)
Labor union pulls endorsement of Rashid, backs Foster in 11th district (Daily Herald)
Where 11th District GOP candidates stand on abortion, and why one has made a shift (Daily Herald)
IL’s Mike Bost, Darren Bailey trade attacks on immigration issues. How did they vote? (Belleville News-Democrat)
Property taxes top issue in Kimberly Earling challenge to Sen. Patrick Joyce (Chicago Tribune)
Hanson, Boxenbaum meet again in 83rd state House race (Daily Herald)
Far-right lawmakers in southeast Illinois face union-backed primary challenges (Journal Gazette-Times Courier)
Editorial: Pritzker is right to end the grocery tax. But he must make it up to municipalities. (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: Here’s how Illinois can better help relatives who take in foster-care children (Chicago Sun-Times)
Editorial: ‘Right to die’ debate comes to Illinois. Both sides have merit, but we would vote no. (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: Doubling down on Illinois could be the better bet for Rivian (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Opinion: Bring Chicago Home real estate transfer tax would ‘chill’ multifamily housing development (Chicago Sun-Times)
Opinion: Self interested lawmakers unlikely to widen citizen initiative pathway (Shaw Local)
Opinion: Big money, little reward in Republican primary (Champaign News-Gazette)
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