Morning Spin: Rauner hits Facebook Live ahead of budget speech

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here.Topspin Gov. Bruce Rauner once again will field a series of likely screened questions during...

Morning Spin: Rauner hits Facebook Live ahead of budget speech

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here.

Topspin

Gov. Bruce Rauner once again will field a series of likely screened questions during a Facebook Live session Tuesday afternoon, with the state budget (or lack thereof) the topic du jour ahead of his annual budget address Wednesday.

Dubbed “The Gov, the budget and you,” the Facebook event could see Rauner attempt to control the message and present a positive image ahead of his speech, which is historically a time for governors to highlight their spending priorities for the year. But with the state in the middle of an unprecedented budget impasse, the Republican governor is facing the likelihood of sharp blowback from Democrats who blame the stalemate on his insistence that budget agreement also contain portions of his political and economic wish list.

Already, Rauner’s Facebook page is littered with comments from critics and supporters alike, with some saying he’s repeatedly failed to introduce a balanced budget and others imploring Rauner to “stay strong” in his battle with Democrats who control the legislature.

Rauner has said that his budget proposal is likely to mirror the format lawmakers shot down last year, in which he asked the General Assembly to work with him on crafting a spending plan or give him more power to cut one on his own.

That budget plan was in the red by at least $3.5 billion. Meanwhile, the proposal he put forth the year before counted on $2 billion in savings from a proposed change in public pensions that ultimately went nowhere.

The governor is also expected to use his budget address to provide some “guidance and parameters” for the Senate as it considers a sweeping budget proposal that has repeatedly stalled amid concerns from Republicans. While GOP lawmakers' opinions range from all-out opposition to tax hikes to concerns that efforts to cut costs on businesses don't go far enough, they also don't want to go out on a limb and vote in favor of the budget Rauner may ultimately oppose.

While Rauner might provide some clues about potential changes he'd accept, doing so could be a risky move if the governor is viewed as disrupting negotiations by laying out ultimatums. (Monique Garcia)

 

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel will help open a youth homeless shelter, speak to the Executives' Club, make a corporate relocation announcement and preside ofver the Public Buildings Commission meeting.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner will be on Facebook Live at noon. Watch here.

*U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is set to meet with Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch on Tuesday afternoon. Durbin has not had much to say about President Donald Trump’s pick. The state’s senior senator was a vocal critic of Republicans and their refusal to hold hearings with former President Barack Obama’s court pick, Merrick Garland.

*The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 31 will have a news conference to try to put further pressure on Gov. Rauner over the ongoing contract feud. 

*The week ahead: Wednesday: Gov. Rauner gives his budget speech; Chicago City Council License and Consumer Protection and Pedestrian and Traffic Safety meetings; Thursday: Hearing on Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's state worker pay legal move in St. Clair County; City Council transportation and health committees meet; City Club panel with Chicago Public Library CEO Brian Bannon, Chicago Housing Authority CEO Eugene Jones, Chicago Architecture Foundation CEO Lynn Osmond and Department of Planning and Development Commissioner David Reifman.

 

From the notebook

*Chance the Tweeter: Gov. Rauner’s official state Twitter account offered congratulations Monday afternoon to Chance the Rapper, a Chicagoan who took home three Grammy awards Sunday night.

The juggling act of holding three trophies didn't keep him from tweeting back to the governor.

The invitation isn't the artist's first foray into politics. Last year, for example, he said Mayor Emanuel "should have been more compassionate" in his response to the Laquan McDonald shooting.

Rauner's office tweeted to accept the invitation.

*A Springfield collaborative: A group of rank-and-file Democrats in the Illinois House have formed a loose coalition aimed at distancing themselves from Speaker Michael Madigan amid the historic budget impasse that’s pitted him against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Calling themselves the “Rank and File Collaborative,” the group consists of nine Democratic lawmakers, most of whom have been targeted for defeat by the Illinois Republican Party largely funded by Rauner. At the heart of the GOP’s attacks on Democrats is their connection to Madigan, who Republicans have spent millions trying to brand as the source of the state’s problems.

The coalition issued its first press release Monday. While it focused on the need for a balanced budget proposal from Rauner, it also lamented the “toxic political discourse” created by political leaders over the last two years.

“For the last two years, the so-called budget negotiations conducted by leaders in Springfield have been dominated by toxic political rhetoric from two conflicting camps: the Governor and the Speaker,” Rep. Sam Yingling, a Democrat from Grayslake who narrowly won re-election in November, said in the statement. “Rank and file House members have been left on the sidelines of a debate that has more to do with ego and political games than the needs of our constituents.”

The move underscores the internal turmoil facing Democrats, some of whom have become frustrated by Madigan’s resolute opposition to Rauner as universities, social service groups and state agencies wither without funding. While they may not agree with the political agenda Rauner has made a prerequisite for a larger budget deal, it could be becoming increasingly difficult to defend doing nothing.

Republicans responded quickly, noting the Democrats stood by Madigan when they voted to elect him speaker for the 17th time.

"If House Democrats wonder why rank-and-files legislators have little say over the workings of the Illinois House, they should look in a mirror,” state GOP spokesman Steven Yaffe said in a statement.

Organizers say they hope to add more members as their effort gains recognition.

“I see them building strength from each other and support each other in finding their own independent voices,” said spokeswoman Emily Miller, a social services advocate who most recently worked for Voices for Illinois Children. (Monique Garcia)

*How they voted: Illinois' Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth both voted against the confirmation of Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary Monday.

He was nonetheless approved by the Republican-controlled Senate by a 53-27 vote.

Duckworth and Durbin have voted similarly on President Donald Trump's nominees. On Monday, both pointed to his business record to explain their votes.

"Mr. Mnuchin’s business record tells us he was directly engaged in the predatory practices that led to our financial recession and destroyed the life savings of countless American working families," Durbin said in a statement.

Durbin's office also said Monday he'd oppose Trump's pick to lead Labor Department, Andrew Puzder.

*New fellows named at Axelrod’s institute: The Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, headed by former political strategist and top Obama White House adviser David Axelrod, has named its fellows for the school’s spring quarter.

The group includes former two-term Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Dold of Kenilworth, who was defeated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield in November.

Also included in the group is Tony Blinken, former deputy secretary of state and former deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration and Jennifer Granholm, the former two-term Democratic governor of Michigan.

Another Obama administration alumni named to the group is Shailagh Murray. Murray was a senior adviser to Obama and helped construct his digital strategy.

"While on campus next quarter, the seven Fellows will interact with students and faculty, participate in public forums and, along with guests, lead off-the-record seminars," a news release from the institute reads.

Dold, owner of a pest control business and a former vice presidential aide, hasn't announced if he'll try to make another run for Congress in 2018. (Rick Pearson)

*Jump-start on voting: Early voting for local elections later this month has begun.

Voters throughout the suburbs will have choices to make about local offices Feb. 28, but in Chicago, the only contest is the special election to fill the 4th Ward seat for alderman vacated by Will Burns and now held by Ald. Sophia King.

Early voting runs through Feb. 27. Information for Chicago voters looking to cast a ballot early in that race can be found here.

Suburban Cook County voters can learn more here.

 

What we're writing

*Emanuel in D.C. to meet with AG Sessions, Trump son-in-law Kushner.

*Alderman calls for more transparency on Obama library planning.

*CTU's Lewis blasts Rauner's 'cold, evil heart' at CPS budget hearing.

*Courts question distinction between sex, sexuality in discrimination cases.

*City water department worker dies in Northwest Side trench collapse.

 

What we're reading

*Lawmakers question pricing of Northbrook company's $89,000 muscular dystrophy drug.

*A fitness writer describes eight things that resulted from one man's year without beer. But now there is something called beer yoga.

*The Westminster Kennel Club adds three new dog breeds, but getting that designation can be a little ruff.

 

Follow the money

*The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform looks at campaign fundraising in suburban mayoral races.

*State House Republican leader Jim Durkin reports $35,000 in contributions, including $5,000 gifts from Arlington Park and a political committee for Realtors.

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. 

 

Beyond Chicago

*Flynn resigns as Trump's national security adviser over Russian contacts.

*Canada's Trudeau talks trade with Trump at White House.

*How the Trump sons move forward with businesses with their father as president.

*United Nations chief condemns North Korea missile test ahead of meeting.

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