* It appears the governor’s Monday meeting with the credit ratings agencies went OK. From S&P Global…
The stable outlook reflects our view that Illinois’ likelihood of experiencing a liquidity crisis in the near term has subsided and therefore, so have the odds of its rating falling below investment grade.
So, no junk bond status anytime soon. At least not from S&P.
* Back to the report…
Outlook
Despite the current bill backlog and estimated deficit to end fiscal 2019, we anticipate that the state will retain sufficient cash flow to provide coverage of all core payments. In our view, the proposed seven-year extension of the pension plans’ amortization alone weakens the state’s pension funding. However, it remains possible that an asset transfer or passage of an income tax increase within the outlook horizon could offset what we would otherwise view as weak budgetary practices proposed in the fiscal 2020 budget. Additionally, we do not expect see a re-emergence of heightened political dysfunction but rather anticipate that the budget process will be more timely and constructive. The state’s strong bond payment provisions also offer some downside insulation to the state ratings. The current GO rating incorporates our view of the state’s longer-term vulnerabilities and remains the lowest possible rating within the investment-grade categories.
We’re just one notch above junk.
* With that in mind…
Illinois’ liquidity position is paramount to the rating. Downward rating pressure would likely ensue if Illinois’ bill backlog continues to climb or its liquidity position weakens to a level that jeopardizes its ability to timely finance core government services. Particularly given the state’s high fixed costs, depleted reserves, and prioritization of government services, we believe it has minimal cushion to weather a recession or other unrealized budget assumptions. If unaddressed, we expect that wider-than-currently forecasted budget gaps would likely exacerbate the state’s already strained liquidity. Given its tenuous fiscal position, near-term progress toward resolving its ongoing structural imbalance is critical to maintaining our investment-grade rating. If Illinois is unwilling or unable to pass a revenue increase within the next two years, absent significant expenditures cuts, we would likely lower the rating. Other key sources of potential downward rating pressure include further measures to reduce annual pension contributions, recognition of asset transfers in a way that undermines pension funding, and substantial growth in the state’s debt burden.
* Overall, though, if we’re all good little boys and girls, we may even see an increase in our credit score…
That said, Illinois’ credit rating is uncommonly low among the states, reflecting a confluence of its daunting long-term liability profile and persistent crisis-like budget environment in recent years. Any upside to its credit quality, however, remains constrained by its poorly funded pension systems and other outsized liabilities. But even with these, the state’s economic base could support a higher rating pending improvement in its fiscal operations and overall budget management.
If Illinois were to make sustainable progress toward structural balance, reducing its bill backlog, and growing reserves, we could raise the rating.
Discuss.
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* Gov. Pritzker was in Quincy today and was asked about whether he supports giving Western Illinois University some emergency state funding, above and beyond what’s in the current budget and what he’s asked to be appropriated next fiscal year. As you know, WIU announced 132 layoffs earlier this month…
We need to look at the availability of funds. As you know I’ve been crusading, in a way, to make sure that we are bringing the right amount of revenue to the state and that we’re finding proper cuts in state government so that we can meet our obligations. We now have a $3.2 billion budget deficit that we’re facing for the coming year. And I’m trying to not only get past that $3.2 billion, but also put us on firm fiscal footing forever and that’s why I put forward a plan for a fair tax for the state to make sure that the wealthiest pay more and 97 percent of the people will pay less.
He’s got his rap down for sure. But, um, what cuts is he talking about? He hasn’t really announced any.
The governor said he’s spoken with Western’s president since the layoffs were announced. He said no decisions were made during the meeting, but that he now has a better understanding of what’s going on there.
He also said he is “very close” to naming new trustees for the university. A majority of the board is vacant.
*** UPDATE *** Yeah, it’s not looking good for WIU…
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Question of the day
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Country music legend Reba McEntire will close the Illinois State Fair with a Sunday night Grandstand show Aug. 18.
McEntire, who will be joined by singer-songwriter Rachel Wammack, has sold more than 56 million albums worldwide, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and is one of only four entertainers to receive the National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress. Her new album, “Stronger than the Truth,” will be available April 5.
* The Question: If you could pick one musical artist/band to perform at the Illinois State Fair, who would it be? Explain.
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PBMs Help Lower Prescription Drug Costs
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are the primary advocate for consumers and health plans in the fight to keep prescription drugs accessible and affordable. By leveraging competition among drug-makers and drugstores, PBMs help 266 million Americans every year access needed medications. PBMs will save patients and payers $123 per brand prescription, help prevent 100 million medication errors, and negotiate prescription costs down nearly $26 billion in Illinois. That means better care for more people at a lower cost.
Think of PBMs as your advocates—they’re in your corner, clamping down on prescription drug hikes because your health is non-negotiable. Learn more at http://OnYourRxSide.org
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Tobacco 21 bill will head to governor’s desk
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The rollcall is here. Senate Democrats…
Hoping a new governor results in a better outcome, the Illinois Senate overwhelmingly approved raising to 21 the legal age to buy cigarettes and alternative nicotine products, clearing the way for the proposal to go to Gov. JB Pritzker and become state law.
The 39-16 vote Thursday comes less than a year after the Senate approved an identical proposal only to have it vetoed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. Since then, the proposal has steadily picked up support.
“Everyone knows this should already be the law. Thankfully, we’ve got a new governor and a new chance to right past wrongs and make Illinois a healthier state,” said Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, a public health advocate and supporter of the Tobacco 21 legislation.
The key issue, Cullerton said, is preventing young adults from buying cigarettes for younger teenagers, who then become addicted and face a lifetime of increased health problems.
More than 30 Illinois communities have these restrictions in place. Evanston was first nearly five years ago. Others include Chicago, Normal, Barrington and Hoffman Estates.
“We’ve seen this work in Chicago and other numerous communities. I want to thank Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his work to not only improve public health in the city but to support our efforts here to do the same statewide,” Cullerton said. “It’s time for the state to step up and protect our children from this known danger.”
Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California and most recently Virginia have all enacted Tobacco 21 legislation. In Virginia, the bipartisan proposal was even backed by one of the nation’s largest tobacco companies.
The Illinois proposal, HB 345, is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Julie Morrison, a suburban Deerfield Democrat. Lawmakers have 30 days to send the paperwork to Gov. Pritzker’s office. He then has 60 days to sign or veto it.
…Adding… Tribune…
Pritzker’s spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1 includes $65 million in new revenue from proposals to increase the $1.98-per-pack cigarette tax by 32 cents and apply the state’s wholesale tobacco tax to e-cigarettes. The governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment on how raising the legal purchasing age would affect those revenue estimates.
…Adding… From yesterday…
The soonest the Senate could vote on the legislation, House Bill 345, is Tuesday.
Normally, that would be the case. This time was different.
So, how did the House pass a House bill on Tuesday and the Senate pass it in two days when three days of reading are required? Well, it was three days. The Senate read the bill into the record late Tuesday, then immediately referred it to the Assignments Committee, which referred it directly to the floor the next day for 2nd Reading. The Senate skipped a substantive committee hearing because a Senate committee had already passed an identical bill. The legislation was then advanced to 3rd Reading and voted on today.
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Reproductive Health Act roundup
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Public Radio’s Maureen Foertsch McKinney…
The new Illinois bill would cover reproductive health care, in addition to abortion, including pregnancy, miscarriage, contraception, sterilization, preconception care and any related services. It would repeal a mid ‘90s ban on partial birth abortion and require private health insurers to cover abortions.
Like New York’s law, the Illinois plan would lift a requirement that doctors be the only ones to perform abortions. It would allow other kinds of qualified health care providers, like nurse practitioners, to do the procedure. It would also bring up-to-date the 1975 Illinois abortion law that contained criminal penalties for doctors performing abortions. That could come into play should a conservative U.S. Supreme Court decide to overturn Roe v. Wade, the federal case that removed state prohibitions on abortion.
“People everywhere should have access to the full range of reproductive health and have that available without barriers. This is a healthcare procedure. This is about what the patient and the doctor decide is best for them, and, you know, if that’s considered a progressive notion, so be it,’’ said state Representative Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat and the bill sponsor.
She says laws on the books about abortion need to be modernized. “The very idea that a health care procedure is discussed and regulated under the criminal code is ridiculous.”
* Rebecca Anzel at Capitol News Illinois…
Illinois’ current abortion statute was passed into law in 1975. Legislators wrote their objective was to “reasonably regulate” abortion procedures to adhere with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade.
Since then, though, courts have struck down several aspects of the Abortion Law, such as a ban on fetal experimentation, a prohibition on sex-selective abortion procedures, and a provision allowing the husband of a woman seeking the procedure to receive a court order barring her from doing so.
Illinois’ chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has also pointed out that the state’s law includes a provision allowing doctors to be jailed for performing an abortion procedure.
According to a memo prepared by the Thomas More Society, the Reproductive Health Act goes much further than bringing the state’s law up-to-date.
“A bill intended to repeal only unconstitutional provisions of Illinois law would have been half a page long, not 120 pages,” the memo’s author wrote.
* Rewire…
Another key provision of the Reproductive Health Act would allow advanced practice nurses and clinicians to provide in-clinic abortions. Current law only allows for physicians to provide these procedures while advanced practice nurses are limited to providing medication abortion. Allowing nurse practitioners to provide in-clinic abortions will increase the number of providers in the state, potentially meeting an increased demand should patients from surrounding areas continue to seek care in Illinois, said Liz Higgins, associate medical director of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.
“Adding in-clinic abortions for nurse practitioners would be a huge benefit of this bill,” Higgins said, noting that nurse practitioners already provide a range of reproductive health care, including IUD insertion and other gynecological procedures. “Limiting in-clinic abortions for advanced practice nurses is really just harming our patients by limiting access to health care in a timely manner.”
* In 1995, 4,853 girls under the age of 18 had abortions in Illinois. But with the passage of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995, that number is now 79 percent lower. That’s a much larger decrease than the 25 percent overall reduction of all abortions from 1995 to 2017…
According to the [1995] law, “Parental consultation is usually in the best interest of the minor and is desirable since the capacity to become pregnant and the capacity for mature judgment concerning the wisdom of an abortion are not necessarily related.”
But the sponsors of this legislation argued Tuesday the state should not legislate “the details of family life.”
“It never made sense to me that a minor can make other decisions — about carrying a pregnancy to term, about adoption, about sophisticated health care — without parental notification, but only if she seeks an abortion do we require this communication,” [Rep. Chris Welch] said. “We cannot pretend as elected officials that we can force ourselves into these situations because some disagree with a minor’s decision about their life.” […]
“It is unbelievable that the ACLU is joining Planned Parenthood in advocating to allow a child to make an irrevocable decision to kill another child without even a consultation with her parents,” [March for Life Chicago Board of Directors President Dawn Fitzpatrick ] said in an email.
* More on that angle…
As for the bill related to the parental notification, [Rep. Grant Wehrli, R-Naperville] asks what happens in a situation where a teenager goes through the process of having an abortion performed all alone and it leads to other complications.
“It is a medical procedure, and I think a parent or a guardian needs to know just in case something isn’t right,” he said. “I mean, something like depression wouldn’t be too surprising.”
* Protests are being held and a Statehouse rally is planned for next Wednesday…
About 500 people packed the Effingham Event Center Tuesday to oppose two bills that would provide greater access to abortion procedures in Illinois. […]
Attendee Michelle Delhaute McGowan, President of In His Hands Orphan Outreach. She said she attended because the proposed legislation greatly affects an orphan and adoption agency she runs.
“We’ve had women who were eight months pregnant when they came to us and both said they would have had an abortion but it was too late,” she said. “If these bills go through, other women in that situation will be able to abort these children that can survive outside of the womb.”
