Rauner, AFSCME reach new tolling agreement
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Maybe the governor has been sincere about negotiating in good faith. Extending the tolling agreement indefinitely and [re-committing] to submitting any disagreements over whether an impasse has been reached to the ILRB, even though Rauner now controls the ILRB, seems reasonable to me.
Click the pic for a larger image…
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* Press release…
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. today announced that new medical conditions and diseases will not be added to the Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act at this time. The pilot program will continue with the 39 conditions and diseases listed in the Act.
The pilot program runs through April 2018.
They blew past their deadline to rule on whether 11 conditions would be added, then announced… nothing?
Sheesh.
*** UPDATE *** And right on schedule…
Veto Message for SB 33
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I veto Senate Bill 33 from the 99th General Assembly, which would prematurely expand the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program by adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of “debilitating medical conditions” for which a patient may be treated with medical cannabis.
The pilot program is moving forward, but remains in its early stage. Cultivation centers are just beginning to grow their crops, and the first dispensary was licensed at the end of August. No patients have yet been served, and, consequently, the State has not had the opportunity to evaluate the benefits and costs of the pilot program or determine areas for improvement or even whether to extend the program beyond its pilot period.
It is therefore premature to expand the pilot program – before any patient has been served and before we have had the chance to evaluate it.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 33, entitled “AN ACT concerning health”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
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Learn something new every day
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a subscriber…
Rich,
Are you aware that when you type www.capitolfax.org it leads to the Illinois Policy Institute page? I know your correct address is www.capitolfax.com
Did they buy that domain name?
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Um, it’s called “mathematics”
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* He says this like he’s some sort of innocent bystander…
…Adding… Raw audio…
…Adding More… Listening to the audio, the governor was actually talking about how he was stunned to learn that Illinois is one of the few states that allow late payment of bills.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Another Republican retires
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From state Sen. Dan Duffy’s Facebook page…
In case you’re keeping count, that’s three House Republicans and two Senate Republicans who’ve announced they won’t be running next year.
By the way, there are two House Republicans in Duffy’s district. Rep. Ed Sullivan isn’t running again and Rep. Dave McSweeney just told me he is staying put in the House.
*** UPDATE *** Well, this solves a problem in that Sullivan district. Press release…
Hawthorn Woods resident and nonprofit executive Dan McConchie announced Thursday that he is seeking the Republican nomination in Illinois Senate District 26. The incumbent, conservative Republican Senator Dan Duffy, announced today that he is not running for re-election.
“Our conservative district deserves strong conservative leadership,” said Dan McConchie. “Like Senator Duffy, I will be a principled advocate for lower taxes, smarter government and will uphold the conservative values we hold dear.”
Before Duffy’s unexpected announcement, Dan McConchie was running for state representative in the 51st House District.
“My goal of running for office has always been to help bring my experience and success in legislative work around the country to the pressing needs we have in Springfield. There is an even greater need of strong conservative advocates in our Senate. Senator Duffy has been a role model in the principled stands he has taken. I look forward to representing the 26th Senate District as well as he has.”
Back on August 27, Duffy had endorsed Dan McConchie for state representative in House District 51.
Dan is a lifelong conservative with a proven track record of accomplishment in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Having been responsible both to manage an organizational budget and to meet a payroll, he understands exactly what Illinois families and small business owners face in every day under our dysfunctional state government. As a national expert on state legislation, he has committed to bringing his experience in legislative strategy, marketing, coalition building and grassroots advocacy to furthering Governor Rauner’s pro-growth agenda in Springfield.
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Merged
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From an invitation to the Illinois Policy Institute’s September 24th program “Between the lines”…
The Illinois General Assembly is engaged in a historic budget showdown with no end in sight. With more than $111 billion of mounting debt and a crumbling economy, it has never been so clear that Illinois needs reform.
The Chicago Tribune editorial board’s Kristen McQueary is the state’s leading voice in journalism for commonsense, free-market reforms. She’s not afraid to push back against the status quo and call out politicians on their failing policies.
Join Kristen and Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman on Thursday, Sept. 24 for an evening of insight into Illinois’ budget showdown. They’ll discuss barriers to reform and the role the media are playing in challenging these anti-reform forces.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Earlier today, Exelon announced that all of its nuclear plants in the PJM market cleared the most recent capacity auction and that it will defer any decisions about the future operations of its Quad Cities and Byron nuclear plants for one year. As a result, the Quad Cities nuclear power plant will run through at least May 2018, while the Byron plant will run through at least May 2019.
This is encouraging news for Illinois. According to a report by the State of Illinois, the Quad Cities and Byron plants support 5,075 jobs and contribute $1.39 billion to the state’s economy. Overall, Illinois’ nuclear energy facilities produce 90 percent of the state’s carbon-free energy, support 28,000 jobs, and inject nearly $9 billion into the Illinois economy every year.
