SPRINGFIELD – In light of Wednesday morning's headlines about blue Virginia electing a Democrat LG Ralph Northam to be its next governor, Illinois GOP gubernatorial hopeful State Rep. Jeanne Ives pointed out on Facebook Northam's anti-sanctuary cities position:
UPDATE: Rep. Ives sent out a more-in-depth commentary Wednesday morning. See below:
Even though Northam broke a tie vote as lieutenant governor and killed a sanctuary city ban in Virginia, by the end of the campaign, he had flip-flopped and said he would support such a ban as governor. The Daily Signal writes:
In an interview Wednesday with the Norfolk TV station WAVY, Northam said for the first time that, under certain circumstances, he would sign a bill similar to the one he voted against this year, a vote that spawned a wave of ominous ads from the Gillespie campaign linking Northam to the Latino gang MS-13.
‘If that bill comes to by desk … I sure will. I’ve always been opposed to sanctuary cities. He knows that,’ Northam said of Gillespie …
During Northam victory campaign Tuesday night, sanctuary city supporters produced protest signs and began shouting. Northam's security ushered him offstage.
Governor Bruce Rauner's decision to go against the IL GOP Platform and sign into a law a measure effectively making the state of Illinois a sanctuary state launched outrage against the Republican governor earlier this year.
At the urging of the IL GOP's conservative base, Ives has stepped forward to mount a challenge against Rauner focusing on his actions promoting sanctuary cities and taxpayer-funded abortion.
Ives has an uphill battle in her bid to oust Rauner with a fraction of the funds available that Rauner has contributed to his own campaign and those of other Rauner sympathizers.
UPDATE: Ives comments:
Governor-Elect of Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam told supporters on the campaign trail that he would sign a bill to ban so-called sanctuary cities. State Representative Jeanne Ives released the following statement:
“Democrat Governor-Elect Ralph Northam opposes sanctuary cities in Virginia. Northam's position crystallizes how extreme Governor Rauner’s social agenda really is.
“In September, Rauner signed legislation making Illinois a Sanctuary State. His decision to protect people who are here illegally and have committed additional crimes is inexplicable. Only 5 out of 69 GOP state legislators supported the bill. In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. So, it's especially tragic that Governor Rauner – and his good friend, Rahm Emanuel – are less concerned with that staggering figure than they are spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting law enforcement at greater risk.
“Governor Rauner should be concerned with justice for law-abiding citizens, like Dennis McCann, who are crime victims in Illinois. Mr. McCann was hit by a speeding car as he crossed the street in Chicago. He was dragged hundreds of feet down Kedzie Avenue. When the driver, Saul Chavez, finally stopped, he began to run and was arrested by the CPD. He was a Mexican immigrant, here illegally, who had been drinking heavily.
“Chavez was charged with a felony and was given a $250,000 bond. Two days after McCann was killed, federal officials filed an immigration detainer, requesting that Cook County notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement if Chavez was scheduled to be released. But Chicago Democrats were playing immigration politics. The Cook County Board decided that federal detainer requests would be ignored.
“Mr. Chavez made bond and fled the country. Where is the justice for Dennis McCann and his grieving family? Politicians like Governor Rauner and Rahm Emanuel, who are more concerned with political pandering than protection, don’t seem to understand – or care – that this isn’t just about politics. Lives are at stake, as is the rule of law.
“As State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) said of the Governor’s inexplicable decision to make Illinois a Sanctuary State, ‘This isn't just the 'right wing' that's angry. These are union members too, loyal union men trying to protect American jobs, and the last thing they need to see is a Republican governor making Illinois a sanctuary state.’
“Illinois political leaders implement policies for political gain and little else – even when the lives of those they are charged with protecting are put at risk. Governor Rauner is out of step, not only with his party, but with the vast majority of the country. I understand, as does Governor-Elect Northam, that we must have a lawful immigration system that keeps us safe and upholds the rule of law. The families of Illinois want, and deserve, nothing less.”
