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William Farrar's avatar

Executive orders and congressional laws can not affect elections, because elections, and how they are conducted, even who can and can not vote is left to the prerogative of the sates, The 10th Amendment, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, defines the principle of federalism. It states that any powers not explicitly granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, belong entirely to the individual states or to the people.

Unless the SAVE act is a constitutional amendment, adherence by the state is a prerogative of the state. There is no doubt that red states, especially those with a trifecta can elect to adopt the save act, but not the blue states

The question is: Do your blue state governors have the spine to stand up to Trump,. his court and cops?

Gloria J. Maloney's avatar

"The question is: Do your blue state governors have the spine to stand up to Trump,. his court and cops?" Governor Pritzker will. He has done a great job standing up for Illinois against the Trump Nazis so far.

William Farrar's avatar

I would like to think so, but tell me what actions Pritzker has actually taken, and I don't mean speeches and words of defiance spoken on courthouse steps into a microphone.

Actions speak louder than words. Recently the New Governor of NJ send the State police to Delaney Hall, per her, to protect the people from Ice, what the state police did was to shoot rubber bullets and flash bangs at the protesters,and protected the protesters from ICE, same with the mayor of Newark, he sent his police to protect ICE, Ali Velshi was live on the scene and filmed it, the police shoved the media back a mile from scene where they couldn't see iit , much less bear witness.

If the mayor and governor have no control over their police, then we are already living in a police state, and they are not public servants but useless tools of the powers that be.

Point is, actions speak louder than words. In Louisiana there isa phrase, Alligator mouth, hummingbird ass.

Gloria J. Maloney's avatar

Governor J.B. Pritzker has taken several major legal, executive, and legislative actions to counter the policies of the Trump administration and protect residents of Illinois. Working primarily alongside Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Pritzker’s administration has aggressively used the courts and state powers to challenge federal actions.

The primary legal and executive actions include:

Lawsuits Against Federal Interventions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_-r0V3ItFA]

Lawsuit Against Unlawful Immigration Enforcement (January 2026): Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Raoul filed a sweeping federal lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over aggressive tactics used by ICE and CBP. The lawsuit accuses federal agents of overreaching congressional authority by making warrantless arrests, conducting roving patrols, and indiscriminately using tear gas in Illinois. [https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/news/story/attorney-general-raoul-files-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-over-illegal-and-retaliatory-immigration-enforcement-tactics, https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/illinois-sues-trump-administration-for-dangerous-enforcement-tactics-and-unlawful-use-of-force, https://www.mystateline.com/news/national/illinois-takes-legal-action-against-trump-administrations-immigration-policies/]

Lawsuit to Block National Guard Deployment (October 2025): Illinois and the City of Chicago sued the administration to block the federalization and deployment of 300 Illinois National Guardsmen, as well as 400 Texas National Guard troops sent to Chicago over Pritzker's objections. Pritzker publicly blasted the deployment as an unconstitutional "invasion" and sought an emergency restraining order. [https://www.npr.org/2025/10/06/nx-s1-5563882/illinois-and-chicago-sue-the-trump-administration-over-national-guard-deployment, https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/illinois-sues-to-block-trumps-national-guard-deployment-to-chicago/, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/chicago-and-illinois-sue-to-stop-trumps-national-guard-deployment-plan-after-portland-ruling, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pritzker-sues-trump-block-national-guard-action-illinois]

Birthright Citizenship Defense (January 2025): Illinois joined a coalition of states in a multi-state lawsuit that successfully secured a temporary block against a Trump executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. [https://news.wttw.com/2025/01/23/pritzker-vows-protect-illinois-residents-despite-threat-prosecution-defying-trump]

Challenging Federal Funding Cuts: The administration successfully won an initial injunction to stop the federal government from withholding millions of dollars in public safety and disaster relief funds, which the administration threatened to strip due to Illinois' status as a sanctuary state. [https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/new-lawsuits-against-trumps-immigration-actions-continue-to-take-shape/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dic8m77xoPs]

