Long9 Studio

For us politicos, it’s been campaign season for what feels like forever. But with early voting now officially open, campaign season just became real to voters.
We’re under the 40 day mark until the Primary, and joining Collin Corbett on Smoke-Filled Room this week to talk politics, policy, and inside baseball include The Illinoize’s Patrick Pfingsten, candidate for the 17th Congressional District Dillan Vancil, and Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak. They begin discussing a familiar topic…more instances of Republicans hurting themselves.
Collin lays out 3 examples of Republicans in Illinois proving we aren’t a winning party right now. Instead of talking about real-world issues, we have college Republican organizations posting tone-deaf memes, GOP candidates going after their opponents’ religious beliefs, and Republican leaders claiming we are in Civil War 2.0. If this continues, Republicans have no chance in November. We got an early glimpse at what could come after Texas’ special election flipped a district that Trump won by 17 points—moving 31 points. 
We transition to the governor’s race where we start by laying out how vulnerable JB Pritzker is. A recent poll put him at just the 36th most popular governor in the country. That is a shocking stat given the fact that he hasn’t been challenged, attacked, or even questioned by most of the media. Yet Republicans can’t even do the fundamentals. People can’t afford to live in Illinois, but GOP candidates aren’t defining Pritzker as the culprit. It’s missed opportunity after another.
We later dive into some policy topics, including how school choice doesn’t have to be an “us vs. them” issue. And Collin does something he rarely does…he gives Pritzker credit for his plan to fund pensions.
Then we get into a big list of news stories you should be referencing on your social media, emails, or when talking to voters. We discuss bad bills coming out of Springfield, more instances of Illinois lagging behind our neighboring states, and more.
00:00: Introductions03:55: After Texas Blowout, Republicans Scratching Their Heads...But They Shouldn't Be23:43: Pritzker Vulnerable as He Keeps Lurching to the Left, but Can Republicans Take Advantage?42:33: Republican Dillan Vancil Running for IL-1750:33: Conservatives Significantly Improve School Choice Messaging01:04:00: Pensions Shaping Up to Be Big 2026 Fight in Springfield01:14:28: Springfield's Inefficient and Inconvenient Session Schedule Blocks Candidate Fundraising01:18:25: La Salle County Democrat Wants to Fine You $500,000 for Lighting a Campfire Without a Permit 01:22:45: Chicago Democrat Wants Yet Another Mandate on Schools by Banning Early Start Times 01:25:00: Illinois Losing Jobs, Has the 11th-Highest Unemployment Rate 01:26:30: Illinois 47th in Population Growth in the United States 01:27:26: Illinois Ranked 38th for Social Mobility 01:28:48: Brandon Johnson Planning to Try Bring Chicago Home Referendum Again 01:29:32: CTA Chief Admits Transit "Reform" Dollars Mostly for Keeping Things Exactly as They Are 01:31:50: Government in Illinois Stuck in the 1900s 01:34:04: 6 Illinois Universities Ranked Among the Best in the World 01:35:28: U.S. Life Expectancy at an All-Time High 01:36:02: OG & Clown of the Week01:47:28: Closing Thoughts

We have a Smoke-Filled Room first. It’s Collin’s first time hosting as a 40-year-old. He put his new Golden Corral lunch craving on hold to lead an insightful episode on policy, politics, and the biggest headlines from the week in Illinois. 
Joining Collin Corbett are State Senator Sue Rezin, candidate for State Senate Brad Beekman, and Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak. We begin with the latest death out of Minnesota. We discuss how too many only see things through a tribalistic lens. As a result, many Republicans are willing to drop their values or principles just to beat the other team. This is problematic.
Since we have Sue on, we had to pick her brain on energy. She said that for energy policy to be successful, it needs to be reliable, resilient, low carbon, and affordable. She shares how Illinois can win by meeting these 4 criteria. And with data centers and AI being today’s industrial revolution, Illinois better figure out our energy problems soon.
