Senate overrides Rauner, House up next
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Senate just overrode Gov. Rauner’s veto of the MAP grant funding bill. Responses are rolling in ahead of an anticipated House vote today. From Catherine Kelly, Press Secretary for Governor Rauner…
“SB 2043 can only become law if Representative Franks or Representative Drury succumb to pressure from Speaker Madigan and flip their votes to force a massive tax hike on the people of Illinois. These members sided with taxpayers the first time around because this is a sham bill and an empty promise to students. We believe these members will do the right thing to ensure taxpayers are not left holding the bag. All of us want to fund higher education and MAP, and we stand ready to work with the General Assembly to find ways to do so without adding to the deficit or forcing a massive tax increase.”
* Senate President John Cullerton…
“The governor has repeatedly let these students down, students who were promised financial aid by his administration. Today’s vote is an attempt to give the governor the opportunity to honor his administration’s commitments and prove that education is the priority he says it is.”
* Sen. Gary Forby…
As John A. Logan College sends out letters to faculty announcing they will be laying off roughly 55 employees due to the budget impasse, the Illinois Senate voted to override Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of a measure that would free up funds to help prevent this from happening.
State Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton) who represents the part of Southern Illinois where the college is located, said he is glad to see that his colleagues in the Senate took a stand on Wednesday to show Gov. Rauner that he can’t get in the way of Illinois students.
“Today we had a win,” said Forby. “We showed the governor that we will not allow him to take away important opportunities for Southern Illinois college students. If we want our citizens to be prepared to enter the workforce, one important step is making sure they have access to education.”
Senate Bill 2043 would give the governor the spending authority to honor his administration’s commitments to the student financial aid program known as the Monetary Award Program.
The Senate overrode the veto on Wednesday and it will now go to the House for a vote.
* Sen. Jacqueline Collins…
At the heart of competitiveness is opportunity. When Illinois provides qualified, motivated students with genuine opportunities, our entire state reaps the benefits.
It is infuriatingly unnecessary that in order to improve their prospects and make the most of their talents, many of our state’s young people find they must leave Illinois – if they have the resources to do so. Too many do not. They live with the disappointment of a dream deferred, and meanwhile, our economic vitality, our quest for equality and our struggle for stronger communities wither on the vine.
The House and Senate have repeatedly voted to release funds for MAP grants so that qualified, low-income students can continue to receive a college education. Yet the governor has ignored the pleas of countless students who want nothing more than to better themselves and our state. He has vetoed this legislation, jeopardizing not only the prospects of MAP grant recipients, but the continued survival of one of Illinois’ greatest assets – its public institutions of higher learning. Already, more than a thousand MAP grant recipients have been forced to stop going to class. They simply cannot afford to foot the bill while the state fails them.
I was proud to vote with my colleagues today to override the governor’s irresponsible veto, which has the effect of consigning to poverty and underemployment a generation of young people who hold the future of Illinois in their hands. I urge the House to follow the Senate’s lead as soon as possible.
* IFT…
Today, in response to the Illinois Senate’s override of Governor Rauner’s veto of SB 2043 — a bill that would fund Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for low-income students and provide funding for community colleges — Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement:
“We applaud the leadership shown by Senators who voted to reverse the Governor’s irresponsible veto and provide a lifeline to low-income students and community colleges who are suffering at the hand of Rauner’s misplaced priorities. More than 100,000 Illinois students are now one step closer to receiving the tuition assistance they need to fulfill their college dreams and prepare for a career.
The Governor blames others for his own failure to lead, but it was Governor Rauner alone who vetoed this bill. It was Governor Rauner alone who claimed education was his priority yet proposed a 25% across-the-board cut to our colleges and universities. And it is Governor Rauner alone who is starving our schools and social services to the brink of collapse before he would ask the very wealthy to pay a dime more. We commend the State Senate for doing the right thing, and urge House Republicans to choose students over partisan politics.”
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Scott Credit Union, headquartered in Edwardsville, was recently recognized for its partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in area schools.
“The American Heart Association designed the CPR training program for schools that include scientifically advanced CPR kits,” said SCU Community Relations Supervisor Jennifer Hess. Scott Credit Union signed on with the AHA to fully fund 15 CPR kits for 12 schools in the Illinois counties of Madison, Monroe and St. Clair. The local credit union funded the initiative, which started in January of 2015, at a cost of $35,000 over 3 years, Hess noted.
