Question of the day
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico…
Just five months into his term — and numerous pieces of progressive legislation under his belt — Illinois Gov. J.B. PRITZKER has proven he’s a loyal foot soldier for the Democratic Party. […]
Still, there are some places where his personal philosophy runs headlong into party practicality. Exhibit A: Rep. DAN LIPINSKI
The Illinois congressman’s firm position against abortion rights has already made him something of a pariah within the Democratic party, and turned its liberal wing against Lipinski so hard that Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Cheri Bustos backed out of a fundraiser for him this month. While Lipinski regularly finds critics and primary challengers to his left, his abortion stance hasn’t necessarily hurt him in a seat he’s held onto since 2005.
And that’s where Pritzker believes in the big-tent ethos of the Democratic Party.
“We have to look at the totality of the issues that candidates are running on,” he says. Just consider the Illinois Legislature. “There are a few Democrats who have a different position than I do, for example, on gun safety. But when you look at the totality on all the issues, where they stand on them, they’re Democrats and this is what people in their district believe that’s how they represent them.”
Pritzker says he’s not going to weigh in on Lipinski’s 3rd Congressional District race. “It’s a federal office, and I’m focused on having a state government that’s working.”
* The Question: Do you agree or disagree with Gov. Pritzker’s decision to stay out of that Democratic primary? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey services
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It’s (still) just a bill
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I didn’t realize this was a thing anymore, either…
Stephanie’s last name is Johnson. Though she no longer wants it to be, she said it’s too much work to change.
But a new law, awaiting Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature, is designed to remedy that for divorced individuals (usually women) looking to revert to their maiden names, eliminating the legal requirement of publishing a notice in a newspaper in that circumstance.
“Is that even a thing anymore? It’s completely intrusive and ridiculous that I have to publicly announce this in a newspaper,” said Johnson, a 36-year-old Aurora mother of two who has been divorced for about six years. She said she looked into changing her name a few years ago but her efforts stalled after learning the process was more labor intensive than when she changed to her married name.
After hearing a similar complaint from a divorced friend, state Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, said she was inspired to sponsor legislation to eliminate the newspaper publication requirement for divorced women so it’s more in line with changing a name with a marriage certificate in hand.
As the law stands now, a person must pay for a legal notice in a newspaper as part of the court process for changing a name. There’s an exception if the person has a court-issued marriage certificate. Castro’s legislation would also add a divorce judgment to that.
Good riddance.
But it isn’t a law until it’s signed.
* Another one…
Legislation which would have mandated diversity on Illinois’ publicly traded corporate boards quietly passed the Senate before adjournment and recently went to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his signature. Significantly altered from its original version, which would have imposed fines on violators, the law now mandates only that companies report on their websites the demographics of their board and executive team and how they are promoting diversity in the workplace. The state will also issue an annual report card.
Throughout the debate leading up to passage, one point was consistently overlooked. Corporate boards will still have the right to choose their members. The law may open doors for women and minorities, but it won’t guarantee a seat at the table. That leaves the responsibility up to the individual.
Again, it hasn’t been signed into law yet.
* Nope. Not yet…
Legalization advocates scored their biggest win of the year in Illinois, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a recreational marijuana bill into law earlier this month.
* Related…
* Reeder: With job screening, human intelligence better than AI
* Pharmacies back bill instituting state oversight of pharmacy benefit managers
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Just own it, dude
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last year…
On his latest podcast, Emanuel sat down with fellow Democrat and lobbed a few questions about the incoming governor’s Chicagoness. Emanuel asked Pritzker about his preferred baseball team, Cubs vs. Sox, and softball size — 12-inch or 16-inch.
The governor-elect said “16 inch” before offering: “Cubs … but I’m for all teams in Illinois.”
* Today…
* Also today…
That’s how it’s done, governor.
Go Sox.
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* Sun-Times…
FBI agents executed a search warrant Wednesday morning on the Far South Side ward office of Ald. Carrie Austin (34th).
The search marks the latest step in an ongoing, widespread federal investigation of Chicago aldermen.
So far, Ald. Edward M. Burke has been indicted on political corruption charges, and former Ald. Danny Solis has cooperated with the investigation by wearing a wire for the feds and secretly recording conversations. Burke has denied any wrongdoing, and Austin has not been charged with any crimes.
Ironically, Austin spent part of her morning with Mayor Lori Lightfoot at an event at Julian High School where a summer mentoring program was announced.
Lightfoot moved Ald. Austin out of her Budget Committee chairperson’s slot and replaced her with Ald. Pat Dowell.
…Adding… A little video…
*** UPDATE *** Greg Hinz…
According to a knowledgeable source close to the matter, the feds are not looking at alleged official misuse of the office as they were with Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, who has been accused of racketeering and extortion of builders and others. Rather, the current probe relates to use of campaign money, of which Austin had plenty as (until recently) chairwoman of the powerful City Council Budget Committee.
