Illinois Review

Greszler: Underfunded pensions force choice: Lay off workers or keep promises to retirees

By Rachel Greszler - 

Generous pensions have always been a prime perk of government jobs. Now those pensions are causing government layoffs, reduced services and tax increases.

Take Harvey, Illinois. The city has laid off half of its fire department and 13 police officers so it can meet its obligations to its retired police officers and firefighters — the result of decades of overpromising benefits and underfunding pension plans.

The laid-off first responders are just the first casualties of Harvey’s pension crisis. Residents and other government employees will feel the pain as Harvey cuts services, reduces salaries or increases the workloads of its remaining employees. Harvey’s residents already face a property tax increase. Last year, a court ordered the city to impose a property tax levy specifically for its firefighters pension fund.

Unfortunately, Harvey’s pension woes aren’t unique. Disaster looms for state and local pension plans across the U.S.

Libertarian gubernatorial candidate hopes to offer alternative in November election

SPRINGFIELD - Not enthralled with either of the two Establishment Party candidates running for governor, Illinois conservatives are looking for an alternative they can support in Illinois' November election. 

At least that's what people are telling Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Kash Jackson. 

North Korea’s phony peace ploy

News from 1992, 2000, 2007 … Peace overtures from North Korea are nothing new—and they are always fake. Pyongyang, writes Nicholas Eberstadt, is hardwired to pursue unification of the peninsula under its rule:

Yes, California Is on the Verge of Banning Some Christian Books, Here’s How

Will California’s new consumer fraud bill give the state the power to ban books? Yes, says David French:

The 'Pension Palace' for Illinois Lawmakers 2017

Illinois state legislators have one of the sweetest retirement deals in the country – and it’s at an amazing cost to taxpayers.

Consider just a few examples of former Illinois lawmakers who have moved into the pension palaceThe largest pension of all-time goes to Arthur Berman (D), a long-forgotten state senator. After retiring from Springfield in 2000 – with a pension spiking stop at the Chicago schools – Berman receives $250,191 annually – that’s four times more than he ever made as a Springfield lawmaker.

"America Pravda" author James O'Keefe shares behind-the-scenes with Heartland Institute audience

Author James O'Keefe

By Nancy Thorner (photos by Mark Weyermuller) - 

To expose media falsehoods, “guerilla journalist” James O’Keefe created Project Veritas, an independent news organization whose reporters go where traditional journalists dare not tread. In his latest book America Pravda: My Fight for Truth in the Era of Fake News, O’Keefe takes the reader on an undercover thrill ride with him and his fearless journalists as they infiltrate political campaigns, unmask dishonest officials, and expose voter fraud.

The Heartland Institute hosted O’Keefe for an event at The Cotillion in Palatine last week – a venue they had to book because demand to hear him speak was too great to hold him in their office event space, the Andrew Breitbart Freedom Center. The 200-plus individuals in attendance at the Cotillion on April 18 were not only eager to hear what award-winning journalist and writer James O’Keefe had to say, but it was also obvious that most were well aware of Project Veritas and O’Keefe’s role in exposing corruption in government, institutions our federal government supports, our voting system, and the media itself. 

Brinkman Review: Admiral of the Ocean Sea

Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus by Samuel Elliot Morrison

Little Brown and Company, Reissue 1991, 680p

Reviewed by Daniel Brinkman - 

Every year as October rolls around you are likely to hear howls of outrage of one sort or another as Columbus Day approaches, should it be instead Indigenous Peoples Day? Should Columbus Boulevard in Downtown Chicago be renamed? Education is so sparse on Columbus and the early explorers that even the most ardent conservative among us may find themselves shaking their head not knowing what to believe.

There are few authors that live and breathe their subject as Samuel Eliot Morison did. To prepare for Admiral of the Ocean Sea he recreated the voyages of Columbus in a similar size ship to see what Columbus saw and experience the voyage as he might have known it. He did all this in a North Atlantic teeming with U-Boats as war began to consume the globe in 1939. His depth of knowledge of all things nautical shines through. The skill of Columbus as a navigator is made comprehensible to those like this reviewer with no seagoing experience.

