Gov. J.B. Pritzker usually deflects questions on House Speaker Michael Madigan’s future by saying he desires to let the investigative course of work.
But throughout an interview with me to mark his one-year anniversary in workplace, the governor pointed to his response after Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, was indicted, now-former Sen. Martin Sandoval’s, D-Chicago, Statehouse workplace was raided and now-former Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, was arrested. In each occasion, he mentioned, he known as on the legislators to step apart or resign.
When there’s “clear” proof of focusing on by prison investigators, the governor mentioned, “that’s the point at which folks should step aside.”
The questions aren’t new. During the sexual harassment scandals of 2018, candidate Pritzker was typically requested if Madigan ought to relinquish not less than one or each of his roles as House speaker and state get together chairman. He’d all the time defer, just about similar to he’s finished in the course of the sweeping federal probe.
Pritzker’s newest reply, nonetheless, is extra particular and permits him to set the bar for any showdown with Madigan, who absolutely appears to be on the federal authorities’s radar display, however for what no person is aware of for positive. No crimes have but been alleged. We know that a few of his friends have been raided (together with Mike McClain), however it’s nonetheless unclear what, precisely, the feds are taking a look at apart from hiring Democratic cronies by the non-public firm ComEd.
The governor additionally claimed that the fixed drumbeat of scandal and corruption surrounding Madigan wouldn’t injury the prospects for his graduated earnings tax constitutional modification referendum this November. One of the arguments the opposition has already used boils all the way down to: “Do you trust these Madigan people to do the right thing with the new tax and the new revenue?”
Pritzker mentioned he didn’t suppose the 2 points have been associated, prefacing his remarks by saying “we need to make sure we’re passing legislation” on ethics and reform and “rooting out these folks” with investigations.
”I feel it’s pretty simple to those that I consider in a fairer tax system, and so do a major majority of individuals within the state,” Pritzker mentioned. “So I don’t think it’ll have a deleterious effect in that regard.” I suppose we’ll discover out.
I additionally requested Pritzker if he deliberate to reopen the hashish legalization regulation to broaden it to different issues, like, for example, house develop licenses for leisure customers.
”From my perspective,” Pritzker mentioned, “we have to let this regulation settle in.
”We’ve bought a whole lot of issues we’ve bought to observe and maintain observe of to find out what different technical modifications might have to happen.”
One factor he desires checked out, Pritzker mentioned, is organising some type of money deposit program after studying of a latest housebreaking at a Chicago hashish dispensary. Over $100,000 was stolen, and police suspect it was an “inside job.” What to do with all that money has dogged the trade for years as a result of banks concern a federal authorities crackdown.
The governor additionally talked about what he’s doing to assist Downstate within the wake of a report the area misplaced virtually 120,000 folks between 2010 and 2018. The earlier decade was very laborious on Cook County, which misplaced over 200,000 residents in that interval, however now it’s Downstate’s flip.
Pritzker pointed to $420 million within the 2019 capital invoice for high-speed broadband. Matt Schmitt led Minnesota’s much-lauded broadband build-out after passing the laws as a state senator and was recruited by Pritzker to return right here. The governor mentioned Notices of Funding Opportunities might be issued throughout the subsequent six months “so that we can get money out the door to start expanding broadband.”
”That’s an enormous factor as a result of you’ll be able to’t create jobs in cities or cities the place there isn’t high-speed Internet,” Pritzker mentioned. “It’s in every business.”
He additionally mentioned the state will assist deliver “tele-health” facilities to…