Pritzker says Illinois is doing great and we’re gaining population. Multiple other sources say Illinois is losing population. So who is right? Collin did some research and shares the truth. What does it all mean? Illinois will lose 1 and potentially as many as 2 congressional seats and electoral college votes. Worse is the rise in taxes and cost of living for those who stay.
We transition into political topics, first starting with the US Senate race where Julianna Stratton is starting to put her opponents on defense. And then in the governor’s race, the Bailey campaign released an internal poll showing him far in the lead. In both races, expect February to be the month of mudslinging. It’s been one of the lamest primary seasons in recent memory, but the gloves are going to have to come off if certain candidates are going to have a chance.
Later in the episode, Brad Beekman shares about his race in Senate District 36 and why he believes he’s the best candidate to take on Democrat Mike Halpin, we cover endorsements from Illinois FOP and Illinois Family Action, and highlight bad bills filed in Springfield during our news you can use section.
00:00: Introductions03:09: Another Death in MN Highlights Troubling Tribalism in Our Politics 13:52: Energy Prices Skyrocket During Bitterly Cold Spell33:30: Governor Gaslight Yet Again Spins Illinois Population Numbers, and Many Fall for It45:07: Democrat US Senate Candidates Begin Competing for Progressive Mantle51:04: Bailey Releases Poll Touting Big Lead as Heidner and Dabrowski Push for Relevance01:01:15: Republican Brad Beekman Running for SD3601:10:34: Republican Party Drops Support for Ed Lapinski in HD56 After Texts Questioning Holocaust01:15:19: Illinois Fraternal Order of Police and Illinois Family Action Announce Endorsements01:21:07: Democrats Lead by 6 in National Generic Congressional Ballot01:23:01: DuPage County Democrat Wants Separate Bathrooms at Job Sites for Individuals Who Menstruate 01:25:16: Chicago Democrats Say 80 Degrees Is Too Warm and 60 Degrees Too Cold to Work 01:27:08: Aurora Democrat Files Bill to Significantly Increase Pension Benefits in Illinois 01:28:42: After Additional Subsidies Expire, Obamacare Enrollment Drops Just 2%-3% Among Current Enrollees 01:32:41: Illinois Performs 23% of All Nationwide Abortions for Patients Traveling from Other States 01:34:54: Suburban Office Vacancy Rate Yet Again Sets New Record 01:35:57: Leaderless for More Than Six Months, Chicago Board of Ethics Forced to Cancel Meetings 01:37:16: Johnson v Pritzker Feud Surfaces in Chicago's Bid for 2028 and 2032 Democratic National Conventions 01:38:12: OG & Clown of the Week01:45:44: Closing Thoughts 

We’ve hit exploding-tree-level cold outside, but we’re bringing you much-needed heat with this week’s Smoke-Filled Room.
Grab a warm drink and hear from NFIB-Illinois State Director Noah Finley, candidate for State Representative in the 94th District Josh Higgins, Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak, and host Collin Corbett as they kick off the episode covering the governor’s race.
We’re seeing a lot of movement out of each Republican campaign, and we go through each. Ted Dabrowski released a new TV ad and is starting to go more on the attack, which is more than we’ve seen him or any candidate do so far. Rick Heidner is increasing his voter outreach efforts, including being the first campaign in mailboxes, and is leaning hard into a pro-Trump approach. And Darren Bailey is on his bus tour throughout the state which has garnered him media attention. We finally have a race.
We dive into the Republican and Democrat US Senate races. Julianna Stratton is fumbling for ways to differentiate herself. Her latest attempt to win over Democrat voters is by suggesting a $25 minimum wage. It’s a good thing we have an expert like Noah on the episode who explains how costly that would be for Illinois employers and workers, especially downstate.
Later, we cover how Republicans can already notch a point on the scoreboard as Steve Reick’s Democrat opponent was kicked off the ballot. In a district where Republicans were possibly going to have to spend money, those funds can now be used in other important races. And Josh talks about his campaign and why he thinks he’s the best choice for Republicans. (His opponent has been invited as well and is currently slated to join us in a few weeks.)