Love: What the American experiment could look like if the Left gets their way

By Charles Love - 

It has become hip to bash America; a country founded on the greatest idea in history. The mistake many make in their critiques is focusing on the times we have come up short of that idea. There is no doubt that this has happened and there should always be attempts to improve; however, no matter how numerous those occurrences have been, it doesn’t change the important distinctions of liberty and individualism that separate us from the rest of the world.

This means that when we fall short, we don’t become worse than other countries, we move closer to being like them. Slavery is the most common example. It’s evident that slavery is evil. Those who point out America’s failures, point to this as proof. They’re wrong. Slavery is an example of America not living up to its founding principles for sure but it has nothing to do with the core beliefs that define America.

Di Leo: Made in the USA? Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.

By John Di Leo - 

Much of the business news in 2018 has concerned the Trump administration’s impositions of new tariffs on imported goods.  While there is enormous debate over the question of whether this is the best response to the problem or not, it is difficult to deny that there is, in fact, a problem, and that it’s high time this problem received some national policy attention.

The United States was long a manufacturing powerhouse.  From the mass-produced automobile to the Troy Shirtmakers’ Guild, American industry topped the world for at least half a century in innovation and output.  We wore American clothes, drove American cars, used American appliances in our kitchen and American power tools in our workrooms.

Rhoads: Happy Birthday, President Grant

By Mark Rhoads -

Tonight the nonpartisan Illinois State Society of Washington, DC will host a birthday party for President Ulysses S. Grant who lived for many years in Galena, Illinois. Speakers will include Rep. Cheri Bustos (D) and Rep. Randy Hultgren (R) who represent districts that include parts of Galena.

Grant was born in Ohio but lived with his wife Julia Dent Grant in Galena after his first tour of duty in the Army where he worked for his father's tannery business. Mr. Ulysses Grant Dietz, who is the great-great grandson of President Grant, sent a letter to the Illinois State Society praising the new 2017 biography of President Grant by historian Ron Chernow which Dietz says dispels some myths about the 18th President and accurately reveals his positive role in American history.

The Illinois State Society was founded in 1854 and the president this year is former Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Streator).

McHenry County township consolidation bill likely to reach governor's desk

SPRINGFIELD - A bill sponsored by Republican State Rep. David McSweeney and Democrat Senator Terry Link that would provide new ways to eliminate townships in McHenry County passed another legislative hurdle last week.

“Illinois has more units of local government than any other state and multiple layers of government drive up the state's property taxes,” McSweeney said. “Our voters should have the opportunity to do something to scale back government and bring down costs." ‎

Governor Rauner visits Continental Tire world headquarters in Germany

HANOVER, Germany  — Monday, Gov. Bruce Rauner visited the world headquarters of Continental Tire in Hanover, Germany, to meet with company leaders and discuss support for their growing operation in Illinois. Continental is one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world and the fourth-largest tire manufacturer, and it is the state’s largest private sector employer south of Peoria.

“Continental Tire has built a significant manufacturing presence in Illinois, and they are a valued investor in our economy,” Gov. Rauner said. “They are making high quality products and providing high quality jobs across the state. We are proud to be a part of their world-class operation and Illinois stands ready to support their continued growth and success.”

Waffle House shooter caught; Lawmakers could attempt to close relative gun law exception

SPRINGFIELD -  As news of the shooter's arrest Monday hit the air waves, word that the Waffle House killings just outside Nashville Tennessee early Saturday morning could provoke new gun control legislation in Illinois' state capitol began to emerge. 

Even with Illinois' strict gun laws, it is apparently legal for a relative to hand over confiscated firearms to a person that has no FOID card - if that person is related.

The Nashville shooting could lead to an attempt to close of that gun ownership loophole.

Aurora Public Library censors display that offends Muslim patrons

From the ALA's public website 

AURORA, Illinois - Despite the American Library Association's strong anti-censorship stand, a poem on display at the Aurora Public library caused such an uproar over the weekend that the library took it down Sunday morning.

With the background of a Confederate flag, the poem title "Hijab means jihad," begins with "Every kid should be like my kid, and snatch a hijab." It went on to mock southerners with more anti-Muslim rhetoric.

