Dan Ugaste for State Representative

A Voice of Reason in a Time of Extremism

Archives for April 2020

Dan Ugaste Demands Review of Illinois Governor Disaster Proclamations

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As Marine Storms Madigan’s Bluff – Ugaste Demands Transparency From Paschke

GENEVA, ILLINOIS – More than four days ago, former U.S. Marine and current Democrat Illinois State Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-84) announced her candidacy to become the new Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, setting up the first challenge from a Democrat to Speaker Madigan in recent memory. Since the beginning of her candidacy, State Representative Dan Ugaste has called on Democrat Martha Paschke to state whether she will vote for Michael Madigan to be Speaker for another term if Paschke is elected, and whether she will vote for his rules which provide him with complete control over all matters in the Capitol. Paschke has repeatedly refused to tell the people of the 65th District what she will do.

“Stephanie Kifowit is doing exactly what we would expect of a Marine, she is directly attacking the well-fortified stronghold of the Speaker who has clung to power far too long. The only question now is whether fellow Democrats will join her fight to finally get rid of Mike Madigan,” said Ugaste. “And the only question now for the people of the 65th District is whether Paschke will vote for the Speaker to retain power and keep Illinois drowning in the morass of the status quo or help the State move forward. The people of the district know that I will never vote for Mike Madigan to be Speaker. They have a right to know what Paschke will do. She needs to be transparent. No longer can she, hide behind the often used statement, ‘Let’s see who is going to run’.”

And since Paschke has refused to answer this question from Ugaste at every forum and joint interview they have attended together, Ugaste is calling on the press to confront Paschke and not let her off the hook as to her vote for the Speaker.

Madigan is on track to funnel $2 million to the political fund of Ugaste’s Democrat opponent Martha Paschke in an effort to pack the Illinois House Democratic Caucus with enough votes to cover the increasing defections from Democrats like Stephanie Kifowit. “Madigan cannot be re-elected Speaker of the House without Martha Paschke’s support. Why else would Madigan steer $2,000,000 to a first time candidate with zero experience in government,” said Ugaste.

“Paschke needs to answer if she intends on voting for Michael J. Madigan to be Speaker of the House. Transparency on this issue is of the utmost importance. The people have a right to know,” said Ugaste. “And if she refuses to answer or evades the question, the people will have their answer. Her continued silence will speak volumes. As Illinois Republicans have said all summer, ‘Silence is corruption’.”

Ugaste Urges Governor to Improve IDES’ Response

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GENEVA—State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) is urging Governor JB Pritzker to expand the capabilities of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Hardworking residents were laid off in mid-March, when many small businesses were forced to close their doors due to this pandemic,” said Rep. Ugaste.  “Now, they are struggling to find the proper resources from IDES, who is simply overrun with requests and can’t adequately handle the magnitude of people who need help.”

Rep. Ugaste’s district office has received many inquiries from constituents and concerned business owners who have had trouble navigating the IDES system for filing unemployment benefits.  According to IDES, just last week over 200,000 Illinoisans filed for unemployment, breaking a state record.

“It is crucial that our residents get the benefits that they are owed, which is why I am asking that the Governor do more to help these workers and expand the powers of IDES to do so,” continued the Representative.

Rep. Ugaste would support the hiring of a third party contractor or utilizing state employees from other agencies to assist IDES with processing benefit claims during the ongoing health crisis.

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Ugaste Proposes Review of Illinois Governor’s Current Disaster Proclamation

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GENEVA – State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) is proposing that any Disaster Proclamation by the Governor of Illinois, for which a previous disaster declaration was already made, should be approved by the majority of state legislators from both houses of the Illinois General Assembly.

“First let’s begin by stating this is in no way a criticism of the way which Governor Pritzker has addressed this public health crisis,” said Ugaste. “While the Illinois legislature will have its work cut out for it to ensure our State recovers from the current crisis, one thing that needs to be done now is for the legislature, a separate and equal branch of the government, to approve the extension of the Governor’s Disaster Proclamation beyond the original 30 days.”

The language of the Illinois Emergency Management Act specifically states that the Governor may exercise specific emergency powers for a period “not to exceed 30 days” (20 ILCS 335 (7)), yet the combined length of the Governor’s two recent Disaster Proclamations concerning the Covid-19 crisis is well over 30 days.

“The statute, as currently written, is silent on the role of the Legislature when the Governor issues a Disaster Proclamation.   It is also silent about the Governor’s ability to extend a Disaster Proclamation beyond the original 30 days.  Therefore, in an effort to ensure the system of checks and balances between co-equal branches of government in the State of Illinois continues, the legislature needs to be given the opportunity to affirm the Governor’s most recent Disaster Proclamation,” said Ugaste.  “In fact, given the opportunity, I anticipate that given the current circumstances, the legislature will affirm the most recent proclamation,” Ugaste continued.

Ugaste believes this can be done with a simple Memorandum of Understanding signed by the majority of each chamber of the legislature or a Joint Resolution without the need to have all regular personnel of state government meet at the Capitol in Springfield.  In addition, as soon as the current public health crisis ends and the Legislature returns to Springfield for Session, Ugaste plans on filing a bill to clearly state the roles of the Governor and the Legislature for any such emergency in the future.

Ugaste concludes that although he firmly believes that the Legislature as a co-equal branch of government should weigh in on the Governor’s most recent proclamation, it is not clear under the current statute that the Governor does not already have the power to issue a second proclamation.  Therefore, pending any approval by the Legislature, Ugaste states that “all Illinois residents need to continue to conform to the restrictions currently in place or risk violating the law.”

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