Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Rauner: Plans to invest 'billions and billions' on infrastructure - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

 

By Seth A. Richardson
State Capitol Bureau

Posted Mar. 10, 2015 at 5:32 PM
Updated at 9:14 PM

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday told an interested audience he wants to invest heavily in Illinois' infrastructure through reforms to labor requirements and the contract-bidding process instead of finding new revenue.
At an Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association luncheon in downtown Springfield, the Winnetka Republican said he'd seek to invest “billions and billions” of dollars in infrastructure.
He said he wants to fund the construction via savings through municipal right-to-work legislation and moving state workers to a less-expensive pension system – something he said would save the state $2.7 billion in the first year.
He also said he wants to allow local governments to remedy what he described as a “really big issue”: prevailing-wage and public-labor requirements.
“Let me tell you something, Illinois is broken on this issue,” Rauner told the group. “We don’t allow true competitive bidding in our construction programs paid for by taxpayers. It’s wrong, it’s a conflict. It should be local voters – local governments should be able to decide how they handle their bidding process.”
Rauner described the state's bidding process as not competitive and said it's holding back the state from investing more in infrastructure spending.
“If I have to spend 25 percent more on every construction project, that’s a lot fewer construction projects we can do,” he said. “That’s a lot fewer schools we can build. That’s a lot fewer city halls and libraries. We need efficiency, transparency and true competitive bidding.”
The governor did not mention any ideas for new revenue to fund the infrastructure improvements, such as raising the gas tax or instituting a sales tax on some services.
He said he thought he could enact his agenda to fix the state's infrastructure with only six bills, although he did not specify if the legislation had been introduced or by whom.

Rauner: Plans to invest 'billions and billions' on infrastructure - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

AP Wire Story - The Telegraph - thetelegraph.com

 

Associated Press

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U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of East Moline

A former journalist and city council member, Bustos defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling in 2012 and won a rematch against him last year in a district that stretches from Rockford west to the Mississippi River and south along the Iowa border.

Bustos noted she's the only Democratic member of Illinois' congressional delegation from outside the Chicago area, and that she won in November by 10 points in a district that, like Illinois, includes both rural and urban areas.

She told The Associated Press she is currently focused on serving her district but said, "I don't close the door to opportunities."

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U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates

An Iraq war veteran who lost both legs when her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down, Duckworth served as an assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs. She unseated Congressman Joe Walsh to win her suburban Chicago district in 2012, won re-election in 2014 and recently returned from maternity leave after having her first child.

Duckworth said she will weigh the decision over "the coming weeks and months."

"It is an enormous commitment to run, but I have never run away from difficult challenges before," she said.

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville

Foster is a physicist and businessman who was first elected to Congress in 2008 but lost his bid for re-election in 2010. Two years later he defeated longtime GOP U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert in a suburban Chicago district that had been redrawn to benefit Democrats. He won another term in November.

A spokeswoman for Foster said he declined to speak with AP about a possible 2016 Senate run.

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State Sen. Napoleon Harris of Harvey

A former professional football player who also played at Northwestern University, Harris now owns pizza restaurants in Chicago's south suburbs. He won his first term in the Illinois Senate in 2012. Months later he launched a bid for U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s congressional seat, but dropped out and threw his support behind the eventual victor, former state Rep. Robin Kelly.

Harris told AP he is focusing on being "a good state senator" and isn't rushing his decision.

"I'm considering it," he said. "But we have to get a few things together and we'll see."

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U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson

Kelly won a 2013 special election to replace Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who left office before being indicted on federal corruption charges. She easily won re-election last fall in a district that includes part of Chicago's South Side and south suburbs.

A former Illinois state representative, she lost a 2010 bid for Illinois Treasurer — a race she noted makes her the only candidate mentioned so far who has experience running for statewide office.

Kelly said she is doing her due diligence regarding a 2016 bid and "seeing if there's a pathway to victory."