* Elizabeth Bauer at the Federalist…
To begin with, it wholly repeals IL 720, the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975. This law has been amended multiple times, including in 2017 (HB 40), but some minimal protections remained, so that current Illinois law permits post-viability abortions but requires that an attending or referring physician determine that it was “necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother,” in which case the doctor was required to document the particular medical indications for the abortion. It also requires that, if the baby would be capable of survival, the doctor use the abortion method “most likely to preserve the life and health of the fetus” and a second physician be available to provide medical care for any child born alive. These provisions would be entirely removed.
* Zorn…
The House bill, known as the Reproductive Health Act, “would basically enshrine abortion as a positive good in Illinois law,” says a critical memorandum released Feb. 21 by the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based conservative law firm.
No. It would enshrine access to abortion — abortion rights — as a positive good in Illinois law. It would enshrine female bodily autonomy as a positive good. It would enshrine the idea that the best person to solve the moral dilemmas associated with unwanted or seriously compromised pregnancies is the pregnant woman herself.
I’m thrilled about this legislation because I believe in reproductive choice. I believe it’s none of my business what a woman decides to do after she becomes pregnant. I believe that the very suggestion that women are casually obtaining late-term abortions because — whoops! — they just got around to making the appointment or have decided they really want to fit into that bridesmaid’s dress is offensively misleading and belies the wrenching, usually tragic circumstances.
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Because… Chicago!
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the governor’s proposed budget…
Waste plastic in our environment is a serious concern posing a grave risk to fish and other wildlife in our water and other natural habitats. An excise tax on plastic bags, as suggested by the Governor’s budget transition committee, is one way Illinois can help to reduce the risk to wildlife. The state can reduce the use of plastic bags in check-out lanes and generate $19 million to $23 million in new revenue with a five-cent-per-bag tax depending on whether or not the City of Chicago, which already has a plastic bag tax, is exempted.
So, the object here is not necessarily to raise revenue (which is a rounding error on a rounding error), but to reduce the use of plastic bags. And because of that, the governor left open the possibility of exempting Chicago because it already has a bag tax and usage is already down.
* Both bills introduced in the House and the Senate exempt the city. And that, predictably, is not going over too well with some folks…
Chicago approved a seven-cent tax on plastic bags that went into effect in early 2017. Under [Sen. Terry Link’s] proposal, cities like Chicago, Oak Park and Evanston, that already enacted a bag tax, would remain exempt from any new state bag fees, and would not have to pay any portion of the current city tax to the state’s General Revenue Fund, essentially forfeiting the state’s potential to collect tax revenue from roughly a quarter of the state’s consumers.
“That’s bullsh*t,” Senator Chapin Rose responded. The Mahomet Republican called the plan “typical for the Democrats.”
“Exempt Chicago and let everyone else pay,” Rose said sarcastically. “Why not when you have supermajorities like this? Make downstate and the suburbs pay so Chicago can take their skim off the top.”
Also…
* And then there’s this…
The retail merchants also want a state bag tax to pre-empt any local ordinances — at least outside Chicago. […]
[Rob Karr of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association] says with so many companies operating in multiple jurisdictions, a patchwork of local rules would be a logistical and accounting nightmare.
In the end, this bag tax might very well turn out to be more trouble than it’s worth.
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* Illinois Policy Institute…
Persistent income tax hikes for decades have not been able to fix the state’s finances […]
Given the state’s income tax history, it is especially concerning that Pritzker’s proposed “fair tax” does not include any protection against future tax hikes for middle-class Illinoisans
A history of persistent income tax hikes? The income tax was increased in 2011, partially rolled back in 2015 and partially restored in 2017. The last time the General Assembly voted to raise the state’s income tax before all that was in 1989.
That’s thirty years ago, folks. In three decades, the income tax was raised once to 5 percent and it’s now at 4.95 percent.
It’s rare because it’s so darned difficult to do. Those who think it’s so easy must’ve missed that excruciating two-year fight over tax rates which ended with a bunch of House Republicans quitting. I mean, it was in all the papers.
* More…
The last state to implement a plan similar to Pritzker’s was Connecticut in 1996. State lawmakers made the same promises of middle-class tax cuts, property tax relief and increased spending on social services. But those promises were broken. The typical Connecticut family saw a 13 percent hike in their income tax rates, property tax burdens increased 35 percent, and the poverty rate increased 47 percent.
What they don’t tell you is that the marginal income tax rate on a typical Connecticut family rose from 4.5 percent all the way up to a totally ridiculous 5 percent in 23 years. Whew. Those poor, put-upon Connecticutans (Connecticutites? Connecticutians?).
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PBM oversight pushed as small pharmacists fume
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release from yesterday…
Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, is joining state Sen. Andy Manar to announce their efforts to rein in unfair insurance programs and regulate pharmacy benefit managers that dramatically increase out-of-pocket costs for patients at a press conference and rally on Wednesday March 13 at 2 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda.
“We need to put access to quality, affordable care over the bottom line of corporations,” Harris said. “The status quo is clearly broken when patients are seeing the out-of-pocket cost of their lifesaving medications more than double, simply due to unfair practices that help boost profits at the expense of patients.”
Harris introduced an amendment to House Bill 465, which makes various reforms aimed at lowering prescription drug costs for patients in Illinois. Harris’ measure defines and regulates pharmacy benefit manager (“PBMs”) practices within the State of Illinois; requires pharmacists to inform customers of a less expensive drug product for their prescription; protects consumers entering the emergency room from having coverage of treatment rejected; and prohibits insurers from adopting “copay accumulator programs,” that prevent manufacturer copay cards from reducing out-of-pocket expenses for patients.
“PBMs are billion dollar corporations that are currently operating with no oversight in Illinois,” Harris said. “Over 25 states have begun regulating PBMs including Indiana, Kentucky and Texas. It’s time for us to do the same in Illinois and create protections that will level the playing field and help reduce drug costs for patients.”
