Illinois Review

House Transportation passes illegal drivers license bill

SPRINGFIELD - Within the hour, the House Transportation Committee passed legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses in Illinois.

SB 957 is expected to be heard on the House floor as soon as possible. It passed the Illinois Senate in December, 2012.

More to come ...

Illinois Policy Institute calls for courage from state legislators

The Illinois Policy Institute's John Tillman put out a press release yesterday regarding pension reform talks. He wrote:

"Illinois can be an economic leader, but billions of dollars in pension debt stands in its way. Many civic groups are calling for the legislature to do something – anything – on pension reform. Illinois can't afford another failed 'solution' that perpetuates the crisis, so the Illinois Policy Institute is calling on lawmakers to do the right thing: Adopt a defined contribution system that puts workers, not politicians, in control of their retirement.

Andrzejewski files lawsuit against Illinois Comptroller Topinka

Adam Andrzejewski and his For The Good of Illinois announced their intent to file a suite against Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.

According to Andrzejewski, his organization filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Comptroller to open the State of Illinois checkbook. The FOIA was rejected - see Comptroller's letter HERE.

The Comptroller asserted that multiple staff members would have to work three days to fulfill the request and this was an “undue burden” on her office.

Eight months ago, Andrzejewski appealed to Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office for help. Initially, the Democratic Attorney General opened a case saying, “… further inquiry is warranted“. But no action has been taken to-date.

As a result, Andrzejewski filed a lawsuit, For The Good of Illinois, Inc v. Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar-Topinka, to compel production of the State of Illinois checkbook.

Stay tuned...

Illinois Democrats push for more federal health care control

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Democrats appear to be anxious to relinquish more of the state's control to feds' rule by plunging deeper in Obamacare. As soon as Monday, the House will consider HB 6253 House Amendment 1 (HA1), which would pull in more federal financing of the state’s Medicaid program.

The Democrat sponsorship of HB 6253 is not content to provide Medicaid coverage for poverty-stricken, disabled and children and their parents. The federal government - through Obamacare - is opening the way for low-income adults without dependent children to be covered by Medicaid. The state is drooling for the $4.6 billion federal carrot dangling with the program. The program "makes a great fiscal deal for Illinois!" the Illinois Health Matters organization says.

HB 6253 authorizes Illinois to take advantage of the ACA to provide Medicaid to about 342,000 low-income Illinois citizens who are currently uninsured. Because of the ACA, Illinois can offer Medicaid to this population at no expense to the state for the first three years, and in later years the state will never pay more than 10% of the cost of this coverage (with federal funds covering the remaining 90%).

Perhaps Illinois Health Matters doesn't understand that federal dollars don't grow on DC trees. That they also come from Illinois taxpayers?

$22,003 per student feeds Lake Forest High's insatiable salary monster

By Nancy Thorner -

The culture of this nation, one driven by the unionization of teachers back in the 1960's coupled with public indifference and inattentiveness to spending, has resulted in the gross over-staffing of our schools with attendant excessive spending.  

The cost per pupil of educating a District 115 (Lake Forest High School) student is now a staggering $22,003, with a budget for the 2013-14 school year being a behemoth $43+ million, the bulk of which is to be spent on salaries and benefits. 

Last month, District 115 once again requested and was granted the maximum-allowable five percent increase to the tax levy for the 2013-14 school year, a step in the wrong direction.  In these hard economic times, a reduction in taxes has for most taxpayers become a need, not just a want. 

House pension proposal scheduled for noon hearing

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House Democrats are said to now have Republican Leader Tom Cross on board with a pension direction change, rather than a long term "fix". The deal is scheduled to be heard in committee at the Capitol at noon. Illinois Watchdog reports that on the docket will be Senate Bill 1673, with a new amendment. It is much of the framework of House Bill 6258, with a few tweaks:

• Pause COLAs for all workers and retirees for six years
• Once COLAs resume, they apply only to the first $25k of pensions
• No COLAs will be awarded until age 67
• Increase employee contributions by 1 percent of salary for 2 years (total of 2 percent increase)
• Cap pensionable salary at the Social Security wage base or their current salary, whichever is higher
• Create a new 30-year payment plan to get to 100 percent funding
• Provide the same funding guarantee as in HB6258
• Continue using pension obligation note revenue to pay down pension debt when the notes are paid off

The cost shift and cash balance plans are not included. More to come ...