AP Wire Story - The Telegraph - thetelegraph.com

Jesse Jackson, Black Religious Leaders Endorse Garcia | Progress Illinois

 

Rev. Jesse Jackson formally announced his endorsement of Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia in the Chicago mayoral election Monday afternoon while standing in a trash-filled, empty lot in the South Side's Englewood community.

"Our agenda is a very positive one and a very focused one: we're about neighborhood reconstruction," Jackson said alongside a number of black religious leaders and elected officials.

"He has a consistent track record of service," Jackson said of Garcia. "We trust him and believe that he will assume the burden of responsibility to work with us to reconstruct where we live."

Jackson noted the city's closure of 50 Chicago Public Schools, high unemployment rates, violence and crime, as well as racial and income inequality as his reasons for supporting Garcia over incumbent Rahm Emanuel.

The black vote is seen as the demographic that will likely determine the outcome of the race, according to pollsters like Ogden & Fry.

Jesse Jackson, Black Religious Leaders Endorse Garcia | Progress Illinois

Poll: Chicago Mayoral Race Remains Close, Hinges On Black Vote | Progress Illinois

 

Odgen & Fry's latest survey on Chicago's mayoral runoff shows the contest remains close, with Mayor Rahm Emanuel polling at 43.5 percent compared to Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's 38 percent.

Eighteen percent of the 1,020 survey respondents were undecided in the poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.13 percent. The poll was conducted Saturday.

Ogden & Fry's polling memo notes that "Garcia has two intangible factors assisting his campaign."

"This Hispanic vote has consistently under-polled in Chicago mayor polls," the memo reads. "Also, the undecided vote generally does not break for a known incumbent."

Ultimately, however, Ogden & Fry predicts that "African-American voters will determine this election," saying that Emanuel "will need to both win the argument that (he) is the better leader for this community and get them out to vote for him."

A previous poll of 979 likely voters conducted February 28 by the firm showed Emanuel at 42.9 percent and Garcia at 38.5 percent. Over 18 percent of survey respondents were undecided in the poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percent.

Another poll conducted by Ogden & Fry on February 25 showed similar results. In that poll of 1,058 likely voters, Emanuel garnered 42.7 percent of the vote, and Garcia pulled in 38.7 percent of the vote, with more than 18 percent of survey respondents undecided. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.07 percent.

Chicago's mayoral and aldermanic runoff election will take place on April 7.

Poll: Chicago Mayoral Race Remains Close, Hinges On Black Vote | Progress Illinois

Capitol Fax.com - AG Madigan seeks dismissal of Rauner’s fair share suit

 

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a motion to intervene in Governor Bruce Rauner’s federal lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of “fair share” fees as allowed under the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. Madigan issued the following statement outlining her role in this litigation:

“Last month, Governor Rauner issued an Executive Order seeking to stop the payment of ‘fair share’ fees used to support non-political union activities such as contract administration and collective bargaining. On the same day, he also sued over two dozen unions in federal court in anticipation of a legal challenge to his Executive Order in state court.

Last week, the unions filed suit in state court seeking to prohibit Governor Rauner from implementing his Executive Order and breaching their contracts and to restore the ‘fair share’ fee payments.

Today, I filed a motion to intervene in the federal lawsuit to defend the constitutionality of Illinois’ law. Along with the motion to intervene, I have submitted a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the Governor does not have the legal authority to sue to challenge the law in federal court.

As Attorney General, it is my job to represent the state and defend our laws when their constitutionality is challenged in court. Because the Governor’s case questions the validity of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, I moved to intervene to provide the court with arguments regarding the law’s constitutionality.”

The motion is here. The accompanying memorandum is here.

Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » *** UPDATED x1 - Rauner react *** AG Madigan seeks dismissal of Rauner’s fair share suit

Ferguson City Manager Cited in Justice Department Report Resigns - NYTimes.com

 

FERGUSON, Mo. — The city manager of Ferguson, whom a Department of Justice report blamed as one of the officials responsible for much of the questionable conduct by the police and the courts here, has agreed to resign.