Protective Legislation Signed into Law [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JB_Pritzker]

The Illinois Bivens Act (December 2025): Governor Pritzker signed legislation allowing individuals to file civil lawsuits against federal law enforcement officers who violate their rights under the U.S. or Illinois Constitutions. The Justice Department subsequently https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-jb-pritzker-kwame-raoul-over-illinois-bivens-act. [https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker-signs-bill-to-protect-immigrants-from-unjust-federal-actions, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-jb-pritzker-kwame-raoul-over-illinois-bivens-act]

Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act: This law prohibits immigration authorities from making civil arrests in or near state courthouses to ensure all residents can access the legal system safely. [https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker-signs-bill-to-protect-immigrants-from-unjust-federal-actions]

Keep Illinois Families Together Act: This measure bans state and local law enforcement from partnering with ICE and designates public buildings like schools, health facilities, and libraries as off-limits to federal immigration sweeps. [https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-chicago-file-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-over-unlawful-immigration-enforcement-tactics/3875020/]

Healthcare and Childcare Privacy Acts: Pritzker signed laws preventing hospitals, daycare centers, and public universities from disclosing the immigration status of patients, children, families, or students to federal authorities without a clear legal requirement. [https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker-signs-bill-to-protect-immigrants-from-unjust-federal-actions]

Executive Orders and Oversight [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_yh-y_-ds0]

Executive Order 2025-06 (October 2025): Pritzker signed an executive order establishing the https://www.illinois.gov/government/executive-orders/executive-order.executive-order-2025-06.2025.html. The commission was designed to create an official public record documenting misconduct, overreach, or brutality by federal agents during military-style federal operations in the Chicagoland area. [https://www.illinois.gov/government/executive-orders/executive-order.executive-order-2025-06.2025.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_yh-y_-ds0]

Child Welfare Interventions: Pritzker directed the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to systematically evaluate and provide mental health support to children traumatized by federal enforcement raids. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_-r0V3ItFA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke0zxkSNHmk]

William Farrar's avatar

Your examples are hiding behind the courts. or the state legislature. That is not bold action

Here is what I am looking for,and this is what counts.

Direct the state police to protect the people from the deprivations and violence of ICE , FBI and CBP./

Having the state police actually arrest federal agents that commit crimes, like murdering citizens, kidnapping them shooting rubber bullets, flash bangs, and canisters of gas at them or beating protesters or immigrants.

Jonathan Ross who shot Good, should have been arrested on the spot, same with the men who killed Pretti., and would have been if the police had been deployed to protect the people.

illing a civil law suit, is easy and a cowards way out, I am not impressed.

Gloria J. Maloney's avatar

So you're looking for a civil war between the State Police and ICE agents? Pritzker is Governor of Illinois, not Minnesota.

It's my understanding that the Ice murderers were immediately taken out of state. I agree with you. I wanted them arrested right away and prosecution conducted with the evidence they had, which was eye witness and cell phone video. I think that should have been enough.

There is no statute of limitation on murder.

William Farrar's avatar

Civil war? We have a GESTAPO rampaging unobstructed through the nation. immigrants first, then next us. HHS has the budget to build and are building concentration camps. You don't see the parallels.

The fact that Pritzker is governor of Illinois not Minnesota is not relevant, my concern applies to all blue state governors, be it California, Minnnesota, Illinois, New Jersey, New york, ICE is rampaging through all of the states, doing what they do best, terrorizing the people, just because it isn't in the 11 o clock news doesn't mean it isn't happening.. Actually it is worse now than it was.. Markwayne Mullin even bragged about it.

You are right there is no statute of limitations on murder, but are the murders being extradited and charged?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, currently remains on active duty. He was quietly reassigned or moved back to work by the agency by late April 2026, a move that has sparked significant public and legal controversy

Patricia Lane's avatar

Thank you for this information , verifying actions taken by Governor Pritzker. Governor’s in all states should generate the same or similar policies.

Someone who has these policies and the ability to follow through with them is a hero in these desperate times.

