*** UPDATED x1 *** Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
Gov. Pritzker has promised not to be partisan in the upcoming remap, and a reform group, Change Illinois, today called on him to honor that pledge, saying in a statement that “we deserve competitive elections and an equitable democracy in Illinois.”
But if you really think Pritzker, who may have national political ambitions, is going to throw away the Democratic edge here while Republicans in states such as Indiana work to screw Democrats, you don’t know politics. I’m not sure how he’ll wiggle out of this one. But wiggle he will.
* This is the question I asked Pritzker and the other gubernatorial candidates before the primary…
Will you pledge as governor to veto any state legislative redistricting map proposal that is in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies? The exception, of course, would be the final official draft by LRB.
Pritzker’s response…
Yes, I will pledge to veto. We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map. That designated body should reflect the gender, racial, and geographic diversity of the state and look to preserve the Voting Rights Act decisions to ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
* The Question: Do you agree with Greg that Pritzker will wiggle out of his commitment to veto a state legislative district remap that isn’t independently drawn? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
bike trails
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
The governor believes it is important that all communities are represented in government and that truly competitive elections are essential for our democracy. The governor has pledged he will veto an unfair map.
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* Subscribers have the governor’s full schedule. Finke…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign the gambling expansion and capital construction bills during a ceremony in Springfield Friday.
The signings will be part of a three-day trip around the state for the governor to promote both bills.
Pritzker will sign the legislation Friday morning at the Lincoln Depot historic site, on Monroe Street near the 10th Street railroad tracks.
The gambling bill authorizes a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois, including five new casinos, slot machines at horse racing tracks, sports betting and the addition of video gaming terminals at the Illinois State Fair.
The bill also increases a number of taxes that are part of the state’s financial plan, including a $1-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax. The plan also places a tax on the wholesale price of e-cigarettes.
* Joe Bustos at the BND…
East St. Louis is slated to be the start of a tour for the governor on Friday when he touts a massive state infrastructure program.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday plans to sign the state’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital plan, a six-year program aimed at fixing roads and state facilities, among other things, according to sources with knowledge of the governor’s tentative schedule.
The governor’s office has yet to confirm the East St. Louis stop, but said it is planning events across the state.
The sources said an event is tentatively planned to take place in East St. Louis, which is slated to receive millions of dollars from the capital bill. Among the appropriations are $1 million for capital improvements in the East Side Health District in East St. Louis for urban farming and clinic services, and $2 million for East St. Louis for demolition of derelict buildings and abandoned properties.
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* Background is here if you need it. Susan Garrett at the Center for Illinois Politics…
Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller did us all a favor when he highlighted part of an NBC Chicago clip covering Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s trips to Washington, D.C. and other political destinations funded by his campaign committee.
No laws were broken here. I readily acknowledge that, but also noted in the clip that “It’s never been done before in Illinois.”
I want to put that statement into further context, as some might be scratching their heads over the fact that Pritzker’s predecessor frequently made headlines for using his own personal wealth to supplement political activities.
But Pritzker takes things a step further. I was speaking to the record-breaking $170 million that he contributed to his own campaign, and more on top of that to supplement the salaries of his top lieutenants. Add in the private jet travel, and it’s fair to say that we are watching the governor continue to keep his campaign fund flush with personal cash and use it to subsidize executive branch expenses.
But as his personal funds seep into areas of government operations, we should ask whether private wealth has a role in funding public service?
Ultra wealthy governors using private funds has become a new reality in Illinois, as predecessor Bruce Rauner also used his own money in some similar ways. But Pritzker’s practice amplifies the trend - as the use of personal funds continues to grow to higher and higher levels with more money and more ways to spend it within our state government.
Some say that subsidizing the Governor’s office with personal funds is great because taxpayers are not footing the bill for these expenses. That brings us to the question: Is there a point where we draw the line on the amount of personal wealth the state’s highest elected official uses to cover state employee salaries, luxury travel and standard operations that have, in the past, always been paid for by the taxpayers of the state?
The Center for Illinois Politics is a nonpartisan, nonprofit data-driven organization that I recently founded with former state Sen. John Millner. We are interested in taking the public debate a step further and, as indicated by the responses to the Capitol Fax blog, there are differing and strong views on this topic. We would like to take this opportunity to openly discuss this important topic by hosting a public forum in the coming weeks.
We hope you’ll join us.
Susan Garrett
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Durkin to Sterigenics: Nope
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Sterigenics, a leading provider of mission-critical sterilization services, today announced that it has applied for permits with the Illinois EPA (IL EPA) to install additional control measures at its Willowbrook facility. The control measures are consistent with upgrades proposed by Sterigenics to the IL EPA over the past several months and prior to the Seal Order which shut down operations at the facility. These upgrades would also allow the facility to comply with the new Illinois legislation for ethylene oxide (EO) emissions and would establish the Willowbrook facility as the highest emissions control environment for EO sterilization facilities in the United States.
