THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Governor's Day is a big Harris rally...Pritzker goes prime time...Stateville
August 15, 2024.
Good morning from Springfield.
It’s Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair. I’ll be doing radio on WMAY from 6-9am at the GOP State Central Committee and Republican County Chair’s Association meeting.
There’s a chance for some severe storms midday today in Springfield. I’m told the GOP will decide early today if they’re going to move the Director’s Lawn rally to the BOS Center. We’ll let you know if they make the switch.
Governor’s Day yesterday had a lot of things and commentary you’d expect, but there was one completely unexpected star: Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. Hey keynoted the Illinois Democratic County Chair’s brunch yesterday and was self deprecating and legitimately funny. His speech was partisan but not overtly partisan, which was a welcome change after the stream of politicians that came before him. Keep an eye on that guy.
I’ll have many more thoughts about Governor’s Day and Republican Day in tomorrow’s subscriber newsletter. You can get that by clicking below!
There’s nothing on Governor Pritzker’s public schedule today.
I’ll see you at the Fair.
Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets, because good journalism isn’t free)
Illinois Democrats provide DNC preview with energetic support of Kamala Harris at Illinois State Fair (Chicago Tribune)
In a precursor to next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois Democrats led by Gov. JB Pritzker gathered at the State Fair on Wednesday to extol the energy they say Vice President Kamala Harris has brought to the presidential campaign.
“Can you feel the electricity across the nation for our next president, Kamala Harris?!” Pritzker shouted to applause from hundreds of people at the annual Democratic County Chairs’ Brunch in the Bank of Springfield Center. “We are just days away from hosting delegates and party leaders from across this nation for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and we are 83 days away from hearing the two words this country’s waited 248 years to hear: Madame President.”
The celebratory gathering of the state’s Democrats, both at the brunch and the state fairgrounds, was an occasion to keep the focus on issues including reproductive and workers’ rights three months ahead of the election, while also warning of the danger they say Republican Donald Trump poses to some of those rights as well as to democracy itself.
“We cannot allow Donald Trump to come back as president, right? I’m just saying,” Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said at the fairgrounds. “We’ve got a convicted felon. Con man. Liar. … We already had him as president once and all that brought us was unmitigated disaster, an unmanaged pandemic, death, debt and division, which we are still suffering from today and will only get worse should he have access to the power of the presidency again.”
The vote for president is the only statewide race in Illinois but President Joe Biden’s decision to end his campaign and endorse Harris has provided Democrats newfound momentum.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin praised Biden for passing the baton to Harris, calling it a “selfless decision for America.” The second highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, Durbin also touted Harris’ time as a U.S. senator from California, when they served together on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Pritzker was on the short list to be Harris’ running mate before she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz last week. While that raised Pritzker’s national profile, the second term governor is now in the role of loyal soldier to the Harris-Walz campaign as he ponders his own political future.
On a stage on the director’s lawn of the fairgrounds, Pritzker said Illinois has become “a true beacon for people all across the United States” and that the thousands descending on Chicago for the DNC next week will see that.
“They’re going to see a state where Democrats deliver,” the governor said. “I just want to say how excited I am that next week on the floor of the convention I get to extol the virtues of the state of Illinois and all the Democrats in Illinois and we’re going to be chanting “Kam-a-la! Kam-a-la! Kam-a-la! Kam-a-la!”
Related: Illinois Democrats rally at State Fair ahead of Chicago DNC (Chicago Sun-Times)
In largest annual Illinois rally, Democrats reflect on surge of enthusiasm with Harris atop ticket (Capitol News Illinois)
Illinois Dems rally around progressive message ahead of national convention (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Pritzker calls Trump a 'loser' as Dems champion Harris, Walz during Governor's Day (State Journal-Register)
Pritzker ready for prime time speech at Democratic Convention, with Johnson also among speakers (Chicago Sun-Times)
Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson are among a slew of Illinois Democrats scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week.
Pritzker will speak in a primetime address Tuesday night, the same night former President Barack Obama will address the convention, according to two sources familiar with the plans. Johnson, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood have also been confirmed as speakers.
President Joe Biden will address the convention Monday, along with former Secretary of State and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton will address the convention before vice presidential nominee Tim Walz speaks and formally accepts the nomination. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will close out the convention with a Thursday night address.
