* The idiots at the Westboro Baptist “Church” are at it again. From their horrid blog we learn that the morons are planning to picket the funerals of the Harrisburg tornado victims…
HALLELUJAH! GOD SENT AN F-4 TORNADO RIPPING THROUGH HARRISBURG, IL – 6 CONFIRMED DEAD SO FAR!
Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it. (Jer. 30:23-24.)
GodSmack!
They died for the sins of Illinois, and WBC will picket their funerals! You can blame your legislature who is again considering a law further criminalizing the gospel preaching of God’s servants at WBC!
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. (Ezk. 17:19.)
We encourage counterprotesters to wear purple to promote unity and signs, sheets, flags are encouraged to increase the height of the shield. These aren’t required, obviously.
Since we cannot all be in multiple places at once and the funerals are so close in time, it won’t be possible for all of us to attend each and every one of these. Please plan on attending only one location and staying there from start to finish. I’m not going to “assign” locations for you to go to, but I will be at the old movie theater parking lot from 7:30 am to 9:00 am, so if you aren’t sure where you are needed the most, feel free to stop by and I will happily tell you which location needs you the most.
The first funeral is at 11 am on Saturday at Reed Funeral Chapel in Harrisburg. I am asking that people arrive at 8:45/9:00. Please make sure not to park in this parking lot to make sure that the funeral goers have a place to park.
There are two funerals scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday. One is at FBC in Harrisburg and one is at Sunset Lawn Cemetery. If you will be going to one of these two locations, please plan to arrive on site at 11 am. Please park at the library, Salvation Army, old movie theater parking lot, etc. to leave the church parking lot open.
People are also encouraged to assemble at the visitation at Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Galatia from at 3 pm for the visitation. This is also the site for Sunday’s funeral at 11 am. Please plan on arriving at the church at 9 am. I will get directions and an idea of where for you to park on the page by 5 pm Friday.
* A Cook County judge ruled the other day that US Rep. Judy Biggert’s Republican primary foe Jack Cunningham should be returned to the ballot after being kicked off by the Board of Elections. Biggert’s allies are appealing, but the incumbent’s latest poll shows she has pretty much nothing to worry about. From a polling memo written by Linda DiVall and David Kanevsky at American Viewpoint, Inc.…
The following outlines the key findings from a survey of likely GOP primary voters commissioned by the Judy Biggert for Congress campaign. Interviews were conducted February 26-27, 2012. The margin of error for the entire sample (n=300 likely GOP primary voters) is +5.66% at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error among sub-groups is greater.
Judy Biggert leads the primary by over fifty points.
• Judy Biggert leads Jack Cunningham 69%-18%, with 13% undecided, including 44% who would definitely vote for the Congresswoman. Biggert leads across the district and with all ideological and demographic groups.
Judy Biggert has some of the best ratings we’ve seen for a Republican incumbent.
• Congresswoman Biggert has incredibly strong ratings with very low negatives, both on her image (73% favorable – 12% unfavorable) and job approval (69% approve – 16% disapprove). Additionally, Biggert has a solid re-elect rating of 58%. Nowadays a lot of incumbents manage to win re-election with re-elect scores under 50% or 45%, but it’s tough to beat an incumbent who is well over 50% on the re-elect.
* In other news, Republican Congressman Bobby Schilling decided to lay off constituent service workers in favor of spending more money on congressional mailers…
New figures released Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives Clerk’s Quarterly Statement of Disbursements showed the overall cost cuts were even deeper than Schilling’s staff disclosed in Sunday’s story. Schilling slashed personnel and salaries to trim his office expenses 16.7 percent less in his first year than former Rep. Phil Hare spent in his last. Cuts like that are big news. For that, taxpayers may say, “thanks.”
To achieve those savings, Schilling chose to hire fewer district staff and pay them less than his predecessors or contemporaries. For that, some taxpayers may say, “thanks.” Others might wonder whether the discrepancy is worth it.
Schilling achieved these savings while spending significantly more on constituent mailings. He spent $316,180 on mailing in his first year in office, about twice as much as Hare spent over four years.