After discussing politics, we get into some policy discussions around affordability—since that’s the buzz word in Springfield. Noah shares the small business perspective on what our leaders should be pursuing to make Illinois more competitive and to lower the cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business in this state.
And Springfield gave us proof that there may just be over-spending in state government by identifying nearly $500 million in cuts they could make to save the state money. We question why Springfield can’t take this approach every year so we aren’t repeatedly in this cycle of having to ask taxpayers for more despite record revenues coming into state coffers.
We close down the episode highlighting a loophole Democrats running for Congress are using, progress finally being made with the Bears stadium, and a slew of examples in our news you can use section of blatant overspending in Illinois.
00:00: Introductions04:08: TV Ads, Mailers, and Bus Tours in Republican Gubernatorial Race35:38: Republicans Making Moves in US Senate Race While Democrats Push Even Further Left43:00: Q4 D-2s Show Illinois Democrats Enter 2026 with Huge Cash Advantage44:32: Steve Reick Democrat Opponent Removed from the Ballot Over $85 Unpaid ISBE Fine in HD6346:49: Republican Josh Higgins Running for HD9455:39: With Affordability and Budget Top of Mind, Small Businesses Share Their Priorities for Springfield01:13:58: Democrats Running for Congress Expose Huge Loophole in Illinois Campaign Finance Rules01:17:29: Looks Like We Have Actual Progress in Bears Stadium Talks01:23:09: Media Uncovers More Than 1,000 Child Care Overpayments in Illinois 01:24:23: City's Watchdog Finds Chicago Paid $26.5 Million in Overtime to Ineligible Employees 01:25:10: FOIA Shows Chicago Employees Owe City $23.5 Million in Unpaid Fees 01:28:07: After Giving Themselves Yet Another Raise, Springfield Lawmakers 4th Highest Paid in the US 01:29:34: Chicago Democrat Wants to Allow All Counties to Impose a Motor Fuel Tax 01:32:21: Illinois Is the 2nd-Most Unsafe State in the Midwest 01:32:25: OG & Clown of the Week 01:43:54: Closing Thoughts 

With 60 days until Election Day as of the time we’re releasing this week’s Smoke-Filled, we’re seeing signs of life from federal, statewide, and legislative campaigns across the state. Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak, former state representative Tom Demmer, and host Collin Corbett begin this week’s episode with the governor’s race…and we start off with a new campaign.
Rick Heidner kicked off the new year with a website, texts, ads, and campaign staff, and he has begun attending events. We discuss how the message and advertisements he’s put out are pretty conventional, even though he’s begun his campaign in the most unconventional way. We later move over to the Bailey and Dabrowski campaigns. Darren is shown to be leading in all the polls, but is mid 30 percent his ceiling? And Ted released his first ad during the Bears game last week, a clever move, which led to a discussion on how these candidates should be separating themselves.
On the Senate side, Juliana Stratton is finally trying to separate herself from her opponents as ads supporting her begin today. We haven’t seen them yet, but it’ll be interesting to see the angle her campaign takes to prove her and JB’s agenda should be sent to Washington. If her poll numbers don’t jump in the next two weeks, it may be the end of the road for her Senate aspirations.
We move into some policy topics as Springfield started session already saying they will be raising taxes. Don’t say we haven’t been warning you: Speaker Welch is already bringing up the need for a progressive tax in Illinois through a constitutional amendment.
Affordability is at the center of conversation for national and Illinois Republicans. Nationally, DC Republicans are finally talking about lowering healthcare and energy costs. In Illinois, Pritzker raised energy rates on working families by $8 billion with the signing of CRGA. Tom gives great insight to how this type of policy impacts business and economic development throughout the state.
We talk about how specific examples of waste and fraud are more impactful than generalities, share major news you need to know heading into this election about vote-by-mail, and close down the episode with news you can use and our OGs and clowns of the week.