Millennial Unemployment Reaches 11.5 Percent

Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan organization advocating for Millennials ages 18-29, announced its Millennial Jobs Report for December 2012. The data is non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) and is specific to 18-29 year olds:

• The overall unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds for December 2012 is 11.5 percent (NSA).
• The unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans for December 2012 is 22.1 percent (NSA); the unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics for December 2012 is 12.2 percent (NSA); and the unemployment rate for 18--29 year old women for December 2012 is 10.4 percent (NSA).
• The declining labor force participation rate has created an additional 1.7 million young adults that are not counted as "unemployed" by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs.
• If the labor force participation rate were factored into the 18-29 unemployment calculations, the actual Millennial unemployment rate would rise to 16.3 percent (NSA).

Bulldozers positioned to tear down Reagan's Chicago apartment

CHICAGO - Ronald Reagan's short term Chicago apartment is about to be demolished by the University of Chicago. John Ruberry, Marathon Pundit, writes bulldozers are positioned to begin the tear down, and demolition has already begun on neighboring buildings -

Ruberry writes:

McSweeney takes office in 52nd District

SPRINGFIELD – State Representative David McSweeney was sworn in Sunday as the new state representative from the 52nd state house district.

McSweeney took the oath from Judge Peter C. Cavanagh, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge, alongside his daughter Melissa.

“I look forward to getting to work on behalf of my constituents addressing the many challenges facing our state,” McSweeney said. “As representative, I have the same priorities as I do in the business world; fiscal responsibility and responsive leadership.”

House members could act Sunday or Monday on key fiscal issues

From the Illinois Opportunity Project -

Legislators will be hearing many important issues today and tomorrow in Springfield. If you'd like to let them know how you feel you can email your legislator through the Take Action section of our website, or you can file a witness slip in for the legislative committee. ‬Often times, witness slips are the only source of information to lawmakers if people are opposed or supportive of a legislative measure. Filing a witness slip is now very easy to do through the ILGA.gov website.

Here are three crucially important pieces of legislation that are in committee either Sunday afternoon or Monday:

Things I Learned While Falling Off a Cliff

By John F. Di Leo -

The nation’s problems are almost all economic ones.

That’s not to say that we don’t have social problems too, or that we don’t have defense problems too.  But even those can be somewhat alleviated by fixing our economic problems.

Too many of us don’t go to church or synagogue every week… too many of us don’t have intact families.  And our nation is beset with threats from criminals from across our border and from terrorists from across the ocean.

But if we were to fix our economic problems, one byproduct of that fix would be that those other problems would be diminished.  So many of our social problems are exacerbated by a welfare state that divides and discourages intact families, trapping millions in self-perpetuating ever-worsening circumstances; so many of our foreign policy problems are exacerbated by pouring oil dollars into the coffers of islamofascist nations that sponsor terror and foment war.  So we must concentrate on fixing the economy first. 

BREAKING: Gun registry, assault weapon ban pulled in IL House

By Ulysses Arn -

Breaking news this Sunday afternoon.  Multiple sources are reporting that SB2899, an amended bill that would establish a gun registry and ban assault weapons and gun magazines with over 10 rounds has been pulled from consideration by the Illinois House Judicary committee during this week's lame duck session.

Illinois Carry has released this message:

"IL House Judiciary Committee Chair Elaine Nekritz just announced that there would be no vote on SB2899 or any other assault weapons ban during the lame duck session. Rest up, folks, and let's get ready to fight this fight again when the new 98th General Assembly is sworn in next week!"

Beach Bum Barry Bests GOP

By Teri O'Brien -

This week, as we prepare for the beginning of the 113^th Congress, we face a looming showdown over increasing the federal government’s debt ceiling. It seems like only yesterday that our courageous Dear Reader, Barack “I Won’t Play That Game” Obama was battling with his mean-spirited opposition over their unwillingness to send more cash from productive citizens to him to spend on his many worthy projects. Oh wait, it was just yesterday.

Well, actually it was last week, during that whole “fiscal cliff” thing, a complete victory for the One. Will Sen. McConnell have the spine to get anything meaningful on spending decreases in the next round, or will he wave the white flag again? As usual, David Gregory, who interviewed Sen. McConnell today on “Meet the Press,” did an excellent job of presenting the White House perspective. I was very distracted, though, wondering “where is the perp walk for Mr. Gregory?”