That’s news, too. Some taxpayers might appreciate the new congressman’s more frequent communication. Others might wonder why the congressman cut salaries for constituent services, while ramping up the mailings to unprecedented levels.
The cynical way to look at this is to say that maybe Hare should’ve spent more government money on mailers and he might’ve held onto his seat.
* This is one of the first times I’ve seen Republican Joe Walsh actually lash out at either one of his potential general election challengers. From a campaign e-mail…
Congressman Walsh: “We’re Still Wondering Where Tammy Stands on the Budget”
Raja’s response came in and he supports the President’s budget. Clearly, I do not. But, despite our distinct disagreements, I respect Raja for making his position clear to the people of the 8th District.
The question remains, what does Tammy think? Her press machine has been in overdrive promoting her recent endorsement by Mayor Emanuel but eerily silent on the major question of whether or not she endorses the President’s budget. Unfortunately, the media have not asked her opinion on the matter despite affording her plenty of coverage on Rahm’s endorsement. Why is it that Tammy hasn’t taken a position and how come the media hasn’t asked her?
* Back in 2010, Speaker Madigan was ridiculed by the Republicans and their allies for putting up his own GOP candidate against himself. Madigan decided to make himself an example for the rest of his candidates and put himself through the full program, spending thousands of dollars on mail and polling to make sure the Republicans could gain no foothold there. Madigan got 67.2 percent of the vote, compared to 83 percent four years earlier. No politician ever likes to go backward, especially a guy like that.
Illinois’ Speaker of the House Mike Madigan invokes a caricature of his least-favorite governor, Rod Blagojevich, in a rare humorous re-election flyer he is sending to constituents.
Madigan, a 40-year veteran of the house, doesn’t usually have to run too hard for re-election.
But Madigan, 69, faces a spirited if under-funded challenge in this year’s Democratic primary election from Michele Piszczor, 25, so he is leaving nothing to chance, populating the front lawns of his Southwest Side district with Madigan signs and sending out a mailing that makes fun of Blagojevich.
Madigan, who is also chairman of the state Democratic Party, never got along with Blagojevich, who in 2003 became the state’s first Democratic governor in 26 years but is now facing a 14-year prison sentence for corruption.
“When lawbreaking politicians make a mess of things, we need strong leaders to clean things up,” the flyer says against a backdrop of a Blagojevich character standing in front of a decrepit frame house, atypical of the brick bungalows in Madigan’s district.
The flipside of the flyer shows Madigan speaking to a Chicago Police officer and says Madigan fights to bring misbehaving public officials to justice.
* Madigan’s opponent, Michele Piszczor, stood in front of the county building earlier this week and ranted about the Speaker. She was able to attract one local network…
A candidate challenging Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan for his 22nd District seat in the Democratic primary is taking her campaign to the streets.
Michele Piszczor gave a series of short speeches in front of the county building at 69 W. Washington.
She says she’s Madigan’s only real opponent in the house race.
“No one has really challenged and he doesn’t think he needs to earn the peoples’ vote and no one’s even given him a reason to think otherwise,” Piszczor said.
It’s not in the station’s summary, but Piszczor also called Madigan “the most corrupt man in Illinois history.” Watch…
You can always tell when a candidate is walking a lot of precincts. They have a hard, sometimes leathery look to their faces from being out in the wind and weather. And they’re also lean and toned from all the walking. Rep. Randy Ramey is a prime example of that this year. He’s walking door to door to save his political life following his embarrassing DUI bust, and it shows. No personal offense meant, but I’d bet decent money that Ms. Piszczor is not a walking machine. When you’re being outspent and out-organized, you absolutely gotta walk. Occasional TV and newspaper stories ain’t gonna do the trick.
Still, I have to admit that it is fun to watch Piszczor give His Royal Highness a bit of hell right in his own back yard. It’ll build character.
* A Cook County judge ruled the state’s eavesdropping law is unconstitutional today. It’s just a lower court judge, but that makes two judges in six months who’ve ruled the same way. Another woman charged with a felony was recently acquitted. From the Tribune…
The law makes it a felony offense to make audio recordings of police officers without their consent even when they’re performing their public duties.