The application seeks permits to install new equipment which would establish a permanent total enclosure through the use of negative pressure, increase the number of emission control stages, and combine existing emissions stacks into one common stack at the facility. Based on preliminary modeling, the installation of new emissions controls will further reduce the 0.1% of remaining emissions at the Willowbrook facility to minimal levels.
“By implementing these new controls, our Willowbrook facility will outperform the requirements in the recent Illinois EO law. Additionally, Willowbrook will operate with the highest control level for EO emissions in Illinois and in the country, once again demonstrating our commitment to go beyond regulatory requirements,” said Sterigenics President, Philip Macnabb. “Our focus is on acting in the best interest of the community, our employees, our customers and the patients and hospitals we serve every day. We are taking these additional steps to reassure the public while moving toward a solution which enables us to resume the critical work of sterilizing vital medical products and devices in Willowbrook for patients in Illinois and beyond.”
Sterigenics remains in compliance with legal obligations and is taking all appropriate legal actions to resume operations at Willowbrook.
* Joint statement from House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, Rep. Deanne Mazzochi and Senator John Curran…
Our legislation created the toughest restrictions and regulations on ethylene oxide emissions in the nation. Sterigenics’ poor past performance should guarantee no future permit. We do not see how Sterigenics can comply with the new law’s strict requirements to ever open its Willowbrook doors again.
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* Press release…
The Illinois State Police today announced public safety, training, and enforcement efforts, as well as implementation of expungement and regulation requirements of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. “Whether it’s misconduct regarding alcohol or cannabis, public safety and the enforcement of the law will always remain our top priorities,” stated ISP Acting Director Brendan F. Kelly. “As the laws of the state of Illinois change, the ISP will ensure our officers, forensic scientists, telecommunicators, and support staff have the necessary training and tools needed to continue to enforce the laws in place and perform their respective duties,” he concluded. Under the Act, the ISP will chair the DUI Cannabis Task Force, which is being created to improve enforcement and education regarding driving under the influence of cannabis. The DUI Cannabis Task Force will be made up of public safety partners, subject matter experts, and stakeholders, and all parties will work together to study and address concerns surrounding driving under the influence of cannabis and make recommendations to policy makers to protect public safety.
TRAINING
Illinois State Police Academy Cadets and Recruits receive training in Criminal Law, Illinois Vehicle Code (IVC), Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), and Drug Enforcement and Identification, which includes scenario based training. Incoming Fast Track Cadets will also be provided with Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training.
A large number of state police personnel are currently ARIDE certified; the ISP will work towards increasing the number of ARIDE certified and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) certified sworn employees currently on patrol. Sworn employees will also receive additional training regarding oral fluid testing and case law when this becomes a testing mechanism utilized by the ISP.
ENFORCEMENT
The aforementioned ARIDE and DRE training courses will equip sworn patrol officers with additional tools to assist them in identifying impaired drivers who are under the influence of any drug or alcohol.
The ISP is currently researching oral fluid (saliva based) testing. The ISP is gathering and reviewing feedback from other states that have legalized the adult use of recreational cannabis and are currently conducting oral fluid testing. Several states have implemented technology that has shown promise and could be effective here in Illinois. The Act provides for similar penalties for drivers refusing to submit to such tests as in the case of a driver refusing to submit to an alcohol breathalyzer. The ISP is working to implement this technology to identify driving under the influence of all drugs including opioids as soon as possible.
The ISP Forensic Laboratory System has acquired instrumentation and validated procedures to quantify blood THC levels in support of efforts to enforce DUI-Cannabis laws. This service is currently provided at the Springfield Forensic Science Laboratory. The ISP is in the process of procuring instrumentation to expand this service to the Forensic Science Center at Chicago.
EXPUNGEMENT OF ELIGIBLE RECORDS
The ISP Bureau of Identification (BOI) is currently evaluating the official state criminal history repository to identify the minor cannabis offense records that are subject to automatic expungement, or further analysis by the Prisoner Review Board. Once these records are identified, the ISP will comply with the processing and notification requirements of the Act.
ISP’s REGULATORY ROLE
The Illinois State Police currently has a Medical Marijuana Unit (MMU) which oversees and regulates the Medical Cannabis program, and was originally designed as a pilot program. The MMU will now assume the ISP’s regulatory duties for all of the cannabis programs, combining both the medical and the adult recreational use programs. The adult recreational use program will maintain the strict regulatory elements that have made the medical program a success.
The ISP provides regulatory guidance to both cannabis cultivation centers and dispensaries by inspecting all 21 cultivation centers and 55 dispensaries currently in existence on a monthly basis. Further, the ISP also inspects the transportation of medical cannabis products between cultivation centers and dispensaries on a random basis. In addition, the ISP helps safeguard the medical cannabis program by providing criminal investigation of diversion and other allegations of crimes. The legalization of the adult use of recreational cannabis will result in an expansion of duties with the addition of more cultivation centers and dispensaries, the new categories of craft growers, independent transportation providers, cannabis infusion centers (cannabis infused edibles among other items), and community college horticulture programs.