Obama's 'Cash For Clunkers' Unleashed 'Environmental Nightmare'

By Wynton Hall -

In a classic tale illustrating the “law of unintended consequences,” a new report concludes that President Barack Obama’s $3 billion “Cash for Clunkers” taxpayer-funded boondoggle artificially drove car prices up, not down, and unleashed an “environmental nightmare” through shredding, not recycling, many of the 690,000 cars people traded in for an up to $4,500 car credit.

In 2009, Mr. Obama proudly declared that his Cash for Clunkers program, officially known as the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), was a stunning success.  “There were skeptics who weren't sure that this ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program would work,” said Mr. Obama. “But I'm happy to report that it has succeeded well beyond our expectations and all expectations, and we're already seeing a dramatic increase in showroom traffic at local car dealers…So I'm very pleased with the progress that's been made in the House today on the "Cash for Clunkers" program.”

But as Yahoo News notes, the program’s decision to shred, not recycle, many of the trade-in vehicles unleashed an “environmental nightmare”: HERE

White House Plans To Overwhelm NRA With Rapid Victory

The White House and gun control activists are gearing up for a whirlwind month, with plans to pass reform legislation by exploiting the emotions of the Sandy Hook massacre before they fade.

While the fiscal cliff has dominated headlines in recent weeks, Democrat lawmakers and activists have been laying the groundwork for their big push this month. Vice President Joe Biden, tasked with heading a commission to limit or end second amendment rights, has been quietly meeting with various left-wing groups and is expected to release a set of recommendations within weeks. Boston's Democrat mayor Thomas Menino, co-chair of Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns, told the Boston Herald this week that an optimistic Biden had assured him that Obama would sign legislation “by the end of January.”

House Democrats are moving ahead with their own plans as well. On Friday, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), chair of the newly created Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, announced the appointment of 12 vice chairs, including Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), the body’s leading voice on gun control.

Obama has personally identified an assault weapons ban and limits on ammunition magazine size as top priorities. Other possible "reforms" could include background check requirements for purchases at gun shows, a loophole that’s helped create a huge market of off-record arms purchases.

Violent crime survivors are also planning trips to emotionally lobby lawmakers to support legislation. Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who survived a shooting in 2011, will play a prominent role in that regard: on Wednesday she met with Bloomberg in New York and on Friday traveled to Newtown for a photo op using families who lost loved ones eye candy for the mainstream media. ...More HERE

Egyptian magazine affirms Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of White House

Effectively affirming the concerns of five much-maligned Republican House members and the evidence presented in an investigative book, an Egyptian magazine claims six American Muslim leaders who work with the Obama administration are Muslim Brotherhood operatives who have significant influence on U.S. policy.

Egypt’s Rose El-Youssef magazine, in a Dec. 22 story, said the six men turned the White House “from a position hostile to Islamic groups and organizations in the world to the largest and most important supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The Egyptian article was translated and reported by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, or IPT.

IPT said that while the story is largely unsourced, it is significant because it raises the issue to Egyptian readers. ...More HERE

Happy, Clappy, and out of the closet, Evangelicals?

Much of this theological change has begun in the United States, where evangelists like as Tony Campolo, his wife Peggy and the up-and-coming urban preacher Jay Dekker have gone back to the scriptures to argue for a theological embrace of homosexuality. Less liberal but equally radical preachers such as Brian McClaren have decried “fundasexuality” – a term McClaren coined to illustrate the way evangelicals seem to be obsessed with sexuality to the point where they often treat homosexuals with little of the compassion that Christ reserved for the oppressed, the marginalised and – crucially – those he disagreed with.

In a recent book that has caused little shockwaves to ripple through evangelical communities Dekker, a straight, divorced and heavily tattooed preacher whose congregation meet in a New York bar, says homosexuality – in loving, committed and monogamous relationships – cannot be sinful. ...More HERE

Obama blasts chaplains' conscience protections

A military chaplains’ advocacy group criticized President Barack Obama earlier this week for suggesting his administration might ignore provisions of a new law that offers religious liberty protections to service members.

The protections, approved by Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, guarantee chaplains will not be forced to preform “marriage” ceremonies for same-sex couples or be punished for refusing to do so.