Judge Stanley Sacks, who is assigned to the Criminal Courts Building, found the eavesdropping law unconstitutional because it potentially criminalizes “wholly innocent conduct.”
Somebody once tape recorded a private conversation he had with me. I was furious, pointed to the felony penalties and the tape was quickly destroyed. Recording completely private conversations is one thing. Recording a police officer in a public setting engaged in a public duty seems legit to me. The state already prohibits people from interfering with the police. There are reasonable limits on what can and can’t be done, but slapping somebody with a felony is extreme beyond belief.
* A little background on the defendant Chris Drew…
Chris originally set out to challenge a 1994 Chicago Ordinance which equates artists as non-speech peddlers. As Chris puts it, “Art is Speech” which is not the same as selling socks or watches. Prior to this ordinance, artists could be found selling their art in downtown. The legendary Lee Godie, a naïve artist, would sell drawing and painting in front of the Art Institute in the 80s, as other artists would be seen around downtown as well. Not so today.
For a period of about a year, I documented Chris on his journey, as he and UM-CAC artists distributed art patches in downtown Chicago. Sometimes for free, sometimes for donation, and also selling them for $1.
On Dec. 2, 2009, Chris was selling art patches, for $1, as part of the FREE SAM, (Free Speech Artists Movement) He was arrested for peddling without a license, and peddling in a prohibited district. But the shocker came when at the police station, an officer found a small personal tape recorder in his red cape. The charge of Class 1 Felony Eavesdropping was added, with a bond of $20,000. At his first court appearance the misdemeanor charges of selling art in public without a peddlers license and in an area prohibited by the peddlers license were dropped. To the surprise of many, including Chris, there is a law in Illinois which appears to cover a person audio recording their own arrest. Others have been charged under this law as well.
Why is Quinn pushing these cuts? To pay for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks he gave to big corporations that turned around and eliminated hundreds of Illinois jobs.
Pat Quinn says he’s for shared sacrifice. Sounds like he means middle class people sacrifice and the CEOs get a bigger share.
Rate it.
* Meanwhile, this press release just came in from US Rep. Judy Biggert’s office…
According to a letter dated February 29, 2012 from [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] Director Cindy Mann to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, state health officials will be permitted to verify the residency of Medicaid applicants through program records, electric sources, and physical documents. “After review of the information provided, we believe the State’s proposal is permissible under the MOE [maintenance of effort] provisions of the law,” the letter said.
The decision follows months of discussions between Illinois heath officials and CMS, as well as a letter that Biggert and eleven other members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent to CMS protesting its previous decision to block new income and residency verification procedures.
CMS’s letter, however, addressed only residency verification procedures, and did not indicate that the agency would permit Illinois to also move forward with income verification, as provided in state law.
The state had said it was going ahead with verifying residency and income with or without federal approval, so this at least takes one bone of contention off the table.
Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday drew a hard line on negotiations with hospitals about how much free care they must provide to qualify for tax breaks, a contentious issue that has the state’s nonprofit hospitals on edge.
After talks between hospital and Illinois officials reached an impasse Wednesday, the governor lifted a moratorium on the state’s review of property tax exemptions sought by nonprofit hospitals for providing charity care.
The move clears the way for the Department of Revenue to resume conducting reviews on pending applications filed by as many as 18 nonprofit hospitals seeking property tax exemptions, a process Quinn halted in October after hospital groups complained that the process was flawed.
The governor’s decision comes after a group of hospitals and government administrators failed by his March 1 deadline to come to terms on new rules that determine how the state weighs whether nonprofit hospitals should pay property taxes.
I don’t think the hospitals anticipated that Quinn would lift the moratorium. Instead, there seemed to be a feeling that the talks would continue while legislation started to move through the system. The hospitals lined up Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne to sponsor their own proposal as the clocked ticked down on the negotiations deadline. But that move didn’t really intimidate anyone because Clayborne isn’t as powerful as some casual observers think. From the Illinois Hospital Association’s press release…
(W)e are extremely concerned that the Department of Revenue has been instructed to resume its decision-making process on hospital property tax-exemptions. The issuance of further rulings would be a distraction from the work that needs to be accomplished in developing a legislative solution over the next three months of the General Assembly’s spring session.