The poem was satire -the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices - the author George Miller says. He's the chair of Lewis University's Philosophy Department. 

"It wasn't meant to be incendiary," Miller told ABC7 News. 

Downstate Illinois counties stand for Second Amendment rights

EFFINGHAM COUNTY - While the state legislature threatens more gun control measures for Illinois, Effingham County's council has decided to stand in resistance, based on the U.S. Constitution.

“If the Government of the State of Illinois shall infringe upon the inalienable rights granted by the Second Amendment, Effingham County shall become a ‘sanctuary county’ for all firearms," a resolution passed 8 to 1 Monday night says. 

TPUSA Illinois Conference Crashed by ANTIFA Group

A Chicago-area Antifa group barged in on Turning Point USA's Midwest Regional Conference in Illinois on Saturday, creating a brief hullabaloo before security escorted them from the premises.

Once outside the convention center, the Antifa members continued to demonstrate until police officers showed up to usher them away, even lighting toilet paper and some of their own signs on fire, according to one attendee.

More HERE

Thorner/Ingold: David Hogg: a hero or a convenient spokesman for the Left?

By Nancy Thorner & Ed Ingold - 

David Hogg is behaving as a demagogue willing to demonize his opponents. In a personal feud with Laura Ingraham of Fox News, he published a list of 12 companies which constitute her main sponsors, urging his supporters to write. That much is well documented. However, the dark web of professional supporters is hard to identify, as the same internet companies which filter conservative thought protect the activists as well. Nevertheless, David Hogg has become a darling of the liberal media and leads a flash mob on social media. He has raised a virtual army against anyone who opposes him. Might they be described as Brown Shirts?

Nevertheless, Hogg isn’t the organizer but merely a convenient spokesman (shill) for a small group of professional organizers who are funded by liberal action committees. They have collected a large group of potential supporters, whom through social media, are then urged to write a list of targets in support of a cause or to gather in a protest. Their messaging is relentless in order to urge people act on their behalf, much like you get bombarded with requests once you have contributed to a political candidate or party.

Pritzker-endorsing Union writes $50k check to McCann just before announcing gov bid

JACKSONVILLE - State Senator Sam McCann (R-Jacksonville) got a $50,000 check from Local 150 Electrical Union just before he announced his bid to run for governor as an independent - something McCann threatened to do in 2014, but didn't come to fruition. 

Local 150's financial support for McCann raised eyebrows since the Local endorsed J.B. Pritzker in the Democrat primary. 

Di Leo: A Farewell to Carson’s, and the Assignment of Blame

 

By John F. Di Leo - 

For over a century, Chicagoans grew up with a signature memory: special days downtown, shopping at Marshall Field’s and Carson’s, the great rival retail giants down the block from each other on State Street. (shown here: Carson's longtime downtown landmark by Louis Sullivan, sold off years ago).

Smaller stores came and went, but Field’s and Carson’s were the giants, the dominant figures in Midwestern retail for generations.

Macy’s bought out the struggling Field’s chain over a decade ago and cremated the brand name while keeping the stores.  Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. wasn’t so lucky; its current holding company, Bon-Ton, is giving up the ghost for good this spring.

Unable to find a buyer or investor to keep the chain alive, Bon-Ton is shuttering its 200 stores and terminating its many brands. Along with Carson’s, we’re likely saying goodbye to Bergner’s, Boston Store, Younkers, Elder-Beerman, and Herberger’s (though there’s still a chance that the liquidation might leave one or two of these names standing, God willing).

IL GOP releases list of those elected Wednesday night to the State Central Committee

CHICAGO - The Illinois Republican Party has just released the list of those elected Wednesday night to the State Central Committee. 

Changes took place in four of the 18 CDs: Bob Grogan in the 6th, Mark Hosty in the 7th, Char Foss-Eggeman in the 9th and Chapin Rose in the 15th. 

Word is the 15th CD race may be disputed, but overall, the SCC leans more conservative post-election.