 
00:00: Introductions03:56: Rick Heidner Campaign for Governor Begins As Republicans Begin Sprint to Election Day36:40: Juliana Stratton TV Ads Finally Start as Raja Krishnamoorthi's Lead Stagnates44:17: Springfield Already Talking Tax Increases as They Face Yet Another Budget Deficit51:17: Everyone Is Finally Talking Affordability. Who Will Actually Do Something About It?01:04:06: Specific Examples of Waste and Fraud Are More Impactful than Generalities01:10:31: Major News Regarding Vote-by-Mail in Illinois01:14:19: Yard Sign Advice for Campaigns01:16:39: Pritzker's Media Focus Further Proves He Isn't Focused on Illinois 01:17:43: Cook County's Tax Bill Debacle Has Cost Taxpayers $122 Million 01:18:53: Expiration of Obamacare Subsidies Leads to Less than a 4% Drop in IL Enrollment 01:20:38: Chicago's Employment Climate Rated Worst Since 2009 01:22:21: Cook County Democrat Files Bill to Ban Law Enforcement from Hiring ICE Officers 01:23:39: Illinois Supreme Court Democrat Retires and Hand-Picks Successor 01:25:50: America's Poorest States Outperform G7 Economies01:27:48: OG & Clown of the Week01:35:12: Closing Thoughts

We’re back in your inbox with a lot to talk about since it’s been a few weeks…
We were hoping to kick off the year by having the governor candidates on this week’s episode to answer the questions political insiders and influencers care about. Plus, we wanted to give them an opportunity to give their sides, since they’ve received criticism in the past. We offered multiple dates: 2 campaigns didn’t respond, 1 made excuses, and 1 agreed and then backed out at the last minute.
So we reached out to our friends, former state representative Mark Batinick and Director of the Illinois Freedom Caucus Collin Moseley, to join Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak, and host Collin Corbett for our first episode of the year.
The panel had a heartfelt conversation about what’s broken in our politics. After a lot of time to think over the holidays, Collin shares his frustrations with the failures in the Republican Party, especially in Illinois, and how, because both parties have become so tribalistic, he’s a RINO for even daring to speak his mind. Mark gives a passionate counter rant, emphasizing the disparity between how blue states and red states are run.
Then, there was a lot to break down in the governor’s race. We start with the fraud uncovered in Minnesota and how that impacts Illinois, with Trump freezing certain federal funding. The Dabrowski campaign hosted a press conference on how Illinois needs to dig into significant spending increases. Predictably, the media turned it around on Ted when he’s asking the very questions reporters should be asking their state government.
We then discuss the Bailey campaign’s announcement they would enact a DOGE department in Illinois. While the panel agrees the concept is sound and Darren messaged the need for it well, the biggest mistake they made was naming it DOGE. Polling shows voters do not support “DOGE” but they do support what it would do. This leads into a great conversation on Illinois’ economy, budget, revenue, and taxes that you won’t want to miss.
In the back stretch of the episode, we talk about crime and immigration still being in the headlines. Plus, we share news you can use (and should be using on social media, fundraising emails, or press releases), listener-submitted OG and clown of the year nominations, and our OGs and clowns of the week.
 
00:00: Introductions02:27: GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Afraid to Join SFR But Think They Can Take on Pritzker13:45: What's Broken: Our Politics, Our Party, Our Politicians...or All of the Above?31:53: Fraud in MN Takes Down Tim Walz and Upends IL Gov Race52:41: With Campaign Season Officially Underway, IL Gov Race Starting to Heat Up01:12:22: Joe Debose Drops Out of HD118 Republican Primary01:16:52: Crime and Immigration Remain in the Headlines01:31:00: Pritzker's DHS Exposes Personal Information of 670,000 Illinois Residents 01:31:49: Illinois Home Insurance Premiums Rising 2nd Fastest in the Nation 01:32:59: Chicago Last in the Country for Housing Inventory, Driving Up Home Prices 01:34:22: BGA Exposes Lack of Basic Transparency for Reviewing Legislative Proceedings 01:36:29: Illinois Has Among the Fewest Gen Z Republicans in the Entire Country01:37:43: US Inflation Eases and Economic Growth Surges01:38:49: OG and Clown of 202501:43:03: OG & Clown of the Week01:50:45: Closing Thoughts 

It’s our final episode of the year and we cover a lot of ground. But before we dive in, send us your nominations for OGs and clowns of the year. We’ll be crowning our 2025 winners in our next episode!