The president signed the act into law on Wednesday but issued a long statement detailing his disagreement with at least 20 of its provisions. The president said his administration would interpret those provisions as it saw fit, essentially announcing his intention to ignore them. He did not specifically say the Defense Department would not abide by the chaplain’s protection provision—Section 533—only it would not hinder the military’s acceptance of openly gay service members. ...More HERE

Study: Government Mandated 'Eco-Friendly' Light Bulbs May Cause Cancer

Every time you turn on the lights, you may be putting yourself at risk, according to a disturbing new study.

Energy efficient bulbs are eco-friendly and can save you big bucks, but experts say that some could also have a dark side.

Money saving, compact fluorescent light bulbs emit high levels of ultra violet radiation, according to a new study. Research at Long Island’s Stony Brook found that the bulbs emit rays so strong that they can actually burn skin and skin cells.

“It can also cause skin cancer in the deadliest for, and that’s melanoma,” said Dr. Rebecca Tung. ...More HERE

Entrepreneur's Eve 2012 benefitting The H Foundation in Chicago

On December 31, 2012, entrepreneurs of Chicago, gathered at the Adler Planetarium for the 2nd Annual Entreprenuer's Eve presented by Cor Strategies. This non-profit event benefits local charity, The H Foundation which supports cancer research at Northwestern University.

6th Circuit: Diversity trumps religious freedom

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that university diversity policies trump the First Amendment’s protections of religion and religious expression, but the dispute will continue, as a legal team representing former University of Toledo worker Crystal Dixon has requested a rehearing.

At issue are Dixon’s personal religious statements regarding homosexuality and the school’s affirmative action program for homosexuals.

Dixon was dismissed from her university post after she wrote a personal letter to the editor of a local newspaper objecting to the characterization of homosexuality as being the same as race. ...More HERE

Illinois firefighters stand idle while man drowns [VIDEO]

A Champaign, Illinois man drowned Jan. 1 in a mall pond as the police and fire department stood by and watched. The man, Kenneth Brown, 20, slipped under the freezing water 18 minutes after falling through the ice, but local firefighters didn’t launch an inflatable boat until just before he disappeared. The firefighters pulled Brown’s body out of the water roughly an hour after they arrived.

At least one passing resident recorded much of the event, including the moment when Brown went under the water.

The crowd of onlookers demanded firefighters rescue the man, and some even volunteered for the task, but were told by the Champaign police to stay away while 22 firefighters and six vehicles stood on the nearby shore and watched Brown's slow-motion death.

The police and firefighters defended their inaction. “They followed our ice rescue guidelines pretty much to a T,” Champaign Deputy Fire Chief Eric Mitchell told The News Gazette.

“They established command … they made visual contact and attempted to talk to him, threw rescue devices, and went on the water,” he said. “Going on the water is the last thing you want to do. They did all the other things first.”

“The way we’re trained, you have several different positions that have to be filled to do water rescue safely. … You have a leader and a victim observer [whose]  job is to make contact visually with the victim and try to talk to him.” ...More HERE

The perils of the cliff

By John Dyslin -

So, we avoided the so-called “Fiscal Cliff.” Actually, we went over the cliff as the Bush tax cuts expired at midnight on December 31 and the Senate did not pass the Avoiding Fiscal Cliff bill until early Jan. 1 and the House did not pass it until New Year’s Day night. But with the passage of the Avoiding Fiscal Cliff bill, the Bush-era tax rates will become permanent for 99 percent of the population. Only those making $400,000 individually or $450,000 for a family will see their tax rates go up. There also won’t be any spending cuts that were determined by the Debt Ceiling Agreement of 2011 with what was called “sequestration.”

Flowers, wine ... and oh, yes, video poker

The new trend for small businesses to make it in Illinois' struggling economy is to add video poker everywhere. And we mean everywhere that sells liquor. Including a flower shop in Oak Lawn, IL.

As the owner of a small business in a struggling economy, Denise Roll is doing all she can to drum up sales. That’s why, starting Friday, customers will be able to play video poker, have a glass of wine and order a bouquet of flowers in one visit to her Avenue Flower Shop.

Is this what lawmakers had in mind?

Democrats, AFSCME hold up Illinois public employee union bill

Ends up a bill restricting the number of taxpayer-funded state employees who can join unions isn’t going to Gov. Quinn (D) right away. Shortly after the Senate gave final approval to the bill Thursday night, Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), filed a motion to reconsider the vote, a technical step that keeps the bill from being sent to Quinn.

