By the time of November’s election, Democratic candidates and liberal groups will have raised an astounding $1.5 billion in online contributions alone. And nearly every cent of it will arrive first in a mostly empty basement, where a printer the size of a carry-on suitcase processes checks next to a solitary cardboard cutout of former President Bill Clinton.
This is ActBlue, the not-for-profit group that has become a ubiquitous presence in Democratic politics, providing an online fundraising platform for just about every entity inside the party. If you’ve ever donated to one of the party’s candidates, or one of the recently formed grassroots progressive “pop-up” groups, you probably used ActBlue.
Few groups, then, have a better view of how a surge of relatively small, online contributions is reshaping the party’s priorities and campaigns — or how they are poised to upend the upcoming Democratic presidential primary.
There’s also an interesting new startup out there called GroundUp that allows Dems to link their credit cards to its system. They select the candidates they want to support and then every time participants make purchases, Ground Up rounds up to the next whole dollar amount and sends the “spare change” to the campaigns.
A month after acknowledging an impasse over whether Chicago police should make a record each time they point a gun at a person, it appears state and city lawyers will put the question to a federal judge.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office filed a motion Wednesday to partially lift a stay of her lawsuit seeking a consent decree to govern reforms at the Chicago Police Department. That stay has given her office a chance to negotiate with City Hall.
Now, partially lifting the stay over just the handgun issue would likely put that matter in the hands of U.S. District Judge Robert Dow.
“Focused litigation on a single, limited issue” could play out at the same time as the consent decree approval process, Assistant Attorney General Cara Hendrickson wrote in Wednesday’s motion.
* The Question: Should police be required to fill out a form when they point their gun at someone? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
A high-stakes veto battle over how to regulate the car-sharing business is shaping up in Springfield.
Yesterday Gov. Bruce Rauner rejected a measure approved by the General Assembly this spring that would require companies that connect individuals who want to lease their cars to others via a phone app to generally follow the same regulations and pay the same taxes as traditional companies.
The action likely sets off round two of a high-stakes lobbying battle, pitting new-economy firms such as Turo against long-time rentals companies like Enterprise. With a gubernatorial election set to occur before any votes are taken, the outcome is uncertain. […]
Bill advocates have not yet commented on the governor’s veto, which the Legislature can now accept or vote to override. If nothing happens, the bill dies. But given that some Republicans voted for the original bill, including Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, those override votes may be within reach.
Good point on Brady and Durkin.
* From the company which helped push the bill to Rauner’s desk…
“Why the Governor would veto bipartisan legislation that exempts peer-to-peer car rental providers from basic requirements is beyond comprehension,” [Enterprise Rent-A-Car] told Ars. “Ensuring vehicle safety, offering transparent pricing, and collecting essential state and municipal fees is just common sense. If peer-to-peer doesn’t pay taxes or fees, cities/municipalities will have to find ways to make up for lost revenue. That will only hurt local businesses and citizens while peer-to-peer companies get a free pass. We are confident the Legislature will right this wrong.”
“Gov. Rauner’s amendatory veto will enable car sharing to significantly lower the cost of personal transportation in Illinois. Every household will have the opportunity to redirect thousands of dollars per year from idle cars to education, paying off debts or saving for retirement,” said Allstate Chairman, President and CEO Tom Wilson. “The governor’s proposed changes will foster the innovation necessary to make car sharing a reality and should be supported by the legislature as a vote for family economic wellbeing.”
General Motors supports Governor Rauner’s decision to veto SB 2641 and seek a reasonable legislative compromise that protects consumers and allows innovative mobility platforms to operate in the State of Illinois. His actions today recognize that peer-to-peer car sharing can provide mobility solutions and economic opportunities for both vehicle owners and program users.
“It’s a telling symbol of Illinois’ unique reputation for politics that a one-sided and rushed effort to shut down new competition failed everywhere else but succeeded here,” said Mischa Fisher, chief economist and advisor to Governor Rauner. In the statement released along with the veto, Governor Rauner returned the bill to the Illinois Senate with a list of changes that would protect the operations of the car-sharing companies.
“It’s easy for even an active follower of tech and startups to think that the constant marginal progress we see is automatic,” Fisher told Ars. “But what nearly happened in Illinois is a reminder that the legal rules matter, and if we want to have competitive marketplaces that produce new goods and services in any state, we don’t want incumbent players authoring their competitors’ rules without any oversight or feedback.”