Collin Corbett, The Illinoize’s Patrick Pfingsten, and Cor’s Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak kick off Smoke-Filled Room highlighting 3 examples of Republicans blaming everyone else for their own failures. We have a candidate who was knocked off the ballot for too few petition signatures, another candidate who was removed for filing their state of economic interest incorrectly, and a county that would rather put their heads in the sand than admit it’s turning more blue. Republicans will get demolished in 2026 if we don’t get our acts together.
We get into the governor’s race, where both of the top Republican candidates for governor find their campaigns even more vulnerable. The Bailey campaign is facing a new liability stemming from his campaign kickoff event. And the Dabrowski campaign made major mistakes in their recent robocall. We need better from our nominee if they’re going to beat Pritzker.
We transition into some policy topics, and we start off on the Bears’ new threat to move to Indiana. Of all weeks to play hardball. Kevin Warren made this threat to Bears fans just days before they play the Packers in the biggest game in Soldier Field in over 5 years. This is yet another massive blunder by the Bears.
Plus, Pritzker signed the CTA bailout bill into law. We’ve talked in detail about the suburban impact, but Patrick shares insight into how the state stripping funds for roads and bridges will impact downstaters. And we talk about how energy bills are going to keep skyrocketing unless common sense makes a comeback.
Since there is consistently so much doom and gloom in the news, we end our main topics highlighting positive stories and people that remind us that there is still some good in the world. And after not having an episode last week, we have 10 stories in our news you can use section for you to catch up on over Christmas and New Year’s.
00:00: Introductions01:44: Republicans Keep Blaming Everyone Else for Their Own Failures16:19: Missteps and Legal Vulnerabilities for the Leading Republican Gubernatorial Candidates38:20: Predictions for Illinois Politics in 202648:52: If a Bear Poops in Indiana, Does Anyone Care?59:35: Suburbs and Downstate Brace for Impact as Pritzker Signs Transit Bill01:08:08: Illinois Report Admits Our Energy Pain in Illinois Is Going to Get Worse01:18:49: Good News to End the Year01:27:14: Cost of College in Illinois 5th Highest in the Country01:27:36: Illinois Gas Prices Highest By Far in the Midwest01:27:47: Illinois Real Purchasing Power Worst in the Midwest01:28:04: Homeownership Rate in Illinois Worst in the Midwest01:28:50: Wrongdoing Complaints Against Pritzker Employees Jumps Nearly 30% 01:29:21: Illinois the Last State in the Nation to Steal Equity from Homeowners in Tax Sales01:31:45: IL EPA Latest Example of State Paying the Price for Shifting Costs to Federal Government 01:33:29: Illinois Suffers from an Epidemic of Low Expectations in Education 01:34:34: Pritzker's State Police Can't Identify Whether 75,000 Stripped of Gun Rights Are Armed01:35:41: Illinois Government Unions Spend the Most on Politics in the Entire Country01:37:29: OG & Clown of the Week01:47:21: Closing Thoughts

We’re back in your inbox after taking the last week off and there is no shortage of topics to cover. Looking for a summary of the episode? Republicans: grab voters’ attention with crime, win them over by discussing affordability and cost-of-living.
Joining Collin Corbett for a new Smoke-Filled Room includes State Representative Jed Davis, policy expert Sharon Langlotz-Johnson, and Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak.