McCann's nothing burger could now be appearing Thursday

SPRINGFIELD - The independent-minded State Senator Sam McCann (R-Jacksonville) didn't make an announcement Monday about what he plans to do in November. He didn't make it earlier as others heard he would do.

Now Springfield insiders are saying his news will be released Thursday. We know that the senator said he isn't running again as a Republican - and slapped Governor Rauner up the side of the head as he departed. But what - if anything - will he do next? 

Who's affecting change in your state capitol? This week in Illinois, it's Planned Parenthood

SPRINGFIELD - Who is able to take time away from work, board a bus or organize a carpool, head to the State Capitol and press lawmakers to pass legislation you and your colleagues want to see passed? 

This week, taxpayer-funded Planned Parenthood documented their day meeting with lawmakers - and other like-minded policy pushers, including gun control advocates and LGBT rights proponents.

Maybe Governor Rauner and the Republican establishment whose jobs and appointments depend on the governor don't want Illinois Republicans to care about, address or divide over social issues, but when will the Left step back from their social agenda? 

Preckwinkle elected new chairman of Cook County Democrats; Berrios ousted

CHICAGO - Having lost the Democrat Primary race for the powerful and lucrative Cook County Assessor office in March, Joe Berrios lost his second powerful position Wednesday afternoon. Cook County committeemen voted unanimously to hand over local party power to Cook County Board Chairman Toni Preckwinkle, reports Fox 32 political editor Mike Flannery:

Joe Berrios sat to Toni Preckwinkle's right when she accepted the party's support 

In the fall and winter leading up to the March 2018 primary, Pro Publica-Illinois exposed stunning facts about how unfair Cook County properties had been assessed under Berrios' watch, putting Berrios on the defensive and making him a Democrat difficult for party faithful to defend. 

17th CD State Central Committeewoman Jan Weber re-asserts her desire for re-election

SPRINGFIELD - Conservatives that expressed their views in the March primary by nearly stopping the renomination of incumbent Republican Governor Bruce Rauner are unusually engaged as the party officials meet Wednesday night. 

Letters endorsing and condemning candidates are appearing online and in emails as some defend the status quo while others call for a dramatic directional change.

Throughout the state Wednesday night, elected members of the IL GOP's county and township organizations will meet to decide who will represent them on the Republican Party's State Central Committee. They will also determine who the next state party chairman. 

In the 17th CD, incumbent State Central Committeewoman Jan Weber is being challenged by Patrick Harlan. Illinois Review featured Ms. Weber's letter requesting precinct committeemen re-elect her Wednesday night. 

Ms. Weber was not happy with IR's story, and made it clear on Facebook.

Thorner & O'Neil: Biased, Progressive Media is uprooting the nation's founding principles

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil - 

The mainstream media has become unapologetic in its blatantly biased reporting that favors the Leftist agenda and personalities within the Democrat Party.  Such news bias is especially evident at this nation's federal level.  Such a trend has been evident for many decades, but never more so than in the media's blatant preference for Hillary Clinton, in contrast to its relentless attacks against her opponent Donald Trump in the 2016 election.  Sadly, the war has continued non-stop during the first year of President Trump’s presidency.  

Cops Are the Good Guys

Are cops perfect? Of course not. And no one should expect them to be. But every single day, under the most difficult conditions, the police protect us from the bad guys. In other words, they do their job and they do it well. Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke makes it very clear: cops are not the problem.

Progressive ‘Federalism’ Makes a Mockery of the Founders’ Vision

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Blue-state lawsuits are more about politics than the law. Lawsuits emanating from Democratic attorneys general against Trump administration policies “are unprecedented in scale and detrimental to constitutional government,” writes John York:

America's Sinking Public Pension Plans Are Now $1.4 Trillion Underwater

Public pensions are in bad shape. Eric Boehm reports:

According to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the states collectively carry more than $1.4 trillion in pension debt—and only four states have at least 90 percent of the assets necessary to meet their long-term obligations to retirees. The Pew paper, which is based on states' 2016 financial reports, shows that pension debt increased by about $295 billion since the previous year, making 2016 the 15th consecutive year in which state-level pension debt increased.

