Ulysses S. Grant standing alongside his famous war horse,
“Cincinnati” – 1864

When Illinois attained statehood in 1818, it had the smallest population of any state on the day it entered the union – a distinction we still hold today. Most of Illinois was unsettled, and Chicago was just a few cabins around an old fort.

But fifty years after statehood, Illinois’ population had raced beyond one million, we were the nation’s fourth-largest state and Chicago was already its ninth-largest city. In that 50th-birthday year, a second Illinoisan was elected to the White House. It was 150 years ago next week that Ulysses S. Grant of Galena, Illinois, took the oath of office as the 18th President of the United States.

He’s a central Illinois farmer who has traveled the world representing the agricultural industry but has also found time to serve as the chairman of the Vermilion County Board.

For relaxation he participates as a saddle bronc rider in rodeos. Our guest is State Representative Mike Marron.

BUDGET
Gov. Pritzker’s Tax, Borrow & Spend Budget More of the Same Failed Democratic Playbook. Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered his first Budget and State of the State Address to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield on Wednesday, February 20th.

The Governor’s introduced Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal estimates general funds revenue at $38.9 billion and proposes $38.7 billion in general funds spending. To help close a $3.2 billion budget deficit, the Governor is proposing pension savings through a ramp extension, new revenues through taxes on new and existing services, and closing so-called “corporate loopholes.” Altogether, the Pritzker Administration estimates a $1.5 billion increase in revenue over FY19.

Butch O'Hare seated in the cockpit  of his Grumman
F4F "Wildcat" fighter, circa Spring 1942.

Two months after the disaster at Pearl Harbor, America needed some good news.

The nation had been shocked by the crushing defeat suffered in the surprise Japanese attack on Hawaii on December 7, 1941. And it seemed like there had been nothing but bad news since. General Douglas MacArthur’s forces in the Philippines had been driven into retreat, and the capital city of Manila had fallen. Japanese troops had captured Hong Kong and Singapore. German armies stood within sight of Moscow, while their submarines prowled the U.S. east coast close enough to observe the lights of Atlantic City and Coney Island. Things were bad all around.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Representative Bourne leads appointment of new Legislative Inspector General. Rep. Avery Bourne led a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators in the selection of a person with trusted legal experience to take on the duty of examining allegations of misconduct within the General Assembly. Significant allegations of misconduct, including allegations of sexual harassment, were made against General Assembly members and senior members of legislative staff during the 100thGeneral Assembly (January 2017 – January 2019). Under state law, allegations of these types must be referred to the office of an independent Legislative Inspector General for scrutiny and possible referrals for discipline. This includes, in rare cases, referral of an allegation to law enforcement.

Rep. John W.E. Thomas, Rep. Adelbert Roberts,
and Congressman Oscar Stanton DePriest

As the 30th General Assembly convened in January 1877 it was an exciting time for Illinois. The post-Civil War economic boom had come to Illinois at full speed, and the state was now among the fastest-growing in the nation. Legislators were meeting for the first time in the new State Capitol building at 2nd and Monroe in Springfield.

And one of the 153 men taking the oath of office in the House of Representatives was making history that day.

John W.E. Thomas had been born into slavery in Alabama in 1847. He discovered the joy of reading and writing at an early age. In his youth he would courageously defy the local authorities by teaching other African-Americans to read, and the desire to be an educator stayed with him his entire life. Together with his wife Maria and their daughter Hester he came to Chicago just after the Civil War.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Illinois House committees hold first hearings of new session. Much of the session work of this week was spent in organizing the 39 standing committees of the Illinois House of Representatives. These are the panels that will hear almost all of the legislation introduced in the House through January 2021. Many of the committees, such as the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the House Committee on Personnel and Pensions, took prompt action to set up subcommittees from the members appointed to their membership.

Congressman-Elect Abraham Lincoln

Presidential experience comes in many forms. Washington and Eisenhower commanded armies which changed the course of world history. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and was Vice President. Franklin Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy and later Governor of the nation’s largest state. Other Presidents were Governors, Senators, generals, businessmen and farmers. John Quincy Adams perhaps holds the record, having devoted 70 years of his life to public service.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
House Republicans oppose Madigan’s Rules. One of the first legislative actions of the Illinois House in the 101st General Assembly occurred this week, with the consideration and adoption of rules that govern the chamber’s proceedings.

The 12.8 million residents of Illinois deserve a legislative process that is transparent and fair. We are supposed to be a representative democracy, where all Illinoisans from every district are represented equally. Unfortunately, that is not the case right now in the Illinois House of Representatives.