If one thing is clear from the election results in Tennessee, Virginia, and New Jersey, it’s that the national mood is not in Republicans’ favor right now. We’re facing strong headwinds. Our panel discusses how we need to realize we are losing the messaging battle. Jed shares this is not a discussion being had by Republican leaders in the state, and it could hurt us. The conversation turns to the need to turn out Trump and low propensity voters AND persuade swing voters.
We then dive deeper into cost-of-living. No working family is going to say life is affordable right now, yet Trump is saying it’s a “Democrat con job.” Affordability will win or lose the November election next year, and Republicans need to figure this out fast. Jed highlights how his entire legislative focus for 2026 is pushing forward legislation that makes it more affordable to live in Illinois. We need more of this.
We transition into politics and campaigns, starting with the governor’s race. Darren Bailey is back on the campaign trail, and he shows some signs of growth. But there is still not a clear candidate who could legitimately take on Pritzker and win. We keep waiting. Meanwhile, the Democrats are having their own issues in the US Senate race. A new poll shows Robin Kelly in second place ahead of Julianna Stratton. It’s a terrible look for Stratton and Pritzker.
Before we close down the episode, our panel covered how immigration has distracted from the serious crime in Chicago, but now that’s back front-and-center in a big way. This is a key vulnerability for Pritzker and Democrats, if Republicans capitalize.
00:00: Introductions02:55: What Can Illinois Republicans Learn from TN Special Election GOP Underperformance?20:27: While Trump Calls Affordability a "Con Job," Cost-of-Living Continues to Top Voters' Concerns40:32: Darren Bailey Rejoins the Campaign Trail as GOP Gov Campaigns Search for Relevance01:01:57: If Accurate, Poll Shows Shake-Up in Democratic Field for US Senate01:14:04: Crime Hitting Home for Many, Opening Up Pritzker and Dems to Attacks01:29:21: Illinois Refuses to Help Tipped Workers in Latest Attack on Working Families01:30:51: Illinois Families to Get Less College Financial Aid as Non-Citizens Now Eligible01:32:27: Be Prepared to Pay a New Fee When Buying Paint in Illinois01:34:14: Highest Job Growth Regions Are in Red States, Lowest in Blue States01:34:53: Illinois Has Lowest Wage Growth of All Neighboring States01:36:47: Income Inequality in Illinois the Worst in the Midwest01:38:30: As Standards Drop, Fewer CPS Students Finishing College01:39:54: Traffic Congestion in Chicagoland Worst in the US, 2nd Worst in the World 01:41:56: OG & Clown of the Week01:52:49: Closing Thoughts

Whether it’s crime, energy, taxes, or ethics, Illinois Democrats keep saying “everything is fine” while innocent Illinoisans are the ones paying the price.
Joining Collin Corbett on the Smoke-Filled Room this week to discuss crime, affordability, and much more includes State Senator Craig Wilcox, state policy expert Carolyn Schofield, and Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak.
In just the past week, Democrats’ pro-criminal agenda has taken the life of a 14-year-old girl and left a 26-year-old woman in critical condition. Illinois residents in areas like McHenry County and DuPage County, and even formerly Lake County, saw the benefits of having Republican sheriffs who prioritized holding criminals accountable AND focusing on mental health. But on a grand scale in Illinois, Democrats would rather let criminals walk than help them get better.
We later spend time talking about affordability and the cost-of-living in two separate topics. First, while inflation is easing, voters don’t feel it. They’re still concerned about the cost of groceries, housing, healthcare, utilities, gas, and more. While even CNBC said inflation is easing, voters are still feeling the squeeze, so Republicans need to do better making improvements and communicating with voters over the next year or else Republicans will get blamed at the ballot box next November.
And later, the Democrat candidates for Illinois Comptroller, the position that is supposed to serve as a check-and-balance on government spending, all stated they would support a progressive tax and said the state’s record $55 billion budget didn’t spend or tax enough. You should be paying more attention to the Comptroller’s race.