He would also make a great president.

He has integrity and the MAGA crowd as well as their foolish leader do not even know how to spell it , let alone conceive of it.

Barbara's avatar

I'm confident that my governor, Mikie Sherrill, will stand up to rump.

Gordon Berry's avatar

Great piiece - thanks Thom ..

Here is something for your day, week and year...

how to live (to be read when you have a little break...)

make peace with being uninteresting to strangers.

memorize the trees on your street and learn the bark

of the tree outside your bedroom window. call the

friend on the anniversary of the hard thing. learn

which neighbor leaves for work at six and bring her

a coffee on a tuesday. write letters that will outlive

the news cycle. notice which shoulder your husband

carries tension in and put a hand on it whenever you

can. cook the same soup until your hands know it

without the recipe. say hello to the man at the

register until you know what his daughter is

studying. admit you were wrong in the same room

you were wrong in. carry a pen everywhere. write

down what your child said at breakfast before you

forget it. notice when the magnolia on your block

blooms and tell someone. trust that almost any

vegetable is good roasted at 425F. learn the name of

the person who delivers your mail and use it. let your

child see you apologize to another adult. keep a

notebook nobody else will ever read. drink water

before you drink anything else.

return the borrowed book with a note tucked inside.

learn to write a thank-you note that takes longer to

write than the gift took to give. tell your dentist the

truth about flossing. mend the sweater. sharpen the

knife. plant the bulbs in october knowing march is

far away. read the book your father loved, and read it

again. tell the truth in sentences your grandmother

could understand. say the kind thing out loud before

it occurs to you to keep it private. write your will

before anyone asks you to. learn what a good wage

is in your city and don't accept less in exchange for

being liked. keep three real friendships and water

them like houseplants. show up to the hospital. show

up to the funeral. show up on the ordinary

wednesday when nothing is wrong. let the meeting

end early. leave the party first. go to bed before the

news cycle decides what you should be afraid of

tomorrow.

live the same good week fifty-two times and call it a

year. the best parts of a life are the ones nobody

knows about.

— dhivya/fossilisedflowers

Jean(Muriel)'s avatar

Thank you Mr.Hartmann,

I am sending your brain vibrator to everyone I know who can read.

I am a member of the UU church and am sending it to the people who run our social justice. Please keep writing.

We have watched 6 documentaries on just this subject. “History”.

Americans have joined the cult of

“Pollyanna” by being absorbed into the digital dildo of their cell phones. Forgive my vulgarity…., I am trying at 80 to see a reason to continue.

You and others clear the air by focusing in on fact. Those who voted for and continue to be dead to facts from this dangerous magga infection will not be able to hear. 👂🏻

They are infants who are still blaming everyone else for their anger.

Two institutions that a country like ours would benefit from are classes in how to become adults. The second is how to parent. Both classes would insist upon passing grades from both partners.

Thank you for the numbers that connect us to our representatives.

Oh, that would be another class that would benefit all: pass a history test and a Constitutional test ( a very detailed and difficult one ) to any one thinking he/ she should work for us as representatives of our Constitution.

May we start to do the work so many think God is responsible for.

Shea Foote Hansen's avatar

Grievously, I am finding myself at odds with leading thinkers like Thom whom I greatly respect. Trump is a sociopath (malignant narcissist) They may be morally degenerate, but they are strategists and full of tricks. Shear logic would indicate that trump will cancel the midterm. There will be no midterm. He knows that even with all the "election stealing" machinations that he is fielding, he can not be assured of maintaining power given the American people's current disdain for him. So he thinks like a sociopath--"If I cannot be assured of remaining in power after the midterm, then there must be no midterm.” He will concoct some excuse--probably some form of national security. So, if he is planning to cancel the midterm, why is he bothering to so blatantly set up systems to cheat in the election? Because that keeps the Left concentrated on believing he plans to allow a midterm election and so trying to counter his “election stealing” moves rather than recognizing and countering his “election canceling” moves. Right now, the Left is busy mobilizing the electorate, raising and spending huge sums of money, sending out alarms that this is our last chance to vote the scoundrels out, dancing in glee over every primary and special election win, and sending out alarms that we must defeat Maga in this election or there won't be another election--completely oblivious to the fact that all their efforts are for nothing because there won't be any election. Many may think I am too alarmist, like Trump would never go that far. Trump is a monster. He is going to do whatever it takes to achieve a fascist takeover--including blood in the streets in response to protests and concentration camps for his enemies Shea Foote @ Substack.com