Over the last few days, Governor Bruce Rauner’s unleashed a “series of controversial” vetoes on bipartisan legislation that left one analyst suggesting they “probably didn’t help him” in his tough reelection battle. In fact, Rauner made abundantly clear to Illinois teachers, veterans, families, and immigrants that he has turned his back on them.
“This week, Bruce Rauner once again abandoned Illinois teachers, veterans, and families in pursuit of his fleeting reelection bid,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Already badly trailing in the polls after a two-year budget impasse, Rauner is adding insult to injury by vetoing critical legislation that would help working families across the state.”
* The governor has signed and vetoed so many bills the past couple of weeks that it’s all become a blur. So, I was wondering when I read that release earlier today if anyone was going to put some of his more controversial vetoes together into one list. The Pritzker campaign did that this afternoon…
Governor Veto is on a roll, nullifying bill after bill that would benefit working families. With so much critical legislation tossed aside by this failed governor, the Rauner campaign is left with no choice but to orchestrate a Veto Distraction Tour to provide cover from Rauner’s failures.
Here are 10 bills Bruce Rauner vetoed this session that he doesn’t want to talk about:
SB 2481: Rauner vetoed increasing the amount Veteran families can seek in a lawsuit against the state following his fatal mismanagement in Quincy.
SB 2892: Rauner vetoed raising teachers’ wages from the current minimum of $9,000 to $11,000 a year that hasn’t been updated in decades.
HB 4572: Rauner vetoed protecting Illinoisans from workplace discrimination if they work at a small business.
HB 4469: Rauner vetoed making it easier for people in jail to exercise their voting rights.
SB 2273: Rauner vetoed removing Illinois from the controversial Crosscheck voter registration system.
SB 3103: Rauner vetoed protecting immigrant tenants from being evicted or retaliated against.
SB 34: Rauner vetoed protecting immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and other crimes when they report those crimes to law enforcement.
SB 35: Rauner vetoed making public schools, health care facilities, or courthouses safer for immigrant families.
HB 2624: Rauner vetoed protecting Illinoisans with pre-existing conditions from losing their healthcare coverage.
HB 4165: Rauner vetoed allowing the legislature and public from holding the governor accountable for restricting access to healthcare.
“Illinoisans aren’t interested in a desperate distraction tour from Bruce Rauner as he casts aside bill after bill that would help working families thrive,” said Pritzker campaign spokesman Jason Rubin. “Governor Veto can try and run from his own record but this failed leader’s damage to communities across this state and resistance to progress is plain for all to see.”
There’s a ton more nuance to those vetoes than the Pritzker people are admitting to, but as I’ve said a kabillion times before, voters don’t do nuance.
* Not all that many years ago, the Democrats dominated Chicago and southern Illinois. The Republicans dominated the suburbs (including much of suburban Cook County) and the non-urbanized Downstate areas. Nowadays, the Democrats (particularly at the presidential top of the ticket) are doing much better in suburbia and not so well in southern Illinois. Some of this, particularly in southern Cook and eastern DuPage, can be explained by black and Latino migration out of the city. But that’s not all of it. Here’s Ted McClelland…
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Illinois by an even larger margin than her husband, but she won only 12 counties, most of them in the Chicago area. She won DuPage County 53%-38%, and lost Williamson County 67%-28%.
Since 2000… the Democrats have become the party of urbanized, well-educated voters, which has made them much more appealing to suburbanites. Today’s suburbanites are more likely than the previous generation to be pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-environment, pro-gun control, and pro-government, willing to tax themselves for schools and libraries — all values associated with the Democratic Party. When the Republican Party was dominated by moderates in the Midwest and Northeast, it won the suburbs comfortably. But as the party is increasingly led by conservative partisans, suburbanites are shying away. Even the Chicago Tribune, once the voice of Midwestern Republicanism, has not endorsed a Republican presidential nominee since 2004.
The same qualities that have made the Democrats so popular in the suburbs have repelled rural voters. In May, I visited Williamson County for the Old King Festival in West Frankfort, which celebrates the area’s biggest industry. The local state representative, Dave Severin, who took office after defeating a Democratic incumbent in 2016, began his speech by shouting “Gods, Guns and Coal!” Then he cracked, “In Chicago, they don’t even know how to spell ‘coal.’ ” In socially conservative Williamson County, the Democrats are seen as hostile to Christian teachings on abortion and homosexuality, and to the coal industry, which Donald Trump promised to revive and protect. […]
In this reordering of political allegiances, the Illinois Republican Party traded the Chicago suburbs for Southern Illinois, the Democratic Party vice versa. The Democrats got the better end of that deal, because the suburbs are far more populous.