I don’t think it’ll be a distraction to anybody. More likely, it’ll focus their minds.
* I’m not sure I agree with most of the Trib’s editorial today because it’s my own personal opinion that property tax exemptions in exchange for charity care means that the charity should be a whole lot more than taking credit for paper losses. But I do concur with this…
The hospitals didn’t help their cause by failing to reach an agreement on charity care. Quinn is right to hike the pressure by restarting the reviews of their tax status. If they’re going to get a tax break, they should show they have earned it.
* Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon was on WBEZ yesterday and was asked about Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to close several state facilities. Simon said she was concerned about the plan to close the Tamms “super max” prison in far southern Illinois. Listen…
While Simon acknowledge that there were “humanitarian reasons” to close the facility, she said the state needed to look at the public safety angle, and she talked about jobs…
In particular, that’s an area where there are lot of good jobs in an area where there are few good jobs.
Once a southern Illinoisan, always a southern Illinoisan.
* Meanwhile, as we discussed the other day, the governor wants to cut $14.7 million from parole staffing lines, which is a 50 percent reduction. The AP analyzed all the numbers and concluded the cut would result in 148 parole-office jobs being eliminated. But the Department of Corrections refuses to confirm or deny that number and instead initially claimed that no layoffs would happen and that the budget book was in error. “It is not a reduction in parole headcount,” the department told the AP. “It is not the governor’s intention to reduce parole staff.”
Then, the explanation shifted. Corrections admitted that some field positions would be eliminated, then claimed that services would not be cut, then said that attrition would play a role in the reductions.
The changes would be part of a 9 percent cut to the $1.2 billion prison system Quinn proposes in the fiscal year that begins in July. He would close two maximum-security prisons and six “adult transition centers” which help inmates nearing completion of sentences get ready to re-enter communities.
But there are already far more inmates than there is bed space in the state’s prisons, so the 1,100 residents of those work-release centers would largely be released and fitted with electronic monitoring bracelets, increasing workloads for parole officers and, some fear, reducing opportunities for ex-offenders to get schooling or drug-abuse treatment. […]
In addition to six adult transition centers with space for more than 1,000, Quinn’s plan is to close a nearly new but underused supermaximum-security prison at Tamms and a women’s lockup at Dwight, sacrificing nearly 2,000 more beds.
That’s key because Corrections has said most transition-center residents would go home with electronic supervision, but AFSCME’s Lindall reports that parole officers estimate only about half of them would qualify, meaning 500 or more would have to return to prison to compete for already-precious space that would shrink with more closures.
* And make no mistake, the prisons are crowded. From John Howard Association executive director John Maki…
In recent visits to the Vandalia and Vienna correctional centers, for instance, the John Howard Association found inmates in conditions that rival California’s prisons. These facilities were so crowded that administrators had no choice but to house hundreds of minimum-security inmates in flooded basements and vermin-infested dormitories with broken windows, leaking pipes and dilapidated roofs.
* In other news, the closure dates for some facilities may not be hard and fast, according to Illinois Statehouse News…
The Illinois Department of Human Services has contracted with Derrick Dufresne and Michael Mayer, two senior partners in the developmental disabilities consulting firm Community Resource Alliance, to lead the transition of the Jacksonville center’s residents.
Dufresne and Mayer spearheaded a three-year project in North Carolina to move the state from institutional-centric developmental-disability care to a smaller, community-based care.
A 2010 report, written by the Center on Human Policy at Syracuse University after the North Carolina project ended, could foreshadow some of the problems the closure of Jacksonville.
“When organizational change happens too quickly without the creation of a strong foundation, there is a risk that the community supports will be created that are not truly individualized, that do not include adequate organizational and community support, and that do not offer increased control and choice to the individual,” the report said.
Neither Dufresne nor Mayer was available for comment.
Casey said community centers have “significant” waiting lists. The plan submitted by Mayer and Dufresne on February to DHS for closing the Jacksonville site echoes the lack of space in current community-based facilities.
“Among the numerous challenges faced in this process is … developing services and supports which will be necessary for long-term success and which do not currently exist in many locations,” the plan said.
