The debate over proposed labor rights reform needs to be re-aligned between familiar enemies – union and business interests.
Except that’s exactly what happened.
This association is mostly with right-wing policy groups and one man, Richard Uleyn, CEO of Uleyn, a packaging materials distributor. Uihlein is a major supporter of the Conservative Causes Fund and the Darren Bailey Republican for Governor campaign. Donors of other big money-making businesses are absent from the war.
Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch opposes what critics call Amendment 1, but his group’s political action committee has not spent any money fighting it. Maisch said business leaders are prioritizing other races on the Nov. 8 ballot, including two seats for the Illinois Supreme Court.
“Compared to that, the amendment issue became an orphan, maybe a little bit more,” Maisch said.
Other sources say major donors spent heavily in this year’s primary and expect more calls for money from Chicago’s mayoral campaigns. A political consultant said, “Donor fatigue comes down.”
Uihlein sent $2 million to vote on Amendment 1, a committee the Illinois Policy Institute formed to oppose the measure, state campaign records show. John Tillman and Matt Paprocki are the foundation’s chairman and president, respectively, and campaign committee chair and treasurer.
The ballot committee secured an additional $1 million from the Government Accountability Alliance, another wing of the policy institute Tillman leads. Except for a few small donations, only $3 million has been raised to fight the amendment, according to recent filings.
The union, meanwhile, has raised about $13 million, mostly from local residents and other labor organizations. It allowed Labor to run TV ads alongside traditional get-out-the-vote efforts to push for reform.
The policy institute has said little about how it will spend money opposing the reform. The website design, printing and postage costs were reported to be approximately $337,000. The group has not started TV commercials.
The group would not say whether it would run last-minute ads or discuss its spending strategy. Paprocki made this statement:
“The Ballot Board is spending money on initiatives that educate voters about Amendment 1 and the dangerous impact it will have on Illinois taxpayers, families and businesses. Unlike the intent of the agenda-driven lobbyists behind Amendment 1, the committee’s focus is on sharing the truth with state union leaders that the amendment only benefits Illinois’ most vulnerable communities.
Uihlein, of Lake Forest, did not respond to a request for comment. His company is based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The Sun Times reported that he and his wife have given at least $6.4 million to Republican congressional candidates who have questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