* Peter Hancock with Capitol News Illinois…
PBMs generally work on behalf of health insurance plans to negotiate drug prices and develop what are called “formularies” — rules that determine what drugs will be covered for particular conditions, and in some instances, under what conditions those drugs will be covered.
In addition, in the case of high-cost drugs, PBMs will often set a “maximum allowable cost” that limits how much pharmacies will be reimbursed for a particular drug.
Independent pharmacies complain those maximum allowable costs are often less than the wholesale price they pay to manufacturers to obtain the drug. They also allege that certain PBMs have direct ties to large, retail chain pharmacies, such as CVS Health, which operates the nation’s largest chain of retail pharmacies and provides pharmacy benefit management services. […]
“We agree with … Harris that more can be done to address rising drug prices,” [an association that represents PBMs, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association] said in a statement. “However, legislation HB 465, promotes the special interest agenda of the independent drugstore lobby while having adverse effects on drug costs for Illinois consumers.”
The association has also argued that it is not to blame for the closure of small, independent pharmacies. Those pharmacies, it said, are at a natural competitive disadvantage because they do not have the purchasing power to negotiate the same kind of prices with wholesalers that PBMs can negotiate.
More here.
* WAND TV…
Independent pharmacies in Illinois argue they are paid very little in dispensing fees for prescription drugs and often prices and fees eat up their profits. They warn that unless the legislature takes action many independent pharmacies will disappear which has happened in Lincoln and Logan County.
“If they are allowed to continue this practice, and allowed to stamp out competition, and drive prices up we should only expect that there are going to be fewer pharmacies as time goes on,” said Senator Manar.
In the past year independent pharmacies have closed in Lincoln, Taylorville and Mt. Zion.
* More context…
The Springfield-based Illinois Pharmacists Association says many owners of the state’s more than 500 independent pharmacies and smaller chains are being paid less than the “acquisition cost,” or wholesale cost, of the medicines they dispense to Medicaid patients.
Garth Reynolds, executive director of the association, says pharmacies also have seen their per-prescription “dispensing fee” from Medicaid, a fee designed to cover professional services, drop from $5.50 for generics and $2.40 for name-brand drugs under the previous “fee-for-service” system to the current 45 cents per prescription.
Advocates for managed-care organizations and PBMs say the managers save states money in their Medicaid systems. But advocates for pharmacy owners say Illinois’ less-than-transparent managed-care contracts conceal what may be unfairly high profits by PBMs that are being earned at the expense of independent pharmacies.
And because at least one PBM, CVS Caremark, is owned by the huge chain that operates CVS pharmacies, independent pharmacies say Caremark’s rate cuts may be designed to put independents out of business.
That CVS Caremark issue is huge.
* And this talking point from the PBM industry is probably not helping the industry deal with the lobbying by independent pharmacies…
Repeal any willing pharmacy provisions. Requirements that all pharmacies be included in Part D networks drives up costs and are unnecessary, given the network adequacy requirements. Congress should repeal the provision. A recent study showed that greater use of limited network pharmacies in Part D could generate $35 billion in savings over 10 years.
Everybody has pharmacies in their legislative districts. And many constituents love their local pharmacists. They are a potent force, but they’re rapidly declining.
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m wondering if he’d be open to amending this to include statewide candidates and legislative leaders…
A bill making its way through the Illinois Senate would prevent any presidential or vice-presidential candidate from appearing on state election ballots if they do not release their previous five years of tax return documents.
The Executive Committee passed state Sen. Tony Munoz’s Senate Bill 145 on a 13-4 partisan-line vote Wednesday after a brief discussion as to whether the bill runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution.
For Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican, the answer was obvious.
“In my 22 years in the General Assembly, this might be the most clearly unconstitutional legislative proposal I have ever voted on,” he said.
But Jeff Radue, of the progressive advocacy group Indivisible Chicago, read from a statement made by Harvard Constitutional law scholar Lawrence Tribe, who said the mandated release of tax returns would not be unconstitutional.
* The Illinois Municipal League is opposed to this bill…
It started with a suburban homeowner’s desire to keep growing food in her Elmhurst backyard throughout the winter but has blossomed into a thorny battle pitting residents and advocacy groups against local government leaders — all haggling over whether Illinois residents have “the right to garden.”
The three-year fight between the Elmhurst homeowner and the city’s government made its way to the Illinois Senate Wednesday as the local government committee mulled a statewide solution to the underlying dispute.
Sponsored by state Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, Senate Bill 1675 would allow Illinoisans, no matter in what municipality they reside, to construct temporary structures for gardening throughout the colder months, often referred to as “hoop houses.”
Hoop houses come in many shapes and sizes, but are generally foundationless structures enclosed by an opaque plastic membrane to keep in warmth and sunlight.
* SJ-R…
The head of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation would be appointed by the governor and approved by the Illinois Senate under a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate Executive Committee.
The legislation takes aim at the private foundation that has come under fire for spending millions of dollars on a collection of Lincoln artifacts, including a hat that purportedly belonged to Lincoln but whose authenticity has never been proven.
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Senate Bill 481 is intended to “reset” the relationship between the foundation and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. […]
Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, voted against the bill. He’s concerned about setting a precedent of the legislature getting involved with appointing people to lead private foundations.
“I’m not even sure where we have the authority to do that,” he said.
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* Yikes…
* What the heck is going on? Here’s Elyssa Cherney in the Tribune…
Most of the crashes occurred when it was dark outside, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to the police agency. Injuries were reported in nine cases, besides Lambert’s, though state police could not specify who was injured in every instance. Previous years saw far fewer cases, with eight in 2018, 12 in 2017 and five in 2016.
“It is difficult to speculate what may be driving the surge of crashes,” state police Sgt. Delila Garcia said in an emailed statement. It could be a combination of factors, she said, including driving under the influence and driving too fast for conditions. […]
Since Lambert’s death, state police have seemingly stepped up enforcement of Scott’s Law and have sought to raise awareness through social media.
