Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Girlie man’ Category

Lawmakers take all 3 advisory question spots on November ballot

Posted in Clown Car, Deception, Elections, Ethics, Girlie man, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on May 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Illinois lawmakers gave voters three issues on which they can offer opinions during the November election. They filled all the available ballot spots, leading a group with their own advisory question to cry ‘foul.’ (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

By Dylan Sharkey | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois lawmakers put a trio of advisory questions about election workers, property taxes and insurance for fertility treatments on the Nov. 5 ballot.

That’s it. The ballot is full. Which leaves out a question about parental notification that a group was collecting voters’ signatures to include on the ballot.

While advisory questions don’t directly change laws, the results could impact how lawmakers choose to pursue policies in the future based on documented public opinion. Senate Bill 2412, which was signed into law May 3, filled the three available spots with questions Democratic state lawmakers want answered.

The questions are also seen as an attempt to turn out more Democratic voters in November.

Lawmakers’ questions:

  • Election Worker Protection and Candidate Accountability Referendum Act: “Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?”
  • Property Tax Relief and Fairness Referendum Act: “Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?”
  • Assisted Reproductive Health Referendum Act: “Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?”

Only three nonbinding proposals are allowed on one ballot, meaning voters won’t see any other advisory questions on Nov. 5.  The Parents Matter Coalition was collecting signatures to get advisory questions on the ballot regarding parental rights.

Read more here.

Read Full Post »

Brazen election interference: Illinois Democrats retroactively change law to knock out Republican challengers. Surely, lawsuits must follow.

Posted in BOHICA, DARCHED, Deception, Ethics, Girlie man, One Barrington Hills, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, Wirepoints, WTF on May 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

By Mark Glennon, founder of Wirepoints

As an alternative to a primary election, Illinois law allowed for a party to get its candidates on the ballot for General Assembly spots by party slating procedure, along with collection of a requisite number of public signatures on nominating positions. A number of Republican challengers have been proceeding accordingly.

But over the course of just 30 hours on the first days of this month, the Democratic supermajority changed the law to retroactively disallow that procedure, thereby barring challengers from the November ballot as Republican party candidates.

The new law almost certainly gives Democrats a win in races in which Republicans did not run a candidate in the primary and could result in dozens of unopposed races.

Gov. JB signed the new law the day after it was passed, hours after telling reporters he didn’t know all the details. He also claimed it was an “ethics” bill. “It really does make sure that we don’t have backroom deals to put people on the ballot and run as a result of some small group of people in a smoke-filled room making the choice,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference in Bloomington. “So I think to me, more transparency is better.” It’s not like Illinois Democrats ever line up their chosen candidates to run for the party, right?

“This is nothing more than a brazen attempt by Illinois Democrats to disenfranchise voters and eliminate political competition. To hide behind the guise of ‘ethics,’ is laughable,” said Sean M. Morrison, Chairman of the Cook County GOP.

The new law originated as a “shell bill” – one on an entirely different subject with a different label, before being changed in the 30-hour cram-through.

Read more here.

Related: “Editorial: State lawmakers in Springfield pass bill to cut off competition in 78 races,” “Candidates feel ‘cheated, violated, robbed’ after Pritzker enacts law ending slating,” “Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs election bill that would favor Democrats in November,” “(With cheshire grins) Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions”

Read Full Post »

Editorial: State lawmakers in Springfield pass bill to cut off competition in 78 races

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Deception, Ethics, Girlie man, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, WTF on May 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Why did SB 2412 need to pass on May 2, in the middle of the election cycle, weeks after the primary election but still well ahead of the November general election? Many candidates had already started the complicated process of petition gathering and paperwork under the old rules. What justifies changing those rules in the middle of the game?

By Hilary Gowins | Illinois Policy Institute

Who’s afraid of a little competition? In Illinois politics, the answer seems to be: Incumbent state lawmakers.

To that end, just weeks after the primary, Springfield legislators passed a bill to protect incumbents from the threat of newcomers in the current election cycle. The measure affects races in 78 districts, which will not be contested in November.