While the recent results of the PJM capacity auction which reflect new market reforms that better recognize the unique value of always-on nuclear energy is encouraging, Quad Cities and Byron, as well as Clinton, remain economically challenged. These plants are long-lived assets with decades of useful life left and today’s announcement is only a short-term reprieve. Policy reforms are still needed to level the playing field for all forms of clean energy and best position the State of Illinois to meet EPA’s new carbon reduction rules.
Learn more about the benefits of nuclear energy at www.NuclearPowersIllinois.com
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Anybody have any precinct reports?
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I almost forgot…
Polls are open today for the special election in the 18th Congressional District.
The race, between Republican Darin LaHood and Democrat Rob Mellon, will fill the remainder of former Rep. Aaron Schock’s term.
The unusual Thursday election date in a holiday week was set by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
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Illinois Credit Unions – A Model of Kindness
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
As part of their commitment to community service, the credit union movement as a whole supports countless local charitable activities as evidenced by their fundamental philosophy of “People Helping People.” For credit unions in Illinois, this mantra is not just part of their culture - it’s a lifestyle.
As an example, the $12 million Danville Bell Credit Union for the past two years has lived out a local campaign of paying it forward. This initiative has included performing numerous random acts of kindness, such as paying for groceries, shoes for school kids whose families could not otherwise afford, meals, and renewing a gym membership for an area firefighter.
This generosity has spread tremendous goodwill throughout the community, helped people through temporary financial difficulties, and also inspired other credit unions and members to return the favor for others. In one touching interaction, the credit union filled the gas tank for a college student who, as it turned out, happened to be down to her last $20.
Illinois credit unions are not just employees - they’re your neighbors, they raise their families here, they’re your trusted financial partner. To them, kindness is not only a guiding principle, its woven into their DNA.
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In real danger of collapse
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* One aspect we didn’t talk about in today’s post on homelessness is how prevention and treatment programs have been cut over the years. For instance…
In FY08 funding for the Homeless Prevention Program was $11 million. In FY15, it was just $4 million.
Those cuts weren’t confined to homeless programs, either. Pretty much all non-Medicaid social service funding has been slammed since FY08.
* And it’s not just social service funding…
Illinois’ lack of budget is threatening rape crisis services, program that helps women get screened for cervical cancer and the public health network. Senators meeting at the capitol Wednesday heard details of these and other woes. […]
[McLean County’s health department administrator Walter Howe] says agencies like his are key in helping prevent the spread of such diseases, but the state’s budget impasse is “eroding” public health’s abilities — especially in rural areas. He says the uncertainty’s exceptionally difficult to deal with because it comes on top of years of cuts and turmoil.
“The prime example is the Vermillion County health department, which had 34 nurses when it responded to the H1N1 pandemic in 2009,” Howe testified at a Senate hearing. “Today, employees only five nurses – of which two of those are part time.”
Howe says as of this week, nearly a quarter of Illinois’ health centers have laid off staff or cut back hours.
Annual budget cuts have weakened large numbers of programs. Toss in this months-long budgetary stalemate and there is a real danger of an infrastructure collapse.
* Related…
* Brown: Munger takes steps to avoid being fall guy
* Kadner: Budget crisis forces Orland to cancel training class
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Today’s number: 0
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Months after revealing the Chicago Police Department set up sobriety checkpoints almost exclusively in African-American and Latino communities, the Tribune has found that the pattern continues.
Between March and August, Chicago police scheduled 14 roadside checks, pulling over drivers randomly to check for drunken driving and other violations. Nine of the checks were in majority black police districts. Four checkpoints occurred in a predominantly Latino districts. There was one in a majority white area. That’s despite the fact that the Tribune has in the past shown some predominantly white districts in Chicago had more alcohol-related crashes than many minority districts. […]
On March 20, police scheduled a checkpoint in the majority black Grand Crossing District even though the area has had the fewest alcohol-related crashes in the city.
Meanwhile, no checkpoints were scheduled in the majority white Jefferson Park District despite ranking third citywide for the number of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities. Police officials have maintained the lack of checkpoints there has nothing to do with the fact that roughly one-fifth of the city’s police officers and their families live there.
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Today’s moment of irony
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m not at all saying that the folks pushing for tort reform don’t have a case. They do. But something they often fail to mention are the large numbers of business owners who sue other business owners. This ain’t just about greedy trial lawyers clogging up the courts.
And the governor, being a business person himself, is involved in a fairly large number of lawsuits this year, some of them quite aggressive. So, this presser is kinda ironic…
The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) will release a survey ranking the 50 state lawsuit climates done by Harris Poll, a global polling firm. This is the 10th such survey that ILR has released since 2002. The event will feature remarks by Gov. Bruce Rauner of Illinois about the condition of Illinois’ legal environment.
