Morning Spin: Illinois election officials won’t pass along voter data for now

Jan. 16--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

Illinois election officials have told state lawmakers that voter data won't be sent as scheduled to a controversial system aimed at flagging duplicate voter registrations across state lines.

The State Board of Elections' decision is the latest action prompted by concerns over Illinois' participation in the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program.

The program is run through the Kansas secretary of state's office headed by Kris Kobach. Kobach was head of the recently disbanded voter integrity task force formed by President Donald Trump.

In November, the eight-member state elections board split along partisan lines in rejecting a call to end Illinois' role in the program over questions about the security of voters' personal information.

Some Democratic lawmakers have proposed legislation to end the state's participation in the program, and more than a dozen of them asked the state board if recent talks delivered promised answers about tighter security procedures.

But in a letter sent last week to lawmakers by Steven Sandvoss, the board's executive director, no answers were forthcoming.

"In the December conference call, Crosscheck officials said they would provide us with proposed security enhancements for our review and would not receive data from any state until security enhancements were in place," Sandvoss wrote.

"As of this date, we have received no description of security enhancements from Crosscheck," he wrote. "We plan to review and discuss those proposed enhancements upon receipt and will transmit no data to Crosscheck until security issues are addressed to our satisfaction."

Illinois had been scheduled to transmit voter data Monday. (Rick Pearson)

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel will have a police academy event in the morning and appear with union officials in the afternoon to talk about the Coalition of Unionized Public Employees agreements.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner will sign a bill in Lincoln and meet with business owners in Edwardsville.

*Three City Council committees will meet.

*Democratic candidate for governor Daniel Biss will have two housing events in Chicago.

*The week ahead: On Wednesday, the City Council meets, as does the Cook County Board. On Thursday, the City Club of Chicago will host a panel about sanctuary cities that includes Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh.

From the notebook

*More #MeToo fallout: Government agencies would be required to publicly disclose whether they've entered into a severance agreement with an employee accused of sexual harassment under legislation introduced by a Republican lawmaker.

The proposal from Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, comes as elected officials and prominent figures nationwide face heightened scrutiny amid a flood of sexual misconduct allegations.

In Illinois, state Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, has been accused of sexually harassing a victims rights advocate while working with the woman to pass legislation. Silverstein denied the allegations, which brought to light flaws in the way ethics complaints are handled at the Capitol as the office charged with investigating allegations sat empty for three years.

The measure pushed by McSweeney would require local government agencies, including schools and community colleges, to disclose within three days details of severance agreements whenever any workers are fired over alleged sexual harassment or discrimination

A related proposal he also introduced late last week would prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to pay off legal settlements resulting from a state lawmaker's sexual misconduct. (Bill Lukitsch)

*Endorsements: Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss, a state senator from Evanston, has won the endorsement of the New Trier Township Democratic organization. ... Republican governor candidate Jeanne Ives won the Wheeling Township GOP endorsement.

*On the "Sunday Spin": On this week's show, Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests were Democratic state Reps. Mike Zalewski and Jaime Andrade on bitcoin; and Democratic attorney general candidates Jesse Ruiz andAaron Goldstein appeared separately. The "Sunday Spin" airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN-AM 720. Listen to the full show here.

What we're writing (Long holiday weekend edition)

*Trump says his words on immigration were misrepresented by "Senator Dicky Durbin."

*Democrat Kennedy calls Republican Ives' gun crime solution ignorant and stupid.

*Ives challenges Rauner on abortion rights at Chicago March for Life.

*Durbin slams Trump "shithole" denial as furor grows over immigration remarks.

*Pritzker says Rauner guilty of "fatal mismanagement" at veterans home.

*Rauner's education agency rebukes him for funding bill veto.

*Aldermen approve $5.6M subsidy for Presence Health despite flap over abortion services, birth control.

*Emanuel appoints marketing executive to Chicago Board of Education.

*State school officials rebuke Rauner over education veto, citing "disruption" and "confusion."

*Chicago aldermen advance $9.3 million wrongful conviction settlement tied to Burge detectives.

*CPS announces new special ed hires just before aldermen publicly blast them for cuts.

*Cook County assessor not cooperating with investigation, IG complains.

*Attorney general candidate relieved no one hurt after he, his campaign team robbed at gunpoint.

*Illinois' higher education leaders at odds over proposed budget.

*Two Chicago cops recommended for firing in fatal shooting of teen in 2016.

*As Uptown 'cage hotel' prepares to close for renovations, residents pack up to leave -- and face an uncertain future.

What we're reading

*Murder on the margins: Chicago women strangled, killers at large.

*Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan dies.

*Revolution Brewing releases 17 percent beer aged for two years in bourbon and whiskey barrels.

*Why Hamilton likely will close in Chicago in a year. (Whew, good thing we got tickets for next month.)

Follow the money

*Candidates' quarterly reports are due. Watch them roll in there.

*The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has the latest cash tallies in the race for governor.

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

Beyond Chicago

*Trump says he is "not a racist."

*DACA deal appears unlikely.

*Is the Republican tax overhaul working?

*Missile alert error shows people don't know how to react.

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