Between Jan. 1 and March, troopers issued 366 tickets for violations, compared with 138 for the same period last year. For all of 2018, troopers issued 881 citations, according to data provided by the agency. In many cases, troopers were parked and doing paperwork after a stop when vehicles whizzed past them, so the officers followed those drivers to write the tickets, said Garcia, the state police sergeant.
Go read the rest.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Marni Pyke at the Daily Herald…
Republican Sen. Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods said, “there is nothing in this [Pritzker graduated income tax] proposal that would protect taxpayers, especially middle-class families, from future tax increases after the new structure goes into effect.”
There are no such guarantees in the current tax law, but I digress.
* The Question: What constitutional provisions, if any, would you support to “protect” middle-class families from future tax increases after the new graduated tax structure takes effect? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.
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* David J. Roberts, an associate professor of accountancy at DePaul University, writes in the Tribune that the governor’s graduated income tax proposal is “severely flawed and would have serious negative consequences.” How? Well, the “millionaire’s tax” for starters…
Think of this as a progressive rate structure with a cliff. At the million-dollar threshold, one extra dollar of income puts you over the cliff. Ignoring the effects of any other tax provisions, that one dollar of income would cost $8,565 in additional tax, an incredible marginal rate of 856,500 percent on that dollar. Imagine the efforts that taxpayers would go through to avoid being taxed on extra income if they were close to that threshold. And a tax like this might cause some wealthy individuals to flee Illinois altogether.
“Oh, please, won’t anyone think about the millionaires?!” /s
Loo, somebody obviously didn’t run the numbers. As we’ve already discussed, the tax avoidance window is a mere $9,305…
The cutoff point above which tax avoidance wouldn’t make sense would be $1,009,305. State taxes would be $80,239.75 for an after-tax income of $929,065.25 - exactly what you would’ve paid if you made a million dollars.
Increase that income by just a dollar, to $1,009,306, and your state tax would be $80,239.83, with an after-tax income of $929,066.17 - 92 cents more than you’d have made with a million dollars in earnings. After that, the gravy gets thicker.
* Back to Associate Professor Roberts…
Under the proposal, the same rates apply to both single and joint filers. So, for example, two single individuals who each have $250,000 of net income would each pay at a rate of 4.95 percent on income above $100,000. If they marry one another, their combined $500,000 of net income means that the second $250,000 would be taxed at 7.75 percent. Ignoring the effects of any other tax provisions, this results in $7,065 of extra tax, a giant marriage penalty.
* I asked the Pritzker administration the other day about this “marriage penalty” issue…
Current Illinois tax code does not distinguish between married and single filers.
There’s little to no evidence to support the claim that people base their decision to marry on tax rates.
More married couples - especially low-income married couples - receive marriage bonuses at the federal level because of the structure of the federal tax code.
The wealthy - not low-income working families - are more likely to benefit from a higher income threshold for married filers.
Doesn’t sound like the governor is much interested in this particular topic to me.
* Roberts again…
If the plan would double the size of the rate brackets on a joint return, that would eliminate the marriage penalty, but it would result in much less tax revenue. And it would create big potential marriage bonuses. A single person with high income might marry someone with little or no income, and that couple could benefit from lower brackets.
Um, what? A bunch of rich people are gonna suddenly rush out and marry poor people so they can lower their state income tax bills? That’s… not how real life generally works.
A good rule of thumb is that if you have to stretch reality that much to make a point, you should probably avoid making the point.
Instead, perhaps the Republicans could simply demand during negotiations that married couples be allowed to file separate state tax returns or new married filing jointly rates are devised. That is, if they don’t walk away from the talks.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Four Senate Republicans voted in favor…
Illinois lawmakers have resurrected and are moving ahead with legislation that would make creating local right-to-work zones at the municipal level a criminal offense.
While reporters in the Capitol building were peppering Gov. J.B. Pritzker with questions about his newly-unveiled progressive tax rates, state Senators voted to send a measure to the House that would make it illegal for local governments to create right-to-work zones in their jurisdictions. Such zones allow employees to refuse union membership and still be employed.
Sponsor Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said the bill will support economic development, protect the quality of essential services and confirm a commitment to a highly-trained workforce. […]
The bill, which is similar to one Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed in 2017, says any local official who supports a [private employer] right-to-work zone will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. That carries a sentence of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
The roll call is here.
* Interesting roll call here…
…Adding… As you might imagine, the Illinois Family Institute isn’t happy…
This afternoon, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 60-42 to pass HB 246, which would mandate that all students in K-12 public schools be taught about the “roles and contributions” of homosexuals and opposite-sex impersonators and that textbooks purchased include discussions of the roles and contributions of homosexuals and opposite-sex impersonators.
Oy.
* Fracking is back in the news…
Republican state lawmakers from southern Illinois pushed back Tuesday against a bill that would require more public disclosure from oil and gas drilling companies whenever they use hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” in their operations in the state. […]
Rep. Chris Miller, a Republican from Oakland, in eastern Illinois, argued that the bill, like its earlier predecessor, was intended only to turn public opinion against the oil and gas industry.
“It was bad then. This is bad now,” Miller said. “I personally have signed an oil lease and I know a lot of the things you said were just fear-mongering, trying to create fear and animosity.”
Rau and Gabel, however, said the bill would not impose new requirements on oil and gas producers. They said producers would continue providing state regulators with the same information they provide now. The only difference would be that the information would be made publicly available.
* Other stuff…
* Memo to self: Next time, pick up the phone: While scrolling through my Twitter feed, I saw the column had indeed been read outside the NewsTribune circulation area: “Meanwhile, a columnist who apparently can’t pick up a phone and doesn’t come to Springfield says he somehow has a ‘sense’ for why the legalization bill hasn’t yet been introduced…” Uh-oh.
* Should Young Adults Be Sent To Juvenile Courts?: State Sen. Laura Fine, a Democrat from Glenview, is sponsoring the legislation. She said more than a third of emerging adults in Cook County Jail were charged with misdemeanors. “Many of them get stuck in the jail because they’re either homeless or don’t have a job and they can’t pay their bail,” Fine said. “They’re at an age where, if they did have those proper services, they could be put on another direction in their lives.”