The bill outlines job positions that would not qualify for union membership. The American Federation of State, County and Municipla Employees (AFSCME) estimated about 1,900 bureaucrats now in union bargaining units would lose that representation, and 1,600 more would be prohibited from joining unions.

State workers flocked to AFSCME and other unions during the administration of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who froze the wages of non-union workers.

Harmon has until Wednesday to decide what he wants to do with the bill. If he lifts the reconsideration motion, the bill goes to Quinn; if not, it will die when new lawmakers are seated. ...More HERE

H/T: Bill Baar's West Side

55% consider Obama a good or excellent leader

That smooth-talking Barack Obama. He makes the voters swoon. And isn't that what leadership is all about? How you can fool most of the people most of the time? Rasmussen says this week's polling shows voters approve of President Obama's leadership during the days leading up to the fiscal cliff crisis.

Over half of voters now give President Obama positive marks for leadership, his highest ratings since the early months of his presidency.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters consider Obama a good or excellent leader, the highest finding since May 2009. This is up three points from last month, which was the first time the finding passed the 50% mark since June 2009.

One-out-of-three (33%) rate Obama as a poor leader, unchanged from December which marked the lowest finding in over three years.

Madigan okays compromise talk on pension reform

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Democrat Party chairman and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (Chicago) has decided pension reform desperately needs to progress, and his plan to push pension payments to the local level just isn't going to fly now. So, Madigan's decided to kick that part of his pension fix down the road, and allow his pension reform negotiators to work on reform ideas that can pass the General Assembly and hopefully not be challenged in court.

Look for a Madigan-okayed compromise plan to be presented during the House lame duck session that begins Sunday and is scheduled to continue right up until noon on Wednesday, when the new General Assembly is sworn into office. Senate President John Cullerton has alerted Senate members to be ready to return Tuesday.

Madigan's negotiators are leaking these pension reform points, and the all-important difference is the State Journal Register's first story sentence on the pension breakthrough:

Following a switch in position by House Speaker Michael Madigan, legislators next week could consider a new state pension compromise.

2nd CD to hold GOP candidate forum January 17

JOLIET - The only public debate among Republican candidates for the Congressional seat vacated by Jesse Jackson, Jr. will be held at the Will County Fair Atrium in Peotone, Illinois at 7:30 PM on Thursday, January 17, 2013.  The Will County Republican Central Committee and the Kankakee County Republican Central Committee are co-sponsors of the event.

Following the debate, organizers will conduct a straw poll with results released to the public.

All candidates who file nomination petitions will be invited to attend.  Expected to attend are Dr. Eric Wallace, Diane Harris, Lenny McAlister, Paul McKinley and James Taylor.

Federal Government: All dollars, no sense

By Sean Morrison -

Absent from the rancorous Federal debate surrounding fiscal cliffs, imposing higher income tax rates and Obama care, begs the question; what will these social entitlements actually cost us taxpayers and how much can we really afford to spend on them?

Today many small businesses cannot afford to provide for both a meaningful living wage and healthcare costs for their employees; the reason is a matter of basic math. Business margins do not allow for it. It’s simple economics really; the dollars companies would have to pay out will exceed the dollars that their businesses can generate back in. The result, they would be out of business!

Schilling looks toward 2014

By Zach Oltmanns - 

Rumors have been swirling since shortly after election night that now former Representative Bobby Shilling (photo right) will attempt to reclaim the 17th Congressional District for the GOP in 2014. Former Congressman Schilling has been mum on his future plans other than to return to his small business.

Rumors escalated on Tuesday, however, when Schilling posted the following on Facebook “…To all the people who believed in me, trusted in me and were always there to lift me up, we did what NO ONE could do in 28 years and we can do it again.”

The last part - “we can do it again” - led to some political insiders throughout the state claiming that Schilling is indeed leaning toward another bid for congress. Schilling also voted no on the “fiscal cliff” deal, which led to great praise from conservatives throughout the district and state.

Your Quinncome tax hits home

Two years ago on their night of infamy, Jan. 11, 2011, General Assembly Democrats — and exclusively Democrats — voted to raise the Illinois personal income tax rate by 67 percent. Many Illinoisans have been furious about it, although not as furious as they would have been if their paychecks had actually been gouged by those additional 2 percentage points.

