Illinois Review

Rauner appoints Springfield attorney Don Tracy as new Gaming Board head

CHICAGO - Judge Aaron Jaffe will not be re-appointed to head Illinois' Gaming Board. Instead, Governor Rauner is looking to Springfield corporate attorney Don Tracy to fill those shoes. 

Tracy, who ran for lieutenant governor as a Republican in 2010, financially supported his sister-in-law, former State Rep. Jil Tracy of Quincy, in her bid for lieutenant governor with former Senator Kirk Dillard during the 2014 GOP primary. After the primary, Tracy switched to supporting Bruce Rauner and ran radio ads in Springfield for Rauner, leading up to the November 2014 election.

Tracy is a law partner at Brown, Hay & Stephens LLP, which is the state’s oldest law firm and the former firm of President Abraham Lincoln. He is also general outside counsel to Dot Foods, Inc., which he owns with his 11 siblings. Dot Foods is the nation’s largest food re-distributor.

Conservative Women's Network: A Free Market State Legislative Agenda for 2015

American Legislative Exchange Council CEO Lisa Nelson addresses the Conservative Women's Network.

Thorner: Where's "The Ticket" for school choice in Illinois?

By Nancy Thorner - 

The Illinois Policy Institute, in partnership with National School Choice Week, held a reception on Wednesday, January 28 at the Icon Theater, 1011 S. Delano Court in Chicago. The reception was followed, at the same location, by a special screening of "The Ticket", a film by Bob Bowdon that answers a fundamental question, "What is school choice?" 

"The Ticket" takes viewers on a historic whistle stop train tour across the United States, showing different forms of school choice along the way and the children that they serve. In 2009, Bob Bowdon produced "The Cartel” which covers the failures of public education in the United States by focusing on New Jersey, his home state.

Movie maker Bob Bowdon is a longtime broadcast journalist who is executive director of ChoiceMedia.TV, an investigative video website devoted to education reform. Choicemedia.TV has become a national online hub for education news. Pertinent headlines are selected from coast-to-coast to provide real-time analysis of developing stories and to meet with those making waves in the educational field. Bowdon holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and an M.S. in industrial engineering from Stanford University.

District 303 School board candidate: Defund PARCC, repeal Common Core

By Jennifer Reeder - 

My name is Jennifer Reeder and I am running for the District 303 School Board. I would like to discuss an Education storm that is brewing in the form of (3) C’s; Common Core, Choice, and Charter Schools. All three are damaging to our Representative Government, but for now I will focus on Common Core.

When you think about Common Core, think about the business model called T.Q.M. - Total Quality Management.  T.Q.M. controls input, and controls process, in order to ensure a desired outcome, or product. Under Common Core our children have become ‘widgets,’ ‘human capital,’ ‘intellectual capital’ or, “a product.” 

How does the T.Q.M process work?

Thorner/O'Neil: Part 2 - Erosion of religious freedom: the growing cancer

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil - 

The United States was founded on Christian principles and values, largely because those who fought and died for our freedom were devout Christians who understood and deeply believed that God blesses those who honor Him. Against all odds, brave men and women won the war that secured our independence from England;  a feat recognized then and now as a miracle. Their Christianity was expressed in every facet of their lives, and thus our Constitution, laws, and government were based on their biblical values.  

The differences from our amazing beginning and what we witness today are tragically quite stark. We are witnessing a political complacency, where citizens no longer hold their elected officials accountable, and worse yet do not even bother to vote. That is likely because they are so far removed from the arena of politics, they have little knowledge of  who or how to vote. That absence of political public awareness has caused crippling consequences to America, as our elected leaders today lack the dedication, brilliance and patriotism of former statesmen.

Mayor Emanuel's red light hypocrisy revealed

CHICAGO - Mayor Rahm Emanuel is taking heat over his own motorcade ignoring red lights and endangering the public - something he says red light cameras are for - to protect the public. Check out a local news broadcast with the proof below the fold:

Di Leo: Who We Are … and Who Barack Obama is Not

By John F. Di Leo - 

The current Resident of the White House is fond of stating something of which he disapproves – say, interrogating terrorists or growing the economy – and closing the point with the words “But that’s not who we are.”

It is condescending, patronizing, smarmy… it is in fact the perfect example of what has always been wrong with the Obama persona – he talks down to his audience, sets up straw men to knock down, sets American against American, in not only class warfare but every other arena as well, all the while mischaracterizing the issue itself. Young against old, healthy against sick, poor against rich, atheist against religious, non-working against working.