* Deadly suburban kennel fire prompts legislators to call for new safety regulations, but some kennel owners are wary: Following a devastating suburban kennel fire earlier this year that claimed the lives of 31 dogs, two state legislators have introduced bills aimed at making such facilities safer. One bill would require kennel operators to install fire alarms that automatically notify emergency responders; the other would require kennels to install sprinklers or some other fire suppression system.
* LGBTQ advocates ‘deeply disturbed’ by bill that would punish doctors for certain procedures: Asked whether it was necessary to make the medical procedures illegal, rather than promoting outreach efforts and ensuring accurate information available, [Rep. Tom Morrison, R-Palatine] said, “I need to give that more thought.”
* Unpacking Pritzker’s Tax Proposals: Bag Tax
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The hollowing out of state government
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Children’s Home & Aid works every day to help children and families to thrive. Our deep commitment to their success is fueled by an equally strong commitment to delivering services in a sustainable way. We tackle challenges and do our best to meet the needs in light of the community dynamic, resources, etc. However, there are times when we face hard decisions that call for downsizing or in some situations, program exits. This is just such a time.
Effective immediately, we have started the process of phasing out foster care and intact family services in the Central Region.
The current child welfare environment in the Central Region has posed increasingly difficult challenges and it is clear that our foster care and intact family services are not sustainable for us in Bloomington, Champaign and the surrounding communities.
This difficult decision will impact 19 staff members. We have asked Central region child welfare staff to stay with us to help ensure the smoothest possible transitioning of 170 foster care cases and 11 intact families to other community-based providers. We anticipate completing this process by the end of May.
* Pantagraph…
Children’s Home & Aid has started the process of working with DCFS to transition the families to another agency, [Jassen Strokosch, the agency’s director of communications] said. […]
The two programs are funded by the state but there has been no rate reimbursement increase in two decades, Strokosch said. Children’s Home & Aid has been covering the difference.
“In the last three years, we have averaged losing $150,000 a year on foster care and intact family services,” he said. “We’re losing too much money providing the services … That’s not sustainable.”
In addition, the low reimbursement makes it difficult to attract and retain quality staff, he said.
* Illinois Collaboration on Youth…
When providers are unable to pay enough in wages and benefits to attract and retain a qualified workforce, it is ultimately the children, youth, and families who suffer.
Not only does high workforce turnover divert resources away from service provision toward recruitment and training, it negatively impacts the very people who are supposed to benefit from this work. For example, everyone agrees that children and youth are best raised in permanent, safe, and loving homes, however, high worker turnover is strongly correlated to increased lengths of stay in the child welfare system. This constant changing of caseworkers and supervisors is an impediment to achieving that goal, whether it is to return children to their biological families, develop formal guardianship with extended kin, or find new adoptive homes for them.
From a child’s point of view, a change in caseworker is yet another time when an adult who is supposed to care for them has let them down.
Illinois was once a national leader in child welfare, but today, we rank last in the nation on important measures of child safety and permanency. For too long we have asked providers to do the impossible with shockingly insufficient funding. We cannot continue to ignore their warnings. The child welfare workforce does difficult and demanding work. They deserve to be fairly compensated for it, and to receive adequate supervision and training so they can do their jobs well.
Providers need an emergency rate increase to stop the bleeding. We are seeking approximately $37 million with HB2524/SB1730 to help address the historic underfunding and begin to turn this system around.
But, yeah, let’s do across-the-board state budget cuts. Right.
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* Kyle Thomas at the Illinois State Board of Elections…
As reported orally at prior Board meetings, earlier this year, an effort was made to identify individuals who potentially cast more than one ballot in the General Election of 2016. Utilizing the Statewide voter registration database (IVRS), duplicate registration records were identified where more than one record for that individual had been marked as voted. The results of this effort were forwarded to the election authorities for investigation.
The majority of the records identified were found to have been mistakes made by jurisdiction staff whereby they (some dating back as far as the inception of IVRS), accepted duplicate registration matches for records that were, in fact, for separate individuals. This accounted for 765 of the 1,379 total records identified (each record reflects one voter registration record not one voter). We asked the election authorities to provide us the information on those cases and State Board staff took the steps necessary to unlink the records within the IVRS database. The next largest portion of records, found through the investigations by the election authorities, were record keeping errors at the time of voting. In many of those cases, a voter signed the wrong person’s ballot application (for instance a son may have signed a father’s application mistakenly). This accounted for 357 of the records.
However, the election authorities did report that of the 1,379 total records, 257 registration records appear to be double voting, which involves approximately 130 individual voters. Thus far, 65 of the records have been forwarded on to the appropriate law enforcement authority for further action and the remainder are still under review by the election authority or their internal counsel.
Click here for the accompanying spreadsheet. Lots more info in there. Of the 65 records forwarded so far to law enforcement, 18 were in Champaign County, 8 were in suburban Cook and 7 were in Chicago.
Over 5.5 million people voted in 2016, so this represents a miniscule 0.001 percent (one thousandth of one percent). But races can be super close (the Macon County sheriff’s race is still not decided), so vigilance is necessary. Kudos to the Board for taking a look at this.
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) says he filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get the names of the alleged multiple-voters, but was denied.
* The Board’s spokesperson explains the law enforcement referrals…
We compiled that spreadsheet based on our contact with the local authorities, but the local authorities did the investigations and referrals to law enforcement where their legal counsel determined it was warranted. We don’t have legal authority to prosecute – that rests with the state’s attorneys in the jurisdiction in which the alleged offense was committed. We also are prohibited from giving legal advice to local election authorities, so our action here was limited to making the initial referrals to the locals.
* Illinois News Network…
There were seven possible double vote records identified in Sangamon County, but they were found to not be the same person and none were reported to law enforcement.
Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said he understands the concern.
