Illinois’ Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered a blistering speech in Tampa Saturday equating Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis with former president Donald Trump and condemning him for doing more to “protect” Floridians from LGBTQ children and immigrants than from white nationalism and gun violence. As keynote speaker at the Florida Democratic Party’s annual leadership conference, Pritzker urged Democrats to call out white nationalism and gun violence as domestic terrorism and to campaign against Republican candidates — including DeSantis — who do not. The text of Pritzker’s speech is linked here.

“There’s core principles that Darren has that he’s not going to change from,” said Bryan West, Republican Party chair in Clay County, Bailey’s home county, located just south of I-70 and east of I-57. “It doesn’t surprise me he’s been successful. On a statewide level, you know, he’s gonna outwork anybody, because that’s the way he was raised.”

“A recent Wirepoints study indicates that Arizona is headed to a 2.5 percent rate while Georgia will transition to 5.49 percent, both in 2024. To become effective, those two state must meet specific criteria justifying the move…But the trend toward flat rates is clear.”

“…Pritzker is testing the water in other states. And why not? He not only has the ambition to be president, but his vast wealth allows him to finance his endeavors without a problem. Plus, the horse race nature of presidential politics means that he’ll get plenty of positive media coverage.”

The most-recent data shows that claims amount to a little over 65,000. State officials said this is a reflection of pandemic-related economic recovery and that it signals a strong labor market.

Just this week, a number of next-generation Democratic governors who have been outspoken on issues, and even critical of their own party, came to the White House. The visits may have been coincidental. But they provided the president’s team with helpful imagery — supporting him as the leader of the party — and led one prominent governor, Gavin Newsom of California, to say he thinks Biden should seek reelection, with his full support. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker made similar pronouncements, before extolling Biden’s “passion” for addressing gun violence.

Republicans are “naked and afraid,” Illinois J.B. Pritzker said in his keynote address, and that’s what’s driving their policies of fear, he told Florida Democrats at their annual Leadership Blue Gala.

“Both JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, and Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, have the Harris problem: they run states where Republicans are increasingly impotent. As executives, they can argue, unlike legislators, they have to make tough decisions each day that affect millions of people. Pritzker is attempting to be a national leader on gun control and Newsom is taking on DeSantis directly, running ads in Florida promoting California as a place that won’t infringe on abortion rights and meddle in the classroom.”

Don Schaefer with Mid-West Truckers Association said the industry supports moving toward cleaner energy, but it’s not there yet. “We’ve made great steps in the last couple of years, and it’s going to take a couple of years more to get to the point where we can have a zero-emissions fleet.”