Casey insists the governor’s budget allots enough money to help develop the community-based services needed to absorb people from the state centers.
Adding to the bottleneck is a proposal to have each of the residents’ individualized plans reviewed by Mayer and again by Casey before being approved, according to Illinois Department of Human Services’ documents.
The review is to ensure residents get placed in the proper environment, the documents said.
With all of these factors at play, Quinn’s office is now vacillating on the closure dates for eight state facilities, including Jacksonville, it originally set.
“All the closure dates for the rebalancing (of where developmentally disabled receive care) are approximate. It’s important to set a goal so that you’re working towards a target, but the safety and well-being of the residents absolutely comes first,” Brie Callahan, a spokeswoman for Quinn, said.
* Treasurer: Illinois has no investment ties to Iran: The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago played a key role in the passage of a 2007 Iran divestment law in Illinois. Jay Tcath of the group says the law required the state’s pension funds to divest from Iran, but there was no such obligation placed upon state funds managed by the treasurer’s office.
* Last year, the governor wanted to spend $2 billion more than the House did, and the Senate Democrats wanted to spend a billion more than the House. But the House stood firm on its revenue projections and won the argument. This time around, the House estimate is “only” $221 million below the governor’s revenue projections…
Illinois lawmakers appear poised to try to approve a budget that spends at least $200 million less than Gov. Pat Quinn’s fiscal blueprint.
In action Thursday, the House voted 95-11 to set state revenue for the fiscal year beginning July 1 at $33.7 billion.
Quinn is predicting revenues of about $33.9 billion.
“This is a cautious number,” said state Rep. John Bradley, a Marion Democrat and chairman of the House Revenue Committee.
“A difference of more than $200 million will lead to even further reductions during a time when many legislators call for cuts, but when cuts are proposed, they say, ‘Don’t cut here,’” said Quinn budget spokeswoman Kelly Kraft.
Yes, it’s true that some members do complain. But that doesn’t mean all members complain or that a majority of members can’t be found to make the necessary cuts. I empathize with their frustration, but a bit more positivity is in order here. Also, if that resolution passes the Senate (and it probably will) then it’s reality and there’s very little Quinn can do about it.
“Gov. Quinn proposed a responsible budget . . . which allowed for continued investment in education while making difficult decisions in other areas of government to find cost efficiencies due to decades of fiscal mismanagement,” said Kelly Kraft, Quinn’s budget spokeswoman.
* The revenue committees from both chambers met to hear testimony and then decided on the new estimate. Members also consciously decided to err on the side of caution so that any extra revenues could be used to pay off old bills…
Rep. John Bradley, the Marion Democrat who chaired the committee that came up with the estimate, defended it because financial experts were quizzed thoroughly to arrive at the figure.
“This is the way a business does it. This is the way a family does it.… We figure out how much money we have and then we proceed from there,” Bradley said, saying the state will be able to “continue the process of paying down our back bills.”
Illinois added 3,800 jobs in January and the unemployment rate fell -0.3 to 9.4 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). This is the fifth consecutive monthly decline and the largest decline since September 1992. The data is seasonally adjusted.
“January adds another month in the long-term trend of putting people back to work,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “Adding private sector jobs in 21 of the past 25 months and recording the largest monthly decrease in the unemployment rate in nearly 20 years is progress that people can see.”
Illinois has added +122,900 private sector jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned to Illinois after 23 consecutive months of declines. Since January 2010, leading growth sectors in Illinois are Professional and Business Services (+66,400); Educational and Health Services (+29,700); Manufacturing (+26,000); and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+17,800). Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010, down -24,700.
Historically, the national unemployment rate is lower than the state rate. Only seven times since January 2000 has the state rate been lower than the nation’s. That period includes times of economic expansion and contraction. In January 2012, the number of unemployed individuals was down for the fifth consecutive month, decreasing -18,100 (-2.8 percent) to 620,300. Total unemployed has declined ‑132,500 (-17.6 percent) since January 2010 when the state unemployment rate peaked at 11.4 percent. The rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
Educational and health services led the January declines with 5,800 job losses, followed by 3,200 in the “Trade, Transportation, & Utilities” segment. Government jobs fell by 1,900. Top gainers last month were professional and business services (7,700), leisure and hospitality (3,600), financial activities (3,500) and manufacturing (2,700).