As the Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Richer

The rich are getting richer, and the poor are... also getting richer. What's driving this wealth creation process? In this video, Daniel Hannan explains why it is capitalism — and capitalism alone — that has led to the unprecedented enrichment that is the central fact of Western life.

Are Shootings More Likely to Occur in Public Schools?

Are private schools less likely to experience a mass shooting? Corey DeAngelis surveys some suggestive data:

Hyewon Kim—a Cato Center for Educational Freedom Intern—compiled information on school shootings in the United States from 2000 to 2018 using the Tribune-Review database. The database is limited to legitimate school shootings; that is, shootings that occurred on or near a K-12 school campus while classes were in session or when students were present. The list also excluded suicide-only incidents.

The Militarization of Police: When Tyranny Comes Home

Since the end of the Cold War, SWAT teams have proliferated across the United States and the number of no-knock raids on private citizens has risen dramatically. Abby Hall and Chris Coyne explain that this is the result of the boomerang effect– the process by which, in the absence of strong formal constraints, tactics used in foreign interventions abroad are later used to limit the liberties of people back home.

Ives: Pushes "b" word as option for debt-ridden local Illinois governments

One of many abandoned homes in Harvey, IL | Photo by MarathonPundit

HARVEY - During a press conference held at the south suburban Harvey's city hall Monday, State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) made the following observations concerning the city's devastating financial crisis, and an emphasis that Harvey is "not alone":

The Illinois political ruling class has been scamming people for generations into believing that math is an opinion.

Like all scams, this one is coming undone as the truth and the inexorable math can no longer be denied.

Last week, the truth of decades of scamming people to prop up Ponzi schemes caught up to the City of Harvey when officials announced their intent to layoff about half of their firefighters and police officers. 

Harvey can’t make its required pension contributions and finance its day-to-day operations.

17th CD State Central Committeeman race heats up as GOP election nears

PEORIA - The 17th CD State Central Committeeman race is coming down to a choice between re-electing Jan Weber - who ran in 2016 as a delegate for presidential candidate John Kasich - and Patrick Harlan - who won the highest number of primary votes in the 17th CD as a delegate for presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

Wednesday, Illinois GOP committeemen will decide at county conventions throughout the state who they want to represent their congressional districts on the IL GOP State Central Committee. The 17th CD race is heating up as the day draws near, as incumbent Jan Weber argued her case in a letter sent to voting committeemen. 

Weber says despite her overwhelming loss as a Kasich delegate that she has "as record of successfully representing the Republican electorate of our region as our IL-17th Congressional District State Central Committeeman." 

Lawsuit claims U of Illinois muzzled student journalists

Three student journalists are suing the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign for allegedly violating their rights to free press, free speech, and due process.

The lawsuit claims the students were punished for reporting on an anti-Trump rally, during which two of them were assaulted by a graduate student instructor who was participating in the demonstration.

The third student was also issued a restraining order merely for reporting on the altercation, and claims that he was told by an administrator that he should stop writing if he wanted the situation to improve.

More HERE

Illinois considers requiring public school textbooks include LGBT effect on history

SPRINGFIELD - Was Abraham Lincoln gay or straight? How about Woodrow Wilson or Robert Taft? What type of sex did they prefer - or what were their identified sexual orientations?

The sexual orientation of various historical figures will be mandated to be included in public school's history textbooks for Illinois students if either of two measures in the Illinois General Assembly become law. The contributions of lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual persons will be the emphasis of the new curriculum requirements for elementary and high school levels.

In addition, exactly how those topics and personalities are portrayed in American history will be outlined int the state proposal, an how they are included in a school's curriculum will be the responsibility of regional superintendents.

Univ. of Illinois Student Gov. impeaches student for conservative views

The University of Illinois Student Government voted to impeach a conservative student based primarily on his political activity.

The articles of impeachment focused on the fact that Andrew Minik had helped to organize a memorial to victims of illegal immigrant criminals.

More HERE

McCann to announce independent bid Monday

SPRINGFIELD - GOP State Senator Sam McCann has threatened an independent bid for governor in the past, and the rumor is two-term Jacksonville lawmaker will be making an announcement Monday on a similar theme.