The Democrats did get the better end of that deal, but most of it was at the very top of the ticket in presidential years. There are still a lot of suburban Republican state legislators, for example. And some urbanized Downstate areas did see a spike for President Trump in 2016. We’ll see if that holds, but the suburban trend is certainly not all that friendly to the GOP.
While a crowd of 9,112 fans removed their hats and stood at attention for the National Anthem prior to last Saturday’s SIU vs. UNI showdown in Saluki Stadium, three Saluki cheerleaders used the public stage to take a knee in protest.
Sophomore cheerleaders Czarina Tinker, Ariahn Hunt and Alaysia Brandy were unsure of how the rest of the squad would react to their intent to kneel during the anthem, so they decided not to share their plans. […]
“It’s not a protest against the flag. It’s not a protest against Donald Trump,” the Chicago native said. “It was a protest for our civil rights that we are still fighting for, that we have been fighting for, for hundreds of years and we’re not getting any justice.”
Brandy, who is studying biological sciences and is also from Chicago, agreed that while some people have expressed support, many of the responses have been unsettling.
“These people know our faces and names now. And we’re getting death threats and sexual assault threats, and being called the N-word so many times,” Brandy said.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Carbondale honored three SIU cheerleaders at the 36th Annual MLK Breakfast.
At the breakfast three sophomore cheerleaders Ariahn Hunt, Alaysia Brandy and Czarina Tinker were recognized for kneeling during the national anthem at the athletic events in order to protest against racial oppression. […]
Dr. Linda Flowers, NAACP Carbondale Branch president, said “They are college students whose courage transcends cheerleading. They have risked their safety, dare I say their cheerleading careers, to protest violence and injustices to African Americans.” […]
“The three young ladies were recognized for their courage in standing up for what they believe in,” [Vice Chancellor Lori Stettler] said. “That is foundational to everything we believe in as a society and as an institution.”
Stettler apparently wasn’t on the same page as campus leadership, however.
SIU Athletics administration has also added new language to the Code of Conduct policy that states any displays of activism will not be tolerated and could lead to the individual’s removal from their respective program.
“It is a privilege and not a right to be a student-athlete, cheerleader or spirit member at Southern Illinois University,” according to the addition provided by Liz Jarnigan, SIU Athletics senior woman administrator.
“Members of the department including student athletes cheerleaders and spirit members must remain neutral on any issue political in nature when wearing SIU official uniforms and when competing/performing in official department of athletics events and activities,” according to the addition provided to the Daily Egyptian. “Any display (verbal or non-verbal) of activism (either for or against) a political issue will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the program.” […]
“We have this policy because we’re wanting to put forward a message of unity and by taking sides or offending one side or the other… that’s not what we believe [is our] purpose,” Jarnigan said.
Brandy said she will no longer be taking a knee during the anthem and her decision to do so was made before the changes from the administration.
*** UPDATE *** Ed Yohnka, Director of Communications and Public Policy, ACLU of Illinois…
Southern Illinois University’s new policy suggesting that players or cheerleaders could be removed from their respective program for peaceful ‘displays of activism’ falls short of the critical responsibility of a public university to honor and protect free speech rights for their students. It is more troubling that the policy specifically suggests that such displays will not be tolerated on ‘a political issue.’
A central purpose for any public university is to engage students and the community in the issues of our time. Schools should not threaten students – or hide them away – because they engage in protests that some in the community may not agree with. SIU administrators should act immediately to reverse these new restrictive policies and welcome a full, vocal debate on all issues on the campus.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina launched the “Driving a Cleaner Illinois” program today, aimed at improving air quality in the state by primarily removing old diesel engines from service.
This program makes way for cities, schools, transit agencies, and private businesses to submit project ideas to the Illinois EPA detailing how they will replace the old engines with newer, more environmentally friendly options.
“Taking old diesel engines off our streets and out of our rail yards will lead to better air-quality for all of us,” Gov. Rauner said. “The projects that will be funded in this first round will provide benefits to the most sensitive populations, including school children and residents in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards.”
