* They declared themselves a gun sanctuary, put a question on the ballot about kicking Chicago out of Illinois and now they’re formally weighing in on a bill that was signed into law three months ago…
The Effingham County Board Legislative Committee on Monday moved to the full board a resolution opposing the Illinois minimum wage increase.
The resolution was proposed by the committee’s vice chairman, Jim Niemann. He said the purpose of the resolution was to let Illinois legislators and Gov. J.B. Pritzker know the law will have a negative effect on Effingham County.
“This is something that’s going to not only draw businesses out of Illinois, but make it difficult for us to do our jobs,” Niemann said. “As I said earlier, too, it’s just a hidden tax. From my perspective, all it is is to raise money for the state.” […]
When it came time to vote on whether to pass the resolution on to the full board, there was some hesitation on committee member Joe Thoele’s part. Thoele voted to pass it on to the full board, but said the wage hike is already in place.
“It’s already law. That’s just my opinion,” Thoele said. “The reason I would support it would be if it had something to do with the county and how it affects the county.”
* Meanwhile, here is Rep. Allen Skillicorn’s HJRCA35…
Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the legislative power is vested in a General Assembly consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives, elected by the electors from 102 counties (currently, 59 Legislative Districts) and 118 Representative Districts. Provides that one Senator shall be elected from each county in this State. Provides that the General Assembly shall divide the counties as equally as possible into three groups for electoral purposes. Establishes 118 Representative Districts independent of the number of Legislative Districts (currently, each Legislative District consists of 2 Representative Districts). Provides that no Legislative Districts shall be established following the 2020 decennial census, or any decennial census thereafter, for the purpose of selecting State Senators.
Not unconstitutional at all. Nope. Not in the least.
Illinois News Network, which provides coverage of state and regional issues to media outlets across Illinois, has changed its name to The Center Square. The rebranding is intended to stake out a nonpartisan centrist position. But it also can be seen as a break from the organization’s controversial past ties to the Illinois Policy Institute. Since 2017 INN has been owned by the nonprofit Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. “For each of us associated with this project, our name serves as a reminder that we’re working with the highest journalistic ethics and precision in mind,” said Chris Krug, president of the Franklin News Foundation. Krug previously served as publisher of the Pioneer Press suburban newspaper chain and as vice president of Shaw Media and editor of the Northwest Herald.
Confusion, Squared. The Illinois News Network, a once-reliable state government watchdog whose recent past has been spotty (2016 link)—including funding from the conservative Koch Brothers (2018 link)—is taking a new name: The Center Square – Illinois.
■ Please don’t mistake it for Chicago Public Square, which comes to you courtesy of four-star supporters including Lora Engdahl, Frank Heitzman, Joseph Sjostrom and Teresa Powell—whom you can join here for a few cents a day.
Our company has been renamed Franklin News Foundation, which is about as straightforward as it gets. With a nod to Benjamin Franklin, our nation’s best-known publisher, we’re a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political, no-nonsense organization whose mission is to connect content and audience with news from state capitals and across the states that simply isn’t reported elsewhere.
Our journalism platform is TheCenterSquare.com. When a reporter is on target within their beat, they’re said “to be hitting the center square.” I’ve always liked that saying, because rather than writing “a story,” I’ve always preferred that our reporters write “the story.” For each of us associated with this project, our name serves as a reminder that we’re working with the highest journalistic ethics and precision in mind.
Over the past two years, we’ve watched as partisanship has permeated reporting from Washington. And, state by state, as we’ve increased our staff and dialed into state-level issues across the country, reading thousands of competitive stories, we’ve seen how this same bias creeps into capitol-level news coverage – pushing readers and journalistic reputations out to the right and the left.
Commentary has overwhelmed straight-news content, and caused significant distortion for time-pressed readers disinterested in becoming professional fact-checkers. Too many people are reading someone’s take on a story before they’ve read the story.
Millions of Americans seek news from the vacated middle ground – from that center square – and simply want to understand what is happening in their state capitol, and how it affects their lives.
Our reporters are keenly interested in economics and finance, how tax dollars are generated and how they’re spent. We talk to our readers in terms that they understand rather than through the wonky, inside baseball that so often stands for statehouse reporting.
Legislative mechanics already are complicated. Reporters should be educating the reader and simplifying the news, rather than showing off and making the activity or inactivity of the statehouse more confusing. We commit to write in plain English.
I Googled “‘hitting the center square’ reporter” and came up with one result, the column excerpted above. Not quite a Googlewhack, but still unique.
Lawmakers appeared poised to vote on a bill that would more than double the state’s motor fuel tax to pay for statewide transportation projects, but the plan stalled late Tuesday as negotiations continued.
Under state Sen. Martin Sandoval’s proposed legislation, the motor fuel tax would be more than doubled from 19 cents to 44 cents per gallon and indexed to inflation. That would mean the tax would increase each year with inflation, but that annual increase would be capped at a penny per year.
With the sales tax included, the proposal would give Illinois the highest gas tax in the nation at more than 60 cents. Pennsylvania’s tax on a gallon of fuel is 58 cents. In addition, the bill would add a $1,000 annual registration fee for electric vehicles. The existing registration fee for electric vehicles is $17.50. Those registration fees would also increase with the rate of inflation every year, with caps set at 102.5 percent of the previous year’s total.
Lawmakers had until earlier this month to call legislation and amendments in committee to get them to the Senate floor, but the chamber suspended those rules Tuesday afternoon so Sandoval could get the legislation out of committee.
However, Sandoval convened and then adjourned the Senate Transportation Committee in a matter of minutes without calling the legislation.
“Leader [Don] DeWitte is working with me very arduously to try and fashion another amendment,” Sandoval said after the hearing.
He said he expects the bill to be changed to scale back some tax hikes, notably the annual registration fee for electric vehicles.
Rumor mill has it at a 19-cents increase in the Motor Fuel Tax (doubled) and maybe $400-500 for the annual EV regisration fee. But everything is fluid right now.
