Illinois
Mistakes come back to haunt state Rep. Adam Niemerg in heated downstate race
“The woke left is coming after me for peeing on a tree during my college days,” state Rep. Adam Niemerg, a Republican from Dieterich, told me not long ago.
I’ve told you about this race before. The 102nd Illinois House District is one of a handful of southeastern and southern Illinois Republican primaries that might slow or intensify the Republican Party’s rightward lunge. They’ve featured far-right candidates trying to fend off or battling with more mainstream Republicans. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost’s race against the much further-right Darren Bailey has been another.
Niemerg, an anti-union, anti-abortion, pro-gun Illinois Freedom Caucus stalwart, was responding at the time to an opposition report I’d seen about him. That research eventually found its way into a TV ad from an Illinois Education Association-funded group helping Niemerg’s Republican primary opponent, Jim Acklin, a former school superintendent.
The ad is paid for by Illinois Working PAC, an independent expenditure committee that spent more than $100,000 on the race and received all of its funding from the IEA. The teachers union and other unions directly contributed another $120,000 to Acklin’s campaign. That gave Acklin almost twice the spending power as Niemerg.
“Adam Niemerg sure talks a lot, but what is he not telling you?” the ad’s announcer asked. “Well, there’s the DUI Niemerg got, more than twice the limit. And how he pleaded guilty to obscene conduct.”
OK, let’s stop right there for a moment. Niemerg was busted in 2003 for DUI, speeding and possession/consumption of alcohol by a minor. He paid a fine and had to go to treatment. Then, on 4/20 (heh) of 2006, Niemerg was busted for obscene conduct. He pleaded guilty, paid a fine and was given 90 days supervision.
Niemerg has not addressed the claims via his own advertising, even though “obscene conduct” can conjure up quite a large number of scenarios. Also, a lot of homeless people charged with peeing on trees end up in a heap of legal trouble, so it’s not that funny to them. The anti-Niemerg ad is also being pushed hard online, and as of last Friday afternoon, it had 232,000 YouTube views, which is more than twice the total population of a House district.
Punching back on Niemerg’s behalf
A group called American Action Fund, however, punched back on Niemerg’s behalf with social media ads on another topic. “Jim Acklin failed to act when complaints were filed against his friend and chose to blame the victim while superintendent. Acklin looked the other way and let a predator roam free in his school for years, now he wants to be your State Rep. Our State Rep. should stand up for us, not their buddy.” The ad links to a 2016 news story (which was basically an opposition research report released when Acklin was running for a House seat) entitled, “In sexual misconduct suit, State Rep candidate said female student was responsible for relationship with teacher.” According to Facebook, the ad generated up to 40,000 impressions by last Friday.
Acklin brushed off the attack, noting that the lawsuit “was based on entirely false allegations,” and was, “so unfounded that it was ultimately dismissed with prejudice against the plaintiff, which means that I can never again be sued for that false allegation. I was exonerated because I handled the situation exactly as it should have been handled; I suspended and barred the employee involved from school property within minutes of learning of the allegations. The individual in question will never be able to teach in Illinois again because of the action I took.” But Acklin hasn’t specifically countered the claim that I can tell.
This has been, without a doubt, the meanest primary in Illinois this spring.
Let’s go back to the Acklin TV ad: “Niemerg voted to allow minors convicted of serious crimes to be paroled. And remember those Obama DACA aliens? Niemerg voted to allow them to become police officers. I guess with Adam Niemerg, it’s not what he says, but what he doesn’t say that’s important.”
Niemerg has denied that he voted to allow DACA recipients to become police officers. But he did vote for the bill when it applied to non-citizens. Niemerg and a few others voted “No” after it was amended to explicitly include DACA folks.
And a recent Niemerg mailer features some rather incendiary quotes from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates and ties them to Acklin. “Jim Acklin is completely funded by the radical, left-wing extremists,” the mailer blares.
I’ll let you know how it plays out.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
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Combined state and federal taxes would take more than 50% of the top-end income for 22,000 Illinois small businesses.
Proposals in the Illinois General Assembly could slam massive tax hikes onto small businesses, the state’s primary job creator historically and in the recovery from the COVID-19 downturn.
One measure would punish 22,020 Illinois small businesses with a huge increase in their marginal state income tax rate and create a top tax rate of nearly 50.3% for them, once all state and federal income taxes are factored in.
S-corporations and partnerships, which “pass-through” their business income to their owners, who pay taxes as individuals, would see their top marginal state income tax rate jump from 4.95% to 7.95%, a 61% hike.
That would happen because the legislation, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 21, adds a 3% income tax on income above $1 million. It is scheduled for a hearing April 23 at which it could pass out of committee and go to a potential full House vote.
Research has shown that an increase in the top marginal tax rate is associated with a decrease in entrepreneurs’ hiring activity and lower wages for their employees.
Illinois has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and among the slowest wage growth. These are exacerbated by some of the highest state and local tax burdens in the nation, including the second-highest property taxes and eighth-highest sales taxes.
In 2017 Illinois residents endured the largest permanent income tax hike in state history, when lawmakers increased the rate by 32%, from 3.75% to 4.95%.
Illinois already pushes out more businesses than virtually any other state. The “millionaire’s tax” could make the situation even worse. Illinoisans should reject this call for higher taxes on the state’s vital small business community.
Contact your state representative to stop the small business tax hike here.
SYCAMORE, Ill. – A Sycamore mother said she is still waiting for justice more than two years after her teenage son was stabbed to death.
The case is back in court this week, where a judge will consider a key request that could change how the case moves forward.
What we know:
A mother said her son’s life was cut short during a confrontation that turned deadly.
Heather Gerken said her 17-year-old son, Kaleb McCall, was stabbed during an incident in September 2023. She said Kaleb agreed to meet another teen for what he believed would be a fist fight while sticking up for a friend.
According to Gerken, the other teen, who was 15 at the time, pulled a knife and stabbed Kaleb in the chest. Kaleb later died from his injuries.
Gerken said a jury later found that teen guilty of second-degree murder after the defense argued he acted in self-defense.
Dig deeper:
The case is not over.
Gerken says the defendant’s attorneys are now trying to move the case out of adult court and into juvenile court. That decision could impact how the teen is ultimately sentenced.
What they’re saying:
Gerken said the legal process has been long and frustrating.
She said the case has stretched on for more than two and a half years and that ongoing court proceedings have made it difficult for her to grieve her son.
“He was everybody’s big brother,” Gerken said. “He had the biggest smile and the sweetest personality. He enjoyed fishing and being outside, and he was the best gift giver. He always got me flowers for every little holiday. Just a very thoughtful boy.”
Gerken also said the possibility of the case moving to juvenile court is especially upsetting, as she continues to push for what she believes is justice for her son.
“I don’t want anybody else’s child to die the way that my son died,” Gerken said. “Caleb is my whole world. I gave birth to him at 17 and he changed my life completely. He made me a better person. He taught me what real love truly is…And I just miss him so much more every day. And just knowing that he died the way he did. It makes me sick.”
What’s next:
The case returns to court Thursday morning.
A judge is expected to determine whether the case remains in adult court or is moved to juvenile court, a decision that could shape what happens next in the case.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago’s Lauren Scafidi.
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