“An Illinois bill passed in May of 2014 mandates that students receive CPR education before they graduate high school,” Hess said. “With funding becoming increasingly scarce for Illinois schools, this was an excellent opportunity for Scott Credit Union to step in to help fulfill the mission of a community partner while also benefitting local students and schools.”
Scott Credit Union has made giving back to its communities a major priority, contributing significant funding and over 2,400 volunteer hours to a variety of local civic efforts throughout the region in 2015.
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Dold handed control
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Tribune Publishing’s transformation under new Chairman Michael Ferro picked up pace Wednesday with the announcement of sweeping leadership changes across the Chicago-based media company.
Ferro, a technology entrepreneur who became the largest shareholder and chairman of Tribune Publishing last month, also announced he was donating his ownership stake in the Chicago Sun-Times to a charitable trust to avoid perceived conflicts of interest.
The core organizational changes at Tribune Publishing combine the roles of publisher and editor-in-chief, leaving one less name atop the mastheads of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and the chain’s other major daily newspapers.
Bruce Dold, who succeeded Gerould Kern as editor-in-chief of the Chicago Tribune two weeks ago, also will serve as publisher. Tony Hunter, publisher of the Chicago Tribune since 2008, was promoted to president of national revenue and strategic initiatives at Tribune Publishing, a new position.
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Because… Rauner!
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but Cook County Democratic primary voters do not like this governor, so it may help…
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Here we go again…
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sunday, Feb. 28…
To the Editor:
I wrote a few days ago to share my opposition to a proposed bailout of the Chicago public schools.
On Thursday morning, I read a response by state Rep. Ron Sandack, who defended his bailout legislation. I will again repeat my opposition to bailing out Chicago Public Schools and putting at risk taxpayer dollars. These attempts to draw attention and resources away from the classrooms in our area are simply wrong. We send millions of our tax dollars to Chicago schools every year, and I believe less of our money needs to be going to Chicago, not more.
Rep. Sandack has never spoken to the taxpayers I represent, so I can excuse him for not realizing that when we hear politicians promise that their proposals “won’t cost taxpayers a dime,” we instinctively guard our wallets.
The truth is, the approach Rauner and his allies are proposing would put state officials in charge of the Chicago Public Schools while offering no legal assurance that taxpayers in our area will not be on the hook for the Chicago Public Schools’ billion dollar deficit. We cannot afford to bail out Chicago, and I am going to make our voices heard.
Since Rep. Sandack says he shares my belief that local taxpayers should not be forced to bail out Chicago, I invite him to join me and the people I represent by signing my petition at www.nochicagobailout.com/Cloonen.
Kate Cloonen
D-Kankakee
state representative for the 79th District
* Tuesday, March 1st…
To the Editor:
John Adams once said “facts are stubborn things.” And so they are with state Rep. Kate Cloonen who is entitled to her own opinions … but not her own facts.
Fact: Representative Cloonen voted to put House Speaker Mike Madigan in charge – and now he and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton are publicly rejecting the governor’s call to protect taxpayers from a Chicago bailout.
Fact: Cloonen’s leaders – Madigan and Cullerton – are actually demanding a bailout for Chicago, to the tune of about $500 million, while Governor Rauner and Republican leaders refuse to support one.
Fact: Cullerton has threatened to hold up money for your local school districts until Springfield changes the school funding formula to take money away from suburban schools and give it to Chicago.
Those are the inconvenient facts; the very facts Rep. Cloonen has been silent about it while her political bosses demand a $500 million Chicago bailout, oppose giving CPS the ability to go bankrupt and threaten to hijack funding for your local schools.
So I would ask Rep. Cloonen to answer two simple questions if she truly stands with Governor Rauner and Republican leaders in opposing a Chicago bailout:
1) Will you support legislation to give Chicago Public Schools the authority to declare bankruptcy and restructure its finances, to ensure no one outside Chicago pays for Chicago’s mistakes?
2) Will you support and urge your leaders to swiftly approve Governor Rauner’s K-12 school funding proposal with no strings attached, ensuring we keep schools open in the fall and don’t hold them hostage to Chicago’s financial schemes?
If Rep. Cloonen answers yes to both questions, we look forward to joining in her in a bipartisan effort to prevent a Chicago bailout. If she dodges either of these questions, we will know what she’s really up to.
Ron Sandack
R-Downers Grove, state representative, 81st District
Sigh.
