By Jim Muir

During his grueling campaign for governor, Bruce Rauner traveled the state for months talking to groups small and large – sometimes taking his plans for Illinois to six and eight people at a time.

Those small quiet settings are not the case anymore.

After a resounding victory on Tuesday over Gov. Pat Quinn — taking away a 12-year stranglehold of the governor’s office by Democrats — Rauner designated Friday his “Thank You Tour” with a whirlwind blitz of the state that included at least half a dozen stops.  Marion, located in Williamson County in Southern Illinois, was the first stop of the day and it was a loud and boisterous crowd that greeted Governor-elect Rauner at the Vault Cafe, located on Tower Square.  The large and energetic crowd crammed in the cafe was obviously still savoring, 72 hours later, Rauner’s stunning victory over Quinn.

Accompanied by his wife Diana and newly-elected Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, Rauner seemed to still be in campaign-mode with a short but energetic speech.

“It’s a new day in Illinois,” Rauner said. “We intend to make Illinois the most compassionate state and the most competitive state.  We have got to transform government in Illinois, take the waste out, take the bureaucracy out, take the cronyism and patronage out and make the lean and effective and drive results for taxpayers and get our economy booming. ”

Rauner also introduced newly-elected state representative Teri Bryant, who will represent the 115th Legislative District when the Illinois General Assembly convenes in January 2015. Bryant, a Republican, defeated Democrat Bill Kilquist for the seat that Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican held for two decades.

“I love Southern Illinois,” Rauner said. “I was here more than a dozen times during the campaign and I plan to visit often as governor.  I plan on being a very unusual governor, I actually plan on living in Springfield and living in the Governor’s Mansion. Nobody has done that for a long time and it will be an honor for me to live there, it’s the people’s house. This is going to be a lot of hard work, this is not tiddlywinks, there’s a lot of rough, tough stuff in front of us.”

Rauner also started reaching across party lines during his Marion stop.

“I want to be a governor for all of Illinois,” said Rauner. “I don’t care if you are a Democrat or an Independent, we want to represent all of Illinois and bring a sense of pride back to Illinois.”

Along with the stop in Marion, the tour was also scheduled to make stops in O’Fallon, Springfield, Moline, Peoria and Rockford.

Event: Retail Stop
Time: 9:30AM
Date: Friday, November 7, 2014
Location: The Vault Cafe on the Square, 504 Tower Square Plaza, Marion, IL 62959

Event: Retail Stop
Time: 11:00AM
Date: Friday, November 7, 2014
Location: Egg & I, 455-D Regency Park Drive, O’Fallon, IL 62269

Event: Retail Stop
Time: 12:30PM
Date: Friday, November 7, 2014
Location: Cafe Moxo, 411 East Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62701

Event: Retail Stop
Time: 2:15PM
Date: Friday, November 7, 2014
Location: River House Bar & Grill: 1510 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265

Event: Retail Stop
Time: 3:45PM
Date: Friday, November 7, 2014
Location: Barrack’s Banquet Center, 1224 West Pioneer Parkway, Peoria, IL 61615

Event: Retail Stop
Time: 5:15PM
Date: Friday, November 7, 2014
Location: Giovanni’s Restaurant: 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford, IL 61107

 

CHICAGO — Thousands of Illinois residents have started their paperwork to use medical marijuana, but only 1,500 have so far submitted all the supporting documents.

Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said Thursday about 8,000 people started the process online. The department has approved about 230 patient applications.

The state’s new program requires patients to have a qualifying condition such as cancer. Patients must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check using a state-approved fingerprint vendor.

Most patients also must get their doctor’s permission to use medical marijuana. Only military veterans getting Veterans Affairs care won’t need a doctor’s signature. That’s because VA doctors, as federal employees, aren’t permitted to recommend controlled substances.

More information is available at the program’s website.

 

CHICAGO – Governor-elect Bruce Rauner today announced additional key members of the transition committee.

The transition committee consists of a broad range of community, business, faith and political leaders whose expertise will help make Illinois the most compassionate and competitive state in the union.

“I am committed to assembling a diverse and talented team to drive results for our state and bring back Illinois,” Bruce Rauner said. “Today, I am pleased to announce key members of the transition committee who I have selected to work alongside Evelyn Sanguinetti and our senior transition staff as we prepare to take office.  It is an honor to have such a talented group of individuals working with me to get our state working for the people again.”

 

Selected Member Biographies of the Transition Team
*Titles and Associations are for Identification Purposes Only*

Governor Jim Edgar

Bill Daley – Managing Partner and head of U.S. operations, Argentiere Capital LP, former White House Chief of Staff

Glenn Poshard – Former President, Southern Illinois University; former U.S. Congressman

Rev. James Meeks – Founder and Senior Pastor, Salem Baptist Church of Chicago; former Illinois State Senator

Manny Sanchez – Founder and Managing Partner, Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP; Co-Chair, Latinos for Obama

Doug Oberhelman – CEO and Chairman, Caterpillar Inc.

State Representative Jill Tracy – 94^th District, Illinois House of Representatives

Ron Huberman – Operating Executive, Prairie Capital; former Superintendent and CEO, Chicago Public Schools

Phyllis Wise – Chancellor, University of Illinois

Jim Alexander – President, Illinois State Police Command Officer’s Association (ISPCOA)

Congressman Aaron Schock – Representative, 18^th Congressional District of Illinois

Arabel Alva Rosales – President, AAR & Assocs., LTD.Ron Gidwitz – Partner, GCG Partners

John Gates – Chairman and CEO, PortaeCo, LLC.

Pastor Corey Brooks – Founder, New Beginnings Church of Chicago

Rob Funderburg – Chairman and owner, Alpine Bank

Mark Cozzi- Managing Partner, Lincoln Park Capital Group

Tony Anderson – Retired Vice Chairman and Midwest Managing, Partner Ernst & Young

Sarah Frey-Talley – President, CEO Frey Farms

Gloria Cardenas Cudia – President and Founder, Salsa Business Network

Jim Schultz – Founder of Open Prairie and Managing Director of Open Prairie Ventures I and II

Dr. Willie Wilson – Chairman, Chicago Baptist Institute International (CBII)

Eleni Bousis – Board Chair for the Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre, Entrepreneur of Frontida (CARE) Institution supporting and assisting women and families in need and Board Member for Leadership 100 and the Little City Foundation.

Ryan Ruskin- President and COO, Ruskin Group

Beth Christie – Founder and CEO, Avent America

Ed McMillan – Principal and CEO, McMillan L.L.C

Andrea Brown – Member of the Illinois State Board of Education, former Regional Superintendent, teacher and administrator

Labor and community leaders on Wednesday pledged to push lawmakers to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $10 per hour after two thirds of voters supported an increase in a non-binding referendum Tuesday.

 

Here’s the link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.