But this time McCann may be seeking a bid for his own Senate seat in 2018, but instead of a member of the GOP caucus, he would be seeking it as an independent. The Republican announced earlier this year he would not be seeking re-election in 2018.

Rumors are flying in Springfield, according to a local news reporter's Twitter feed: 

Petition Submitted asking DOJ to sue Illinois over sanctuary state status

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner smiles after signing legislation that limits how local and state police can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. AP (Ashlee Rezin /)

The following petition has been filed by Rosanna Pulido via the White House site "We the People".  

WE, The Citizens of Illinois want the Dept Of Justice to sue The State Illinois for their Sanctuary State Policies.

In Illinois we have unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional policies that have been imposed on us, by the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. They have enacted the TRUST ACT SB31 Illinois Trust Act. Provides that a law enforcement agency or official shall not detain or continue to detain any individual solely on the basis of any immigration detainer \ immigration detainer . Provides that a law enforcement agency or official shall not (1) give any immigration agent access to any individual; (2) transfer any person into an immigration agent's custody; (3) permit immigration agents use of agency facilities or equipment. Our Public Safety is at risk! We ask the Dept of Justice to give the Tax payers of Illinois Protection, and a fighting chance!!

According to the website, in order for the petition to get a response from the White House, the petition needs 99,997 signatures by May 15, 2018. The petition can be found HERE.

CBO forecast leaves no room for wishful thinking

Copies of the President Trump’s FY 2019 budget proposal are delivered to the House Budget
Committee offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 12, 2018. Reuters

The federal fiscal hole is getting deeper quicker. James Capretta writes:

The Congressional Budget Office’s latest forecast makes a convincing case that fiscal complacency is now dangerous for the U.S. economy. CBO projects the federal government will borrow an additional $12.4 trillion over the next 10 years. At the end of 2028, the federal government will have outstanding debt of $28.7 trillion, or 96 percent of GDP. Ten years ago, federal debt was equal to 39 percent of GDP.

The Surveillance State: When Tyranny Comes Home

Many Americans have been shocked by recent revelations of widespread surveillance on domestic citizens by the United States government. But how was this network created in the first place? Chris Coyne and Abby Hall explain how the tools and tactics used for spying on citizens are the product of the "Boomerang Effect"–the pattern by which policies and technologies developed to militarily control populations abroad are re-imported to America and used against its own citizens.

Do Borders Matter? The Supreme Court Reviews Internet Sales Taxes

Should states be able to tax outside their borders? The question of what taxing powers states have over internet commerce will arrive soon at the Supreme Court in the case South Dakota v. Wayfair. South Dakota (and many other states) want to be able to force out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes and remit them back to the state. The state argues that internet commerce has made the Court’s physical presence rule—which says states can tax only companies that are physically present in the state—unworkable.  

But, as Adam Michel and Elizabeth Slattery explain, abandoning the physical presence rule would undermine both the democratic accountability of our federal system and create an even greater inequality in the tax treatment of retail sales:

Freedom and Prosperity: The 2018 Index of Economic Freedom

The 24th edition of the Index of Economic Freedom (www.heritage.org/index) evaluates economic conditions and government policies in 186 countries. Since its inception in 1995, the Index, an annual cross-country analysis by The Heritage Foundation, has tracked the progress of economic freedom around the globe and measured the impact of advancing economic liberty.

GOP Senators "spit on Phyllis Schlafly's memory" by voting for the ERA, family leader says

Radical ERA supporters used pig's blood in demonstration at IL State Capitol

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois state senators that depend on prolife supporters to get them re-elected aren't too eager to talk about why they switched votes on the Equal Rights Amendment this week in Springfield. Illinois has long been the site of bloody battles over the ERA - even during the years when radical feminists dumped pig's blood on the Capitol Rotunda's floor. 

During those battles, then-Illinois based Phyllis Schlafly led the battled to protect women from feminists' radical positions on abortion, traditional marriage and gender-fading culture switches. Schlafly went on to build a national pro-family movement and successfully hold off the ERA from being amended to the U.S. Constitution within the Constitution's own allotted time.