Pritzker, Duckworth and former Mayor Lori Lightfoot were instrumental in landing the convention in Chicago. But Johnson has also played an active role since taking office. Pritzker, who was a contender to be Harris’ running mate, told reporters last week that he planned to travel the country to help boost the Harris-Walz ticket ahead of the November election. And Johnson last week headlined an event in Detroit called “Black Men for Harris.”
Pritzker and Illinois first lady MK Pritzker on Tuesday plan to host a Salt Shed concert featuring John Legend. Pritzker has presidential aspirations, although a Harris win in November would mean he would have to wait a bit longer to launch a full-fledged presidential campaign. The Democratic governor last week would not definitively say whether he is considering a third run for governor in 2026 or if he would consider taking over for Walz as chair of the Democratic Governors Association should the ticket win.
“At the moment, I’m just focused on the job that I’ve got,” he said. He also said that he has not contemplated a Cabinet position should Democrats win.
Related: Chicago DNC host committee says it has raised a record $94 million (Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Johnson ally raising money from Chicago business leaders for DNC events (Chicago Tribune)
Want a dedicated chair and an electrical outlet? For journalists at the DNC, the price starts at $751. (WBEZ)
Federal judge refuses to grant changes to DNC protest route: ‘This falls well short of a First Amendment violation’ (Chicago Tribune)
DNC goes live next week with local minority contractors in several major roles (WBEZ)
On eve of DNC, Republicans are gathering in Woodstock for Pro-Trump rally (Daily Herald)
Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff in Chicago for fundraisers (Chicago Tribune)
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff addresses antisemitism at Chicago fundraiser for Kamala Harris campaign (Chicago Sun-Times)
Judge orders prison officials to relocate Stateville population by Sept. 30 (Capitol News Illinois)
A federal judge is ordering Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration to move the vast majority of those incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet out of the aging prison by the end of September, citing health and safety concerns posed by the facility.
The Illinois Department of Corrections had previously stated its intention to close Stateville as early as September as part of a larger plan to rebuild it along with another prison. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood’s edict puts a Sept. 30 deadline on those efforts.
The judge’s order, filed Friday, is the latest in an 11-year-old legal battle over dirty and dangerous conditions at Stateville. While settlement talks have been ongoing since 2015, Pritzker in March announced a plan to rebuild Stateville, along with closing and rebuilding Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln. The decision was sparked by a state-commissioned report published last year identified them – along with Pontiac Correctional Center – as nearly “inoperable.”
But in June, 51-year-old Michael Broadway died inside Stateville on a day inmates “reported excessive heat and poor ventilation,” according to attorneys representing those incarcerated in the nearly 100-year-old prison. And late last month, those attorneys filed a motion asking Wood to intervene in the efforts to move the inmates.
In her order Friday, Wood agreed to the motion and noted that IDOC officials “do not dispute that those who are incarcerated at Stateville face a risk of harm from falling concrete as a result of the deteriorated masonry walls, ceilings, steel beams, and window lintels” in the prison’s general housing units.
Those conditions, she wrote in her order, “will remain unrepaired for the foreseeable future because the State has determined that its resources would be better spent on building a new facility rather than attempting to repair Stateville’s outdated facilities.” The order does not apply to the roughly two-dozen residents of the facility’s medical ward.
The state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 included $900 million for the plan to close and rebuild Stateville and Logan.
Related: Federal judge orders 100-year-old Illinois prison depopulated because of decrepit condition (Associated Press)
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Biden to designate 1908 Springfield race riot site as national monument (Associated Press)
Attorneys for Sonya Massey’s family call for legislative change (Capitol News Illinois)
Bill Holland, Illinois’ longest-serving auditor general, dies at 72 (Chicago Tribune)
‘A lapse in judgment’: Cartoon in GOP newsletter bashed by suburban Democrats and Republicans (Daily Herald)
New Illinois law limiting use of 'captive audience' meetings hit with lawsuit (State Journal-Register)
Wife of GOP congressional candidate helped by white supremacists during mayoral campaign (Daily Herald)
Editorial: The crisis at Western Illinois University and beyond (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: Wheels in motion for state’s drivers to opt for mobile identity verification (Shaw Media)
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