How does all of this work? As political writer Rich Miller of Capitol Fax summarized, aspiring political candidates used to have three routes to get on the ballot:

“1) They can circulate petitions and run in the primary; 2) They can run as write-in candidates during the primary; or 3) They can wait until after the primary and be appointed to the ballot by local party chairs, or committeepersons in Cook County, after passing petitions.”

Senate Bill 2412 changed that by eliminating the third option, which allows candidates to get access to the ballot through party officials – a process called “slating.” Candidates using the slating process were still required to go through the regular petition and paperwork requirements to get on the ballot, but if they were in a district with no primary opponent, slating made it possible to get on the ballot for the general election.

Why does this matter? As Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, pointed out, anyone who wants to run after the primary can still do so as an Independent or third-party candidate. “They would no longer be able to appeal to the local party bosses to have them installed as the candidate of a major political party.”

Fair point. As bill sponsor state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, noted, slating was a favorite tool of disgraced former House Speaker Mike Madigan. On the other hand, fair rules that give people a choice of candidates at the ballot is a good thing.

But why now? Why did SB 2412 need to pass on May 2, in the middle of the election cycle, weeks after the primary election but still well ahead of the November general election? Many candidates had already started the complicated process of petition gathering and paperwork under the old rules. What justifies changing those rules in the middle of the game?

Those questions led four Democrats to oppose the bill. State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, was one of them.

“That’s problematic for me because as an elected official in Illinois, I’m constantly trying to rebuild trust in Illinois government and politics that many of the people I represent…don’t have,” she said to Capitol News Illinois.

Now, 66 House districts won’t be contested. And in the Senate, 12 districts face no competition.

Read more here.

Related: “Candidates feel ‘cheated, violated, robbed’ after Pritzker enacts law ending slating,” “Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs election bill that would favor Democrats in November,” “(With cheshire grins) Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions”

Read Full Post »

Candidates feel ‘cheated, violated, robbed’ after Pritzker enacts law ending slating

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Deception, Elections, Ethics, Girlie man, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Plum Farm development, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes on May 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

Candidates eying ballot access say they feel cheated after Illinois Democrats in less than two days approved and enacted legislation to end the slating of candidates for the November election if they didn’t run in the March primary. They’re eyeing a potential lawsuit.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2412 Friday morning, less than two days after it was approved by the House and concurred by the Senate.

The measure brings about three non-binding ballot referendums for Illinois voters about In vitro fertilization, poll worker safety and property taxes. Another provision effectively ends the slating of candidates for the November election by Democrats or Republicans in races where no candidates for that party ran in the primary.

“It really does make sure that we don’t have backroom deals to put people on the ballot and run as a result of some small group of people in a smoke filled room making the choice,” Pritzker said Thursday before the Senate passed the measure. “So I think, to me, more transparency is better.”

Republicans said it changes the rules for the general election midstream. Democrats argued no one was officially slated, so there’s no harm.

The Illinois State Board of Elections told The Center Square on Friday they have already accepted some slating filings and despite the new law will continue to accept them under the original deadline of June 3. After that, there is the objection process. There could also be litigation from those objecting to the law, or from candidates on the ballot looking to use the law to block opponents seeking to be slated.

More here.

Related: “Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs election bill that would favor Democrats in November,” “(With cheshire grins) Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions”

Read Full Post »

Multiple states sue over Biden Title IX rule

Posted in 220, 300, Barrington Education Association, Ethics, Girlie man, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on April 30, 2024| 1 Comment »

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor

Several Republican attorneys general have sued over the Biden administration’s Title IX rule change, arguing it is illegal. More states are expected to follow.

The lawsuits come after the Biden administration’s Department of Education rewrote the Title IX statute to expand the definition of “sex” to include “gender identity.”