The announcement came during a City Council meeting here on Tuesday, about a week after the scathing Justice Department report.

The manager, John Shaw, 39, had held the post since 2007. As Ferguson’s chief executive, he is the city’s most powerful official.

The resignation was announced about 30 minutes into the Council meeting, with members voting 7 to 0 to approve a “mutual separation agreement” with Mr. Shaw.

As people in the packed Council chamber began to understand what was happening, a buzz shot through the room as onlookers mumbled and a few let out muted cheers.

“We appreciate John’s service and commitment to the City of Ferguson for the past eight years,” Mayor James Knowles III said in a written statement. “The City Council and John Shaw feel that this is the appropriate time to move forward as we begin our search for a new city manager.”

Ferguson City Manager Cited in Justice Department Report Resigns - NYTimes.com

Text of GOP Senators’ Letter to Iran’s Leaders on Nuclear Talks - Washington Wire - WSJ

 

Dozens of Republican senators wrote an open letter to the leadership of Iran, warning them that any nuclear  deal signed between Iran and U.S. President Barack Obama might not last beyond his presidency, without Congress signing off on it as well. Here is the text of the letter.

An Open Letter to the Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system.  Thus, we are writing to bring to your attention two features of our Constitution — the power to make binding international agreements and the different character of federal offices — which you should seriously consider as negotiations progress.

More In Iran

First, under our Constitution, while the president negotiates international agreements, Congress plays the significant role of ratifying them.  In the case of a treaty, the Senate must ratify it by a two-thirds vote.  A so-called congressional-executive agreement requires a majority vote in both the House and the Senate (which, because of procedural rules, effectively means a three-fifths vote in the Senate).  Anything not approved by Congress is a mere executive agreement.

Second, the offices of our Constitution have different characteristics.

For example, the president may serve only two 4-year terms, whereas senators may serve an unlimited number of 6-year terms.  As applied today, for instance, President Obama will leave office in January 2017, while most of us will remain in office well beyond then — perhaps decades.

What these two constitutional provisions mean is that we will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei.  The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.

We hope this letter enriches your knowledge of our constitutional system and promotes mutual understanding and clarity as nuclear negotiations progress.

Sincerely,

Senator Tom Cotton, R-AR
Senator Orrin Hatch, R-UT
Senator Charles Grassley, R-IA
Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY
Senator Richard Shelby, R-AL
Senator John McCain, R-AZ
Senator James Inhofe, R-OK
Senator Pat Roberts, R-KS
Senator Jeff Sessions, R-AL
Senator Michael Enzi, R-WY
Senator Michael Crapo, R-ID
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC
Senator John Cornyn, R-TX
Senator Richard Burr, R-NC
Senator John Thune, R-SD
Senator Johnny Isakson, R-GA
Senator David Vitter, R-LA
Senator John A. Barrasso, R-WY
Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS
Senator Jim Risch, R-ID
Senator Mark Kirk, R-IL
Senator Roy Blunt, R-MO
Senator Jerry Moran, R-KS
Senator Rob Portman, R-OH
Senator John Boozman, R-AR
Senator Pat Toomey, R-PA
Senator John Hoeven, R-ND
Senator Marco Rubio, R-FL
Senator Ron Johnson, R-WI
Senator Rand Paul, R-KY
Senator Mike Lee, R-UT
Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-NH
Senator Dean Heller, R-NV
Senator Tim Scott, R-SC
Senator Ted Cruz, R-TX
Senator Deb Fischer, R-NE
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV
Senator Bill Cassidy, R-LA
Senator Cory Gardner, R-CO
Senator James Lankford, R-OK
Senator Steve Daines, R-MT
Senator Mike Rounds, R-SD
Senator David Perdue, R-GA
Senator Thom Tillis, R-NC
Senator Joni Ernst, R-IA
Senator Ben Sasse, R-NE
Senator Dan Sullivan, R-AK

Above is from:  Text of GOP Senators’ Letter to Iran’s Leaders on Nuclear Talks - Washington Wire - WSJ