The “Driving a Cleaner Illinois” program is funded through a recent $108 million allocation to the state of Illinois from the Volkswagen (VW) Settlement.
The Illinois EPA is opening the first round of funding with $20 million for government-owned commuter rail and government-owned public transit bus projects in the Chicago Metropolitan area, which has the highest population and most robust public transportation networks in the state.
Subsequent funding rounds will include other areas of the state that were affected by the VW vehicles, including the Metro-East St. Louis area along with Champaign, DeKalb, LaSalle, McLean, Peoria, Sangamon and Winnebago Counties.
“Commuter rail projects will remove some of the oldest, dirtiest diesel engines in Illinois from service,” said Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina. “Funding replacement of transit buses will promote all-electric and alternate fuel technology and funding for electric school buses will protect the public health of some of our most vulnerable Illinoisans.”
“The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is striking the right balance in its implementation of the VW plan,” said Todd Maisch, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “Leveraging investments in new transportation infrastructure and heavy industry while maximizing emissions reductions will drive much needed investments in Illinois communities and goes a long way in making our environment even cleaner. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce applauds the IEPA for their efforts.”
Mark Denzler, Vice-President & COO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, stated, “The IMA is pleased that Governor Rauner and the Illinois EPA have devised a thoughtful strategy to utilize the VW Settlement funds to get the best bang for the buck through future emission reductions.”
The Illinois EPA is also proposing to fund an electric school bus pilot project in Cook County. Electric school buses are a relatively new technology and a pilot project will provide school districts with information on the potential for future use. The Illinois EPA is proposing to spend more than any other state on electric school buses, an additional $9 million in future funding rounds.
Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), voiced support for the program stating, “The proposed VW final settlement plan set out by IEPA will kick start electrification of the transportation sector. Electrifying the transportation sector leverages our increasingly clean energy-powered grid to clean our air, lower carbon emissions, and improve health conditions for the most vulnerable. The Illinois Environmental Council is especially excited about the plan’s carve-out for electric school buses, which will protect young children from air pollution. IEC thanks Governor Rauner and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for working with environmental advocates and environmental justice communities on this final VW settlement plan.”
* ELPC…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency today released its final plan for spending the state’s $107 million share of the $2.7 billion Volkswagen Mitigation Trust funds. The Environmental Law & Policy Center has been active in discussions about the plan. Al Grosboll, ELPC’s Legislative Director and Senior Policy Advocate, said in response to the final plan:
“The Environmental Law & Policy Center is supportive of specific components in the Illinois EPA plan,” Grosboll said. “While ELPC will continue to raise some questions about the Agency’s plan, we are pleased the IEPA included funding for electric school buses and electric charging stations for light-duty vehicles. The inclusion of these programs reflects the Agency’s responsiveness to citizen requests and environmental concerns.”
* ICJC…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) released its final plan today to invest the $108 million settlement the state received from Volkswagen. The plan was revised after advocates called for more public input in the process.
The revised plan includes a significant increase in investments toward electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a reduction in administrative costs, and prioritizes public transit, including electric school buses.
Statement from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC):
“The plan the IEPA released today gives Illinois the opportunity invest VW settlement money to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and the electrification of mass transit systems, resulting in jobs, consumer savings, and cleaner, healthier air.
“This investment in electric vehicles will further develop the state’s clean energy economy and add to the economic and health benefits the state is already experiencing from the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA). The Volkswagen settlement provides Illinois with a unique opportunity to shift the focus of our state’s transportation economy toward cleaner, cheaper and more reliable technology. As the clean transportation sector continues to boom across the country, Illinois must position itself as a leader in this new sector that has the potential to transform our state’s economy.”
“Bruce Rauner has consistently failed to protect the environment, gutting environmental protections and showing complete disregard for the Illinois communities he is hurting,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is insult to injury from a failed governor who has been absent in the national fight to resist Donald Trump’s devastating policies and has unleashed his own attacks on the environment in Illinois.”
For every dollar DuPage County taxpayers send to Springfield, the state returns 31 cents.
That’s the lowest rate of return among all 102 counties in Illinois, according to a recently released study conducted by researchers at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
That puts DuPage County in a tie for the state’s biggest “giver.” Taxpayers in the other five counties in the Chicago area also put in more than what comes back from the state, according to the report. […]
Tiny Putnam County southwest of the Chicago area tied with DuPage, getting back 31 cents for every dollar sent to Springfield. That’s likely linked to a Cook County-based oil company that moved its sales offices to Putnam County to save on sales taxes.