* Love him or hate him, more Chicago politicos talk about Maze Jackson’s morning show than just about anyone else. Press release…
Midway Broadcasting Corporation announced that former president of the Cook County Board, Todd Stroger has signed on as the co-host of the Maze Jackson Morning Show effective immediately. The show airs weekdays from 6am-9am on WVON 1690AM, Chicago’s premier Urban Talk radio station.
Stroger is a life-long Chicagoan with a name that is synonymous with local politics. He has served as a state representative, alderman and as president of the Cook County Board, which is the second largest county in the nation, a seat previously held by Todd’s father, John Stroger, who was a stalwart in the Democratic Party.
He joins an elite list of former politicians-turned- talk- show hosts, who’ve built second careers in the media industry including former Alderman Edward Vrdolyak, Congressman Joe Walsh, and WVON’s Cliff Kelley, who retired in March from the station. Stroger has sat in regularly as a guest host with Jackson.
Midway Broadcasting’s Chairwoman, Melody Spann Cooper says, “Todd joining the team is a no- brainer in a town where politics is a second sport. I’m excited about what we are doing with talk radio in this town right now, and Maze and Todd are so much a part of it.” In addition to politics, The Maze Jackson Morning Show with Todd Stroger will continue to deliver special features, and local and national newsmakers and celebrities.
The Talk of Chicago has established itself as Chicago’s premier content provider. For more than 56 years, the station has been considered one of the most credible and highly-respected media institutions in the nation providing an interactive forum for its vast listening audience to discuss social, economic and political issues that impact the African-American community. - MG Media
The last time WVON appeared in a Nielsen Audio survey, its morning show tied for 39th place with a 0.3 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 33,600.
Another former Chicago alderman, Cliff Kelley, stepped down in March after 25 years as a talk show host at WVON. His interim replacement from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays is the team of Matt McGill and Kimberley Egonmwan.
I was on that show the other day and they were a delight…
Kimberley: When I was on staff we were told never to speak to you.
Dozens of social media posts and promotional videos posted online reveal State Senator Patricia Van Pelt, a Chicago Democrat, is looking to cash in on cannabis and go “riding the wave with the rich” in the final days leading up to a highly anticipated vote that could legalize recreational marijuana for adult use in the state.
Since her re-election victory in November 2018, Van Pelt has launched an aggressive social media campaign recruiting potential investors to attend her seminars. Tickets for her upcoming events are listed on Eventbrite at a non-refundable rate of $99.95.
“You’re going to learn how to invest in the stock market and what cannabis companies are viable,” Van Pelt said in a video she posted online to promote Wakanna, a company she co-founded last month along with three other women.
In one post, Van Pelt says you can purchase cannabis stock at $0.72 cents per share. In another post, she urges potential investors to “move expeditiously” and “imagine going from $0.02 cents a share to $60 a share in three years,” which would be a 3,000 percent return on investment.
She also claimed she nearly doubled her money in a matter of roughly three weeks. […]
Van Pelt’s insinuation was “totally inappropriate,” a top ranking member of the Legislative Black Caucus told WCIA. Speaking on a condition of anonymity, the lawmaker said it was “just wrong” for “someone in [Van Pelt’s] position of power and influence to try and make money for herself.”
After reviewing several Facebook posts, the source felt Van Pelt was intentionally misleading the people in her district or in her church congregation.
“Because she’s a senator, they must think, ‘Oh, she must know something!’”
I told subscribers about this months ago. It’s really a bad look.
Investing In Cannabis Stock & Other Emerging Industries
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Without mentioning her name, Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) asked during a committee hearing today whether something could be done to address this issue. Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), the legalization bill’s sponsor, said she would definitely work with Righter on language.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Caring for our Community program at GCS Credit Union in Edwardsville is a unique program that rewards staff members for their volunteer hours within the community. In 2018 they generated 1,000 volunteer hours. The credit union movement stands firmly by a set of philosophical tenets. Credit unions embrace the seven cooperative principles because at the heart of business, it is the right thing to do. The seventh cooperative principle is concern for community and the Caring for our Community program is a splendid example of nurturing the philosophy into action. In addition to their stellar volunteer program, GCS Credit Union has always made giving back to the community a priority. In 2018 the credit union employees pledged $21k in donations to the United Way; the Board of Directors matched the employee give and together they were able to contribute over $42k to the United Way. The credit union mission of People Helping People is more than just a principle; it is always based in action and honors the kindness and generosity that is the credit union difference. Visit YourMoneyFurther.com for more information on the credit union difference.
Rockford business leaders are using a new strategy to reach lawmakers in Springfield about bringing a casino to Rockford.
“I would say this is the deepest dive we’ve ever done,” Einar Forsman, the President and CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce says.
Part of the new strategy includes targeted social media advertisements. The Chamber says those ads are designed to pop up on your social media feed if you in your 20s to 40s and are in the Rockford or Springfield area.
Click here to track how the Facebook ads are doing. They’ve been seen by several hundred thousand people, so kudos to them.
Now is the time for a Rockford casino. We’re done being held hostage by wealthy Illinois casino owners afraid of competition. Do we have your support? #timeforrockford
.@GovPritzker Now is the time for a Rockford casino. We’re done being held hostage by wealthy Illinois casino owners afraid of competition. Do we have your support? #timeforrockford
* Maybe the mayor should start paying closer attention. This proposal, which has resulted from two years of work, is not about a GRF revenue grab. If it was, then a whole lot more than 35 percent of the proceeds would be going to GRF. Politico…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel told Playbook that legalizing recreational marijuana can’t just be about cold hard cash and says that state should lawmakers slow down their legislative efforts on the drug… for now. “Don’t go head first into this just because we’re thirsty and hungry for revenue,” he said during an interview in his office.
The announcement this spring that Illinois had collected some $1.5 billion more in tax revenue than the state projected, creates a “lack of urgency,” and gives lawmakers a chance to carefully deliberate the marijuana bill, the mayor said. Balancing the concerns voiced by law enforcement, as well as some in the Legislative Black Caucus who are pressing on social justice issues, are crucial to success, Emanuel said. “We should tread carefully here.”