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New criminal justice reform package proposed
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Governor Rauner and members of the General Assembly today discussed bipartisan legislation to reform Illinois’ criminal justice system. The three bills came from recommendations by the Governor’s Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform Commission.
“Today we are taking action to reform the criminal justice system in Illinois,” Governor Rauner said. “This package of bills takes the first steps to break the cycle of recidivism, by aiming to reduce both prison admissions and the length of someone’s prison stay. I thank the legislative sponsors for their work on these important pieces of legislation.”
The three bills deal with judicial sentencing, electronic monitoring and providing offenders ID cards when leaving prison. The proposed legislation includes:
· SB 3164 requires review of a pre-sentencing report, as well as an explanation of why incarceration is appropriate for offenders with no prior probation sentences or prison convictions prior to sentencing. Last year, nearly 60 percent of new prison admissions for Class 3 or 4 felonies had no prior convictions for violent crimes. Sending low-level offenders with no prior probation or other convictions inefficiently uses prison resources and potentially makes low-level offenders more susceptible to reoffending. This legislation is sponsored by Sen. Michael Connelly and Rep. Brian Stewart.
· SB 3294 expands the use of electronic monitoring to help transition offenders back into society. This will increase public safety by more effectively focusing IDOC’s supervision and programming resources to reduce recidivism. This legislation is sponsored by Sen. Kwame Raoul and Rep. Elgie Sims.
· SB 3368 requires the Secretary of State and the Illinois Department of Corrections work together to provide state identification so offenders can transition into society more easily. This legislation is sponsored by Sen. Karen McConnaughay and Rep. John Cabello.
“Criminal justice reform is an essential step towards reducing the number of people incarcerated in the Illinois,” State Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Wheaton) said. “Governor Rauner’s administration is following the lead that has been put into place by several southern Republican governors; including Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina and former Governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Rick Perry of Texas were the leaders of this movement, who reformed their criminal justice systems.”
“I am committed to reforming Illinois’ criminal justice system and applaud Governor Rauner for his support in this historic endeavor,” State Rep Brian W. Stewart (R-Freeport) said. “As a former law enforcement officer I have witnessed many needed changes to the current system. The bipartisan bills we have developed will hopefully set the standard for other states to follow as we work towards meaningful reform.”
“The work of the Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform Commission is furthering shared goals of reducing recidivism, strengthening communities ravaged by both crime and the effects of excessive incarceration, using resources efficiently and expanding best practices backed by solid data,” State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) said. “The legislative package we are putting on the table today is another encouraging step forward, but there is much work left to be done, and these collaborative efforts must continue.”
“The introduction of these first few measures mark the beginning of our long journey to reform our failing criminal justice system,” State Rep. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) said. “These are excellent ideas that we’ve worked on in a bipartisan way to correct the problem of an out-of-date justice system in Illinois. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to install even more recommendations from the Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform Commission in order to move Illinois closer to a more fair and responsible system.”
“Ensuring public safety remains a top legislative priority for me, which is why I am supporting Gov. Rauner’s criminal justice reform proposal that will help keep violent offenders off the streets, reduce recidivism, and assist offenders in successful re-entry,” said State Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles). “As a sponsor of Senate Bill 3368, I believe it is extremely important that former offenders are issued a state identification card that will help them successfully transition back into society.”
Really good stuff in there and I’m glad to see the governor is finally trumpeting these proposals.
You can watch the press conference by clicking here.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
“Here’s what I see,” Dunkin said recently at a Chicago campaign event, “after we’re successful March 15, you’re going to see other Democratic members standing up for their constituents by doing what’s right for citizens across the state and in their district. They’re going to say, ‘Oh, wow, Dunkin survived the Mike Madigan wrath.’”
Or, I suppose, they could say, “Oh, wow, did you see how they roughed up Dunkin?”
* The Question: Assuming, for a moment, that Rep. Dunkin wins, do you think that will cause a significant number of Democrats to break with Speaker Madigan? a href=”http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=56d72bb7e4b04a434be4fd16″>Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
online surveys
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Our sorry state
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Wall St. Journal…
The lowest state jobless rate for black workers in the country matches the highest rate for white workers in a new analysis.
At 6.7%, Virginia’s black unemployment rate was the lowest in the nation in the fourth quarter. That rate happens to be the same as the jobless rate for white workers in West Virginia, the worst in the country, according to a report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. […]
In January, black workers faced a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.8%, compared with 4.3% for whites and 4.9% overall.
