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*** UPDATED x1 *** Fireworks before vote on House Speaker

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* Rep. Stava-Murray told me yesterday that she had prepared a line of questioning for Speaker Madigan today that would be tough…


Rep. Anne Stava Murray just broadsided Speaker Madigan for his Catholic faith, according to House Dem sources. She apparently felt his religious beliefs were an obstacle to passing a more progressive agenda. One member says she made Madigan a “martyr.” No voting yet.

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) January 10, 2021

I’m also Catholic. I was speaking about the influence the church has with him on issues over the decades.

— Rep Stava-Murray (@RepStava_Murray) January 10, 2021

It was in reference to the addition of the tax rebate program to the education funding formula, which drains money from our general revenue funds.

— Rep Stava-Murray (@RepStava_Murray) January 10, 2021

My much bigger criticism was that he hasn’t been a strong leader on undoing systemic racism for the past several decades.

— Rep Stava-Murray (@RepStava_Murray) January 10, 2021

"Never heard him so hot," a member said of MJM during the back and forth with ASM https://t.co/swdVYz6WLi

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) January 10, 2021

“Everyone’s yelling at her,” I was told. “She just said ‘very angry questions were being asked of the other three yesterday and nobody yelled at them.’” Decent point. Even so, she apparently didn’t exactly rally the caucus to her side.

*** UPDATE *** WCIA’s Mark Maxwell had this react from Rep. Mary Flowers

“That was so out of place for her to put that on the Speaker,” Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) told reporters Sunday night. “And I’m not making any excuses for him. But he didn’t bring racism into Springfield, where the worst race riot has been years ago.”

“Before the speaker was born, we had systemic racism,” Flowers said. “We had 400 years of slavery, so we won’t go there. And I think everybody [has] a little bias in them. But everyone is trying to evolve to do the right thing.”

If Stava-Murray’s attack was designed to weaken Madigan’s alliance with the Black Caucus, Flowers’ comments show it may have only strengthened it. The legislature is in the middle of a thorny debate about police reform measures, and several members, including Flowers, value Madigan’s experience as a negotiator who can muster the votes to pass difficult legislation.

“He’s a hard working man,” Flowers said. “Negotiating with various entities across this state is heavy lifting, and I would not want to be driving with an inexperienced driver that may run this state further off the track.”

* Hannah Meisel caught up to another Black Caucus member

Stava-Murray’s heated exchange with the Speaker didn’t sit well with Black Caucus members in the room.

“The Black Caucus is fully capable of advocating for itself and Black issues,” State Rep. André Thapedi (D-Chicago) told NPR Illiinois. “We don’t need anyone to do that for us.”

posted by Rich Miller
Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:27 pm

Comments

  1. If you’re explaining, etc.

    – MrJM

    Comment by @misterjayem Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:34 pm

  2. Gloves come off.

    Comment by About time, Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:37 pm

  3. Boss Madigan is not about to play today.

    Comment by Mal Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:38 pm

  4. He deserves pointed questioning. However this seems like the wrong line of questioning from the wrong questioner.

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:39 pm

  5. You’re not helping, Anne.

    Comment by Graybeard Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:45 pm

  6. Stava-Murray makes Drury and Dunkin seem congenial, makes Wehrli seem reasonable.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:48 pm

  7. Seems like that line of questioning may have been a bit of a miscalculation…

    Comment by The Fifth Deputy Governor Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:48 pm

  8. Attack his policies, not his religion.

    Comment by anon2 Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:48 pm

  9. If she would had done her research on the Education Reform Bill, she would had known that Education Tax Credit was the only way that Bruce Rauner was going to sign that bill. Wrong person to question MJM

    Comment by Tim M Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:51 pm

  10. The “Fire Madigan” brigade has been at it for so long, there are bound to be efforts to grab press coverage for crazy unrelated stuff. If this line from Stava-Muray is the worst of it, we’ll all be lucky.

    Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 5:55 pm

  11. ==Where can I get live video feed?==

    Madigan’s bionic eye.

    Comment by Token Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:00 pm

  12. How much of a preview is this of any redistricting legislation later this year? Or any tent pole issues? If the Dem Caucus is this hot now, can they cool off in time to work together on a favorable map?

    The hotter this gets, the more it looks like the two options are the incumbent, or a sacrifice to do one term and out.

    Comment by Swampy Corn Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:01 pm

  13. As effective as Anthony Miller’s hit on Gardner-Johnson.

    Comment by Keyrock Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:02 pm

  14. If we could have seen Madigan’s face when Anne stood up and started asking questions…… Im guessing it was priceless.

    Has ASM said who she is backing?

    Comment by Redbird Pundit Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:03 pm

  15. Stava-Murray, Why are you hating on Catholics, now?

    Comment by Southsider Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:04 pm

  16. If she’s key to the resistance, might as well surrender

    Comment by Lincoln Lad Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:06 pm

  17. === If the Dem Caucus is this hot now, can they cool off in time to work together on a favorable map?===

    Meh. That’s hand wringing.