Where prior presidents have generally sought to be inclusive, to broaden their political base and unify the nation toward a common goal, the Resident has intentionally driven the nation farther apart. While that has certainly been an unintended result of some past presidencies, only with this one has the White House actively, intentionally sought this result.

Planned Parenthood responds to Pro-Life League's handcuff mailing

CHICAGO - Earlier this week, Illinois Review reported a project Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League undertook in mailing handcuffs to abortionists nationwide.After the arrest of gruesome abortionists like Pennsylvania's Kermit Gosnell, the mailings challenged abortionists to stop their deadly practice before they, too, faced prosecution.

Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards responded Thursday, via Twitter:

Doug Truax focusing on his PAC; not planning to challenge Senator Kirk

CHICAGO - Former U.S. Senate candidate Doug Truax spoke with Watchdog Radio host Ben Yount on Wednesday. In addition to talking about his new super PAC, Truax discussed his campaign plans - specifically if he intends to challenge U.S. Senator Mark Kirk in 2016.

Andrew Klavan: Attack of the But-Heads!

In a world gone crazy, in a world gone mad, a strange new horde of mindless leftist zombies lurk in the shadows. These unthinking undead claim to support your fundamental freedom to think, say, believe and report any damn thing you think, say, believe and report, BUT!!!!

Congressman Davis Named to Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittees

WASHINGTON DC - Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis received subcommittee assignments on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Agriculture.

“I am honored to have another opportunity to serve on both of these committees, which have a history of bipartisanship and a proven record of success,” said Davis. “Agriculture and transportation issues are essential to a strong economy here in Illinois and nationwide. Although each committee will face new challenges as we seek to improve the future of American agriculture and craft policy to build a 21st century transportation system, I am confident that just as we passed a long-term Farm Bill and water reform legislation last Congress we can continue this record of success.”

From the press release:

Missouri State Highway Patrolman talks about aftermath of Ferguson

Missouri State Highway Patrolman Ronald Johnson, who was appointed by the Governor Jay Nixon to the Lead Protest Security following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown Jr., talk about how the Ferguson shooting affected him personally and how the community he called home is recovering in its wake.

Challenges and Opportunities Facing Secretary of Defense Nominee Ashton Carter

With President Obama nominating Ashton Carter, a former Deputy Secretary of Defense, for the top job at the Pentagon, the Department of Defense (DoD) is at a crossroads. Carter, slated to become President Obama’s fourth Secretary of Defense, will face a number of institutional and national security challenges – all of which will require him to draw from his vast experience in the department. Obvious objectives will include the formulation of a more effective strategy against ISIS, a determination on how to counter a revanchist Russia, tackling elements of defense reform, and the restoration of budgets that are consistent with the unpredictable strategic operating environment in which U.S. forces find themselves.

Never snow shovel again [video]

Here's a "life hack" that will save you time, money and aches and pains from snow shoveling. It's also a way to save bucks on those expensive snow shovers in a time for taxpayer-demanded austerity.

Hultgren: Ensuring American Remains on the Forefront of Supercomputing

State Rep. Meier proposes law banning terrorists from teaching in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, IL - State Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Highland) has introduced a new bill that would prohibit terrorists - both foreign and domestic - from teaching in Illinois.

Meier introduced House Bill 150 after the taxpayer-funded University of Illinois rehired terrorist James Kilgore (photo above) last year.

Kilgore was part of the domestic terrorist organization that kidnapped Patty Hearst, and killed a customer during a 1975 bank robbery. Kilgore fled the country and remained at large until 2002 when he was finally extradited from South America.

Illinois attorney general gives pay raises as state goes broke

Over the past four years, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, has handed out roughly $1 million in pay raises to exempt, nonunion employees who don’t fall under state wage laws, as Illinois faces bankruptcy.

From 2011 to 2012, Ms. Madigan gave 57 exempt employees $460,000 in raises, and in 2013 and last year, 52 employees received wage hikes totaling $507,356 in extra payouts, according to data from American Transparency and the transparency website OpenTheBooks.com.

Ms. Madigan has boosted her friends’ salaries as her state teeters on bankruptcy. The state faces roughly $111 billion in pension debt and an additional $6 billion in unpaid bills, according to data from Illinois Policy, a nonprofit research group. Illinois bonds are rated worst in the nation, and if lawmakers don’t reform pensions soon, the state could spiral into default.