With the new law going into effect immediately, the ISP will expand the MMU to provide the same level of quality and regulation that has made the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program (MCPP) successful thus far. The ISP will develop inspection regulations for the new entities in the program and provide personnel with additional training on physical security in order to provide the proper oversight for the new cannabis entities. The ISP will also provide personnel with analytical support for the large expansion of the program, to ensure the safety and welfare of not only the patients and users of the program, but also, the citizens of Illinois and guests traveling to or through Illinois.
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* AP…
The Supreme Court says federal courts have no role to play in policing political districts drawn for partisan gain. The decision could embolden political line-drawing for partisan gain when state lawmakers undertake the next round of redistricting following the 2020 census.
The justices said by a 5-4 vote on Thursday that claims of partisan gerrymandering do not belong in federal court. The court’s conservative, Republican-appointed majority says that voters and elected officials should be the arbiters of what is a political dispute.
The court rejected challenges to Republican-drawn congressional districts in North Carolina and a Democratic district in Maryland. […]
Chief Justice John Roberts said for the majority that the districting plans “are highly partisan by any measure.” But he said courts are the wrong place to settle these disputes.
* New York Times…
The drafters of the Constitution, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority, understood that politics would play a role in drawing election districts when they gave the task to state legislatures. Judges, the chief justice said, are not entitled to second-guess lawmakers’ judgments.
* WaPo…
Justice Elena Kagan dissented for the court’s liberals. “For the first time ever, this court refuses to remedy a constitutional violation because it thinks the task beyond judicial capabilities,” she wrote.
Kagan underscored her disagreement by reading a lengthy excerpt of her dissent from the bench.
While the Supreme Court regularly scrutinizes electoral districts for racial gerrymandering, the justices have never found a state’s redistricting map so infected with politics that it violates the Constitution. Such a decision would have marked a dramatic change for how the nation’s political maps are drawn.
More here.
…Adding… Tribune…
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in his 2018 campaign pledged to veto a gerrymandered map if he received one from the Democratic-controlled legislature. He also cited his support for an independent map process and even donated $50,000 to a citizens’ initiative movement in 2014.
But with veto-proof supermajorities of Democrats in the Illinois House and Senate, Republicans were skeptical about potential action by the majority party following the high court’s ruling Thursday.
State Rep. Tom Demmer of Dixon, the House deputy GOP leader, issued a tweet that said, “Only ‘big decision’ here is whether the House and Senate Democrats will override Gov. Pritzker’s veto of a partisan gerrymandered map — which he publicly pledged to veto.”
CHANGE Illinois, which had been a leading proponent of the citizens’ initiative remap effort, issued a statement calling the court’s decision “disheartening” and looked to Pritzker to “live up” to his pledge for fair representation.
I was asked at my City Club speech last December how long I expected the honeymoon to last between Gov. Pritzker and Speaker Madigan. If I recall correctly, I said that Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown told me he figured it would last until it was time to draw the new maps.
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Slow down, Speed Racer
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As the owner of a putt-putt pontoon boat, speeding boaters is one of my pet peeves…
Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker received a warning for speeding during a weekend boating trip on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, according to his press secretary.
On the evening of June 7, Pritzker was in a boat on Williams Bay, “enjoying a weekend at the lake with his family,” said Jordan Abudayyeh in an email response to questions.
It was still light out, she wrote, and the governor was traveling at 41 mph. At 8:30 p.m., Pritzker was given a warning for his speed, she wrote, but she did not include any other details about the stop. […]
However, during weekends, which begin Friday at noon, boats are prohibited from operating on Geneva Lake at speeds higher than 35 mph during the day, according to the Village of Williams Bay boating regulations. Additionally, boats must not operate at speeds higher than 15 mph from sunset to sunrise.
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Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As you probably know, appointed Rep. Mark Kalish (D-Chicago) had pledged to be pro-choice when he took retired Rep. Lou Lang’s place. Kalish said he was planning to vote for the Reproductive Health Act and even helped organize on its behalf, only to flip-flop and vote “Present” when the bill hit the floor. Rep. Kalish held a town hall meeting this week and addressed his change of heart…
“The bill contains lots of good, in terms of what the law will do for health care providers, medical professionals, insurance companies and, of course, the women in need,” Kalish said, adding that he had worked with sponsors to correct unspecified issues with the bill.
“But as the legislation was developed, it became clear to me that my Orthodox Jewish values and beliefs were not aligned with some core components of the legislation, I had to make a personal decision based on my conscience,” said Kalish, the first rabbi in the Illinois state legislature.
* And then…
When asked his position on what’s likely to be the next abortion rights issue, elimination of the requirement that girls under 18 must inform a parent or a judge they seek an abortion, he said he expected to support such a bill.
“I’m in favor of the right of the teenager,” Kalish said.
“And we can trust this?” he was asked.
“You’ll see. I don’t know,” he said.
I’m thinking that last bit isn’t gonna go over too well.
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