THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All

Feb 24, 2022

February 24, 2022

Good morning.

I’ve had some very kind e-mails from some of you this week (and a few not-so-kind notes) related to our reporting or opinion pieces this week. I may have a partisan history, but I’m here to tell the truth and find answers to the questions people are asking. Yes, my opinion content is going to trend conservative, but it won’t ever give people free passes, especially if they’re doing something stupid.

Speaking of opinion content, I wanted to share my latest column with you in the family of Shaw Media newspapers. It shares my concerns that billionaires are taking over our political system in Illinois.

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Let’s get to the Free for All.

YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL

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State’s top court asked to rule on Pritzker’s mask mandate — a move governor says is needed to be ready for ‘next emergency’ (Chicago Sun-Times)

The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to review the state’s mask mandate and other COVID-19 mitigation orders for K-12 schools on an expedited schedule.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a petition for appeal Tuesday, along with a motion for an emergency stay of a Sangamon County judge’s order to block enforcement of the rules.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday that the state’s top court needs to weigh in so officials will “be able to do the right thing for the people across the state” in future emergencies.
Asked Wednesday why the administration continues to appeal the case, Pritzker said he thinks it’s important to clarify the powers of the governor and state agencies in case of another public health emergency.
“This really is about what do we do in the next emergency, as much as anything, what happens when there is another Omicron wave or, God forbid, at some future date, another pandemic or some other major emergency that affects everybody in the state,” Pritzker said during an unrelated news conference in Decatur.
“We want to be able to do the right thing for the people across the state, and so we hope that the Supreme Court will see that and rule on that despite the decision by the appellate court.”
In his appeal, Raoul’s office also argued that there needs to be clarity because different appellate courts have ruled differently on the same question.

If you’re the Pritzker administration or work for the Attorney General, you had better hope you win in front of the Supreme Court, otherwise you’re going to have egg on your face and a big weight hanging on your candidate heading into the fall election.

But, considering the 2nd District Appellate Court upheld the Governor’s power under the Illinois Emergency Management Act and the 4th Appellate Court didn’t touch a ruling based on the state Public Health Act, this is exactly the thing the Supreme Court is here to handle.

Related: Masks are staying in Chicago Public Schools, but some parents clamor for ‘COVID-19 off-ramp’; Catholic schools drop rule (Chicago Tribune)

Where are the most vaccinated kids? DuPage leads in COVID-19 shots, followed by Lake (Daily Herald)

McCuskey takes the helm at Legislative Inspector General’s Office (Capitol News Illinois)

Michael McCuskey assumed his role of legislative inspector general this week, bringing 32 years of judicial experience to the position charged with investigating lawmaker misconduct.
“I want them to be a little scared of me,” McCuskey, in an interview, said of the lawmakers who appointed him on Feb. 17.
For the first time, the position of Legislative Inspector General will be held by a former federal jurist.
McCuskey, 73, has been a judge for all but 13 years of his 45-year legal career. He served as a federal judge for 16 years, including a stint as chief judge in the district.
He’s a 9-to-5 guy who said he returns his calls and has friends on both sides of the aisle. He’s faced murderers, corruption and greed during his more than 30 years on the bench. He’s known for handing down tough sentences for criminal defendants, earning him the nickname “Maximum Mike.”
McCuskey, a Democrat, is as free with his opinions as he is with a story.
He once appeared on a radio show and called the University of Illinois president and other administrators “gutless” for their handling of a student protest of an appearance of then-Gov. Bruce Rauner.
He’s unapologetic about two publicly-funded pensions he receives along with the paycheck for his new public job.
“I would have earned more in a private law firm – much more,” McCuskey said. “I feel like this is where I need to be.”

Related: We spoke to McCuskey the night he was approved by the House last week (The Illinoize)

I know picking on a guy for having multiple pensions is a thing in Illinois politics, but Judge McCuskey served on the Appellate Court before President Clinton appointed him to the federal bench. I feel like calling him a double dipper is a bit of an unfair attack. Can you argue his pensions are too large? Absolutely. But if you have a 401k at Walgreen’s and then move over to CVS, are you double dipping in the pharmacy industry?

Opinion: Springfield Acts Too Much Like Washington (The Illinoize)

A handful of Republicans are trying to make a statement by getting themselves kicked off the floor for refusing to wear a face covering in accordance with House rules. It apparently led to a profanity laden blowup from Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) to Rep. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) after he was mistakenly named in the resolution to remove members from the floor last Thursday. He tried to apologize, she felt threatened, and they had a kumbaya meeting in the Speaker’s office yesterday morning.
It’s important to state just how silly the mask protests are for these handful of Republican members. Even when the public spaces mask mandate expires next week, each employer or business or group that runs a building (like the House Democrats run the House Chamber) has the authority to mandate masks or shoes or coats and ties (like the Senate does). By standing around until you get kicked off the floor does your constituents a disservice because you aren’t participating in the process, working on bills, or participating in any debate or constructive discussion. Not like many of them want to govern anyway. And, to be fair, yes, I’ve seen the pictures, I’ve seen the video, I know there are Democrats who have not been wearing a mask at times. The difference is, when they’re admonished about it, they put it back on. If this is some protest about the efficacy of masks, then, I don’t even want to hear it. The science is clear.
This all goes to a bigger problem. While there are honest brokers on both sides of the aisle in both chambers, sadly, we’ve reached a DC level of partisanship in Springfield. Far too many Republicans believe Democrats want to destroy America or Illinois. Far too many Democrats believe that Republicans are racist, xenophobic zealots who want to kill poor people.
Both House Speaker Chris Welch and Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) made pleas on the House floor yesterday for a return to civility.
“We must always conduct ourselves with mutual respect for one another. We must make an effort, at all times, to find ways to work together,” Welch said. “It's what the people of our state expect and deserve.”
Durkin echoed.
"We have people watching us right now, adults, children, think about that. Let's think about that. Let's respect what's going on on the floor. Let's listen to somebody's questions. Let's listen to somebody explaining their bills,” he said. “We should give the people that are watching us the opportunity to realize that we are serious people who all have something in common, and that's to fix our state, help our neighbors, help our neighborhoods.”
Immediately after the calls for civility and working together and moving past pointless protests?
Three more House Republicans were kicked off the floor for not wearing a mask.

Related: Rep. Steve Reick apologizes to Rep. Lakesia Collins (Capitol News Illinois)

Sen. Tom Cullerton resigns, will plead guilty in federal ghost payroll case (Chicago Tribune)

State Sen. Thomas Cullerton resigned from office Wednesday shortly before his lawyer revealed in court that he’s planning to plead guilty in a federal embezzlement case alleging he took a do-nothing job with the Teamsters union.
Cullerton, 52, a Democrat from Villa Park, was charged in 2019 in an indictment alleging he pocketed almost $275,000 in salary and benefits from the Teamsters union despite doing little or no work.
The case against Cullerton, who had remained in office and is free on bond, was originally supposed to go to trial this week, but was postponed due in part to a COVID-19-related backlog of cases. Meanwhile, both sides continued to work behind the scenes on a potential deal.
In advance of a status hearing in the case on Wednesday, Cullerton sent a letter to Tim Anderson, the secretary of the Senate, confirming his resignation from the body.
Less than an hour later, during a telephone status hearing before U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman, Cullerton’s lawyer, Dan Collins, announced that they’d reached a plea deal with prosecutors and “a trial date will not be necessary in this case.”
Gettleman set a change of plea hearing for March 8.

Considering Cullerton hasn’t been raising money and he was drawn into a district with another incumbent Democrat, the page seems to have been written for some time.

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THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All

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