It sounds like the mayor is spending too much time reading erroneous Daily Herald editorials. That $1.5 billion in unexpected revenue is for this fiscal year, not next. No cannabis revenue will be collected this fiscal year. The $800 million in additional projected revenue for next fiscal year will all be gobbled up by pension payments. So, cannabis revenue will still be needed next fiscal year.
* The problem with law enforcement’s role in the talks is their lobbyists and supporters are trying to kill the bill while demanding more money. From what used to be the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service and then became the Franklin Center’s Illinois news outlet and is now something called The Center Square Illinois…
Proponents of a plan to tax and regulate recreational marijuana use for adults in Illinois plan to address a growing list of concerns, including how the tax money will be spent and how the state should treat people who were convicted of marijuana-related crimes in the past. […]
[Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington] said law enforcement should get more.
“They’re going to have to retrain dogs, they’re going to have to put new processes in place, they’re going to have to buy some equipment,” Barickman said. “All of these things suggest that for our [law enforcement], they’re going to need some money … so they don’t have to dip into their own pockets just to comply with this new law.”
Law enforcement is also attempting to undermine the Black and Latino Caucus’ attempts to expunge arrest and conviction records. So… maybe the outgoing mayor could pick up a phone and talk to his police superintendent?
* May 6th statement from the person who will be Chicago’s mayor before any legalization bill is signed into law…
Mayor-Elect Lori E. Lightfoot releases statement on legislation to legalize recreational marijuana
“The recent legislation introduced is an important step forward in creating a fair process for legalizing recreational marijuana. More importantly, it allows Illinois the opportunity to put an end to a long overdue and unjust drug policy that has disproportionately affected Chicago’s black and brown neighborhoods for decades. I look forward to working with Gov. Pritzker, Rep. Cassidy, other members of the General Assembly, and other important stakeholders in Chicago to ensure safe and equitable legislation becomes law in Illinois.”
…Adding… Again, not a money grab…
New revenue estimates are in for cannabis program. @HeatherSteans says next year (FY 2020) it will bring in an estimated $56 million. In FY2021, the program is expected to bring in ~$140 million
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Three Georgia legislators send a message of support to Illinois lawmakers urging passage of the Reproductive Health Act to protect access to health care for women in Illinois and across the nation.
Learn more about the Reproductive Health Act here.
Today, Think Big Illinois released a new television ad urging state legislators to give Illinoisans the opportunity to vote on the fair tax. By supporting the fair tax amendment in Springfield, legislators will ensure Illinoisans have the chance in November 2020 to decide what kind of tax system they want – one that works for everyone, or one that just works for the wealthy few.
“Deserve” will run in markets across the state. Watch the ad here.
“Illinoisans deserve to decide if they want to keep our current unfair tax system in place, or want a system that levels the playing field for all our families. It’s not often that voters have the chance to have a direct say on such important issues for them and their families, and legislators should not deny them of that opportunity,” said Quentin Fulks, Executive Director of Think Big Illinois. “Think Big Illinois hopes legislators will do what’s best for our state and give Illinoisans the chance to vote on the fair tax.”
Illinois’ child welfare agency is so intent on keeping children with their parents even when they have strong evidence of abuse that it has sometimes left those children in grave danger, a study released Wednesday found.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the study of the Department of Children and Family Services’ Intact Family Services unit after the recent deaths of three children. That unit is responsible for overseeing households in which children are left at home after allegations of abuse or neglect.
Illinois has been lauded for having one of the lowest foster care entry rates of any state in the U.S. Yet researchers found a profound failure to communicate within the department; overburdened staffers; staffers so convinced that prosecutors wouldn’t agree with requests to remove children from homes that they didn’t bother to ask; and cases in which evidence and suspicions of abuse or neglect were brushed aside.
Keeping children with their families is “a laudable goal,” said Michael Cull, one of the study’s authors. “But over time for a variety of reasons it becomes an overriding priority that leads to decisions that (the agency) may not even know they are making.” […]
Illinois is not the only state with a child welfare system under fire. In fact, according to the study, the rate of death due to child maltreatment in Illinois in 2016 - 2.16 per 100,000 children - was actually a bit lower than the national figure of 2.36 per 100,000 children.
Yet the organizations who provide these [intact family services] told researchers they sometimes feel like their hands are tied. They raised the concern that some of the cases they receive are “too complex, too severe or too longstanding” for them to handle but that it’s difficult to decline a case or question the appropriateness of such referrals, said Dana Weiner, a lead researcher of the six-week study. The caseworkers also reported that they didn’t believe judges, prosecutors or department investigators would support more intensive interventions if they petitioned for it.
Families are also not required to accept the services, which can range from mental health counseling to parenting classes. Supporters of intact services note that removing a child from relatives and finding a foster care placement is a traumatic experience that should be avoided when a child’s well-being is not compromised.
“The intact providers do their best to serve the families that they are assigned with the resources that they have available to them,” said Weiner of Chapin Hall, a child welfare think tank based at the University of Chicago that put out the study. “But I think that the expectation that removals will be avoided sometimes discourages them from applying critical thinking to the current safety concerns and the best course of intervention for a family.” […]
Nearly all intact family services — or about 85 percent — are provided by community-based organizations that have contracts with DCFS. The caseworkers are only supposed to have 10 open cases at a time, the report said. When possible, the department retains the highest-risk cases to address in-house.
The Chapin Hall report identified 41 child deaths due to mistreatment that were investigated by the agency’s inspector general between 2014 and 2018. In six of those cases, the fatality occurred while there was an open intact family services case.
Some of the most serious problems highlighted in the report include the lack of historical information in critical cases that prompt Intact supervisors to be “reluctant” about elevating cases to supervisory review. The report also found a lack of communication between investigators, who identified with law enforcement, and Intact supervisors, who identified as mental health and social workers.