* In related news, despite passing a major workers’ compensation reform package last year, House Speaker Michael Madigan thinks a more radical approach may be warranted: A possible privatization of the workers’ comp system…
“I was given the number of state workers that had filed workers’ compensation claims and it was an extraordinary number. A very large percentage of the total workforce had filed workers compensation claims,” Madigan said. ”If that is the case then it would be far more efficient to bring in an outside person, and take it out of the hands of the people doing it for the state today.”
Madigan didn’t call his privatization legislation for a vote yesterday, but he and his staff are taking a close look at the idea…
State employees’ claims of on-the-job injuries have grabbed headlines, like Menard prison guards getting millions of dollars for wrist injuries. There’s an ongoing federal probe into that. But Madigan’s staff did a study of its own. They compiled claims filed by state workers in prisons, veterans’ homes, and facilities for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. Then compared it with the percentage of claims filed by employees of private nursing homes and hospitals.
According to the Speaker’s top legislative aide, the gap between the two was substantial.
“My concern is that there’s just a culture or an environment among some, some state workers, that would encourage work comp claims when they’re really not warranted,” Madigan said.
* And Gov. Pat Quinn crowed about an improved business ranking by the state today via press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the state of Illinois and Chicago have been named among the top 10 locations for new and expanded corporate facilities. Illinois ranked seventh among states, an improvement over last year’s eighth place ranking, and Chicago second in the metropolitan areas category in the annual analysis by Site Selection magazine, one of the nation’s premier corporate real estate and economic development publications. […]
In 2011, Illinois had 216 corporate facilities locate or expand in the state. Illinois joins Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia on the list of the top ten states with the most locations and expansions. With 167 projects, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area ranked second on the list of cities in the tier one, top ten metropolitan areas list. Illinois companies that have relocated or seen significant expansions this year include Ford, Motorola Mobility, Continental, FedEx, Chrysler and Mitsubishi, among others.
Site Selection’s Governor’s Cup ranks the 50 states according to their success in attracting capital investment projects that meet one or more of these three criteria: a minimum investment of US$1 million, creation of 50 or more new jobs and new facility construction or floor space of at least 20,000 sq. ft. (1,860 sq. m.). The magazine does not count equipment upgrades or additions nor construction jobs in its final numbers.
Despite the 7th place finish, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania’s new projects were more than double Illinois’.
* ADDED: Legislation aimed at Cellini management deals
* ADDED: Proposal would get abandoned houses back on market quicker
* Quinn lifts hold on Illinois hospital tax rulings: Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is sticking to his deadline and authorizing the Department of Revenue to resume decisions that could strip some nonprofit hospitals of valuable tax exemptions. At least 17 Illinois hospitals and health systems are awaiting decisions on the tax-exempt status of property.
* Gov. Quinn lifts moratorium on state review of hospital property taxes: Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday drew a hard line on negotiations with the state’s hospitals over how much free care they must provide to qualify for tax breaks, lifting a moratorium on the Department of Revenue’s review of hospitals seeking charity-care exemptions on their property taxes… “While the department expects to move promptly on pending applications, it will continue to support the governor’s efforts to work with hospitals, patient and community advocates and local governments to find a long-term meaningful solution that meets Illinois’ Constitutional mandate,” the statement said.
* Statement from President Preckwinkle on Governor Quinn’s decision to resume the decision-making process regarding hospitals seeking property tax exemptions based on charity care: “I want to commend the Governor’s decision today. This is an important public health issue that impacts many of our most vulnerable citizens. I look forward to continuing to work on a negotiated bill on Charity Care and hospital tax exemptions with all interested parties.”
* Peotone airport group decides to have some fun, but remains hopeful: On the agenda of the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission board session: a resolution to name the first passenger terminal after late Northwest suburban Congressman Henry Hyde and the proposed airport’s entrance after Bensenville’s former mayor, the late John Geils, and Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson.