Muslim Brotherhood Starts A Political Party Out Of Chicago

CHICAGO - According to the Center for Security Policy, the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) has begun building the framework for a political party. According to reports, the USCMO party would be the first political party in the U.S. to be openly connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Sources claim the party arose right after Sabri Samirah, a Jordanian Brotherhood member, was allowed into the U.S. by President Barack Obama in 2014 following an 11-year ban. Once in the country, he galvanized Muslims to form the party, which is now recognized as the UMMA, an offset of the United Muslim Americans Association (UMAA).

To help promote the UMMA, the political party has taken to social media to spread the word. One of their Facebook pages describes UMMA as a registered, non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the public and political empowerment of the American Muslim community as well as serve its interests. They also endorse candidates in which the percentage split is 85 percent Democrat and 15 percent Republican.

According to reports (HERE and HERE) the organization endorsed then-candidate Bruce Rauner for governor.

Developing...

Lawmakers look to emancipate students in the Land of Lincoln

Parents and kids bowled for School Choice at Wheaton Bowl Sunday afternoon

WHEATON, IL - Even if it’s not yet on the state’s law books, the school choice movement is alive and well in Illinois. In fact, it’s growing.

Sunday afternoon in Chicago’s affluent western suburb of Wheaton, Illinois, parents, students, school board members, teachers, education activists and a member of the Illinois General Assembly met at a neighborhood bowling alley. They were there to celebrate 2015 School Choice Week, have fun, be encouraged and discuss their kids’ futures.

“Education transformation can be summed up with four words,” said Bruno Behrend from the pro-education reform Heartland Institute: “Fund Children, Not Systems.”

Chicago’s public school system is one of the largest and most underperforming in the nation. Recent testing showed only 20 percent of Chicago eighth graders as proficient in math. The same was true in reading. Science proficiency is down to only seven percent.

Those statistics show the system is failing the city, the state, the kids and society. While education experts and bureaucrats conduct studies and experiments to improve schools, young lives are passing through the system, uneducated and poorly prepared for life.

Kirk forwards legislation denying corrupt officials entry to the U.S.

WASHINGTON DC – Illinois U.S. Senator Mark Kirk today joined Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John McCain (R-AZ) to reintroduce the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (S. 284), which would deny human rights abusers and corrupt officials entry into our country and bar them from using our financial institutions.

“In the spirit of Sergei Magnitsky, a man who gave his life exposing the truth behind Russian corruption, whistleblowers around the world and here in the United States should not fear retaliation and violence,” Senator Kirk said. “With this legislation the United States leads as the world’s greatest hope for freedom and defender of human rights.”

State Rep. Sosnowski: Teachers need higher standard to strike

SPRINGFIELD, IL - When it comes to voting for a strike, what’s good for Chicago teachers should be good for all of the state’s teachers. That’s according to legislation filed by Republican State Representative Joe Sosnowski. House Bill 251 filed last week would require all teachers unions throughout the state to have a three-fourths majority in order to strike, instead of half plus one. Sosnowski says he wants to ensure that there’s a higher standard for all teachers across the state looking to strike.

“Considering we want students and parents to keep children in school learning and we just don’t want strikes that may only happen with fifty percent plus one of the membership. We want there to be a higher standard for teachers to leave the classroom. I think what’s good for the City of Chicago in that realm I think is appropriate to have statewide.”

The Illinois Federation of Teachers tells Illinois News Network they oppose the legislation. Calls seeking comment from the Illinois Education Association were not immediately returned.

via Greg Bishop | INN Radio

State Rep. Breen: College of Dupage board betrayed the trust of the community

LOMBARD, IL - In an email to constituents today, freshman State Representative Peter Breen condemned the vote taken Wednesday evening by the College of DuPage board of trustees to approve a three-quarter-million dollar buyout of the college president.

As the college is in Breen's district, he attended the meeting Wednesday night and addressed the Board on behalf of local residents. His released his prepared remarks after the meeting:

"My name is Peter Breen, and I am the State Representative for the people of the 48th District, which includes this college. I am also a public interest attorney who specializes in First Amendment law. 

In these economically difficult times, the College of DuPage is a savior for students. This institution is a door to opportunity for many in our County.

As an elected official, I have a sworn responsibility to the students here at COD, and to their parents and grandparents, who pay hefty property taxes to sustain this institution.

Thorner/O'Neil: Requiem for a nation founded on Christian Principles (Part 1)

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil - 

Our country was founded upon Christian values and built by those who valued the Christian faith. Biblical principles were the foundation of our nation for centuries, and we prospered.