The report also found some structural issues, such as lack of information because a case was expunged or purged. Under current law, cases are expunged after five years, so the record would only reflect an event happened. If the allegation was unfounded, there are no details on record.
[DCFS Acting Director Marc Smith] said that change could come through the legislative process, but said it would be more helpful to see a “pattern of need and support” and not just the details of an unfounded allegation.
“Assessment of a family’s safety sometimes evolves over time,” the report says. “The unavailability of so much historical information may contribute to critical case details being lost and influences child welfare staff to rely on family’s accurate self-reporting on their history.”
“It’s basically a bureaucratic mess,” says Charles Golbert, the Illinois Public Guardian. “And we’ve known that for a long time.”
Golbert said private providers have no incentive to keep cases open until problems are resolved.
“They actually get paid less money if the case is still open after six months,” he said. “It makes no sense—it puts bureaucracy and artificial timelines ahead of child safety.”
The study recommended nine ways to address the issues; which include refining protocol for closing cases, working with courts and state’s attorneys to refine criteria for removal, redesigning assessment and child intake processes, and giving direct attention to cases at greatest risk of severe harm.
Action: Review of Open Investigations. DCFS is prioritizing the highest risk cases by taking a close look at investigations where young children are involved and certain allegations of abuse and neglect are present. This urgent review by some of DCFS’ most senior staff will cover more than 1,100 open investigations and focuses on reviewing compliance with key safety measures. Investigations found to be out of compliance will be rectified immediately and receive an additional qualitative review. DCFS expects to have findings from this internal investigation in coming weeks. These findings will help determine the scope of future reviews of investigation work.
Action: Crisis Intervention Team. In the tragic event of a child death, this 8-member team will initiate an immediate review when the death occurs during an open investigation or involves a child with an extensive history of contact with DCFS. The team will examine the family’s full history of involvement with DCFS and all relevant investigations and casework, including other current and previous cases that staff involved are handling. Their scope includes both human and systemic failures that may exist. The Crisis Intervention Team is tasked with quickly developing recommendations following their investigation and when appropriate, implementing changes in training or protocols that will rapidly lead to improving our work of protecting children.
Action: Expanding Training Programs and Retraining Caseworkers. Starting in June, veteran investigations staff will have access to the department’s newest and most advanced simulated (SIM) lab training facility in Englewood. This initiative will give key veteran front-line workers access to the latest tools and techniques being used in training. DCFS is also introducing a re-training program for all child welfare workers across the state. All staff licensed with DCFS, whether they work for the department or for a private agency, will be required to participate in ongoing training. The first re-training will be launched this summer and will focus on safety training, including identifying risks and warning signs.
DCFS Responses to Chapin Hall’s Recommendations
1) Recommendation: Develop and refine protocol for closing Intact cases. When caseworkers are properly supported and they have the right tools, they make good decisions. DCFS will address this problem immediately and develop new standard protocols for closing Intact cases in the next 60 days.
2) Recommendation: Clarify goals and expectations across staff roles. DCFS will clearly articulate expectations for every actor and agency involved in the work of promoting child safety. Defining roles for DCFS investigators, supervisors, Intact providers and staff will be addressed over the next 60 days through training, changes in policy and through communications with staff.
3) Recommendation: Utilize evidence-based approaches to preventive case work. DCFS will examine models that have been piloted and tested in Illinois and other states. We will work closely with Chapin Hall to address this recommendation over the next six months.
4) Recommendation: Improve the quality of supervision. DCFS will develop a new structure for supervision within the agency that provides more clear lines of authority and accountability. DCFS will also work with supervisors to ensure that their teams are openly communicating. Following this report, we will prioritize Intact teams to receive training on the new practice model within the next 30 days.
5) Recommendation: Adjust the preventive service array to meet the needs of the population. We will continue to work with Chapin Hall to identify the services to best support the populations Intact is serving. This process will take 12 months to implement.
6) Recommendation: Restructure preventive services (generally) and Intact (specifically). DCFS has convened a working group to develop a restructuring plan so that there is better collaboration between Intact services (which provides services) and the Investigations division (which is responsible for case investigations). DCFS will develop this plan over the next 30 days, followed by a 30-day rollout across the department.
7) Recommendation: Work with courts and State’s Attorneys to refine the criteria for child removal in complex and chronic family cases. DCFS will work to build consensus among courts and State’s attorneys concerning removal of children who have experienced multiple incidents of abuse. The department will work with partners like Casey Foundation and Chapin Hall to help us implement this system change over the next 12 months.
8) Recommendation: Redesign the assessment and intake process based on systemic review to: a) reduce redundant information collection and data input; b) support decision making with youth and families; and c) improve effective communication across child serving systems. DCFS has introduced several recent changes that eliminate some redundancy in information collection and data input. Over the next 60 days, the department is putting into place a re-training of staff to improve the efficiency, reliability, and accuracy of assessments across screening, intake, service planning, and care transitions.
9) Recommendation: Direct attention to cases at greatest risk for severe harm. DCFS, in consultation with Chapin Hall, will revisit predictive models for help identifying cases with a high risk for maltreatment. Chapin Hall has identified that other child welfare systems are increasingly making use of administrative data to speed the detection of cases that may require additional attention or intervention. This process will take 12 months to complete.
…Adding… Illinois Collaboration on Youth Chief Executive Officer Andrea Durbin…
We appreciate the thorough and thoughtful analysis by Chapin Hall focused on Intact Family Services and agree with many of its findings and recommendations. Supporting and strengthening the Intact system is a goal we all share. It is important to remember that taking children from their families can have lasting negative effects and is a very serious step that should be considered when a child’s safety is paramount. We should also remember that while Intact is an important piece of the child welfare system, it is not the only piece. The system needs focused attention across all levels of care in order to achieve long term stability. We look forward to continuing this critically important discussion and finding solutions to stabilize Illinois’ child welfare system in the days ahead.
