THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...The governor's national foray into abortion policy...Assault weapon registration...More shouting over an already dead tax hike
October 19, 2023
Good morning, Illinois.
The fall veto session begins next Tuesday and as I’ve talked to people in the General Assembly and different sides of a lot of issues, nobody seems to know what’s going to happen. Either a lot of people are going in with cards being held close to the vest or we could be in line for a couple of weeks of absolute chaos.
I’ll have more for subscribers tomorrow.
Governor Pritzker speaks at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life at the University of Illinois at 1pm
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Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
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With his own money and campaign staffers, Pritzker launches national bid to protect abortion rights (Chicago Sun-Times)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is dipping into his deep pockets and political resources to create an organization to combat anti-abortion efforts across the country.
With Illinois already viewed as a safe haven for those seeking abortions, Pritzker has launched Think Big America, a tax-exempt issue advocacy nonprofit organization aimed at protecting and expanding abortion rights in other states.
“I want to be involved in the ‘23-’24 election cycle in making sure that this issue is at the forefront, and making sure that we win everywhere we can,” Pritzker told the Sun-Times. “This, I think, is a natural evolution for me.”
The governor in 2019 launched a similar dark money group called Think Big Illinois, which was created to further his agenda, including his unsuccessful bid to enact a progressive income tax in the state.
This time around, Pritzker is contributing dollars to initially seed the group, although he declined to specify the amount. Other donations will ultimately be accepted for the organization categorized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501c(4). The group won’t be required to disclose its donors.
The governor said the group’s efforts will vary state by state, but could include petition gathering and providing strategy and dollars for ads and polls. Pritzker’s political staffers, now in the off-season, will be splitting their time between the two organizations.
501c(4) groups are often referred to as “dark money” groups, so expect this line of attack on Pritzker at some point. His campaign wouldn’t say where and how the new group would involve itself in races. I’m also interested to see how a super progressive message like that plays in states that aren’t Illinois, because even two thirds of Illinois voters are somewhere in the middle on the issue.
Related: How big is Gov. J.B. Pritzker thinking with Think Big America group? (Chicago Tribune)
Pritzker launches self-funded nationwide abortion rights advocacy organization (Capitol News Illinois)
Pritzker takes his abortion-rights fight national (Crain’s Chicago Business)
The Billionaire hotel heir—and progressive hero? (The New Yorker)
Assault weapon registration period remains open as Illinois State Police seeks further input (Capitol News Illinois)
People who own certain guns and other items now prohibited under the state’s assault weapons ban still need to register them with the Illinois State Police. But ISP says it plans to hold additional public hearings about that process and may refine the rules before they become permanent next year.
“We are happy to address all questions and comments submitted to ISP and will be doing so in the weeks to come,” ISP said in a statement this week.
Illinois lawmakers passed an assault weapons ban during a special lame duck session in January. It came in response to a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade last summer in Highland Park.
The law prohibits the purchase, sale, possession or manufacture of a long list of firearms defined as “assault weapons” as well as large-capacity magazines and certain kinds of ammunition.
But the law also says that people who already owned those items before it took effect are allowed to keep them, as long as they register them with the state police before Jan. 1, 2024.
Last month, ISP published temporary rules spelling out how people were to register those items and it began taking online registrations starting Oct. 1.
As of Wednesday, according to ISP, 1,050 individuals had completed disclosures through that system. Those included disclosures of 2,060 firearms, 1,125 accessories and 17 ammunition supplies.
But many more people have filed questions and comments, saying the rules are vague and hard to understand and that it’s not clear which items are covered by the rules, and which are not.
Another source of confusion is the fact that the entire law is under challenge in federal court. Although one judge in the Southern District of Illinois ruled the law is unconstitutional, two other judges in the Northern District ruled that it is not. All of those cases are now pending before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which has not yet issued a ruling.
Those temporary rules came up for review Tuesday at the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, a bipartisan panel that exercises oversight of the administrative rulemaking process.
“As a committee, we've received many, many questions on this topic as members of JCAR, and we could really literally be here all day and night going through each one of these questions, seeking answers from the Illinois State Police,” JCAR co-chair Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, said during the meeting.
Republicans on the panel made a motion to file a formal objection to the temporary rules, a move that would not have prevented them from remaining in effect but would have required ISP to file a formal response. But that motion failed on a tied 5-5 vote.
Pritzker says he’d veto any Chicago financial transaction tax (Chicago Tribune)
Governor J.B. Pritzker said he would veto any legislation to impose a financial transaction tax that could harm Chicago’s storied exchanges and cause them to leave the state.
“Let me be clear, there is no financial transactions tax on the table, period,” the Democratic governor said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “There will not be support. I would veto it.”
Pritzker’s comments follow months of speculation over how Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to raise revenue to tackle the city’s embattled finances. They also represent the billionaire governor’s strongest words of opposition to the levy, after he expressed dissent to the proposal following Johnson’s election.
The third-largest US city is facing a budget gap of more than $500 million, with the shortfall projected to increase in the years ahead. Johnson, a progressive Democrat who took office in May, proposed a slew of taxes during his campaign, including a $1 or $2 levy per securities trading contract that would help him raise $100 million.
But executives from Chicago’s largest exchanges and trading firms have already warned they may be forced to consider their options if the levy puts them at a disadvantage against peers in other states.
Terry Duffy, the chief executive officer of CME Group Inc., said he has liquidated every piece of real estate, and that the exchange — which has called Chicago home for more than a century — would leave if it had to.
To be clear, it seems like Johnson has sure seen the writing on the wall that this thing isn’t happening. Not sure why we needed a new Bloomberg piece on it.
SO FAR THIS WEEK ON THEILLINOIZE.COM
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Lawyers for ex-Ald. Edward Burke confirm they will call alderman turned government mole Daniel Solis as a defense witness (Chicago Tribune)
Judge in Burke case to decide whether jurors should hear his comments about Jewish people (Chicago Sun-Times)
State officials recommend gas price increase for 4.1 million consumers (Capitol News Illinois)
Chicago casino a sure bet for ramp-up in gambling addiction, experts say (Chicago Sun-Times)
Cook County Forest Preserves $189 million budget marks ‘new era’ with referendum cash (Chicago Tribune)
Demolition of Thompson Center facade, atrium for Google makeover approved by city (Chicago Sun-Times)
Springfield school with mentally and emotionally disabled students ordered to shut doors (State Journal-Register)
Editorial: Mr. Mayor, proposing new taxes is your job, not the work of some subcommittee (Chicago Tribune)
Schneider: Support for Israel in Congress is steadfast (Chicago Tribune)
Morgan: There is no such thing as ‘good people on both sides’ when it comes to terrorism (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: Governor's budget barker is back with more bad news (Champaign News-Gazette)
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