“We would never tolerate a double vote here in Sangamon County, no county clerk would throughout the entire state of Illinois,” Gray said. “We go through great lengths to ensure that the protocols at the moment of issuing a ballot are followed” […]
[Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee] used the numbers to promote a measure to stiffen penalties for double voting. He also said he wants to get Illinois back into the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck system meant to help find voter registration irregularities. Illinois recently pulled out of the multistate Crosscheck program.
Gray said getting back in is not necessary. He said the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, Illinois and all neighboring states but Indiana are a part of is superior.
Dietrich said the state board is “hopeful that we can create a data-sharing agreement with Indiana for voter list maintenance efforts in both states.”
Crosscheck is worthless and even harmful. The state shouldn’t get back into it.
* Related…
* State Rep. Skillicorn considering 2020 congressional bid
* Rauschenberger says Skillicorn is ‘right fighter for the 14th’ District
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Illinois Small Biz Ranking Tanks Under Pritzker Rates
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Small businesses create two-thirds of the new jobs in Illinois. And more than 270,000 Illinoisans are looking for work. But a new report shows just how much Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s tax proposal would harm the state’s most important economic engine.
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation projects Illinois’ business tax climate ranking would plummet to 48th in the nation – and the worst in the region – under Pritzker’s “fair tax” rates. Only California and New Jersey would rank worse.
This massive hit for small businesses is one of the reasons Pritzker’s rates would cost the state at least 30,000 jobs. And it’s no wonder family-owned businesses like Piasa Motor Fuels near Alton, Illinois, would look for relief across state lines. State lawmakers representing districts with strong small business communities should be wary of following the governor’s lead.
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Oppo dump!
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hmm…
The leader of alternative teacher preparation program known as Teach for America drew sharp criticism from one Democratic state lawmaker Tuesday as he appeared before a House committee seeking continued funding from the state of Illinois. […]
[Aneesh Sohoni, executive director of the Teach for America program in Illinois] said the program recruits young college graduates, particularly students of color, who have degrees in fields other than education, and puts them through an intensive seven-week training program to prepare them for teaching in a classroom. He said it also continues to provide coaching and support for the first two years of that new teacher’s career.
But that is a significantly shorter training period than most teachers receive through traditional programs, which usually require five years of study and student teaching to earn a bachelor’s degree, or at least three semesters to earn an education degree on top of some other bachelor’s degree. […]
State Rep. Katie Stuart, an Edwardsville Democrat and a former math teacher, said she could not believe that Teach for America can provide the same level of professional training as a formal training program at a college or university. She said programs like Teach for America diminish the professionalism of the teaching occupation.
“Part of the reason why we don’t have our young folks going into our colleges and universities saying, ‘You know what, I really want to be a teacher because my teachers really made a difference in my life and I want to be able to do that for others,’ is because we don’t respect the profession,” Stuart said. “And I think many times, organizations like yours take away from what we view as the professionalism of teachers. It disrespects the degree that our education professionals are earning, and it kind of belittles the research that goes behind all of that.”
OK, but if you click here you’ll see a copy of Rep. Stuart’s 1998 resume, which was obtained via FOIA request.
Notice that Stuart earned a BA in Mathematics in May of 1991 and then from August of 1991 through May of 1993 she headed the middle school math program and taught several other classes at St. Paul Lutheran School in New Orleans. She did not earn her teacher certification in Math until May of 1993 - after she’d been teaching and running a math program for two years.
Also, if you click here and here you’ll see two job-seeking letters Stuart sent in 1998 to Edwardsville’s Assistant Superintendent of Personnel and the principal of Edwardsville High School dropping the name of her late father-in-law, who had retired as the district’s superintendent two years earlier.
Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of that. But it might possibly undercut her otherwise strong argument for teacher professionalism.
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Site Selection ranks Chicago metro 1st in nation
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Site Selection Magazine…
Greater Chicago once again has finished No. 1 in the nation in Site Selection’s annual Top Metros rankings, based on qualified corporate facility investment projects during the previous calendar year. The projects range from the massive distribution cluster in Will County populated by such firms as Diageo and IKEA to the office and manufacturing projects landing in such places as Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Bolingbrook, Elgin, Carol Stream and Naperville from the likes of Faber-Castell, IHerb, G&W Electric and Givaudan Flavors.
But the core of activity is in Cook County, where projects last year came from Facebook, Walgreens, Northrop Grumman and Komatsu, among others. Joining their ranks early this year (with a project to be counted toward the next year-end tally) was Ford Motor Company, which pledged to invest $1 billion and create 500 new jobs at its Chicago Stamping and Assembly plants that will bring total payroll to 5,800. […]
In addition to hosting the second highest concentration of computer science graduates in the U.S. and ranking sixth in the number of STEM workers who live there, Greater Chicago startups lead the nation in venture returns, with an 8.5x multiple on invested capital. Some of that capital has come thanks to the efforts of venture capitalist and billionaire J.B. Pritzker, Penny Pritzker’s brother and the newly elected governor of Illinois.
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Pritzker to opponents: What’s your plan?
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Pritzker, repeating talking points he used last week when launching his tax proposal, said the plan would help the state address its $3.2 billion budget deficit, $8.4 billion backlog of unpaid bills and $134 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. He presented two alternatives: across-the-board spending cuts or an increase in the current flat tax rate. The governor so far has ruled out extending the sales tax to consumer services or taxing retirement income, moves that would put Illinois more in line with other states but are politically unpopular.
Pritkzer’s plan has been met with unified opposition from Republican lawmakers and large business organizations including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. They argue that raising taxes on the wealthy will push residents and businesses out of the state.
Rather than just criticize his plan, Pritzker said, opponents should offer “a specific counter-proposal.” So far, none has been forthcoming.
* It’s a different tax, but still on-topic…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 32 cents. That’s expected to raise $55 million in revenue, the administration said.
Illinois Association of Convenience Stores Executive Vice President Bill Fleischli represents thousands of convenience stores around the state. He said Pritzker proposal will make Illinois’ taxes on cigarettes about $2.30 a pack in Illinois. He said that would push Illinois’ taxes on cigarettes to the highest in the region, behind Wisconsin. […]
Instead of increasing taxes, Fleischli said the state should find other ways to shore up the budget.