In order to prevent more tragic losses of emergency responders and highway workers, Governor JB Pritzker and state lawmakers unveiled legislation Tuesday to strengthen Scott’s Law and understand how to better stop more senseless roadway fatalities.
“Scott’s Law says that drivers approaching a vehicle with their hazard lights on must slow down and move over. The legislation we’re announcing today enhances penalties for those who don’t obey the law and raises awareness for those who don’t even know Scott’s Law exists,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “No one’s time or convenience is worth more than the lives of our state’s heroes.”
This year, Troopers Christopher Lambert, Brooke Jones-Story and Gerald Ellis paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the line of duty. The law was initially passed in memory of Lieutenant Scott Gillen.
The proposal is addressed with two separate pieces of legislation. The first, SB 1862, takes several steps to strengthen Scott’s Law:
Expands Scott’s Law protections to include a stationary authorized vehicle with oscillating lights, first responders, IDOT workers, law enforcement officers and any individual authorized to be on the highway within the scope of their employment or job duties;
Increases the minimum fine to $250 for a first violation of Scott’s Law and to $750 for a second or subsequent violation;
Adds $250 assessment fee for any violation of Scott’s Law to be deposited into a new dedicated fund to produce driver education materials, called the Scott’s Law Fund;
Increases criminal penalty to a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, if violation results in damage to another vehicle or a Class 4 felony, punishable by up to one to three years in prison, if violation results in an injury or death of another person;
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to include firefighter and emergency medical service personnel while acting within the scope of their official duties;
Adds aggravating factors to reckless homicide charges if Scott’s Law was violated;
Requires the Secretary of State to include written question on Scott’s Law in driver’s license test.
The second piece of legislation, SB 2038, creates a Move Over Task Force to study the issue of violations of Scott’s Law, disabled vehicle law, and stationary authorized emergency vehicle law, with attention to the causes of the violations and ways to protect law enforcement and emergency responders. […]
Members of the Task Force must serve without compensation and must meet no fewer than three times. Additionally, the Task Force must present its report and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2020.
“Enough is enough. Three first responders have lost their lives while working on our roadways this year, and we’re cracking down on reckless drivers to prevent more senseless tragedies,” said Rep. Marcus C. Evans, the chief House sponsor of the package of legislation. “This legislation will keep our brave public servants safe and save lives.”
“As a former police officer, I know the life-threatening situations facing law enforcement every day, and I’m proud this legislation will protect and serve our brave men and women in uniform,” said Sen. Tony Munoz, the chief Senate sponsor of the package of legislation. “We can’t afford to lose any more lives, so I implore all drivers to slow down and move over when you see first responders on the roads.”
“This legislation is one way we’re working to protect the protectors,” said Rep. John Cabello. “Too many first responders have paid the ultimate price, and we are honoring their legacy by preventing even more tragic losses among our state’s heroes.”
“As Moline firefighter and paramedic, keeping our first responders safe is a deeply personal mission for me,” said Sen. Neil Anderson. “To the public servants that work on our roadways, know that we’re doing all we can to keep you safe and ensure you can return home to your families. You deserve nothing less.”
The legislation will be introduced by Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-Chicago) and Sen. Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) and will be co-sponsored by Sen. Neil Anderson (R- Andalusia) and Reps. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) and Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea).
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has privately told associates that, if anything in Chicago is ever named after him, he would love it to be the Riverwalk, the embodiment of his vision to create a “second waterfront.”
On Monday, the retiring mayor added to the case for renaming it the Rahm Emanuel Riverwalk.
With just one week to go before he leaves office, Emanuel proudly showcased a newly-transformed “Riverwalk East” from Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive paid for with $12 million from a general obligation bond issue.
The investment includes: 10,000 square feet of recreational spaces; 94 new LED “dark sky compliant” light fixtures; three public restrooms; roughly 150 new tree plantings from 35 different species and public seating for 500.
* The Question: What Chicago landmark would you name for Rahm Emanuel and what would you call it? Keep it clean, please.
* This Daily Herald editorial comically misidentifies Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris as House Majority Leader Greg Harris. The reason it’s so funny is because former Rep. David Harris represented Arlington Heights in the House, and that’s where the paper is based…
House Majority Leader Greg Harris told lawmakers in a letter last week that state government collected 38 percent more from taxpayers in April than it did a year ago. We shudder a little to think about what Gov. J.B. Pritzker might have proposed if he had known before his February budget address that Illinois would collect $4 billion from taxpayers in April, instead of the $2.5 billion or so that was expected.
But with the tax windfall in hand now, the state has a perfect opportunity to focus on the much-troubled control side of Pritzker’s budget rather than the robust spending side. And the chief target of that attention must be the governor’s ill-advised proposal to take a so-called “holiday” from making required pension payments. The surplus announced last week will more than cover the $800 million Pritzker was planning to get by avoiding the pension payments, and that must be the first priority for its use. […]
The governor, who Harris reportedly said leans toward using the surplus to avoid the pension holiday […]
The $1.5 billion tax surplus eliminates any need to succumb to that temptation and leaves hundreds of millions for another systemic issue facing the state — its $650 million backlog of late bill payments.
Just to be sure, I checked with Leader Harris and he said he sent no such letter.
People make mistakes. No biggie. But editorials are supposedly written or at least approved by an editorial board. That would be multiple people.
And there are more problems with this editorial than getting a name wrong.
1) Director Harris didn’t “reportedly” say anything. He said the governor was recommending that the state use the increased revenue projections from Fiscal Year 2020 to pay the full statutory pension payment. I mean, it’s right here in black and, um, tan (or whatever color my website is).
2) The editorial board is apparently confused about the $800 million number. That’s the additional projected revenue increase for next fiscal year. Pritzker was planning to skip $900 million or so in pension payments, which is higher than the revenue spike, not lower, so something else will have to be cut or more revenues will have to be found.
Maybe if the paper hadn’t closed its Statehouse bureau it would have somebody to call before writing stuff like this. Or maybe they could just use the Google. Or Bing. Whatever floats your boat.