The feds specifically are examining business deals, in both the city and suburbs, involving Austin and members of her staff, my source says. The investigation has been going on “many months,” is said to be “very solid” and may yet head in some directions that have not yet become public.
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Fun with numbers
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Centre Squaer…
An economist from a nonpartisan think tank said poverty rates could climb if Illinois changes from a flat income tax to a structure with higher rates for higher earners.
Illinois’ poverty rate is about 14.3 percent, which is right in the middle of the pack of all U.S. states and territories. […]
Illinois Policy Institute Chief Economist Orphe Divounguy said research shows tax increases hurt the economy and the move to increase taxes on small businesses through a progressive income tax could increase poverty. He cited Connecticut as an example.
“The U.S. economy was booming, poverty rates were falling across the country, poverty rates actually increased in the state of Connecticut,” Divounguy said. “And 70 percent of that increase in poverty rates could be directly accounted for by the change to a progressive income tax in 1996.” [Emphasis added.]
That’s such a ridiculous claim.
Connecticut’s flat income tax rate was 4.5 percent from 1991 through 1995. The top rate (over $3,500 a year) remained at 4.5 percent when the progressive tax was put in place. So nobody’s taxes went up.
And, yes, the state’s poverty rate did increase, from 9.7 percent in 1995 to 11.7 percent in 1996, but how the heck do you put 70 percent of blame for that on a tax structure which didn’t increase anybody’s taxes?
The top tax rate was increased by a mere half a point to 5 percent in 2003, but, after some movement both ways, the overall poverty rate fell from its 1996 high to 8.1 percent that year, dropping again the following year to 7.9 percent.
A new top rate of 6.5 percent for heads of households earning more than $800,000 per year was instituted in 2009, during a global recession. The poverty rate that year was 9.4 percent. Illinois, with its flat tax, had a poverty rate of 13.3 percent that year.
* Also, the Census Bureau’s latest numbers show that Illinois’ poverty rate is 12.6 percent, not the 14.3 percent in the story.
Connecticut’s poverty rate is lower than Illinois, at 9.6 percent, even though they now have an income tax of 5 percent for heads of household income between $16,001 to $80K, 5.5 percent for earnings between $80K and $160K, 6 percent for income between $160,001 to $320K, 6.5 percent for income between $320,001 to $400K, 6.9 percent for income between $400,001 to $800K and 6.99 percent over that.
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The hollowing out of state government
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ralph Martire…
Still, don’t significant spending cuts have to be part of any comprehensive plan to resolve structural fiscal issues? Generally speaking, yes. But the truth is, Illinois has been disinvesting in core services for decades. Pritzker’s first General Fund budget calls for $27.1 billion in total spending on current services, over 96 percent of which will go to education, health care, social services and public safety. After adjusting for inflation, that’s $4.5 billion, or 14.4 percent less than what actual General Fund spending was two decades ago in fiscal year 2000, under Republican Gov. George Ryan.
The consequences of this long-term disinvestment vary by service area. Here’s one example: General Fund spending on higher education this year will be 48.75 percent less in real terms than in 2000. That cut is so significant it’s helped push the rate of growth for public tuition in Illinois over this time period past the national average by some 53 percentage points. So it should be no surprise many of our high school grads are leaving Illinois for college.
And that’s just one consequence. Real spending is also down from fiscal year 2000 levels on human services by 22.6 percent; health care by 13.9 percent; and public safety by 16.8 percent. Real spending on K-12 funding is scheduled to be $651 million higher in the current fiscal year than at the dawn of this century. That’s the good news. The bad news is overall, K-12 funding in Illinois is some still $7.3 billion less than what the evidence indicates is needed to have an adequate public education system.
Fiscal Year 2000 was our high water mark. Then came higher mandated pension costs, two world-wide recessions and the refusal by governors to raise taxes when more revenue was desperately needed.
* Related…
* Illinois’ new budget is ‘most balanced’ in decades, Senate Minority Leader says
* How much money are Illinois colleges getting in the new budget? ‘It’s definitely good news for colleges and universities.’
* Illinois Medicaid managed care reform package breeds optimism
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Lightfoot pushes back against critics
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As we discussed yesterday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is under fire for traveling to New York…
* Lightfoot defended the trip with the Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet…
Lightfoot sees some travel as part of her job.
“We’re a global city,” Lightfoot said. “From time to time I’m going to leave town to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to raise Chicago’s profile, to form relationships with people and institutions that are going to inure to the benefit of residents in Chicago.