* One of the most active state legislators so far this spring is Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who is involved in a high-dollar Democratic primary race against Paula Basta. Rep. Cassidy has mastered the art of getting publicity for liberal legislation this year, which will definitely help her with her campaign. Her district is quite liberal and staunchly Democratic, so this stuff is red meat for her constituents…
All purchases of firearms ammunition in the state would be subject to a new 2 percent sales tax to help fund trauma centers under a bill (HB 5167) passed by a House committee Wednesday.
A lobbyist for the Illinois State Rifle Association called the measure “an unconstitutional poll tax.”
The bill passed on a party-line vote in a committee dominated by Chicago Democrats.
The new tax would raise an estimated $800,000 to $1.2 million annually, according to sponsor Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, “for the fight against gun violence.” Money would be deposited in a new High Crime Trauma Center Grant Fund.
The Executive Committee approves bills like these just to get them to the floor. But it’s really not important whether this bill passes, it’s important that it gets noticed by the folks back home. Cassidy has also pushed a gay marriage bill this spring and is behind several other high-profile bills like the one we debated yesterday.
I’ve teased Cassidy about her slew of bill sponsorships in person, and she insists that she fully supports the policies. That’s undoubtedly true. She’s not pushing bills she opposes. But she is focusing on some of the highest profile legislation in the House right now, so there’s really no way to deny that this isn’t also political. She’s simply working the tried and true program for anyone in a tough race, and doing it better than many.
Some of Cassidy’s other gun bills are detailed here.
Handguns would have to be registered and a new tax would be imposed on ammunition sales under bills approved Wednesday by the Illinois House Executive Committee.
With Democrats voting “yes” and Republicans “no,” the committee approved House Bill 5831, which requires handgun owners to register their weapons with the state. The bill is an initiative of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanual. […]
Felicia Davis, Emanuel’s first deputy chief of staff, said most guns used in crimes in Chicago come from Illinois, but outside of the city. A handgun registry will help law enforcement trace guns used in those crimes, she said.
“The city of Chicago already has a handgun registry, but with a majority of illegal handguns arriving from elsewhere in the state, Chicago’s gun laws are only as good as those for the rest of the state,” Davis said. “This is not about restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners.” […]
“Criminals don’t care if they register guns,” said Rep. Mike Tyron, R-Crystal Lake.
* Related…
* Gun-rights groups decry proposed surtax on Illinois ammo sales
* Illinois Politicans Debating New Ammo Tax: National Rifle Association lobbyist Todd Vandermyde likened the proposal to a poll tax, and a Republican on the committee, State Rep. Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein), said since you cannot purchase ammunition in Chicago anyway, Cassidy is just trying to tax the suburbs and Downstate to help trauma centers in Chicago. Cassidy denied the centers would necessarily be in Chicago, but Sullivan responded, “That’s the reality of the state of Illinois.”
* The uproar over the legislative scholarship issue has many members on the defensive. And, so, we get proposals like this one…
Children of public university employees would no longer receive breaks on their college tuitions under a bill approved Wednesday by the Illinois House Executive Committee.
Children of university employees get a 50 percent break on their tuition if their parents work seven or more years for a state university, under current law. […]
[Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, sponsor of House Bill 5531] said the practice costs the state about $387 million a year. That money could be used to cover other state expenses, he said. […]
“We consider this an earned employee benefit,” said Dave Steelman, representing Western Illinois University. “The program is mainly used by employees who need it the most. More than 60 percent of the waivers are for lower paid civil service and clerical employees.”
Waivers usually are not actually funded. The universities just eat the cost. And while this bill is generally reactive in nature, the point is well-taken that universities are giving out a heckuva lot of these waivers.
* The other day in comments, some predicted that legislators would line up to issue press releases denouncing Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget for funding pay hikes for legislators, statewides and top administration officials. The commenters were right, of course. Here’s just one of them…
With Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed 2012 budget calling for more than $250,000 in pay increases for state leaders, State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Wauconda) says he is working on legislation to reverse the maneuver.
Word of the pay raises comes on the heels of Quinn announcing deep cuts to state programs, facilities and jobs that total hundreds of millions of dollars.