On January 30, the U.S. federal court overseeing Puerto Rico’s debt restructuring issued a ruling that may weaken the legal support for a subset of municipal securities known as “special revenue” bonds. In general, special revenue bonds are those backed by utility revenues, dedicated taxes or other dedicated payments and issued by a Chapter 9-eligible entity like a city, school district or special district government. Special revenue bonds often receive superior treatment to other bonds in Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
The ruling surprised many market participants, and in our view it is the first decision stemming from Puerto Rico’s insolvency that has meaningful implications for mainland credit quality. While the near-term impact of the decision is likely to be modest, it could have long-term implications. Currently, few special revenue issuers exhibit credit stress, and the decision may be overturned on appeal. However, special revenue bonds may constitute up to 35 percent of the $3.8 trillion municipal bond market. If the ruling proves lasting, it could trigger ratings downgrades, alter municipal investment strategy at some firms and compel legislative fixes, among other actions.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has affirmed a controversial ruling regarding the treatment of municipal revenue debt, leaving investors with lingering questions about the value and significance of a revenue pledge in a municipal bankruptcy.
The original U.S. District Court decision roiled the municipal markets in January 2018, when Judge Laura Taylor Swain, the judge overseeing Puerto Rico’s debt restructuring, ruled that municipal debtors were permitted, but not required, to apply special revenues to pay related bonds. Judge Swain’s ruling reversed long-held conventional wisdom regarding the mandatory application of special revenues following municipal bankruptcy. […]
Although the First Circuit’s ruling covers only Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island, commentators and rating agencies have expressed concern that the ruling will have a broader impact on holders of municipal revenue debt, particularly given the relative scarcity of case law interpreting issues of municipal bankruptcy. The First Circuit’s affirmation raises serious concerns about the value of a municipal revenue pledge and creditors’ ability to enforce any lien on such revenues post-bankruptcy or to otherwise protect the revenue stream.
Moody’s Investors Service has placed the Aa3 rating of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) under review for downgrade. ISTHA has approximately $6.1 billion of bonds outstanding.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating action is driven by the recent US Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit ruling related to the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (PRHTA) bonds, which calls into question the strength of credit separations between a general government and its enterprises and component units. The review will consider economic, governance, and financial interdependencies between ISTHA and the State of Illinois (Baa3 Stable) and the extent that, in light of the afore-mentioned court ruling, and such interdependencies pose risks to ISTHA that could have an impact on its credit quality.
On March 26th, the US Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit ruled that the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is not required to pay “special revenue” debt service on PRHTA bonds (C Negative Outlook) during the pendency of bankruptcy-like proceedings. While the Court’s jurisdiction is only the Commonwealth and those states that are within the 1st Circuit (which does not include Illinois), no appellate-level court has addressed the issue of whether pledged special revenues must be paid to bondholders in a municipal bankruptcy or restructuring process until now. In other municipal bankruptcies, utility and other enterprise revenue bonds have offered extremely high recoveries when associated with general government insolvencies, though they have not always been immune from impairment despite falling under the “special revenue” pledge.
Moody’s notes that ISTHA has both authorizing legislation which states that excess revenues in the system reserve account can only be used for tollway purposes and a master indenture with a closed flow of funds. The state also passed a ballot initiative for a transportation lock box within its constitution in November 2016 with nearly 80% voter support, precluding transportation funds from being used for non- transportation uses. Taken together, this had provided sufficient independence to support the wide differential to the state’s rating. During the review period, Moody’s will determine the degree to which the authority’s rating should have a closer linkage to the rating of the state given the 1st Circuit ruling and what it may mean to the relationship between municipal governments with materially higher rated enterprises. The range of potential outcomes include a downgrade of the ISTHA’s credit which may be one or more notches to stabilizing the outlook at the current rating level.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE
- Reversal of the ruling by the US Court of Appeals on PRHTA bonds would be supportive of the current rating
- Reduced uncertainty with respect to the breadth of legal implications for special revenue pledges stemming from the 1st Circuit ruling and greater demonstrated independence of ISTHA from the state
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE
- Continued uncertainty with respect to the breadth of legal implications for special revenue pledges stemming from the 1st Circuit ruling
- Attempts by the state to divert ISTHA funds to non-authority purposes
- Deterioration of the state rating
- Traffic and revenues fall short of current projections and DSCRs fall below forecasted levels consistently below two times
This looks like a serious over-reaction by Moody’s. I mean, Illinois can’t declare bankruptcy. We’re a state not a territory.
…Adding… Illinois Tollway…
The Illinois Tollway is a world-class system with quality roadways and facilities and projected revenue of $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2019. While we appreciate Moody’s role in providing credit ratings, its review is predicated on a legal case in Puerto Rico that bears little if any resemblance to the Tollway’s situation. This is a promising time for the State of Illinois with an administration that has made fiscal stability a priority. We look forward to working with the administration to continue to provide a quality experience to all we serve.
State universities finally are getting a bit of good news from Wall Street—largely due to the state’s improved fiscal situation.
In a series of announcements Monday evening, Moody’s Investors Service said it has adjusted upward from negative to neutral its outlook on debt issued by Eastern, Northern, Northeastern and Southern Illinois universities, as well as Governors State University and Illinois State University.
Eastern, Southern and Illinois State also received even better news, as Moody’s actually raised its ratings on a type of debt known as certificates of participation and, in Eastern’s and Illinois State’s case, some bonds.
The actions at a minimum mean none of the schools now is in imminent danger of a downgrade, something that has been the case since ex-Gov. Bruce Rauner and state lawmakers engaged in a two-year budget feud. The actions also suggest that the schools will pay less interest than they might have should they borrow again.
…Adding… Good point from a reader…
Now here is a question for Moody’s, as my blood pressure rises. What is so different about the ‘special revenue’ standing of the state’s tollway versus the state’s universities regarding “materially higher-rated enterprises?” U of I is rated one notch lower than the toll road, so why is it, for example, not under the same scrutiny? Do they even think before they release this stuff???