The worst state for black Americans looking for work? That was Illinois, where the jobless rate was 13.1% in the fourth quarter.
…Adding… Reuters…
Predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Chicago have seen poverty rise and services diminish even as the nation’s third largest city has become less racially segregated, according to a study released on Wednesday.
While Chicago has become more racially balanced over the decades with more neighborhoods showing no majority populations, black areas are seeing economic stagnation or decline, according to the study by the Chicago Urban League, which promotes progress for blacks.
“This is not a situation that’s getting better. This is a situation that’s getting worse,” said Stephanie Bechteler, director of research and evaluation for the Chicago Urban League. “We must put forth time and effort to make a change.”
Despite the progress on racial integration, Bechteler said the city has a long way to go. She noted that the Brookings Institution late last year found that Chicago remained the third most segregated city in the United States behind Milwaukee and New York City.
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* Gov. Rauner has repeatedly called agriculture “the backbone of our economy” in Illinois. From just last week…
At the 2016 Illinois Pork Expo in Springfield Feb. 16, Gov. Bruce Rauner praised the state’s pork producers for being “business builders.”
* And, of course, he has said time and time again that education funding was his highest priority, even without the money to pay for it. From yesterday…
Rauner told reporters that other parts of the state’s budget are important, but none more so than schools.
“No matter what, we should make sure our schools open and they have more money. No matter what else,” he said.
Also from yesterday…
[Rauner] also repeated three pieces of advice his grandparents gave him — work hard, get a good education, and give back to the community.
* But…
Zero. That’s the funding amount Governor Bruce Rauner has proposed for agriculture education.
More than 1,000 FFA members were at the statehouse Tuesday meeting with legislators and fighting for funding. Without that funding, Ag education leaders say, important programs will be eliminated.
Some of our state’s future farmers, engineers, biologists, and more have been put on a path towards agriculture by what they’ve learned in school. [..]
In recent years, state funding has been whittled down to just $1.8 million from the board of education’s recommended $3 million.
Now Governor Rauner wants to eliminate funding altogether.
This is the second year in a row that Rauner has proposed killing off that program.
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* WGN TV…
At Chicago State University on Tuesday, a rally led by Reverend Jesse Jackson demanded state MAP grant funding.
Jackson compared Rauner to former Alabama Governor and segregationist George Wallace during the days of MLK and his fight against racism. […]
A spokesman Governor Rauner said, “Gov. Rauner has the utmost respect for Rev. Jackson. His comments today are unfortunate.”
* Video…
The video is worth a look, even though the reverend’s statement is nonsense. It ends with the governor’s office asking Jackson to come to the table and discuss the budget in detail. “Dollar, dime detail,” a spokesman said.
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Speaker Madigan is this year’s grand marshal for the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade. From his parade committee bio…
Speaker Michael J. Madigan has throughout his time in the Legislature pursued a mandate to implement policies that benefit the working people of Illinois. A Democrat, Madigan is the longest serving speaker in state history, having held the position continuously since 1983, except for the years 1995-1996.
Madigan has worked to build bipartisan consensus on difficult issues and is keenly conscious of his responsibility to ensure equitable treatment for all regions of the state. During his time leading the House, he has worked with governors and legislators to shape policies that have fundamentally altered the state’s course for the better. Madigan has been a driving force behind laws to: expand health care access, improve education funding and standards, increase wages and benefits, strengthen civil rights, reduce crime, preserve the environment, strengthen the state’s economy, build critical transportation infrastructure, reform government ethics and election campaign practices, and protect consumers. Above all, he has endeavored to make government’s daily workings and the legislative process more transparent and accountable to the citizens of the state.
Anybody want to rewrite that?
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* From Emily Miller at Voices for Illinois Children…
Hi Rich-
With Illinois’ higher ed system on the brink of collapse due to the lack of a budget, it’s natural that a higher ed fix is at top of mind for the governor, lawmakers and the media. But it’s worth remembering that for every high profile budget hostage (like MAP grant recipients and higher ed institutions) there are thousands of individual untold stories of lives impacted, and in some cases ruined, by the lack of a fully funded state budget.
Today, Voices for Illinois Children released an update to our September report outlining the devastating human impact the budget impasse continues to have on children, families and communities. It provides a useful closer look at some of the pain the ongoing budget stand-off is causing in relation to 60 line items across the state, particularly for seniors, children and underserved families.