    The goal now will be to accidentally make ASM’s options impossible.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:08 pm

  18. I would be shocked if Pritzker was not claiming the Tuition Tax Credit before he ran for governor.

    Comment by Thomas Paine Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:12 pm

  19. She apparently missed how Dianne Feinstein’s questioning of Amy Coney Barrett backfired. (PS - we’re all here to distract ourselves from the Bears game, right?)

    Comment by lake county democrat Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:16 pm

  20. Here’s the thing. No one ever was, or ever will, follow ASM’s lead.

    Fireworks? OK. Impactful? Doubtful

    Comment by SpiDem Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:18 pm

  21. Love to *checks notes* cover up anti-Catholicism canards with *checks notes again* being a white savior

    Comment by Precinct Captain Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:21 pm

  22. Bad logic on her part. If Madigan can’t be a leader of progressive ideals because he’s Catholic, then that means she’s admitting she ALSO can’t be a leader of progressive ideals because she’s Catholic.

    Perhaps Madigan isn’t a political genius. Perhaps he’s just competing against political dullards for three decades.

    Comment by MG85 Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:31 pm

  23. Just No. You don’t blame/attack a rep’s faith as an underlying cause of his/her votes. ASM deserves whatever comes her way here. I expect an apology soon.

    Comment by PublicServant Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:41 pm

  24. If she wanted to criticize the tax rebate, she probably should have criticized it without suggesting he was taking/not taking action based on religious beliefs.

    Comment by Perrid Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:49 pm

  25. terrible

    not the way to accomplish anything but making him seem more sympathetic and also convincing people that progressives hate religion.

    There is a reason why she is radioactive and she has proved it again.

    Comment by CitizensArrest Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:50 pm

  26. So ASM is going all Dorothy Day vs. Bill Donohue. Well ok then….

    Comment by Amalia Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:50 pm

  27. All very interesting but it’s just political theatre given the math of 19 stalwart never Madigans. The real question is are there 14 or more stalwart only Madigans? If so, then somebody’s gonna have to risk political suicide if anyone is to be elected speaker.

    Comment by Captain Obvious Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:53 pm

  28. ==“She just said ‘very angry questions were being asked of the other three yesterday and nobody yelled at them.’” Decent point.==

    Not a decent point. Angry questions does not equal bigoted and insulting questions.

    Comment by Precinct Captain Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 6:58 pm

  29. ASM continues to try and be relevant. An inconvenient truth about passage of gay marriage in IL is that MJM was one of the driving forces. He also put Harris into Majority Leader position. Seems pretty progressive to me.

    Watching ASM quote MLK and Cassidy channel Floyd today was especially sanctimonious especially when Cassidy was a senior level staffer in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office early in her career when she still readily admitted that John Cullerton is her political sponsor.

    Comment by Helm Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 7:05 pm

  30. ASM never gets her point across well. I’m guessing a lot of people on her missed her attempt to question a survivor of domestic violence yesterday and was quickly shut down by Rep. Cassidy. ASM was a step away from unwittingly drumming up support against criminal justice efforts.

    Comment by twowaystreet Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 7:22 pm

  31. We live in a state where State House members were not censured for introducing legislation that attacked the freedom of religion and attacked the Secretary of State for following the constitution.

    That pretty much makes questioning religious motives fair game, including why millions of our dollars are directed to promote religious education and indoctrination.

    Mike Madigan is still being supported by members of the caucus even after it’s very clear he believes a women’s appearance qualifies her for a job.

    Let him address criticism for why tax dollars are being scooped up by religious organizations.

    Comment by Candy Dogood Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 7:39 pm

  32. The tax credit was the only way to get the bill passed. As it is it’s very minor. As for criticism of his faith and how it influences his policies, one might note Madigan has passed some very progressive bills.

    Comment by low level Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 8:16 pm

  33. It’s time. #dumpMadigan

    Comment by What Do We Do Next Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 9:08 pm

  34. Madigan never came across as someone whose policies or politics were based on his religion. If he supported things that provided funds for religious institutions it was probably because that’s where the votes were rather than some theological basis. There was a saying in Ireland when many of the higher up clergy were opposed to the movements for Irish independence to the effect that “We get our religion from Rome, but our politics from home.” Madigan is definitely more of a home, rather than Rome guy.

    Comment by West Side the Best Side Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 9:13 pm

  35. @twowaystreet what committee/debate discussed domestic violence?

    Comment by VoterAtLarge Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 9:21 pm

  36. Rep. Stava-Murray’s criticism are about 30-40 years too late.

    Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Sunday, Jan 10, 21 @ 10:18 pm

  37. I am by not means 100% supportive (though full disclosure I root for her very often!) Everyone here is freaking out about the Catholicism claims when we don’t have a thing on the record seems like concern trolling to me personally esp considering how she’s catholic. If she was talking about how he probably has numerous church leaders in his pocket I wouldn’t be shocked one bit if that’s true. I have immense respect for MJM’s service he’s done a lot of good(plenty bad ofc) and is way more progressive that most would think. That said he ABSOLUTELY has not done enough for systemic racism we have areas like Winthrop harbor where kkk members have a home.

    Comment by Lindenhurst Dem Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 1:53 am

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