Illinois paper is gaining ground due to scant supply and a hunger for yield combined with recent fiscal developments that should help the state hold on to its investment grade rating in the near term.
Investor appeal has driven a narrowing of state spreads that remain the highest among states. They fluctuate in tandem with market appetites and state fiscal developments that stand to influence its weak ratings that are just one to two notches above junk. […]
“Presumably yield-hungry investors feel that the sixth-largest state (in terms of population) has an appealing spread that might tighten should its tax structure change,” MMD senior market strategist Dan Berger wrote in a column Friday.
* I quit smoking cigarettes years ago because my doctors told me cigarettes almost killed me. Not a fan. But Zorn makes a good point here about Senate President John Cullerton’s proposal to raise cigarette taxes by a dollar a pack, a plan also now supported by Gov. Pritzker…
According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with annual household income less than $35,000 are nearly three times more likely to smoke than those in households that earn more than $100,000.
Overall, 14 percent of adults smoke. But only about 7 percent of those with a college degree light up regularly, compared to 23 percent of those without a high school diploma.
Among those with private insurance, 10.5 percent smoke, compared to 24.7 percent of the uninsured. And 35.2 percent of those suffering from “serious psychological distress” are smokers, according to the CDC. […]
Piling on them is a particularly regressive way to fund state government.
Parents and advocates gathered downtown Monday to call on Illinois Senate President John Cullerton to vote on a bill that would make Chicago’s school board elected rather than appointed, but Cullerton’s office says he’s holding the bill at the request of Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot.
Lightfoot supports an elected school board but expressed deep reservations about the bill pending in the State House, calling the large board called for in the legislation a “recipe for disaster.” She did not respond to WBEZ’s request for comment on Monday.
That bill, which would create a 21-member board, passed the House in early April. Since then, advocates have been demanding a Senate vote before the legislative session ends May 31.
“For years, the people of Chicago have been fighting for an elected school board,” said Karina Martinez, a member of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. “Yet, here I am standing three years later, still demanding and still waiting for an elected school board in the city.”
In an interview with WBEZ, Lightfoot said she was familiar with Martwick’s bill, but did not think a board of 20 members and a president was a good idea.
Martwick told the gathering Monday: “With 20 of them, now you have an opportunity for every group to be represented at the table, and you put more of an emphasis on grassroots organizing and you limit the influence of outside money. This structure will work. … It has been heavily vetted over the course of the last 3 1/2 years by the House of Representatives and it has passed three times with overwhelming majorities.”
The activists urged Lightfoot to push for an elected school board and for Cullerton to get the bill moving in the Senate. But John Patterson, Cullerton’s spokesman, confirmed that Lightfoot asked the Senate president to hold the measure so she could look into the issue.
Under Martwick’s proposal, the board would be comprised of 20 members elected in individual districts from around the city, compared to the seven appointed members currently on the Chicago Board of Education. And a board president would be elected citywide.
The measure passed the Illinois House in April but has yet to make its way through the state Senate amid Lightfoot’s reticence, according to the office of State Senate President John Cullerton.
“The mayor-elect did ask the Senate president to hold onto the bill so she can look into the issue more, so that’s the current status of the bill,” Cullerton’s spokesman, John Patterson, said Monday evening. […]
As for the timing, [Jeanette Taylor, alderman-elect in the 20th Ward] acknowledged that Lightfoot might need some time to weigh all these issues and others. However, dragging her feet could hold consequences for the mayor-elect, Taylor warned.
“She has four years in her term like everybody else,” Taylor said. “Chicago will make her answer.”
One of the reasons Lightfoot traveled to Springfield was to put a brick on Martwick’s bill (among others). She probably could’ve done that with a phone call or a meeting in Chicago, but it was a good idea to make the trip anyway.
…Adding… It’s important to remember that Rep. Martwick’s bill doesn’t take effect until 2023. That’s four years from now. There’s no reason that it absolutely must pass this month, just a few days after Lightfoot is sworn in. People really need to take a breath here.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Discussion of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax amendment has turned to the largest tax Illinoisans pay: property taxes.
Illinoisans’ property tax burdens in 1996 hovered around the national average. By 2016, they had skyrocketed to among the highest in the nation. It’s true that state funding for schools explains much of residents’ high property tax burden, but the key question to consider is: Where is that money going?
Illinois state government actually contributes a larger share of funding toward public schools today than it did 20 years ago, when factoring in pension spending. The problem is that pensions now take up more than a third of the state’s contribution to education, compared with just over 8% in the 1996 school year.
This explains why from 1996-2016, Illinoisans saw less than 50 cents of every additional property tax dollar go toward services. The primary drivers of the rise in property tax bills were pensions, other benefits and debt.
Any promises of property tax relief without pension reform are illusory.
If state lawmakers don’t address this core cost driver, they’ll face continued pressured to enact income tax hikes that do little to solve the problem.
A key component of a bill that would legalize possession and sale of marijuana for recreational use in Illinois — erasing pot-related convictions for potentially hundreds of thousands of people — may violate the state Constitution, according to the group representing county prosecutors statewide.
The bill essentially would create legislative pardons, which are illegal, said Robert Berlin, president of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association.
Under the Illinois Constitution, only the governor can issue pardons, Berlin, the DuPage County state’s attorney, told The State Journal-Register. […]
[Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago] said automatic expungements provided for in the bill would affect only past convictions.
However, the bill’s section on “future offenses” says circuit court clerks, arresting agencies and the Illinois State Police “shall expunge” twice a year the records of people found to have committed the outlined offenses as long as the cases have been closed.
Some law enforcement officials have questioned whether the bill is attempting a back-door revision of Illinois criminal law by providing for expungement of convictions for crimes that remain on the books.
I’m told the expungement section has been changed countless times and will likely be changed again. One tactic often used by opponents is to nitpick everything they possibly can. Remain calm.
