THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Did Madigan directly ask ComEd to give a supporter a job or not?...Bill banning declawing of cats passes House...Pro-life rally descends on Springfield
March 23, 2023
Good morning, Illinois.
The House and Senate are in at noon. The Governor has nothing on his public schedule.
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YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
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Ex-ComEd lawyer testifies request to put Juan Ochoa on utility’s board came from Michael Madigan (Chicago Tribune)
The former general counsel for Commonwealth Edison testified Wednesday that he helped allies of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan hunt down jobs in law firms and at the utility itself, including a coveted position on the company’s board of directors.
In one of the central allegations in the government’s case, Tom O’Neill, ComEd’s former chief lawyer, testified that Madigan wanted former McPier chief Juan Ochoa to get placed in a rare vacant seat on the company’s board in late 2017 and that CEO Anne Pramaggiore was behind the move because Ochoa’s resume came from Madigan.
“I did discuss that I had some concerns about someone (recommended by) the speaker’s office being on the ComEd board,” O’Neill said of a conversation with Pramaggiore where he cited “optics” and the possibility that an ally of the speaker would have access to exclusive company information that could go before the board.
“She wanted to go forward,” O’Neill said of Pramaggiore’s reaction. “She thought it was important.”
Ochoa was the only name considered for the position, O’Neill said. The post paid about $78,000 a year.
On cross-examination, O’Neill was pressed on his knowledge of Ochoa’s backers, including whether he was being pushed by other Chicago Democratic heavyweights besides Madigan.
“Mr. Ochoa was not an associate of Michael Madigan, was he?” Pramaggiore’s attorney, Scott Lassar, asked at one point. “He was an associate of (Jesus) ‘Chuy’ Garcia and Luis Gutierrez, wasn’t he?”
O’Neill said he believed Madigan and Ochoa were once allies who had had a falling out, but was unclear on his relationship with Gutierrez, the longtime former U.S. representative, and Garcia, who replaced him in Congress in 2019. “I don’t think I knew that at the time,” he said.
Lassar also asked whether Ochoa was actually recommended to ComEd by then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
“I learned that later on, yes,” O’Neill replied.
Obviously, this plays into the defense argument that imporant people recommend people for jobs all the time and that Madigan didn’t actually benefit from Ochoa’s appointment to the board. Though, the feds are hoping they can show a pattern of Madigan pushing on ComEd (with their assistance) to exert his influence.
Related: Defense tries to flip the script in ComEd bribery trial, casting corruption charges as ‘classic, honest, legal lobbying’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
ComEd’s former top lawyer paints Madigan confidant as ‘double agent’ in testimony (Capitol News Illinois)
House sends cat declawing ban, rideshare regulation bills to Senate (State Journal-Register)
In Illinois, cat owners can [currently] declaw their pets. With House Bill 1533, the state would join New York and Maryland as the only states banning the practice.
The bill from state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, passed in the House on Thursday 67-38 with several Democrats opting to not cast a vote either for or against it. The Senate will now consider the legislation.
Hernandez said declawing essentially "amputates" a cat up to their knuckle. Her bill calls for a gradually increasing rate of fines for those declaw - $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for the second and $2,500 for a third. The only exception would be for when declawing is needed for a medical procedure.
House Republicans came down against the legislation in droves with claims that most veterinarians were also opposed. State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, noted concerns about what happens when an older person is scratched.
"I actually know a person who was scratched by their cat and for a month and a half had to fight to keep their hand," Meier said. "In some cases, this is very necessary. And there are pain medicines that these cats are given if this has to be done."
Bishop Thomas Paprocki leads Illinois March for Life rally; abortion access groups have [small] counter protest (State Journal-Register)
Thousands of anti-abortion and abortion access advocates descended upon Springfield Tuesday, marking the first Illinois March for Life in the post-Roe era.
Out-of-state demand for Illinois reproductive health services skyrocketed following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision last year as states such as Indiana and Wisconsin enacted bans or restricted access.
The day included multiple events at the University of Illinois-Springfield, Trinity Lutheran Church and on the state Capitol grounds. Advocates on both sides of the issues made plans to meet with lawmakers amid a busy week of floor action in the 103rd General Assembly.
Prior to scheduled rallies and a march around the Capitol grounds, a Roman Catholic mass service was held at Sangamon Auditorium. Springfield Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki led the service before a crowd of families and high school religious groups from across the state.
Paprocki, renowned for his anti-abortion stance, endorsed the nation's highest court decision for "rightfully" making the legality of abortion a question for states to decide. The bishop pushed for a resurged effort to change laws in states like Illinois where abortion is protected.
Paprocki said mothers dealing with unexpected pregnancies face uncertainty when it comes to how they will provide a good life for their newborn, which he believes begins at conception. This is when parishioners need to step up and provide a helping hand, he said.
"Fear and anxiety can push women to believe that abortion is their only option," he said. "As Catholics, we know that abortion is never the answer for a woman in need."
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
House sends 41 bills to Senate as Friday legislative deadline looms (Capitol News Illinois)
Former District 186 security officer makes history at Illinois House (State Journal-Register)
Kane County GOP sees $2M grant as Democratic election interference (Daily Herald)
House passes bill prohibiting book bans (Capitol News Illinois)
Arlington Heights mayor calls accusations of coziness with Bears 'offensive' (Daily Herald)
How are Illinois schools preparing for the next COVID-flu season? (Illinois Public Media)
Johnson won’t identify ‘Plan B’ for revenue if City Council, legislature resist tax hikes (Chicago Sun-Times)
Brandon Johnson, Paul Vallas grilled on past comments on policing and future plans for CPD at Tuesday’s Chicago mayoral debate (Chicago Tribune)
Quinn endorses Vallas over Johnson in April 4 mayoral runoff (Chicago Sun-Times)
Video: Watch Brandon Johnson meet with Crain's editorial board (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Opinion: A Tale of Two Chicagos in the Runoff (Chicago Magazine)
Opinion: Depicting Illinois' real culture might cause interest in flag (Champaign News-Gazette)
SOME TOP LINKS FROM THE WEEK SO FAR
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