Pat Quinn listens at the City Club public policy luncheon series. (Antonio Perez/Tribune)

But when the Democrats boosted the personal income tax rate from 3 to 5 percent most of us didn't suffer: The state tax hike coincided with a 2-percentage-point decrease in the federal payroll withholding for Social Security.

However, on Monday the federal payroll tax cut expired. And the new agreement that has avoided many impacts of the "fiscal cliff" doesn't renew it for a third year. If you pay into Social Security, you'll now send an additional 2 percent of your earnings to the federal government.

Think of it this way: The impact of your Quinncome tax increase — long advocated by Gov. Pat Quinn and made law by his signature two years ago — has finally hit home. Your home. You just took a pay cut. ...More HERE

Bill Whittle: How do conservatives compete with liberal hand-outs? (video)

Hobby Lobby CEO Pens Letter About Loss of Religious Freedom

The CEO of Hobby Lobby has penned a letter about the tragic loss of religious freedom and liberty in America. The Christian crafts company has been forced by the Obama administration to pay for drugs for its employees in their health care plan that may cause abortions.

Doing so violates the religious freedom of the founders and owners of Hobby Lobby, but the firm has, so far, been unsuccessful in getting courts to give it an exemption while its lawsuit against the HHS mandate continues.

The letter from Hobby Lobby CEO David Green that LifeNews received follows:

When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn’t much bigger than most people’s living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God‘s word. From there, Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.

Kelly holds presser calling for Brady resignation

Activist William J. Kelly, Republican held a press conference yesterday calling for IL GOP Chairman Pat Brady to resign after he made statements contradicting the GOP platform on gay marriage.

Guns and gay marriage reveal Illinois Democrat Party weakness

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Democrats returned to Springfield this week fresh from victory in the November elections and confident that comprehensive gun ban and gay marriage legislation would sail through the State Senate. Indeed, they seemed focused, unified, unstoppable.

In fact, nothing could have been further from the truth.

This week's legislative debacle revealed some serious chinks in the Illinois Democrat armor. The "machine" suffered a rare embarrassment when Senate Dems were forced to admitted they couldn't move their political agenda without help from the hapless, divided Republicans.

But the Republicans weren't as hapless and divided as they had assumed. And the Democrat members weren't as indivisible and compliant as they were used to.

Deep divisions between Chicago and downstate Democrats were revealed. Ideological tensions between progressives and center-left Dems were exposed. And despite the best efforts of the gay lobby, the anti-gun lobby, the ACLU, Lambda Legal and the entire left-wing base, the Democrat majority couldn't cobble together enough support within their Party to move the legislation to the floor.

Republicans should take notice, and take heart. This week proved that the monolithic Illinois Democrat Party is a myth.

Oops: Matt Damon's Anti-Fracking Film Produced With Abu Dhabi Oil Money

Given Illinois' natural resources, fracking is an industry that could bring much needed jobs to the state. Not surprisingly Democrats and environmentalists have been using Hollywood to oppose the industry by building unfounded fear within the general public.

One of the propaganda weapons coming to a theater near you, is the the movie “Promised Land” - an anti-fracking film written and produced by Hollywood stars Matt Damon and John Krasinski.

However, CNSNews.com has revealed that the film was made in part by a production company owned by the government of Arab oil emirate Abu Dhabi – a state in direct competition with American oil and gas producers.

The film is financed in part by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media which is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, one of 13 Arab emirates that makes up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and serves as that country’s capitol.

The film’s Abu Dhabi connection is significant, because the UAE is the world’s third largest oil exporter, according to 2011 figures from the U.S. Energy Information Agency. The country also holds the 7th largest proven reserves of crude oil and natural gas in the world. The UAE was ranked 17th in the world in natural gas production in 2010, according to EIA. ...More HERE

ISRA: Illinois House to pick up gun ban bill in lame duck session

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Rifle Association alerted their members Friday afternoon that they believe the bill that will be attempted to be pushed through the House in their lame duck session starting Sunday will be SB 2899. There is currently an amendment being filed on it by Rep Acevedo (D-Chicago).

It is expected to as bad as the senate bills with a few more things.

Todd VanderMyde, the ISRA lobbyist, requests: "Please don't make very detailed analysis on public posts, as we don't need to educate them about their own bill."

Illinois state representative salaries for 2012

By Kristina Rasmussen -

Members of the Illinois General Assembly are among the highest-paid state legislators in the country. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, Illinois lawmakers earned a base salary of $67,836 in 2012, along with a $111 per diem for each session day. Legislators in nearby Indiana earn just $22,616 a year.