The Daily Herald created a cool interactive county map, so click here and have a look.
When some politicians around here need a convenient excuse for the fiscal problem of the day, they go to their default position: Blame Chicago.
The party faithful are sure to believe anything and everything negative about the Windy City, which was given that name by New York newspapers’ editorial writers in the early 1890s to mock over-the-top boasts of Chicagoans touting their 1893 World’s Fair.
Blaming Chicago and Cook County — saying the city and the state’s most populous county take in more than their share of precious state money — is especially popular in the Rockford area.
The problem is, it’s not true. The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale ran the numbers.
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute has some bad news for all those people who think Chicago gets all of the benefits of state spending.
In short, it doesn’t.
A paper titled “The Politics of Public Budgeting in Illinois” looked at how various regions of the state fared under state budgets. In other words, how much did a region pay in taxes vs. how much did the region get in return of state spending?
In Cook County, home of Chicago, where downstaters believe all of their tax money ends up, residents paid about $2 billion more in taxes than they got back from the state, the paper found. In the suburbs, people paid more than $4.2 billion more in taxes than they got back.
And downstate? They paid about $8 billion in taxes and got $12 billion worth of spending. The paper further separated areas of downstate and determined the central part of the region got back nearly twice as much as it paid in.
But the raw data is still fascinating — especially if you saw those original, condensed reports about our region taking more than it gives.
It’s true, regionally. But at the county-by-county level it seems that most of the Peoria region still actually gives more than it takes. (Fulton County is an exception, having both a high poverty concentration and a state prison. Knox and Stark counties also receive more than they give.)
Using the same controls researchers did regionally to account for the missing data on payments and revenue, we found that for every dollar Peoria County sends out in tax revenue it receives back about 93 cents. In Tazewell County it’s about 82 cents. Woodford County gets about 91 cents and it’s 88 cents in Marshall County.
The study also showed that approximately 19.9 percent of the state’s disbursement revenue went towards southern Illinois, 12.4 percent went to central Illinois, 11.1 percent to northern Illinois, 8.7 percent went to southwest Illinois, 6.2 percent went to Cook County and 3.5 percent went towards the Chicago suburbs.
“We get told that over and over again by people in office and people running for office that we’d be great as a state if just weren’t for us having to support Chicago,” [John Jackson of the Simon Institute] said.
Some have even proposed splitting Illinois into several states. In fact, Robert Marshall made separating the state the counterpoint of his failed Democratic Primary campaign earlier this year.
Jackson says such a change could have drastic effects.
“If it weren’t for the support from northeast Illinois we would be north Mississippi basically,” he said.
Union and Johnson Counties are the biggest beneficiaries of state funding, with each getting back more than six dollars for each dollar they send to Springfield.
As the report concludes in boldfaced type: “It is quite clear that downstate taxes are not being disproportionately siphoned off and spent in the city of Chicago. . . .The lower income regions of Illinois as a whole are receiving significantly more in state expenditures than they contribute in taxes. Indeed, in the southernmost region, there would be very little activity at all without the state.” […]
Why the sharp disparities? Part of it is that income levels tend to be lower the farther south you get. Another part is that state government and all of the state’s major public universities, except the University of Illinois at Chicago, are downstate. And the major state pension funds all are headquartered in central Illinois. […]
The study does have some flaws. For instance, it uses data that don’t yet incorporate changes in the state’s elementary and secondary school aid formula, which delivered a pile of new money to Chicago and other poorer school districts around the state. Also of interest is the conclusion that the current tax system “certainly is not progressive,” something that works to the advantage of higher-income areas.
But there should be no debate over its main finding: “Facts should count for something, indeed for a lot, and are essential to any form or rational decision-making.” Amen.
Shelbyville state Rep. Brad Halbrook was a chief co-sponsor of a resolution urging Congress to recognize Chicago as the 51st state. He doesn’t dispute any of the report’s findings on state spending but said that it only tells half of the story in terms of regional antipathy for the power that Chicago politicians wield over the rest of Illinois.
“We continually see unfunded mandate after unfunded mandate,” he said. “Whether it’s on schools, local governments, or even individuals, we continue to see regulation that drives costs up.”