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* From ABC 7’s I-Team…
Illinois has no state budget, but it does have more homeless people - and the two are connected according to a scathing report set for release on Thursday.
As Springfield fiddles with a state budget two months after the last one expired, the number of homeless across the state has spiked, according to data the I-Team obtained Wednesday night. The report, authored by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, chides Gov. Bruce Rauner and state leaders for using children and families as bargaining chips in a political fight.
This summer, the I-Team reported on a visible homeless surge in Chicago. An estimated population of 140,000 homeless live in shelters and tents, in parks and under expressways. More than 22,000 of the homeless are Chicago Public Schools students.
Against this backdrop, state leaders in Springfield have been unable to agree on a budget, and because of that, a report from more than 100 social service agencies across Illinois will cite a surge in the number of homeless on the streets this summer, and they blame state officials. […]
The I-Team asked Gov. Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan whether their standoff is causing homelessness. Only Gov. Rauner responded, saying in a statement: “Illinois is facing a $4 billion deficit because the state’s finances were mishandled for years. Governor Rauner is trying to reverse the status quo to stop the death spiral. His Turnaround Agenda will create jobs to grow the economy and free up resources to help the most vulnerable. Unfortunately, the majority party continues to block the governor’s reforms to protect the political class at the expense of the most vulnerable.”
The earlier story is here.
* From a press release…
The state budget impasse has resulted in homeless service providers not receiving any state funding since July 1, 2015 for several key programs, including Emergency and Transitional Housing, Homelessness Prevention, Homeless Youth and Supportive Housing Services.
“One of our adolescent substance abuse treatment programs has closed, impacting 90 youth. If the budget impasse is not resolved in September, we will have to eliminate our host home and shelter services for runaway and homeless youth who are seeking a safe and better future away from violence in their homes and on the streets,” said Rick Velasquez, Executive Director of Youth Outreach Services in Chicago.
The majority of providers (59%) are also experiencing an increased demand for services because of the unavailability of other services once provided by other agencies. In addition, the vast majority of providers (85%) are concerned about how the absence of state funds could impact their ability to provide matching funding for federal dollars.
“We provide services to over 800 people a year, including a 24-hour domestic violence shelter, emergency shelter and transitional housing. On average, we have 60 women and children in shelter at any time. Payroll alone is over $40,000 every two weeks. We had cash reserves but they are gone. We have the cash on hand to make one more payroll in September. And then we don’t know what we’ll do. If we lay off staff, then we put our federal funding at risk,” said Isak Griffiths, Executive Director for Courage Connection, which serves Champaign-Urbana and the surrounding area.
The survey was conducted between August 14, 2015 and September 2, 2015. The advocacy organizations that developed the survey were the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, CSH, Housing Action Illinois and Supportive Housing Providers Association. One hundred and one homeless service providers responded—agencies large and small, from urban, suburban and rural communities.
* The report can be read by clicking here…
The state budget impasse caused by the inability of Governor Rauner and the General Assembly to agree on a budget with adequate revenue to support critical human service programs, is already having this impact on homeless service providers:
• Putting people in a crisis that contributes to their homelessness: 41% of agencies have limited the intake of new clients and 39% have eliminated services for current clients.
• Reducing the capacity of homeless service providers to assist people prevent, or end their homelessness: 33% of agencies have eliminated programs and 32% have closed sites.
* Some charts…
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More lawsuits to force state payments?
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From August 31st…
St. Clair County is looking to sue the state of Illinois in order to obtain funding owed to the county.
On Monday, the County Board authorized legal action against the state, including getting funding meant for the county’s Emergency Telephone Systems Board, as well at the county itself.
St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly said a lawsuit potentially will be filed within the month.
Chairman Mark Kern said the state owes the county $5.8 million.
* And this week, Williamson County Commissioner Brent Gentry asked his state’s attorney to also look into suing the state…
“We need to do what is right and we need to sue the state of Illinois,” he said.
Gentry said he feels Illinois has backed the county into a corner, without a budget.
“I am so tired of the games that they’re playing up in Springfield. When I say “they,” I’m meaning Governor Rauner, Mike Madigan and John Cullerton,” he said.
A month ago, Commission Chairman Jim Marlo sent a letter to Governor Bruce Rauner pointing out the effects the budget impasse has on revenue. Some payments have stopped, including the motor fuel tax, gaming tax and salary reimbursements for three departments.
“It may come down to where certain people may have to be laid off, roads may not be able to be fixed,” said Marlo.
Chairman Marlo said the state currently owes the county over $700,000.
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