Today, there are some who try to deny those facts; mostly atheists or those of another faith. Fortunately, we have overwhelming proof to verify the Christian claims, which can be found in the large quantity of our forefather's quotes, biblical verses boldly engraved on our federal buildings and monuments, our laws which are largely based on Biblical teachings, and the preambles to each state's Constitution, all of which testify to the faith of our Christian forefathers.

An example of how widespread our Christian faith extended in American can be found in the following Illinois preamble to their Constitution. Similar statements are in each state’s constitution.

COD Board votes again for President Breuder's $762,000 golden parachute

Photo via DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan's Facebook page

DuPAGE COUNTY - Despite an outpouring of 400 frustrated county taxpayers looking on, the College of DuPage Board of Trustees voted once again 6 to 1 Wednesday night to bestow upon retiring President Bob Breuder a $762,000 golden parachute.

The board has been under public scrutiny since public watchdog group Open the Books has been working with Vice-Chairman Kathy Hamilton to expose an array of financial dealings. Hamilton was the lone opposition during last week's vote as well as Wednesday night's "re-vote."

At the special meeting, which was moved to a larger room by a DuPage County judge's court order earlier in the day, nearly 40 audience members spoke against the contract before the board voted a second time.

Gov. Rauner speech expected to draw union protest

CHAMPAIGN, IL - Gov. Bruce Rauner will be giving a speech in Champaign, Illinois today where protests by union members are expected.

Matt Kelly, president of the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council in Champaign County tells The News-Gazette that he believes Rauner is out to destroy unions.

Rauner, who has said Illinois is in "massive deterioration mode," has opened the idea of allowing local government to create their own right-to-work zones.

The idea angers union leaders, who see it as a first step in diminishing their organizational and financial power in government and the private sector.

Foster: Loretta Lynch Won't Enforce Immigration Law

By Howard Foster - 

The President’s nominee for Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, effectively stated yesterday that illegal immigrants have a right to work in this country. Of course this is contrary to U.S. law, which makes it illegal for anyone to work, even legal aliens, without authorization by statute, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. The whole point of the Act was to preserve American jobs for American citizens.  Generally immigrants cannot work legally until they have obtained green cards, which takes years.

Anyone who states they will not enforce a federal law is unfit to hold the office of Attorney General, the chief law enforcement official of the country. I cannot recall another Attorney General designate who has ever made such a statement about a valid federal law. Perhaps it happened before the Civil War as to the Fugitive Slave Act, a federal law requiring former slaves to be returned from the North to their owners. That law was very controversial and precipitated the Civil War. The most apt recent parallel would be the 1972 meeting in Attorney General John Mitchell’s office at the Justice Department with Watergate burglars Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt in which Mitchell approved the burglary.

News rewind: Governor fires 35

SPRINGFIELD, IL - News Flash: Illinois' newly sworn-in governor fires 35 staffers from the previous administration, freezes state hires and halts the purchase of any new state vehicles. 

Sound familiar?

Hit the rewind to January 15, 2003 ... deja vu all over again.

State Rep. Mitchell calls for investigation of all police-related deaths in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Exploiting the recent police-related deaths in Missouri and New York, State Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) has proposed legislation that would mandate and taxpayer-funded independent review and investigation whenever a police officer kills someone in the line of duty.

“When there is an officer-involved death, to make sure there is transparency, accountability, (and) closure,” said Mitchell. “There would be an independent investigation, and, assuming there was a finding that there was no need for further prosecution (of the officer), a report would be released.”

Mitchell claims the bill is based on one passed in Wisconsin.

McCain to Kissinger protesters: "Get out of here, you low life scum"

Post by C-SPAN.

Illinois college cited for viewpoint discrimination in free-speech case

A U.S. district court judge has ordered an Illinois college to allow two local social activists to hand out their "politically incorrect" flyers on the campus.

The two activists asked the Waubonsee Community College for permission to distribute leaflets on behalf of their organization, Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment. They were denied permission because, said the school, the information on the flyers wasn't "consistent with the philosophy, goals, and mission of the college."

John Whitehead of The Rutherford Institute says a federal judge last week disagreed with the school's decision and ordered it to stop its censorship.

"Fortunately, the judge in this particular case in federal court ruled that this was viewpoint discrimination, which is a classic First Amendment doctrine," the Rutherford president tells OneNewsNow. "On public universities or public areas or public sidewalks, you can't single out a particular viewpoint for discrimination, which they did in this particular case."