“Look at anything, look at a reduction in spending,” Fleischli said. “Look at other areas, not just the sins. We ought to go someplace else.”
It’s not really fair to expect Fleischli to propose an alternative revenue or spending plan. That’s not what he does. But it is a useful rhetorical device to make the opposition sputter.
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Tobacco 21 roundup
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I know we discussed this yesterday, but there’s not a lot of news out there, so let’s take a look at the Tobacco 21 coverage…
The state of Illinois is a big step closer to raising the age to buy cigarettes or other tobacco products. The Illinois House yesterday approved the Tobacco 21 plan. It raises the age to buy cigarettes, dip, or vape products to 21. Supporters say the new law would stop older teens from buying tobacco for younger teens.
Interestingly enough, the Senate read the bill into the record late yesterday and could start hearings as early as this week and might possibly even have a floor vote by Thursday. But, that’s a pretty ambitious schedule and the SDems haven’t caucused on this yet. Either way, it’s now in position for a very fast track.
* Tribune…
A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker did not directly comment on the bill, which still has to get through the Senate, but said the governor “believes in order to help build a healthy society we have to work to prevent young people from smoking.”
“He looks forward to reviewing the legislation to raise the smoking age, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email.
While the bill would raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and vaping products, it would do away with penalties for underage possession. Retailers still would be fined for selling restricted products to underage customers.
“This is a public health issue, not a criminal issue,” said Democratic state Rep. Camille Lilly of Chicago, the bill’s sponsor.
Lilly did a very good job with this bill. I was told the last soft roll call had 72 votes in support. It received 82, which is 21 more than it received last November.
Lots of parents are freaked out these days about the explosive rise in teenage vaping. That could’ve explained a lot of these flips…
Republican state Rep. Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said he has fought against the issue for many years. Now, he said, he credits his 17-year-old daughter for helping him change his mind about what she called an issue “out of control”.
“She said you guys need to do something. I said Caroline, I’m doing something, I’m changing my mind.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
The bill leaves in penalties for merchants who sell to minors. Bill Fleischli, executive vice president of the Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association and the state’s Association of Convenience Stores, finds fault with this logic.
Fleischli said merchants then become the policers, because law enforcement would be unable to do anything if an officer saw a minor with a cigarette, for example.
Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, who is a chief co-sponsor of the measure, said he knows “this isn’t a perfect bill.”
“For those who wonder about the decriminalization aspect of it, I’d like you to ask a member of our law enforcement how many kids they actually bust for smoking a cigarette every day,” he said. “It doesn’t actually happen today.”
* Illinois News Network…
Republican Toni McCombie said the law is likely to have unintended consequences.
“We have got to quit chipping away at our personal liberties and our tax bases,” she said.
Estimates on the bill say the state would lose up to $40 million per year in tobacco tax revenue, but Lilly said that estimate isn’t accurate because it assumes everyone would suddenly abide by the law. […]
“Research shows that Tobacco 21 laws can make a tremendous impact on the health of our communities as well as reduce healthcare costs from tobacco-related diseases,” said Kathy Drea from the Lung Association. “This law is proven to protect children, reduce smoking rates, save on healthcare costs and save lives. In fact, Chicago saw a 36 percent decline in the use of tobacco products among teens after passing Tobacco 21 in 2016.”
I’m now wondering where Rep. Toni “Personal Liberties” McCombie will be on the cannabis legalization bill. Just sayin…
* Gatehouse…
Republican Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville, speaking against the bill, said his concern on the bill is mainly philosophical. Davidsmeyer’s district borders the Mississippi River, which means businesses would be competing with Missouri, which has a lower cigarette tax.
“I believe if a person is old enough to decide who the most powerful person on the planet, the president of the United States, is, I think they’re responsible enough to look at the package of cigarettes or look at the can of chewing tobacco and see that it says it can kill you,” Davidsmeyer said.
So, if an 18-year-old should be allowed to decide whether to smoke cigarettes or vape nictoine, should a 21-year-old be allowed to decide whether to smoke or vape legal cannabis? Rep. Davidsmeyer will be letting us know soon enough.
* From JUUL Labs CEO Kevin Burns…
We applaud the Illinois House of Representatives for passing legislation to raise the purchasing age for all tobacco products, including vapor products, to 21 and we will continue to work with lawmakers in Illinois to get this policy signed into law.
We cannot fulfill our mission to provide the world’s one billion adult smokers with a true alternative to combustible cigarettes, the number one cause of preventable death in this country, if youth-use continues unabated. Tobacco 21 laws fight one of the largest contributors to this problem – sharing by legal-age peers – and they have been shown to dramatically reduce youth-use rates. That is why we are committed to working with lawmakers to enact these effective policies and hope more jurisdictions follow in Illinois’ example.
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Dold clarifies Tribune’s Sterigenics coverage
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Dold, the publisher and editor in chief of the Chicago Tribune, wrote an unusual clarification late yesterday afternoon about the Tribune’s Sterigenics coverage. Excerpt…
Some articles have discussed industry research that shows there are other, potentially safer methods that could replace ethylene oxide across the medical equipment industry. To clarify, some devices are currently approved for use only if they are sterilized with ethylene oxide. Under current FDA approvals, Sterigenics and other companies are required to use ethylene oxide to sterilize those devices.
A story published online Jan. 25 and in print the next day has been updated with the following sentence:
Despite readily available alternatives that industry research shows are potentially effective, Sterigenics and Medline Industries note that ethylene oxide is currently the only FDA-approved option to fumigate certain medical equipment used in surgeries and other medical procedures.
A story published online Oct. 26 and in print the next day discussed pollution control at the plant, stating: “Federal officials say the company released uncontrolled amounts of ethylene oxide from building vents for more than 30 years.”
There’s more, so go read the whole thing.
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