In the back half of the episode, we get into some political topics, such as Democrats skirting election law and campaign ethics. In the Governor’s race, we need to see one of the Republican candidates step up and prove that they can take on Pritzker, especially after he just dumped $25 million more into his campaign account. And some of the country’s top Democrat strategists released data on how Democrats can perform better in 2026 and beyond—and we share what Republicans should take away from the report. 
Make sure you stay until the end because this week’s OG and clown of the weeks include the Epstein Files, and someone even nominated the pope as a clown! Chris’ head might explode.
00:00: Introductions03:48: 14-Year-Old Girl and 26-Year-Old Young Woman Pay Price for Illinois' Pro-Criminal Agenda18:14: Inflation Is Easing, But Costs Still Rising and Voters Are Concerned39:04: Taxes Are Breaking the Backs of Working Families, Yet Illinois Democrats Want More53:09: No Penalty for Harmon, Chuy Slapped on Wrist, Still No Ethics Reform in Springfield01:01:21: Trump Sends Letter of Encouragement to Darren Bailey While Pritzker Dumps $25 Million More Into Account01:07:29: Democrats' "Deciding to Win" Report Admits Their Party Has Moved Far to the Left01:20:05: Pritzker Refuses Transparency on Spending Cut Plans01:21:14: Despite Mounting Controversies and Failures, Senate Democrats Approve Pritzker's Department of Corrections Director01:22:20: High Data Center States Without Smart Energy Policies, Like Illinois, Seeing the Biggest Utility Bill Increases01:26:00: Georgia-Pacific Closing Manufacturing Facility in Mt Olive, Costing 134 JobsIllinois' GDP Growth Since 2000 Behind Our Neighboring States01:26:16: OG & Clown of the Week01:27:32: Closing Thoughts 

With Veteran’s Day earlier this week, we want to first start by thanking those who served. At the start of the episode, Collin highlighted his grandfather, Robert Luedtke, who served in the Marines from 1952-1955.
We are proud to have veterans and political experts as our guests this week: State Representative and veteran Li Arellano and Ogle County Republican Party Chairman and veteran Mike Koolidge. They join Cor’s political experts, Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak, and host, Collin Corbett.
Well, 42 days later and the Democrat shutdown is finally over after a handful of Democrat senators came to their senses and put country over political leverage. One of those Democrats was Dick Durbin, and the reaction and condemnation he received from fellow Democrats is an indication of how extreme the Democrats’ base is right now.
Among those Democrats to attack Durbin for reopening the government were Raja Krishnamoorthi, Juliana Stratton, and Robin Kelly. They were ok hurting working families who rely on SNAP, military families who weren’t getting paid, and farmers who struggled to access services, all to maintain political leverage. Now they want to be US Senator. We discuss, and later cover other updates from the Senate campaign trail.
In the governor’s race, Darren Bailey announced he would be staying in the race. We saw the top governor candidates, plus Aaron Del Mar who was filling in for Darren, in Kane County for a candidate forum, so we analyze how the candidates performed. We also have an interesting discussion around a strategic move by the Bailey campaign to use their two candidates where they are strongest.
Later, we talk about why Republicans in Illinois don’t win: because we spend our time fighting each other. We give two clear examples: a covert effort to take out Republican committeemen in Cook and Lake Counties to take over leadership of those counties and the state party, and certain people propping up an unserious candidate for US Senate to settle a personal grudge. All that effort could’ve been put into finding a candidate for Treasurer.
Li then gives us more insight into the ramifications Illinoisans will face due to the transit and energy bills rammed through during veto session. As a freshman senator, Li saw firsthand for the first time the dirty politics Democrats played in veto session and realized it’s much worse than people realize.
We wrap up this week’s SFR covering how the White House is starting to take affordability more seriously, give you top news stories you should be talking about, and close with our OGs and clowns of the week.
