Prairie State Wire

As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) unfolds at Chicago's United Center, David E. Smith, Executive Director of the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), said the policies of Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson are "anti-family" and "anti-business." 

Smith, who has led IFI since 2006, described Pritzker and Johnson’s support for legislation like HB 3751—which he called “illegals arresting legals” and permits illegal immigrants to become police officers—as emblematic of their broader "anti-America" stance. 

“Pritzker and Johnson have a proven track record of supporting policies that are not simply anti-business, but anti-family,” Smith told Prairie State Wire. “Their support of HB 3751 is just one example of his legacy of anti-America policies."

That bill took effect earlier this year amid support from Pritzker who defended the legislation against criticisms from Republicans and local figures. 

Smith also criticized their handling of crime and unemployment in Illinois, highlighting alarming statistics.

"Since 2023 under Mayor Johnson, burglary is up 4%, aggravated battery is up 11%, while overall crime is up 63% since 2021," he said. 

Smith attributed these issues to the leaders' refusal to address the root causes of violence, such as family breakdown.

"Their unwillingness to seriously address the root causes of gang violence is why we have seen 33 children killed and another 190 wounded," he said. 

His comments come amid a broader campaign by the People Who Play by the Rules PAC, which has erected a series of provocative billboards critiquing Pritzker and Johnson’s policies throughout the DNC. 

The billboards, with messages such as "Welcome to America's murder capital" and "Thank you, JB! For blocking the Brighton Park migrant shelter," are designed to challenge the narratives being promoted by Pritzker and Johnson, and will remain erected beyond the convention. 

“With Pritzker putting up his own billboards that are full of the beautiful lies that he likes to tell… Illinois Democrats balanced budgets, record job growth, I just thought even if you can't convince the locals of the truth and the city and state, maybe you can convince some of the outside world that Pritzker and Johnson are just a couple of propagandists by providing some counter messaging to what they're trying to sell,” Dan Proft, who runs the People Who Play by the Rules PAC and also hosts daily talk show Chicago’s Morning Answer on the city’s WIND-AM 560, told Chicago City Wire.

Profit voiced frustration over censorship from billboard companies, alleging that JCDecaux and Clear Channel rejected the group’s designs or outright refused to place the ads, reflecting a broader trend of media influence and control by the powerful, such as Pritzker who controls advertising budgets for his personal empire as well as state funds and campaign coffers.

Profit called the companies and the Chicago press corps “state-run media” due to their reliance on powerful politicians like Pritzker to advertise. 

Smith also opined that legacy and progressive media narratives benefit from billionaires like Pritzker seeking to impact public perception.

"While the media should strive to be non-partisan, a strong ‘progressive’ narrative comes through loud and clear,” he said. “Moreover, the ability of billionaire politicians like J.B. Pritzker enables him to run ads that the legacy media needs to fund operations. This is a clear conflict of interest."

Smith emphasized the power of media messaging. 

"The old adage that ‘if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes truth’ works with a large segment of our society,” he said. “Far too many people trust the media and fail to verify for themselves."

Smith's organization, IFI, which has been working to advance public policy in line with Judeo-Christian values for nearly two decades, supports initiatives aimed at promoting Biblical truths and supporting families.