Legislative agenda, Cyber Navigator program, Telework policy, IL Justice & Public Safety PAC fine appeal
The Illinois State Board of Elections meeting can be viewed live on zoom: https://www.elections.il.gov/Main/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=Zsqgo80wrB4%3d&T=637513999692826042
An extensive, 209 page agenda can be downloaded at:
https://www.elections.il.gov/AboutTheBoard/Agenda.aspx
The meeting started promptly at 10:30am.
The first proposed violation settlement is approved unanimously at 10:33am
Unusually, the video of everyone watching the meeting can be viewed on zoom, not just the public officials. It’s difficult to tell which zoom participants are board members.
Appeals for disclosure fines, agenda items 2-4, were all approved without discussion.
Appeals of fines with amendments are approved after a question from an audience member.
Political campaign committees are often fined for failing to report donations or expenditures for various reasons.
Agenda items 2a 11-18 are approved to deny appeals. There were no speakers present. The committee will hear speakers from agenda items 19 & 20.
ISBE staff member Marni Malowitz is presenting and explaining agenda items throughout the meeting.
State Representative Eva Dina Delgado speaks about her reporting violation on the agenda. The fine is waived with unanimous approval by the board.
Representatives of Illinois Justice & Public Safety PAC, Jon Berkon and Zachary Morrison, are present to appeal their fine. Discussion from board member Bill Cadigan. There will be no fine.
At 10:59 the zoom screen went blank as the board went into executive session to discuss agenda item 23, McDonald v. Tristan.
The zoom setup allows one to view everyone watching the Illinois Board of Elections meeting, not just participants. This allows campaign committee representatives to easily make statements when called on. https://t.co/Hy0BBXgKDy
Illinois Justice & Public Safety PAC argued they shouldn’t be fined for failing to report donations made before official formation. An affiliated super PAC received large donations from George Soros to support Kim Foxx for Cook County State’s Attorney.
The zoom video was restored at 11:22am as the board came out of executive session. They voted on a motion without public discussion.
Staff members Kyle Thomas and Steve Sandvoss report on pre-election testing. One county participating is Ogle, where there was an issue in a previous election.
Staff member Angela Welsh-Ryan speaks about the board’s legislative agenda. Two proposed bills regard who serves on the board. One would prevent board members from also serving on a political committee.
Board member Bill McGuffage comments on several bills. He thinks board members should be able to donate to political campaigns. Chairman Scholz and member Cadigan chime in.
Board member Bill Cadigan criticizes the federal bill HR 1 for not having bipartisan support. Suggests ISBE encourage IL members of Congress to find bipartisan support. McGuffage says the bill seems too broad.
The For the People Act is meant to protect voting rights.
More information on the For the People Act:
https://www.vox.com/2021/3/3/22309123/house-democrats-pass-voting-rights-bill-hr1
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/hr1-for-people-act-elections-danger-hans-von-spakovsky
Staff member discusses moving the Chicago ISBE office out of the Thompson Center, owned by the state, to the Cook County office building at 69 W. Washington.
Executive Director Steve Sandvoss, whose zoom profile identifies as “Steves,” speaks about the proposed “telework policy” about staff continuing to work from home.
After discussion from board members about working from home being new and different, the proposal passes unanimously.
Board chairman Scholz, moving on to the fiscal status report, talks about work the board did that he feels should have gotten more press coverage, but doesn’t explain what he’s talking about. Asks for public comments but there are none.
The zoom screen goes blank at 12:14 as the board of elections goes into executive session again.
Chairman Sholz was referencing the Illinois Cyber Navigator Program, which was launched in response to Russian hacking of Illinois voter data.
https://www.elections.il.gov/AboutTheBoard/PressReleases.aspx?T=637514079657166448
At 1:55 the board came back on zoom in the process of a vote to adjourn. They didn’t announce why executive session was needed or what topics were discussed, which IIRC, is a violation of the open meetings act.