“I vehemently oppose any proposal that would allow our State Legislature and other constitutional offices to receive a pay increase this year,” said Gaffney. “While we are a long way from May and a final budget, pay raises for lawmakers must be taken off of the table immediately. To address this I am currently drafting legislation to ensure that Quinn’s proposed pay raises will not be implemented.”
Members of the mental health community claim Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed $53 million spending cut will cost the state in the long run, but Quinn and others say the cuts are needed to balance the budget.
Quinn’s cuts targeted services not covered by Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program
for low-income individuals, and are not eligible for state and federal funding matches, said Kelly Kraft, Quinn’s budget spokeswoman.
Community “centers are able to use the remaining funds to maximize their purchase of Medicaid matchable care,” Kraft said.
But state Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, said local providers are tapped out.
“It’s devastating,” said Hunter, chairwoman of the state Senate Human Services Committee.
This is gonna be a painful year all around, I’m afraid.
* Lawmakers question Dwight prison closure: “One of the things that (the Quinn administration) has used in the past, and this appears to be another example of this, is to try to leverage support from people who know that Quinn’s fiscal policies are wrecking the state by essentially blackmailing their communities,” he said.
llinois lawmakers would have a big role in labor negotiations with public employee unions if legislation sponsored by state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, becomes law.
Senate Bill 3777 would require legislative approval of any contract or labor agreement reached between the state and a union. If the legislature rejects the agreement, the agency and the union would go back to the negotiating table.
Brady said Illinois has been burned by unilateral negotiations between the governor and labor unions.
“We need to bring transparency in an agreement so the General Assembly knows what it’s being bound to,” Brady said.
The law would sunset after Gov. Pat Quinn’s term ends. House Speaker Michael Madigan has introduced a resolution to cap state employee wage hikes.
* The Question: Do you support the concept of giving the General Assembly veto power over public employee labor contracts? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please. Thanks.
* Our old friend Jak Tichenor traveled to the devastated southern Illinois town of Harrisburg yesterday and left this comment on the blog last night…
Just got back from Harrisburg a few minutes ago. It’s a terrible mess on the city’s south-side. The storm tore a 200-yard path through residential neighborhoods and a strip-shopping center just before 5:00 this morning.
The shopping center was leveled like many of the houses nearby. The sirens sounded but I’m afraid a lot of folks were still caught by surprise in the dark and had no safe place to go. Incredible, heart-breaking scenes of destruction for blocks on end. I’ve seen these things before, but I am stunned by the ferocity of the winds and how utterly complete the destruction is in some places. Some of the houses I saw were just pulverized and their contents were strewn everywhere.
NWS initial estimates say it was an EF-4 with winds of 170-mph. The effort by first-responders from neighboring towns and cities has been terrific. There were dozens of ambulances and emergency vehicles from 30-to-60-miles away. Very heartening to see how people are pitching in everywhere to help their neighbors and friends. Red Cross and other relief agencies are on the scene offering assistance.
Gov. Quinn signed a state disaster declaration in Harrisburg this afternoon and has been in contact with the White House since this morning. We’ll have to wait until a more complete damage assessment is done before we’ll know if there will be a federal disaster declaration.
This was a bad one, folks. Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers tonight.
* I’ll post some more photos from my brother Devin and some stories from across the country in our special ScribbleLive feed…
Thursday, Mar 1, 2012 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Providing reliable service and fast restoration is our constant focus at ComEd, and the latest enhancements to our storm response process include:
Better communications to customers and municipalities: We are doubling our customer service center’s call volume capacity. We have implemented two-way text messaging, and strengthened our municipal outreach to work more effectively with local officials.
More staff to restore customers faster: We have increased the number of First Responders by 20 percent. This adds to our damage assessment capability and speeds up restoration times for customers.
New technology to enhance coordination: We have created a new $1 million, state-of-the-art regional mobile command center (MOC), which can be deployed to the hardest-hit areas in severe storms. This will bring ComEd closer to our customers – and enable us to respond more quickly in times of need.
This all comes in addition to the historic work that’s resulting from the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act. In the weeks and months ahead, we will update you on our progress as we continue to strengthen the grid, improve reliability and better communicate with our customers.