Many Illinois legislators make far more than the base amount due to bonuses that come with leadership positions. According to data from the Comptroller’s state employee salary database, The Ledger, the average salary of a state representative in 2012, including additional leadership pay, was $72,591. The highest-paid representatives were House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, who both earned $90,930.

Efforts to limit legislator salaries, including votes to freeze pay and forfeit 12 days of compensation, have fallen short in the eyes of reformers. Taxpayers are footing the bill for cushy legislative salaries and incredibly generous pension packages (how does a cool $2.5 million in lifetime benefits sound?) in return for continued fiscal mismanagement. 

A list of state representatives and their salaries is below:

Mainstream media spins Illinois gay marriage

It's always interesting to watch the mainstream media coordinate their stories with the left's public policy strategies. For example, below are just three of the headlines running today:

Illinois Gay-Marriage Bill Stalls Despite Broad Backing (Bloomberg) - Despite the fact that polls consistently show a majority of Illinoisans oppose gay marriage, Bloomberg headlines it has having broad backing.

Chicago couple eagerly awaits Illinois gay marriage vote (Reuters) - Got to have the "human interest" angle for the emotional (vs. rational) approach to the issue. That must have been Reuters assignment.

Illinois Inches Closer To Same-Sex Marriage Legalization (CBS St. Louis) - Pro-gay mariage forces were confident they'd have this through the lame duck Senate by now. Despite being knocked back on their heels by the pro-family majority, CBS claims the gay marriage minority has got the upper hand.

The truth is new media again showed itself to be more effective; picking up unreported stories from front-line, pro-family organizations like Thomas More Society, Illinois Family Institute, and the National Organization for Marriage. Organizations that clearly seemed to be leaders in the gay marriage battle taking place in Springfield provided inside information to Illinois Review and other new media outlets, while the mainstream media, as usual, fed off it's leads.

State Rep. Reis calls for ILGOP chair's resignation

State Representative David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) made it clear in a press release today that he was outraged by State GOP Party Chairman Pat Brady’s support and active lobbying for same sex marriage in Illinois.

“I absolutely couldn't believe my ears it when I first heard it,” Reis said. “Not only has he defied our GOP Platform with conflicting comments, but he was actually calling members of the General Assembly and lobbying for their vote.”

The GOP platform clearly states its support of marriage in Illinois being defined as ‘between one man and one woman’.

“It’s one thing to possibly lose an important floor vote on such a controversial issue but to have your State Party Chairman maliciously and without consultation defying our party’s platform with his actions is unacceptable,” Reis said. “He has alienated many of our most loyal supporters and for the good of our party, and for conservatives who support traditional family values; he should offer his resignation effective immediately.”

The news ... illustrated

Illinois state senator salaries for 2012

By Kristina Rasmussen -

Members of the Illinois General Assembly are among the highest-paid state legislators in the country. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, Illinois lawmakers earned a base salary of $67,836 in 2012, along with a $111 per diem for each session day. Legislators in nearby Indiana earn just $22,616 a year.

Many Illinois legislators make far more than the base amount due to bonuses that come with leadership positions. According to data from the Comptroller’s state employee salary database, The Ledger, the average salary of a state senator in 2012, including additional leadership pay, was $77,545.

The highest-paid senators were Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, who both earned $90,930.

Efforts to limit legislator salaries, including votes to freeze pay and forfeit 12 days of compensation, have fallen short in the eyes of reformers. Taxpayers are footing the bill for cushy legislative salaries and incredibly generous pension packages (how does a cool $2.5 million in lifetime benefits sound?) in return for continued fiscal mismanagement.

Below is a list of state senator legislative salaries:

State Rep. Barickman welcomes second child

State Representative Jason Barickman (R-Champaign) and his wife, Kristin, announced the birth of their second child, Walter James Barickman, who arrived on today at 1:00 a.m. at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal.

“Kristin and I are blessed by the birth of our new son, Walter,” said Rep. Barickman. “Kristin is doing great and big brother Augie is thrilled with a new baby brother. We want to thank everyone for their prayers and best wishes for our family.”

Congrats Jason and Kristin!