G.P. Baltimore's avatar

Our biggest enemy now are not the crazies or the belligerent or the wealthy. It’s apathy. The A-hole won because of apathy.

If people stay home in Election Day because the candidates running don’t meet their criteria of gender, race, sexual orientation, or religious background, we are looking at 4 more years of possibly JD.

We need both of these criminals and their cabinet and backers out of office, now, and I think more and more are realizing this. However, it’s becoming harder and harder for honest people to even overcome or block his antics or have faith in our system, anymore.

I feel like we as a country are fighting a virulent tumor that’s metastasizing, and unless we standup to this and turn out in great numbers and thumb our noses at intimidation or personal problems, we’re sunk.

In order to get apathetic or frightened people to participate, you have to get them excited and hopeful. We won’t do this by giving them the same old system of money rules politics or by placating a particular group.

This time we need honest, white, vigorous, charismatic, male, healthy, free of entanglements to PAC’s and special interests, not a religious right-wing, in no one’s pocket, who knows the law and loves our constitution. This is a lot.

And, we may need to move him into the limelight before he’s had time to work his way up through the ranks of politics.

There’s at least a couple running for Senate, now, who may fill this bill of criteria. The Demo’s better wake up and realize if they repeat the past we have no future.

Tom Halstead's avatar

Thanks to a political party willingly self-castrating and a reactionary Supreme Court giddily stretching Marbury v Madison to suit its corrupt fantasies, the needed reconstruction will demand an unprecedented level of dedication. Corporate politicians of all stripes must be silenced or at least marginalized along with their army of corrupt eunuchs if we are to keep our republic. State governors and congressional representatives have their work cut out for them. Voters must vote accordingly.

Patricia Lane's avatar

The chaos that Trump and his principal MAGAs generate is, I believe, the thing that makes it difficult to do what we can to counter their BS agenda.

So I think that maybe we don’t have to know exactly how to approach it , except for one thing .

We need to vote and have our votes count.

You can through your County, State , verify your registration . Do it frequently .

These MAGA Swampers are ignorant fools , but they know how to destroy

things and if we do not fight back , however we

can , Democracy will be completely pillaged.

Elon Musk , the wealthiest man in the world, and one of the most corrupt , has alluded to the fact that he was involved in throwing the last election to Trump via technological vandalism .

We need to get deadly serious in our fight against

This terrorist Trump regime .

return to normalcy's avatar

Justices. I've written to John Roberts three times reminding him of what happened at Nuremberg. I'm no Pollyanna, I know that he never read them but someone had to read them if only to rule out any threats which I would never do. All I did was remind him about Nuremberg.

I'm rewatching a documentary called The Rise of the Nazi Party. It was produced in 2013 by a company/group called Athena. I own the set so I don't know if you can find it on some platform to watch. It is a fascinating telling of how the Nazis took power & were able to convince a large portion of the German populace that the Jews deserved their destruction. Hitler was a thug & a criminal but before he considered himself a Caesar or Napoleon,

sound familiar, he was astute as a politician & learned how to introduce hatred of the other over time, eventually convincing many that the Jews were the enemy within.

His hubris led him to make himself the commander in chief of the army, overruling his generals & this bringing Germany to it's terrible destruction. It appears that trump is at this point in his mental disease so like, was said here. We need to be prepared for anything.

no_fascism's avatar

A great read.

I also got a good laugh seeing the chubby little tiny hand in the picture. Thanks, I needed that this morning.