Illinois lawmakers often write laws that exclude or pertain to only Chicago by saying they’re only applicable or don’t apply to counties or municipalities with a population of more than two or three million people. Reasons for these exceptions vary and can be logical, but Halbrook said the laws tend to give Chicago more autonomy, send specific funds or services, or require things from other towns that are not required from the state’s largest city.
“Some of this legislation is for everybody but Chicago or Cook County,” he said. “They exempt themselves out and I think it’s really improper to do that.” […]
Jackson said those mandates and orders are small when compared to the amount the state spends on the regions, typically for higher education. Plus, it takes more than just Chicago lawmakers to pass state mandates. Many urban areas have legislators who often vote with Chicago on issues that Halbrook criticized.
State Representative Helene Miller Walsh (R-Mundelein) was sworn into serve the 51st legislative district of Illinois on August 18th, 2018.
Helene is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Leenie Productions, LLC, a multi-media production company. In addition to her business, Rep. Miller Walsh is involved in various philanthropic endeavors, and she has held leadership positions on several campaigns for Northwestern’s Prentice Women’s Hospital. Having experience working as a business leader while contributing to various philanthropies in the community, Miller Walsh brings a valued perspective and unique skill set to the General Assembly.
Rep. Miller Walsh was appointed to serve on the following committees in the House of Representatives:
Economic Opportunity
Elections & Campaign Finance
Human Services
Labor and Commerce
International Trade and Commerce
Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee
* She does have some unique skills, and her Facebook page proves it. Or at least it did before she scrubbed it. Here’s some stuff you haven’t seen unless you followed her. Opining on Roy Moore…
After BuzzFeed published an article documenting Nehlen’s mobilization of online followers against the “Jewish media,” he tweeted out pictures of top media executives at CNN, NBC, and The New York Times with little stars of David superimposed on their faces. “Do the people pictured seem to have anything in common?” he wrote, before apparently deleting the tweet. […]
“Poop, incest, and pedophilia. Why are those common themes repeated so often with Jews?” he tweeted.
At a meeting before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Republican candidate and Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland countered by calling White “the term-limit king.”
“He didn’t want to run in 2014. He didn’t want to run in 2018. I think it’s time to retire Jesse White,” Helland, of Mazon, said.
Asked if he had an issue with White’s age, Helland replied: “Absolutely,” adding White’s “not capable” of continuing serving until his term would end in January 2023.
White, well-known for the Chicago tumbling team that bears his name, later replied: “By the way, I think I’m in better shape than this gentleman.”
Libertarian candidate Steve Dutner, of, Elgin called Helland’s comments a “form of ageism.”
It’s not a “form of ageism,” it’s outright ageism. And it’s not the first time he’s done this, either. Click here if you need a reminder.
SB 904, as approved by the General Assembly, proposes changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act to: 1) provide to medical providers a mechanism for collection of the 1% per month interest penalty provided by Section 8.2 of the Act; and 2) provide penalties for the Department of Insurance enforcement of the electronic claims transaction requirements under the Act.
This Administration has advocated since taking office the need for reform of our workers’ compensation system to provide relief to employers from the high costs of our system. Unfortunately, the majorities in the General Assembly have sent to me legislation that does not provide the changes needed to bring our workers’ compensation costs in line with other states. Failure to work with our business community, legislators supporting reform, and my office to enact meaningful reform has resulted in the maintaining of our high costs, which are driving high wage jobs with good benefits out of our state.
SB 904 is not reform, does nothing to assist injured workers and dramatically tips the balance in favor of medical providers in a system where Illinois has the second highest medical fee schedule in the country for overall professional services and the highest in the country for major surgery services. Furthermore, SB 904 diminishes an employer’s ability to determine causation and whether an injury is work-related.
A much more balanced approach is necessary to meet the bill’s purpose and to reduce the friction in the billing and payment of medical bills in our workers’ compensation system. Rather than creating lengthy disputes in our court system, I propose a procedure through the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission which would result in more timely determinations of interest payments for all concerned. Furthermore, this administration is dedicated to the proper enforcement of the Insurance Code, and the Department of Insurance will be issuing guidance on compliance with the relevant law.