00:00: Introductions03:20: The Democrat Shutdown Finally Ending Sends Shockwaves Through IL's US Senate Race26:19: Darren Bailey Officially Staying in the Illinois Governor's Race46:24: This Is What Republicans Spent Time on Instead of Recruiting Serious Candidates01:01:07: Fallout from Transit Bailout Already with Truckers and Downstate Labor01:11:44: Veto Session Energy Bill Raises Energy Costs While Giving Bureaucrats Control01:19:22: White House Finally Taking Affordability Seriously01:29:54: Chicago Will Have the Highest Sales Tax in the Country01:30:27: Illinois Now 38th in Tax Competitiveness, Worst of Any Neighboring States 01:31:23: Pritzker's DHS Using Loophole to Keep Mentally Ill in Prison 01:34:08: CPS and CTU Spend Taxpayer Dollars on Safaris and a Poolside Recording Studio 01:34:58: Federal Complaint Filed Against Student Mental Health Screening Without Parental Consent 01:35:45: Dems Silent as Pritzker Pal, Rivian’s CEO, Given $4.6 Billion Pay Package 01:36:42: Don't Be Fooled: Pritzker Still Wants a Progressive Tax in Illinois 01:37:36: OG & Clown of the Week01:48:30: Closing Thoughts 

We had 3 headline topics this week and a cranky host, so this was certainly an interesting episode as we covered veto session, petition filing, and Tuesday’s elections. 
Collin Corbett is joined by State Representative Jason Bunting, policy expert John Lopez, and Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak and they begin recapping everything that took place with veto session following our last SFR recording. 
Veto session went early into Friday morning, making us very glad we didn’t wait to record last week’s episode. But we must recap the damage after Democrats passed bills that will cost Illinois taxpayers $10 billion.
We discuss the transit bill and how Democrats are trying to shift blame for the sales tax and toll increase they passed. Then, we touch on the energy bill, which is basically just an environmentalist bill taking away local control and increasing rates for working families and small businesses. Democrats approved decoupling, which screws our manufacturers, while assisted suicide was rammed through.
Elections took place on Tuesday throughout the country, mostly in blue states, and they did not go well for Republicans. This is what happens when you’re elected to improve the cost-of-living and yet people don’t feel like life is any more affordable. If national Republicans don’t turn this around quickly, next November is going to be a big blue wave.
The deadline to file petitions was earlier this week and it’s a scary sight for Republicans. For the first time in nearly a century, a statewide official is going without a challenge because Republicans couldn’t even fill out the statewide ticket. This is when Collin lost it, quoting Logan Roy from Succession and declaring the Republican Party in Illinois is not serious. We eventually discuss candidates who filed for federal, statewide, and legislative races throughout the state, and note which races are ones to follow.
Later, we get into the governor’s race where we discuss the latest developments, including how the Heidner campaign secured over 16,000 signatures in less than 2 weeks. Anyone who has passed petitions knows that is quite the feat. But will those signatures get challenged? We’ll be watching.
We close down this week’s Smoke-Filled Room talking about the latest study showing how working class voters are rejecting Democrats, our News You Can Use, and our OGs and Clowns of the Week, headlined by Chuy Garcia and Marty Moylan proving yet again that Democrats don’t actually care about democracy.
00:00: Introductions03:28: Democrats Raise Sales Taxes, Tolls, and Energy Costs for Working Families During Veto Session34:54: Tuesday's Election Results Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Republicans49:08: Scary Signs for Illinois Republicans as Candidate Filing Period Ends01:21:59: Race for Illinois Governor Coming Into Focus01:31:21: Working Class Voters Call Democrats "Weak" and "Woke"01:35:16: Illinois Pats Itself on the Back After Lowering Education Standards01:37:09: Electrical Equipment Maker Moving from DeKalb to Indiana01:37:51: Nobody Buying Brandon Johnson's Attempts to Blame Trump for Chicago's Fiscal Problems01:39:22: Springfield Helps Cover for Cook County Democrats' Continued Failure to Mail Property Tax Bills01:40:18: Even If Subsidies Expire, Average Obamacare Premium Will Be $50 per Month or Cheaper01:42:42: OG & Clown of the Week01:53:56: Closing Thoughts