Title IX, which is part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Title IX was created to prohibit discrimination against women in all educational programs that receive federal money, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities. The new rule redefines biological sex and requires schools to allow men and boys, claiming to be women and girls, respectively, to use female-only facilities and join female-only sports or lose federal funding.

The lawsuits were filed after Republican governors and state education commissioners last week said their states would not comply.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the first to speak out, saying, “Florida rejects [president] Joe Biden’s attempt to rewrite Title IX. We will not comply and we will fight back. We are not going to let Joe Biden try to inject men into women’s activities … undermine the rights of parents and … abuse his constitutional authority to try to impose these policies on us here in Florida.”

On April 25, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr., sent a letter to all superintendents and charter school leaders stating, “at Governor Ron DeSantis’ direction no educational institution should begin implementing any changes. Instead of implementing Congress’s clear directive to prevent discrimination based on biological sex, the Biden administration maims the statute beyond recognition in an attempt to gaslight the country into believing that biological sex no longer has any meaning.”

Read more here.

.

Read Full Post »

Maia Kobabe’s ‘Gender Queer’ tops list of most criticized library books for third straight year

Posted in 220, 300, Barrington Area Library, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elgin Community College, Girlie man, Harper College, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on April 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

FILE – Amanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books that have been the subject of complaints from parents on Dec. 16, 2021, in Salt Lake City. Kabobe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” continues its troubled run as the country’s most controversial book, topping the American Library Association’s “challenged books” list for a third straight year. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

By  | Associated Press

Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” continues its troubled run as the country’s most controversial book, topping the American Library Association’s “challenged books” list for a third straight year.

Kobabe’s coming-of-age story was published in 2019, and received the library association’s Alex Award for best young adult literature. But it has since been at the heart of debates over library content, with conservative organizations such as Moms for Liberty contending that parents should have more power to determine what books are available. Politicians have condemned “Gender Queer” and school systems in Florida, Texas and elsewhere have banned it. Last December, police in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, responded to a complaint from a custodian about the book by showing up and searching for it in an 8th grade classroom.

The ALA released its list Monday, along with its annual State of America’s Libraries Report.

“A few advocacy groups have made ‘Gender Queer’ a lightning rod,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. ”People are trying to shut down conversation about gender identity.”

Many books on the ALA’s top 10 snapshot had LGBTQ themes, including the four works immediately following “Gender Queer”: George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” Juno Dawson’s “This Book is Gay,” Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and Mike Curato’s “Flamer.” The list’s other five books all were cited for being sexually explicit: Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” Ellen Hopkins’ “Tricks,” Jesse Andrews “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan’s “Let’s Talk About It” and Patricia McCormick’s “Sold.”

“These books are beyond the pale for some people simply because they touch upon sex,” Caldwell-Stone says.

Read more here.

Read Full Post »

Text of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2024 State of the State and budget address

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Deception, Ethics, Girlie man, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on February 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

JBP

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivers his 2024 State of the State and budget address on Feb. 21, 2024 | BlueRoomStream

The Center Square

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivers his budget address to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly Wednesday. Read the remarks prepared for delivery as shared by the governor’s office below.

“Speaker Welch, President Harmon, Lieutenant Governor Stratton, my fellow constitutional officers, members of the 103rd General Assembly, Chief Justice Theis and members of the Supreme Court, honored guests, the First Lady of Illinois, my soulmate, MK, and all the people of the great state of Illinois, I am so grateful to be here to deliver my sixth State of the State and Budget address.

I love my job. I love living in Illinois and spending every day working to improve the lives of our residents. In a world seemingly filled with chaos, it’s a privilege to be tasked with bringing stability and progress.

We live in a state that’s filled with people who exude decency and kindness. And if you take the time to listen, Illinoisans will tell you rich and rewarding stories about how we came to be who we are.

Here in Springfield, one of the most interesting guys I know is Ian Hunt, the head of acquisitions at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. And if you ask Ian, he will tell you one of my favorite stories.