EXCLUSIVE: Six pro-life organizations to withhold GOP endorsements over Senate ERA votes

SPRINGFIELD - Six major prolife leaders signed a statement Friday morning declaring they would withhold endorsements of Republican Senate members that voted for the ERA this week in Springfield. The lack of enthusiasm among conservatives could be even more devastating for Illinois Republicans down ballot that are already preparing for a low turnout in the fall.

The state's prolife leadership points to eight Republicans - despite self-declarations that they're 'prolife' - that the groups will not encourage voters to support in the November election: Senator Pamela Althoff (R), Senator Michael Connelly (R), Senator Karen McConnaughay (R), Senator Jason A. Barickman (R), Senator John F. Curran (R), Senator Chris Nybo (R), Senator Sue Rezin (R), and Senator Tom Rooney (R).

The statement as received by Illinois Review:

Rauner and Democrats' campaigns tricked Central Illinois GOPers in final days of primary

SPRINGFIELD - Cynical Democrats and an arrogant Rauner campaign tricked ill-informed Central Illinois Republican voters in the days leading up to the March 2018 GOP primary.

Between the two campaigns, Democrats manipulated Republicans with $451,000 in ads into thinking gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives was "too conservative" for Illinois, and Governor Rauner's campaign lied to those same voters, making them believe Ives was a Madigan ally. 

Weyermuller: Covering ProLife Protest at Rauner's $500 a plate dinner with Scott Walker

By Mark Weyermuller -

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner hosted the annual GOP Governor’s $500 a plate dinner Thursday night at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago.  The  Pro-Life Action League was there to speak out on behalf of the thousands of unborn babies who will be aborted in Illinois because Rauner signed into law HB40 — the taxpayer abortion funding bill — after he promised to veto it. 

Roskam and colleagues release white paper on opioid crisis

WASHINGTON — This week, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, Representative Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Ranking Member Sandy Levin (D-MI) joined Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) in releasing a white paper outlining solutions to combat the opioid epidemic.

Stalking law revisions move forward in Illinois House

SPRINGFIELD - In the wake of House Republicans filing over 50 “Motions to Discharge” this week on bills the majority Democrats had denied committee consideration, Republican Floor Leader Peter Breen (R-Lombard) received a hearing and unanimous vote in the Judiciary-Criminal Committee to advance his HB 4506, which proposes revisions to preserve Illinois’ Stalking Laws, which were struck down as unconstitutional in large part this past November, Breen's office said today in a statement.

 “HB 4506 keeps laws in place that provide adequate protection against crimes, while protecting the First Amendment rights of Illinoisans. The changes that passed committee provide sound, thorough protections for victims of stalking, while shoring up constitutional weaknesses in our current law,” said Breen, a constitutional attorney who has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since 2015. “The ruling has left many victims of stalking vulnerable and without legal protections. My bill, drafted in consultation with the ACLU of Illinois, would be immediately effective, to protect victims of stalking as soon as possible.”

House Democrats refuse to toughen penalties when social workers assaulted

Pamela Knight of Dixon (r) was killed in 2017 when attempting to take child into safe custody

SPRINGFIELD - House Democrats refused to toughen penalties upon those that assault social workers when the Democrat majority of the House Judicial - Criminal Committee rejected an effort proposed by State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savannah) after a social worker was killed during a home visit in 2017. 

IL House Dems and GOPers vote to protect harassers in complaint process

SPRINGFIELD - Apparently the sexual harassment outrage has subsided in the Illinois House, as a measure proposed by State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) was stifled in the Illinois House Executive Committee Friday morning - effectively protecting harassers that have had complaints filed against them.

Executive Committee members include: 

The following GOP House members co-sponsored the bill with Rep Ives: Barbara Wheeler, Sheri Jesiel, Margo McDermed, Rita Mayfield, Peter Breen, Mark Batinick, Reginald Phillips, Brad Halbrook, Mike Fortner, Allen Skillicorn, Randy E. Frese, John M. Cabello, Jerry Lee Long and Tim Butler. Democrat Linda Chapa LaVia made the measure bipartisan.