Page 14 - April 2017 Newsletter

Tension in the State Capitol
Springfield continues to be a challeng- ing place on many fronts. Literally dozens of bills have been introduced regard-
ing policing issues that FOP Lodge 7
is against. We continue to work very
well with the Illinois FOP in opposi- R
tion to these legislative efforts.
The Legislature in general con-
tinues to plod along in addressing some legislative issues. However, the big issues, like the bud- get, elude success. There continues to be a stalemate between Governor Bruce Rauner and Democratic leg- islative leaders. The Senate Democratic and Republi- can leaders have continued to strive for a “grand bar- gain.” That effort has not yet been successful, and its prospects look dim. In the last week of March, a rare vehement debate on the Senate floor culminated in a bipartisan vote to support a downstate labor issue. It was rare because of how nasty the official debate was, both on the floor and in the off-the-record discussions
afterward. There is a lot of tension in the Capitol. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 31.
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Politically, you may have seen that the national Republican Governors Association has placed its first TV ads for Rauner’s re-election campaign. It’s going to be a long political season, as the pri- mary is still 11 months away. Several Democrats have announced their intention to run for gov- ernor, including Senator Daniel Biss, businessman Chris Kennedy, alderman Ameya Pawar, and entrepre- neur and investor J.B. Pritzker. The Illinois governor’s race in 2018 will be one of the most expensive in the
country.
We have met with many legislators and staff this year
to address our concerns about ongoing “police reform” proposals that have been introduced in the Legislature again this year. Our efforts with the Illinois FOP and other interested police advocates have been strong. We continue to work together to protect your efforts as you protect all of us. d
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14 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ APRIL 2017