Illinois owns an original version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. It’s known as the Everett Copy—one of only five to have been handwritten by Abraham Lincoln himself. It’s named after Edward Everett—a famed orator and a former Massachusetts Senator and Governor.

At Gettysburg on November 19, 1863, Everett was the other guy who spoke. He gave a two-hour speech—that almost no one remembers. When Everett was finished, Abraham Lincoln got up and delivered a two-minute speech that has never been forgotten.

A life lesson for every politician.

Much more here.

Read Full Post »

Chicago mayor not on board with blocking DNC in exchange for federal funding for migrants

Posted in Cook, County, Girlie man, Politics, Taxes on January 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

DNC

An electronic video board at the United Center in Chicago ahead of the 2024 DNC | BlueRoomStream

By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

A Chicago state representative has called on the state to refuse to host the Democratic National Convention until the city receives federal funding for migrant care. Mayor Brandon Johnson is not on board with that idea, however.

The DNC will be hosted in downtown Chicago in August as the city deals with more than 35,000 migrant arrivals from the southern border.

State officials have been calling on President Joe Biden to provide extra federal funding for the issue. State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, floated the idea of refusing to host the convention until then.

“If Chicago doesn’t get federal help for its housing crisis, it should pass on hosting the DNC,” Buckner wrote in the Chicago Tribune. “I realize this is a bold and unprecedented suggestion, but our situation is also unprecedented, and we must act with that in mind.”

Johnson seemed to shoot down the idea Wednesday.

“Whether you have the DNC coming to your town or not, the DNC isn’t going to New York,” Johnson said. “They have just as much as a right to federal funds as the city that will host the DNC.”

More here.

Editorial note: Johnson is proving himself to be gutless.

Read Full Post »

Some speculate gun confiscation on the horizon in Illinois (A bit of a stretch?)

Posted in Big Brother, Deception, Girlie man, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Topics Of Interest on January 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

JBP Dec

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in December | Illinois.gov

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

Some are speculating Gov. J.B. Pritzker may work to confiscate registered firearms if there’s another mass casualty event.

Part of Illinois’ gun ban enacted last year includes a registry of banned items. Before the Jan. 1 deadline to register, nearly 30,000 Illinsoians registered banned firearms with the state. That’s about 1.22% of the state’s 2.4 million Firearm Owners ID card holders.

Guns Save Life Executive Director John Boch said there could be efforts on the horizon implemented to confiscate firearms that were registered following a mass casualty event.

“Existing people who have dutifully followed the registration requirement of the law are given 90 days to surrender those firearms and accessories to police, or they face an additional felony charge,” Boch told The Center Square was leaked to him.

While Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office denied similar assertions raised elsewhere with a comment to ABC 20, Pritzker last month did address why he approved a banned gun registry.

Read more here.

Read Full Post »

About 1.2% of legal Illinois gun owners registered banned items before deadline

Posted in Big Brother, Crime, Elections, Girlie man, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Topics Of Interest on January 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Bailey

A frame from a video shared to Darren Bailey’s X account | X / DarrenBaileyIL

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

The final numbers for Illinois’ gun ban registry leading up to the Jan. 1 deadline are in. One high profile politician says he’s not among them.

The final numbers from Illinois State Police show a total of 29,357 individuals disclosed they possess a now banned item. That’s nearly double the numbers that were reported the prior week and now 1.22% of the state’s 2.4 million Firearm Owners ID cards holders.

Of the individuals who disclosed banned items before the Jan. 1 deadline, there were 68,992 banned firearms reported, or about 2.3 firearms per individual that filed an affidavit. There were 42,830 banned accessories disclosed and 528 .50 caliber ammunition disclosures. The three-month registration window opened on Oct. 1, 2023.

Former state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, posted a video to social media on New Year’s Day showing him shooting several banned guns and saying he will “die” on his porch before he gives them up.

Tuesday, Bailey said his message is clear.

“This is an issue that we have an opportunity to stand and save this republic over and I believe that is what’s at stake and what this is all about,” Bailey told The Center Square.

Read more here.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »