Spotlight

Monte Larrick sits down with Kathy Valente, the Director of Operations at Illinois Family Institute, and Oak Brook Police Chief James Kruger to discuss the Cook County referendum on recreational marijuana, and marijuana legalization in Illinois. Chief Kruger also is the president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, who opposes the legalization of marijuana.

Voters in Cook County have an advisory referendum on the primary ballot in March asking them to give weigh in on whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana. Cook has 40% of the state's population, so a vote to legalize there could have a big influence on whether legislators will move legislation. There has been discussion, as well, about having a similar advisory referendum on the statewide ballot.

Kathy Valente and James Kruger both agree that the desire for the tax revenues is not taking into consideration the increased costs to both health and public safety. In Colorado, a state where recreational marijuana is legal, the revenues have amounted only to 8/10ths of 1 percent of the state's budget.

Among the increased costs to police departments includes not only a rise in traffic accidents, but also potentially expensive equipment to measure impairment levels. Unlike with alcohol, currently there is no easy way to ascertain just how impaired a driver is who has been involved in an altercation.

The experience in Colorado also shows that usage among children also increases when marijuana is legalized, and up to 62 percent of school expulsions are now related to the underage use of cannabis.

As parents have had to deal with underage drinking, they will now have to step up their efforts regarding children having access to marijuana. Today's marijuana is far more potent than it was twenty-five years ago. Back then, THC levels were roughly 2-3 percent. Today, especially with marijuana-laced candy or brownies, the potency can range between 20 and 90 percent.

Last week the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, columnist Eric Zorn, columnist Rex Huppke, and “reporter” Kim Janssen all took shots at gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives’ campaign ad.

The Ives campaign released an ad that criticized policies using actors to depict the constituencies Bruce Rauner serviced through his boneheaded Leftist decisions, and Leftists became apoplectic. Actually, they mainly cared about the depiction of a cross-dressing man—or what the Left risibly calls a “transwoman” to conceal the existential and immutable reality of his sex.

Read more HERE...

Written by John Biver

The Chicago Tribune's John Kass recently interviewed conservative Republican candidate for Illinois governor Jeanne Ives. Their conversation helps listeners get to know the West Point graduate Ives as well as where she stands on the issues that face Illinois taxpayers.

Bruce Rauner is a failed governor that needs to be defeated, Jeanne Ives told John Kass. They discussed the press conference Ives did with Brian McCann, the brother of Dennis McCann who was killed by a drunk driver who also happened to be an illegal alien (John Kass wrote about the incident here). That driver was set free due to Chicago's sanctuary city policy, which Rauner has now extended statewide.

Why would Bruce Rauner sign legislation limiting local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration officials? Ives sees it as clear pandering to Leftists. While Rauner may think he's gaining support by making Illinois a sanctuary state, Ives said, he's actually losing support since many Democrats understand how the rule of law applies to their own safety.

When John Kass asked how Ives thought she could defeat Rauner, who has tens of millions of dollars to spend, Ives responded "we're already defeating him." She talked about her recent downstate swing, and the fact that she encountered no one who supported Rauner's reelection. "It doesn't matter how much money you have," she said, "you can't buy back trust after betrayal."

Ives explained that Illinoisans have been lied to, and the solution to that is "you have to go to the people and let them know in every small town what has to happen." There is "massive disappointment" in Rauner's performance as governor. He never introduced a balanced budget, and in fact the last budget he introduced was larger than the one passed by the General Assembly.

Crusading against Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is not enough, Jeanne Ives said. Especially when the Democrats only passed taxpayer funding of abortion, made Illinois a sanctuary state, mandated that pro-life medical professionals make abortion referrals, adopted junk science regarding transgenderism, and bailed out the Chicago schools unnecessarily because of Rauner's support.

Ives stressed that practical mid-westerners such as those who live in Illinois are ready to reject Rauner, and the probably Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker, who removed toilets out of his second mansion to secure a $250,000 property tax break. "No one wants a plutocrat running state government," she said.

There is a big election on the horizon. What occurs in the 2018 primary could have huge implications on the future of Illinois. Ralph Rivera is back with Monte and Dave to discuss the March primary, and the legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois.

Ralph is a lobbyist in Springfield with Illinois Right to Life Action and Illinois Family Institute.

The importance of the March primary is summed up during the discussion by two facts. First, if there were just 3 more pro-life legislators in the State House, a lot of destructive legislation would not be able to pass. Second, there are 12 Republican Party and 1 Democratic Party pro-life candidates that are retiring. So, the March 20th primary will decide if those seats are to remain pro-life.

At the top of the ticket, of course, is the primary race for Governor. On the Republican side, Bruce Rauner has signed several bills which advanced the extreme social agenda of the political left. Rauner is being challenged by pro-life and pro-family champion Jeanne Ives. IFA proudly endorses Ives.

In order for Jeanne Ives and the other pro-life/pro-family candidates to win, they are going to need grassroots action and financial help. Ralph, Dave, and Monte all stressed the need for campaign volunteers and contributions.

 

This week's Spotlight features the conversation of IFA's David E. Smith and Stephanie Trussell, on joined the Stephanie Trussell Show on 890 AM this Saturday.

Stephanie questions him about the recreational marijuana question on the ballot in Cook County.

At the very start of the show, host Trussell spoke about "the significance of a sitting president speaking at the March for Life." "No other president in modern times has had the courage to come out and speak for those who can't speak for themselves." Dave Smith noted that that hasn't happened in the 45 years since Rov v. Wade made abortion legal. "We have a guy who isn't afraid...isn't it nice to have a president that actually respects the base enough to show up?"

Stephanie Trussell opened discussion about marijuana by parroting those supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana: "Pot is just so innocent...it's not a gateway drug...and it will solve all of our financial problems...pot is no big deal...everybody does it."

Dave Smith addressed the tax revenue myth by saying that in the four years since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, the revenue has added up to 8/10ths of 1 percent of the budget. "It solves nothing," he said, and emphasized the need to not just look at the potential tax revenues but the downside of the cost to society.

Smith questioned how will legalization will impact:

School dropout rates?

Test scores in "STEM" (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs in schools?

Highway accidents?

Job site safety?

Heart and lung disease?

He also cited the shocking statistic that during those four years in Colorado there has been an 800% increase in kids being hospitalized for accidental overdoses.

Both Smith and Trussell agreed that despite what many people think, legalizing recreational marijuana is a big deal, it will impact society negatively, and it will lead to the growth of the nanny state.

 

Perhaps you heard about the petulant, self-righteous, and downright rude behavior of Illinois gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy directed at fellow gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives at a governor’s forum on Monday. When Jeanne Ives made the commonsense-infused claim that a solution to gun violence is “fathers in the home,” she was greeted by not only boos from the audience but this withering and ignorant response from Kennedy...

Read more HERE...

In the Spotlight this week, is Bishop Lance Davis, the pastor of New Zion Covenant Church in Dolton.

Dave, Monte, and Bishop Davis discuss the Cook County referendum on the legalization of marijuana. How will marijuana legalization impact Illinois civil society? And, have we counted the social costs of this type of legislation in the state of Illinois?

Monte and Dave are back with Ralph Rivera, a lobbyist for Illinois Right to Life Action and Illinois Family Institute.

This week's Spotlight features a discussion about the March 20th primary, the lawsuit surrounding HB 40, a bill enacting taxpayer funding of abortion, SB 1564 a bill that forces medical personnel to refer women to abortion clinics, the sanctuary state legislation signed by Governor Rauner, the Equal Rights Amendment, and new legislation concerns, including physician assisted suicide, and recreational marijuana.

Since Governor Bruce Rauner signed HB 40 allowing for tax dollars to be used to pay for abortions, a lawsuit was filed by Illinois Right to Life Action and the Thomas More Society. The suit features two challenges according to Ralph Rivera. First, in regard to the law's expenditure of public funds, since the General Assembly has yet to set aside funds, there is technically no money available to pay for the abortions. Second, the suit challenges the date that the law goes into effect. Rather than its stated effective date of January 1, 2018, the lawsuit contends it should be June 1st, according to legislative rules. Success in this challenge could save thousands of lives.

SB 1564, another bill signed by Governor Rauner, mandates that pregnancy care centers and doctors promote abortion. Last year a federal court issued an injunction that halted the enforcement of the law. The challenge to it stipulates that it violates conscience rights and free speech, which is contrary to federal law and the U.S. Constitution. A case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to have an impact on SB 1564 as well (click here to learn more).

The discussion about the so-called "Equal Rights" Amendment covered a few of the problems found within the relatively short proposal. In addition to its faulty premise (Americans already have equal protection as outlined in the 14th Amendment), the predictable negative consequences include young women having to register with Selective Service System and thus becoming eligible to be drafted into the military.

The March primary election is expected to cut into the General Assembly's time being in session. Nevertheless, Leftists, feeling empowered by Rauner's cooperation with the Democratic Party's radical social agenda, may well seek a repeal of Illinois' parental notification law, move forward with legislation to permit physician assisted suicide and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

In this week's Spotlight, is Laurie Higgins, the Cultural Affairs Writer for the Illinois Family Institute.

They converse on the Masterpiece Cakeshop case before the Supreme Court, something called the Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) which Laurie asserts is similar to the transgender movement, the government's role in the institution of marriage, and the role of Anger in the Christian Church.

Higgins emphasizes that it’s important to use proper analogies when writing about what the LGBT letters truly represent. Those pushing the LGBT agenda would have people believe that homosexuality is comparable to race, when, Higgins says, a better parallel is incest or polygamy.

Concerning transgenderism, a good parallel is that of Body Integrity Identity Disorder, since in the former a person feels “extreme distress” because of one’s sex organs and someone with B.I.I.D. seeks “relief” by having one or more healthy limbs removed. In one case it could be castration, in the other it is the removal of an arm or a leg.

On the topic of the increasing phenomenon of “mandatory pronoun use” that is being implemented in schools and businesses, Higgins points out that to not refer someone by their biological sex is simply bearing false witness.

Unfortunately, too often Christians capitulate on issues such as pronoun use thinking that it is not a big deal. In fact, it’s is yet another example of the use of incrementalism by Leftists. Change doesn’t come through giant events but little steps, Higgins explains.

Questions? Comments? Email: [email protected]. We appreciate your feedback!

Mentioned during the program: Anger and the Church (written by Laurie Higgins)