By all accounts (that I’ve heard, anyway) it seems likely that this year’s budget stand-off will creep well in to the next fiscal year, leaving these programs, and the families they serve, unfunded for an indefinite amount of time. That’s unconscionable.
The crisis of the day is the destruction of our higher education system, but we shouldn’t forget the other foreseeable and preventable results of not having a fully-funded budget, including:
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Services: The Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative, a program that works with medical providers statewide to ensure that pregnant women who are HIV-positive deliver HIV-negative babies, will close its doors in October of 2016 unless funding is restored. The program saves the state about $35 million each year, and without it, there will be babies who could have been born HIV-negative that will be born HIV-positive.
The Autism Project of Illinois: Nearly 1,800 families across the state have either lost services or are at risk of losing critical autism services after TAP closed its doors on September 30, 2015. Previously, TAP was a national leader in providing services and supports to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One in 68 children has been identified as having ASD by the Centers for Disease Control.
Home-delivered Meals for Seniors: Roughly 3,200 seniors have lost home-delivered meal services statewide. In DuPage County, the DuPage Senior Citizens Council has cut program staff by 55% and has closed its community dining program. In Rockford, 250 meal slots have been eliminated, bringing the number of seniors on the wait list for meals to 400. A Rockford provider, Lifescape Community Services, reports serving 17,000 fewer meals in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015.
Sexual Assault Services and Prevention: All 29 agencies serving survivors of sexual assault have instituted furloughs and left staff vacancies unfilled. Agencies across the state have instituted waitlists for counseling services. One center reports 65 survivors are on a waiting list for critical trauma-centered sexual assault counseling services in Chicago alone.
Substance Abuse and Prevention Programs: Approximately 47,000 individuals across the state have been denied services or have had reduced service delivery, and most providers have a waiting list of 3 months or longer. That leaves many adults with substance abuse disorders at risk of entering the criminal justice system—a much more costly outcome for the state.
Centers for Independent Living: In FY14, Centers for Independent Living (CIL) served 95 of Illinois’ 102 counties, equipping people with disabilities with resources, supports, and skills to live independently. CILs across the state, including Chicago, Swansea, Joliet, and Alton, have instituted furloughs and layoffs, jeopardizing the roughly 63,430 direct services and information and referrals that were provided in FY14.
Support Services for Seniors: Home Care and Adult Day Care have been especially hard hit. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois closed 7 home care and adult day care centers, eliminating services for 2,355 seniors in Canton, Chicago, DeKalb, Freeport, Moline, Peoria and Rockford. LSSI also cut case management and adult protective services programs for 2,713 seniors in Sterling, IL. The lack of state investment in home care services leaves more than 25,000 seniors at risk of losing services across Cook and Lake Counties.
The full report is here. Gruesome.
* Related…
* I’m young and homeless. What Governor Rauner said when I asked for help.
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“Awaken your humanity”
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Richard Melcher…
Good morning, Rich,
When words have failed to break the state budget impasse, social services providers and young artists are turning to another tactic – art. On behalf of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY), a statewide network of organizations delivering programs, services and advocacy for at-risk youth and families, I wanted to let you know that artists from Chicago will take to the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday, March 2, with tapestries and paintings that illustrate the damage from the ongoing deadlock. We’d love for you to take a look and speak to provider organizations, advocates for youth programs that are being cut, and artists themselves: all will be in the Rotunda from 8am-11am.
I’ve attached a release, along with images of some of the work that will be on display. By way of background, the art protest was organized by ICOY and the Beverly Area Arts Alliance to illustrate the damage from the ongoing deadlock. The centerpiece of the artists’ work is a six by sixteen foot tapestry tying together 4,000 torn strips of fabric, each one representing 10 of the 40,000 youth served by programs in the ICOY network affected by the absence of a state budget. Additional smaller tapestries and a work in progress demonstrate the continued expansion of those affected under the impasse. The project has been created with help from Chicago youth residents of a homeless shelter, a girl scout troop, Southside artists and numerous community members, many of whom brought pieces of fabric salvaged from significant personal items, adding weight to the expression of human lives being torn apart. Additional fabrics were donated by The Quilter’s Trunk. Several artists of the Alliance will also exhibit paintings inspired by the suffering the budget impasse creates.
I very much hope you can stop by – and, of course, post an item.
The full press release is here.
* Photos of the tapestry…
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