THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Poll shows governor's race at 9...What's actually in the SAFE-T Act?...Worker's Rights Amendment
October 27, 2022
Good morning, Illinois.
If you missed our Livestream and Podcast on Amendment 1, the Worker’s Rights Amendment, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.
Today marks 12 days from the November 8 General Election. Governor Pritzker holds a news conference with Planned Parenthood at 10am and holds an event on the State School Report Card in Berwyn at noon. The Bailey campaign has not released a public schedule.
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Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
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Poll: Pritzker up 9, Duckworth up 10 (WGN-TV)
With less than two weeks left in the campaign, the Democrats running for Illinois statewide offices and U.S. Senate hold commanding leads over their GOP opponents, a new WGN-TV/Emerson College/The Hill poll found.
Although likely voters seem poised to pick Democrats for the state’s top offices, they are divided on the direction Illinois is headed. A majority of voters (52%) think things in Illinois are on the wrong track, while 48% say things are headed in the right direction.
In the governor’s race, incumbent Democrat J.B. Pritzker maintains a sizeable 9-point lead over GOP challenger, State Senator Darren Bailey, 50%-41%. Three percent of those surveyed say they plan to vote for Libertarian candidate Scott Schluter, 2% plan to support someone else.
In the U.S. Senate contest, incumbent Democrat Tammy Duckworth holds a 49%-39% advantage over Republican Kathy Salvi, with 8% of voters still undecided. Salvi has gained eight percentage points in the contest since last month’s poll.
Related: Online poll (from Daily Kos honcho) has Pritzker up 17 (Civiqs)
Gov. Pritzker talks abortion access, gun control during Waukegan campaign stop (Lake County News-Sun)
Bailey references ‘transphobic’, ‘antisemitic’ conspiracy theory at debate (WCIA)
Where Illinois governor candidates JB Pritzker, Darren Bailey stand on abortion, taxes (WLS)
Beyond the heated rhetoric about bail, what else is in the SAFE-T Act? (WBEZ)
he SAFE-T Act has been a hot-button issue in Illinois this election season, dominating much of the conversation in the governor’s race, as well as down-ballot races. The Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in early 2021.
Most of the attention has focused on a portion of the law called the “Pre-trial Fairness Act,” which eliminates cash bail starting Jan. 1. Under the new law, judges will no longer require anyone to pay money bail to get out of jail while they await their trial. Instead, judges will make decisions about who is locked up based on their offense and whether they are deemed a flight risk or a safety threat. Several Republicans have said the changes will lead to increased crime, while some Democrats have argued the law will make courts more fair and allow them to focus on the most serious crimes.
But the elimination of cash bail is only one piece of the massive SAFE-T Act. Here are five more things the bill did to change criminal justice in Illinois:
1. Expands services for victims of crime
2. Increases police oversight and accountability
3. Ends so-called “prison gerrymandering”
4. Narrows the felony murder law
5. Requires documentation of deaths in custody
Related: SAFE-T Act Isn't on Illinois' Ballot, but It's Still Critical to the 2022 Election (NBC Chicago)
Joyce: SAFE-T Act needs common sense updates (Kankakee Daily-Journal)
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Who is financially supporting, opposing the Workers' Rights Amendment in Illinois? (State Journal-Register)
Opinion: Amendment 1 is the pension clause on steroids (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: Cast your vote against Amendment 1 (Decatur Herald & Review)
Where Tom DeVore stands on SAFE-T Act, crime (Peoria Journal Star)
Where Attorney General Kwame Raoul stands on SAFE-T Act and COVID-19 restrictions (Peoria Journal Star)
Candidate Forum: Open Secretary of State Office Has Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Dan Brady Squaring Off (WTTW)
Money among differences between Mendoza and Teresi (Galesburg Register-Mail)
Quigley outraises, outspends Hanson ahead of their latest congressional rematch (Daily Herald)
'They should be banned': Foster calls for restrictions on military-style firearms (Daily Herald)
Questionnaire: Nikki Budzinski (D), 13th Congressional District candidate (Champaign News-Gazette)
Questionnaire: Regan Deering (R), 13th Congressional District candidate (Champaign News-Gazette)
Did Nikki Budzinski ‘cash in’ as a political consultant? (Illinois Public Media)
Budzinski outraising Deering in 13th District race (Champaign News-Gazette)
Editorial: US House endorsements. Budzinski, Underwood, King (Chicago Tribune)
Covering a candidate who won’t debate or rarely talks to the media (Illinois Public Media)
Rep. Mary Miller blasts study that finds her 'polarizing rhetoric' among most inflammatory (State Journal-Register)
Democratic candidate Paul Lange supports strong welfare state, gradual approach to climate change (Illinois Public Media)
LaHood, Haderlein differ in approach to inflation, energy policies to combat rising costs (Shaw Media)
For Illinois Senate: Sara Feigenholtz, Laura Fine, Mike Porfirio, Bill Cunningham and Patrick Sheehan (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas, Laura Ellman, Dennis Reboletti, Seth Lewis, Karina Villa, Dan McConchie, Bill Robertson for Illinois Senate (Chicago Tribune)
21st state Senate opponents divided on 'right to unionize' constitutional amendment (Daily Herald)
Editorial: For Illinois Senate: Laura Murphy, Adam Solano, Allena Barbato, Steve Stadelman, Mike Thoms and Patrick Joyce (Chicago Tribune)
Joyce faces Nagel in 40th Illinois Senate District (Kankakee Daily-Journal)
Bos, Syed disagree on bill hiking penalties for fentanyl crimes (Daily Herald)
Incumbent state Rep. Dave Vella faces challenge from GOP candidate Jonathan Ojeda (Rockford Register Star)
With redistricting, two IL lawmakers don’t live in the districts they want to represent (Belleville News-Democrat)
Madigan’s arraignment on new AT&T conspiracy charges will be missing something: Madigan himself (Chicago Tribune)
At Bloomington-Normal radio station, the right-wing misinformation effort goes local (The Washington Post)
Justice Mary Jane Theis takes over as chief justice of Illinois Supreme Court (Chicago Tribune)
SOME TOP STORIES FROM THE WEEK SO FAR
Republican Representative Stephens Donates to Democrat Senate President
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