* That line about how the bill “dramatically tips the balance in favor of medical providers” didn’t go over well with the docs…
Illinois physicians are deeply disappointed by Governor Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 904, which included important bipartisan protections within the workers’ compensation system. The Governor’s action gives workers’ comp insurance companies continuing latitude to skirt current law on payment of workers’ compensation claims. Quality medical care is key to reducing workplace injuries and getting injured workers back to work. This is an important benefit to both the injured worker and the employer.
We consider Governor Rauner’s amendatory veto of SB 904 a huge setback for the medical community, employers and injured workers. The important care provided by doctors, hospitals, and other providers is threatened because of a loophole being exploited by workers’ compensation insurance companies that allows them to authorize treatment and then not pay a medical provider, which can stretch as long as three years.
This loophole is so egregious that even the Illinois Appellate Court sent a notice to the Illinois Department of Insurance about the questionable practices of Illinois workers compensation insurance companies.
Right now, doctors in Illinois are owed millions of dollars for approved workers’ compensation medical care. We know of one medical practice that is currently owed $24 million in pre-authorized claims. Senate Bill 904 would avoid the bureaucracy of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and allow for a right of action in Circuit Court to collect those amounts receivable with an interest penalty, a right that was written into the law in 2005 and agreed to by the business community.
By rejecting SB 904, Governor Rauner also allows insurers to continue ignoring mandatory electronic billing requirements enacted in 2011. These insurers are clinging to an all-paper based billing system that delays care and payments.
ISMS thanks the members of the General Assembly for passing SB 904 by an overwhelming margin. On behalf of Illinois physicians and the injured workers we serve, ISMS will seek an override of this amendatory veto.
* When it comes to workers’ comp, there are three competing interest groups: business, unions and medical providers. Sometimes, biz and labor team up to whack the docs, sometimes labor and the docs turn on business. Sometimes, when everybody works together, all three agree to a haircut. They didn’t all work together this time. Here’s the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
“The IMA applauds Governor Rauner for stopping an attempt to significantly increase the cost of workers’ compensation for Illinois employers that already face the 8th highest costs in the nation,” said Mark Denzler, Vice President and COO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “This legislation sought to impose draconian new penalties on job creators while also limiting information that could be used to determine whether an injury was caused by the workplace. Lawmakers need to address the structural inequities in the system, including creation of a primary cause standard, creation of a drug formulary, use of American Medical Association standards, and reigning in medical costs. It makes absolutely no sense that a doctor can charge 350 percent more for performing the exact same surgery under workers’ compensation that they would receive under private insurance
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new digital ad titled “Yep,” as Illinois students are starting the new school year.
The ad centers around the tax credit scholarship program signed into law by Governor Rauner designed to help low-income students. But JB Pritzker has made it clear that he will immediately get rid of this program if elected, denying these students the opportunity for a better future. This is in spite of the fact that Pritzker paid zero state income tax in 2014 due in part to him claiming tax credits for educational expenses.
The ad features footage of a press conference in April in which Pritzker was asked about the program.
“We’re going to get rid of them,” Pritzker said of the tax credits.
This is JB Pritzker. He took tax credits to protect his wealth. In fact, he paid no state income tax in 2014 after taking tax credits. But as Governor, JB Pritzker would end tax credits that helps low-income students. The hypocrisy is clear. Tax credits for Pritzker, but not for low-income students.
Early figures show 28 percent of the scholarships are going to kids who don’t qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. A family of four can make up to $73,800 and get one or more scholarships; once they’re selected they can make up to $98,400 without losing their tuition help. While poor kids are supposed to get priority under the law, that doesn’t necessarily happen. Kids who live in a low-performing school district also get priority. And donors can designate funds to specific schools. If scholarship groups can’t find enough free-lunch kids at that particular school, they can give the designated funds to non-poor applicants (more on this below).
Some school choice advocates are fine with this; they’re pushing for the middle class to be included in tax credit scholarship programs. Enrollment of middle-income students in private schools has been falling.
It looks like many scholarship winners were already attending private school.
This has also happened in other states. Many Illinois private schools made sure to get the word about the scholarships out to their families; some held application events so their students would have a better shot at the new first-come, first-served scholarships. At St. Mary Star of the Sea School on the Southwest Side, 30 kids are getting tax credit scholarships. According to Principal Candice Usauskas, two-thirds were already students there. All seven kids who will attend Frances Xavier Warde with taxpayer help were already students at the school, according to the group that awarded their scholarships.
We may never know how many scholarship winners were already attending private schools because scholarship groups aren’t required to report that information.
