Prairie State Wire

Legal expert says House-approved workers’ compensation legislation is 'phony' and 'diversionary'

By W.J. Kennedy | May 3, 2018

Legislation the House approved late last week that establishes a state-managed workers’ compensation insurer of last resort is little more than a political stunt by Springfield Democrats to turn attention away from the need for real reform in the system, Eugene Keefe, law school professor and editor of the Workers’ Compensation Law Update, said.

State GOP chair at stake as disputed 15th State Central Committeemen race destined for court

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 30, 2018

Sources tell Prairie State Wire that a dispute in the April 18 election for Republican State Central Committeemen in the 15th congressional district is almost certain to wind up in court with the Illinois State Board of Election’s insistence that it has no authority to investigate intra-party elections.

Mark Shaw has both a message of unity, and a warning, in his race for state GOP chair

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 27, 2018

Mark Shaw, Lake County Republican chairman, is running for state chairman of a party crippled by infighting with a warning that Illinois is on its way to becoming a ghost state if the Democrats regain complete power in Springfield.

Sources: Winchester retains counsel to challenge voting procedures in GOP Central Committee race

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 24, 2018

Sources have told Prairie State Wire that Bob Winchester has retained counsel to challenge the voting procedures used in his race for Republican State Central Committee in the 15th Congressional District, which the Illinois Republican Party claims was won by Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet).

Village of Deerfield is a risky model for Democratic legislators in gun control debate

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 20, 2018

Democratic legislators are taking a huge political risk citing the Village of Deerfield as a model in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s April 17 approval of legislation giving local governments the right to regulate firearms, Second Amendment advocates say.

Watchdog group gathering evidence for FOIA lawsuit against Rauner administration

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 19, 2018

A statewide government watchdog group is compiling evidence to mount a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against Gov. Bruce Rauner and his administration for numerous violations of the law enacted to bring more transparency to government operations.

From NW Illinois News

Hospital exec, State Rep. Demmer votes to block hospital competition

By W.J. Kennedy | 7 years ago

State Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) works for a hospital, and used to lobby for one. So when considering a bill in Springfeld last week that would have allowed Illinois surgeons to set up their own independent facilities, effectively competing with hospitals like his employer, Demmer was emphatically opposed.

House Republicans help squash competition in health care industry

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 15, 2018

With Republican help, legislation that would deliver more competition to the health care industry remained bottled up in the House Human Services Committee after an April 10 hearing on the bill.

DeWitt GOP Chair Dustin Peterson running for Central Committee despite past run-ins with law

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 13, 2018

Dustin Peterson, chair of the DeWitt County Republican Party who is challenging Springfield’s Fred Floreth for his Central Committee post in the 13th congressional district, has a colorful past.

State Rep: Schneider is "head of the Rauner Party, not the Illinois Republican Party"

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 11, 2018

Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider is in for the fight of his life when the members of the Republican State Central Committee choose a state chairman in May, conservative members of the party say.

Proposal to require textbooks to include LGBT studies returns to Senate panel

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 10, 2018

Elementary and high school textbooks would need to include a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people under proposed legislation, SB3249, which was recently discussed by the Senate Education Committee.

Voters need to 'do a little digging' after Rauner ads linking Ives to Madigan, Morrison says

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 9, 2018

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s last-minute campaign ads linking his primary opponent Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) to House Speaker Michael Madigan were so “egregiously dishonest” that Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) hopes they lead to changes in voter behavior in the general election and beyond.

Mendoza's reduced bill backlog claim is 'nonsense,' expert says

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 6, 2018

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is misleading the public by claiming that having a state budget in place has allowed Illinois to reduce its backlog of bills, fiscal experts say.

Lt. Gov. Sanguinetti is a doubtful Ives emissary

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 6, 2018

For Gov. Bruce Rauner to have any chance in November, he needs the support -- any level of support he can get -- of Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), who nearly sent him packing in the March primary.

Illinois Republicans still attacking their own in website left over from primary

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 6, 2018

More than three weeks after the March 20 primary, a political website attacking the Republican primary candidate for the 56th House District, Jillian Rose Bernas, is still up.

McSweeney: Poll shows how much Rauner needs conservatives in November

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 26, 2018

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is starting the general election campaign down 22 points to Democrat J.B. Pritzker, according to an Ogden & Fry survey released last week. More alarming for Rauner: the survey found 33 percent were favorable and 63 percent were unfavorable, compared with 45 percent favorable to 47 percent unfavorable for Pritzker.

Rauner victim of disorganized thinking, GOP political analyst says

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 26, 2018

Gov. Bruce Rauner startled many of the Republican faithful late last week when he insisted he still has no social agenda as he heads into his general election race against Democrat J.B. Pritzker.

Lack of transparency catching up with Rauner

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 19, 2018

In less than a week, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office won a mock transparency award, was threatened with a lawsuit charging the office defied numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and was hit with allegations it violated the state Ethics Act.

Rauner's sanctuary law born in DuPage County

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 14, 2018

The sanctuary law signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner in August, and now dogging him in his primary fight against State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), had its beginnings in DuPage County.

Political strategist sees pro-choice extremist attack on Breen as sign of Rauner's desperation

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 13, 2018

Campaign mailers funded by a “radical” pro-choice political action committee, Personal PAC, targeting State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) show how desperate Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign team is a week before the March 20 primary, says political strategist Chris Robling.