Expungement is a critical part of this. We’ve always said that the language about how this gets done is a work in progress. We have been talking to the prosecutors & law enforcement from Day One. It would be more productive to stay at the table and discuss process than to do this. One thing we’re finding is that some folks are just against expungement but need a fig leaf – any fig leaf – to hide their objection to the idea.
Agreed on that last sentence.
* Meanwhile, we’ve already talked about the very real possibility that home grow will be limited only to medical cannabis patients. The Trib talked to NORML’s guy…
The executive director of the longtime cannabis activist group Illinois NORML, Dan Linn, said he would have to consult with his advisory board on how to react to such a change.
“We’d have to look at whether we’re still able to support the legislation,” he said.
NORML did support the legalization of marijuana in the state of Washington, which prohibits homegrown pot for the general population, but many other states do allow homegrown, Linn said.
“People say to pass the best bill you can and come back later to try and make it better,” Linn said. “But we’ve had significant problems with the (existing) medical cannabis program that we still have not been able to fix.”
Vigorous advocacy is a good thing. It helps keep the stakeholders honest. But, in the end, it comes down to 60-30-signature. Remember the lessons of the past four years.
After regulatory costs are covered, 25 percent of proceeds from taxes and other revenue generated from recreational marijuana would be deposited in an account dubbed the Restoring Our Communities fund, a new pot of money that would provide grants aimed at reducing violence, particularly gun violence, and increasing economic development in communities ravaged by violence, poverty and high incarceration rates. A board including legislators, former inmates, experts in violence reduction, members of community groups, officials with several state agencies and representatives from the governor’s office and attorney general’s office would decide how the money is spent.
In addition to money for the new fund, 35 percent of recreational pot revenue would go to the state general fund, 20 percent would be allocated for substance abuse and mental health treatment, 10 percent would go toward paying the state’s overdue bills, 8 percent would be sent to the state Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board and 2 percent would be spent on drug education and substance abuse awareness.
Someone is paying for a poll to test how former state Sen. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, would do against freshman Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who represents the swing suburban sixth congressional district.
Ives, a conservative, almost defeated former Gov. Bruce Rauner and Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti in the March, 2018 GOP primary, with Rauner struggling to attract Republicans while also keeping a distance from President Donald Trump.
In April, Sanguinetti announced a March, 2020 GOP primary bid in the sixth. […]
Ives was asked, “Are you interested or thinking about running for Congress in the 6th district?” and she replied, “We’ve you know, this for me it’s always been a team decision. I don’t do anything without my team supporting it and we’ve not made a decision on any race at all.”
Asked about the origins of the survey, she said, “You know, I don’t control that,” adding that she was one of the people getting a call from the polling firm.
An Ives run has long been expected by several folks in the area.
* Somebody tweeted at me about the poll the other day…
I’m a resident of IL06 and the poll asked if the candidates were Casten and Ives, who would I vote for? Then, 4 or so questions exaggerating Casten’s positions and statements and asking if I would still vote for him after knowing he supports abortion. Hell yes!
(To the best of my recollection) During the campaign, Casten took a moderate stance on abortion. Once elected he reveals himself to be vehemently pro-choice, which some people call pro infanticide. Does this make you more likely to vote for him?
“Whether it’s Evelyn Sanguinetti or Jeanne Ives, it’s clear that Republicans will be running a rubber stamp in the 6th District for President Trump’s disastrous agenda of higher health care costs and higher taxes,” said DCCC spokesperson Mike Gwin. “Illinoisans want someone like Sean Casten who will stand up to President Trump when he hurts Illinois and threatens our values – not someone like Sanguinetti or Ives who will back him every step of the way.”
President Trump lost the 6th CD by 7 points in 2016. This is a formerly reliable GOP bastion, but it’s now a swing district for the near-term at least. Casten won by 7 points last year and Gov. Bruce Rauner won by 5. Rauner won by 33 points four years earlier. Obama lost it by 8 in 2012.
This is how @GHNewsroom operates: High-profile editor gives 2-wk notice on Friday. Monday afternoon these geniuses decide to take her keys and walk her out in front of employees. Now readers have all week to be mad and cancel subscriptions. BRILLIANT. https://t.co/gFIbgyWkzi
The entire State Journal-Register newsroom walked out today in support of now former editor Angie Muhs, who was walked out of the building this afternoon by the paper’s general manager after submitting her resignation on Friday.
In an impromptu show of solidarity, the staff accompanied Muhs as she left the building for the final time. “Everyone walked out with her as a show of respect,” reporter Dean Olsen said. “We all gave her a hug and applauded for her and thanked her for the stand that she was taking. … People are crying.”
Olsen said Muhs told her staff on Friday that she was leaving partly in hopes of avoiding more layoffs at a paper that has been decimated by staff cuts. “I think her hope was, by not having her salary to pay, her hope would be that there would be no layoffs,” said Olsen, who wasn’t present when Muhs announced her departure last week. “She was a very good editor, and she tried to promote good journalism in Springfield, despite some pretty trying circumstances that she had to deal with from GateHouse Media (the paper’s corporate owner).”
Muhs declined to say what she told her staff, but she said she wasn’t expecting colleagues to walk out of the building with her. “I was very touched,” Muhs said. “I didn’t expect that. … I have tremendous respect and admiration for the State Journal-Register staff. They’re dedicated. They’re hard working. They care about doing quality local journalism, and they persevered under some really tough conditions.”
Muhs lasted five years as editor of the State Journal-Register, coming to Springfield from a media company in Maine. For the second year in a row, the SJ-R this spring was named GateHouse Newspaper of the Year for its circulation division. In 2017, Muhs was named Editor of the Year in the SJ-R’s circulation division in a company-wide contest. GateHouse Media, which bought the SJ-R in 2007 and promised “hyperlocal” coverage, publishes more than 150 daily papers and is one of the nation’s biggest newspaper companies.
The paper is down to five news reporters. Ownership laid off the longtime photo editor a couple of weeks ago.
…Adding… The company makes money, it just spends it on the top dogs…