Illinois can't afford DCFS appropriation

By Paul Kersey -

A state with $8 billion in unpaid bills and at least $90 billion in unfunded pension obligations cannot afford to overpay for anything, even wages for child protection workers. So while some lawmakers may want to grant the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, with a supplemental appropriation to facilitate an agreement to reorganize the department, that would be an appropriation the state cannot afford.

According to information the Illinois Policy Institute received in a recent FOIA request, the average salary for DCFS child protection and child welfare workers increased to $74,400 in 2012 from about $51,700 in 2003; that amounts to more than a 40 percent raise. These union-negotiated pay raises easily outstripped inflation at a time when the average Illinois worker’s wages hardly even kept pace with the cost of living. If DCFS had pegged its wages to those of an average Illinois employee, average pay for its employees would be in the neighborhood of $64,000 – which is about $10,000 less than DCFS workers currently receive. As long as that remains the case, there are still more savings to be found at DCFS.

Ives and Mendoza join RNHA Illinois organization

The Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA) of Illinois recently announced two new additions to the organization. Newly elected State Representative Jeanne Ives (photo right) has joined the Advisory Board, and Margarita Mendoza was elected Kane County chairwoman.

“I look forward to working with all members of the IL RNHA to advance the conservative message of lower taxes, less government, family values, and individual liberty to the Hispanic community," Ives said. "These are values many of them already hold. I will work to find new leaders for our party from within the Hispanic community and request their help in advancing the pro-growth, pro-family policies the Republican Party stands for.”

The new IL RNHA Advisory Board is comprised of prominent and high-profile Republican leaders in both the private and public sectors. State Representative John Cabello leads the Board.

Dixon horse lady scandal: Feds collect $3 million on home sales

By John Ruberry, Marathon Pundit -

The most prominent corruption story in graft-ridden Illinois was the $53 million embezzlement scandal in Dixon, Illinois involving the northern Illinois town's longtime comptroller, Rita Crundwell. She stole the money to fund a lavish lifestyle centered on her championship quarter horse breeding business. The feds are working toe recoup Dixon's losses.

More HERE

State-funded ObamaCare insurance exchange: a bad deal for Illinois

By Diane Cohen -

The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, or ObamaCare, provides that if states do not establish a state-funded health insurance exchange by 2014, the federal government will do it for them. Not only is it optional for states to establish an exchange, but states that defer to a federal exchange will also save upward of $100 million annually in exchange costs.

This heavy financial burden may explain why after nearly three years have passed since ObamaCare’s enactment, only 17 states, plus the District of Columbia, have committed to establishing an exchange. The remaining 33 states are either defaulting to a federal exchange or going the federal-state partnership route – two virtually identical options. Illinois, which is starting with a federal-state partnership exchange, reportedly will take over the funding of the exchange in 2015. But why on earth is our state taking on this financial burden when it doesn’t have to?

The news ... illustrated

In Illinois, it's shark fins...then plastic water bottles.

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis sworn into office

Our new Congressman Rodney Davis was sworn in as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 113th Congress during a ceremony on the floor of the House yesterday. The oath was administered by House Speaker John Boehner.

“It is an honor to represent the people of Illinois’ 13th Congressional District in Washington,” said Davis. “The oath I took today is something that I take very seriously, and I will be unwavering in my fight to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

In the photo above, Congressman Rodney Davis is pictured with (L to R), Toryn Davis, Clark Davis, House Speaker John Boehner, Shannon Davis and Griffin Davis.

Barickman celebrates first day of 'benefit corporation' registration in Illinois

State Representative Jason Barickman (R-Champaign) is touting a number of Illinois companies that have shown interest in registering as a “benefit corporations”.  At the start of the new year, fourteen Illinois companies filed for benefit corporation status, with GreenChoice Bank becoming the first bank in the nation to receive the classification.

According to Barickman "'benefit corporations,' created by Public Act 97-0885 (Senate Bill 2897), enjoy [extra] legal protection to create value for society, not just shareholders, while meeting higher standards of accountability and transparency."

"Benefit corporations are a new kind of corporation legally required to: 1) have a corporate purpose to create a material positive impact on society and the environment; 2) expand fiduciary duty to require consideration of the interests of workers, community and the environment; and 3) publicly report annually on its overall social and environmental performance using a comprehensive, credible, independent, and transparent third party standard. This offers business more freedom in defining success and provides legal protection for those looking to pursue a corporate purpose other than maximizing profits for shareholders."