“And you know, that’s just going to happen. And if people have a problem with that that, I’m sorry but I’m going to do that. That is, part of my responsibility is to be a fierce advocate for the city of Chicago and the residents of my city, everywhere. And that means forming relationships, and sometimes relationships can’t be formed by telephone. They actually have to be face-to-face and across a beverage or a meal. And that’s what I’m going to do. And if people look askance at that, so be it.”
The most important part of her New York visit in my view was her meeting on Monday with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Chase, besides holding a lot of Chicago debt, is putting some $50 million in programs to bolster the economies in the South and West Sides.
“And you know, I’m still a novelty to some people across the country, and I think it’s important for me, as a mayor of Chicago, as the chief advocate and ambassador for the city to let people know what we’re doing and to get to know me.
“So I met with Jamie Dimon, who’s one of the most important business people on the planet. Chase has a big footprint in Chicago. … So for me not to get to know him given the importance of Chase to the city both in terms of our financial relationship with them — but also they employ a lot of people in the city of Chicago. They’re deeply investing from their foundation and charitable work. It’s a no-brainer that I would meet with somebody like him.”
* She also met with a ratings agency…
In separate sessions as part of a three-day swing to New York City, the new mayor had what her office described as “a meet and greet” with Fitch Ratings and then sat down to talk with Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase.
The session with Fitch is one of a series the mayor is holding with large firms that can push or pan city bond issues, driving up or down the price local taxpayers have to pay to borrow money, spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said.
Thoughts?
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Two Bradys, two rhetorical approaches
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* One Illinois…
Bill Brady, the Senate minority leader in the General Assembly, lauded a bipartisan approach seeking compromise between Democrats and Republicans, but only up to a point Tuesday, declaring that a progressive income tax “must be defeated” at the ballot box in November 2020.
Brady made the remarks at the City Club of Chicago Tuesday. Saying, “It’s nice of you to invite Republicans every once in a while,” he defended the bipartisan approach he took toward compromise along with House Minority Leader Jim Durkin during the spring session in the General Assembly. […]
Brady said, “We came to the table — we didn’t seek to overturn it — to find common ground.”
Brady lauded compromises that produced additional funding for public education, senior care, and the Department of Children and Family Services. He said Republicans fought for the preservation of a controversial tax-credit scholarship program for private schools, calling the five-year pilot program “very important to us when we reformed education funding” two years ago.
He cheered the small-business reforms Pritzker agreed to, and he fully endorsed the $45 billion capital spending plan that passed.
“We knew that we needed to have an infrastructure program,” Brady said. “Illinois is in desperate need of a reinvestment in our infrastructure.”
In general, he added, “We think we were able to do a lot of good things by being at the table.”
He’s right.
* Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) took a different route to get to the same result…
Republicans beat back a slew of new state taxes this spring despite Democratic control of Springfield, a Twin City lawmaker said Tuesday.
“We negotiated (out of) a real estate transfer tax (to generate) $34 million. Bottled water tax, $19.9 million. … Streaming tax, $110 million. Rental car tax, $8 million. Car sharing tax, $3 million. Ride share tax, $200 million. Beer, liquor and wine tax at $120 million. Cable and satellite tax at $110 million,” said state Rep. Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, during the McLean County Chamber of Commerce’s “State of the State” event at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium Club. […]
“I believe the good outweighs the bad in raising the taxes we have to,” Dan Brady said. “Compromise government is far from ever perfect, but it needs to be done on behalf of the people.”
Pointing out the taxes they successfully negotiated out is a smart move. More Republican legislators who bit the tax bullet probably need to take that approach.
* It’s so easy for some to sit on the sidelines and let others do the hard work. For instance…
For Republicans in the General Assembly, though, the 2019 session was anything but a cause for celebration.
“The last four years under Gov. Rauner, we were able to stop some things because we had more seats,” said Rep. Tony McCombie, a Republican from Savanna. “And they had to have conversations with Republicans, and that’s the most important thing. I believe that that really upset them, that they lost a little bit of control, and they really are showing us and reminding us who they are, what their agenda is, and they’re really giving it to us.”
They’re giving it to them alright - to the tune of $300 million in Rep. McCombie’s case.
McCombie voted against the revenue package to fund the horizontal capital bill, even though the I-80 bridge over the Mississippi River in her district is slated for a $300 million renovation. I think that’s the second-largest bridge repair project in the state. The revamp will employ huge amounts of people from in and around her district, and keeping that bridge in decent shape is vitally important for Illinois, the nation and, obviously, her own district.
But she decided to let her colleagues take the hard votes. [Click here and scroll down to page 2 to see the project.]
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Justice Burke under fire again for appointments
Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Hispanic elected officials on Tuesday climbed aboard the bandwagon of critics unhappy about judicial appointments by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, wife of indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th).
Last week, the new chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus squared off against Burke over her appointment of a white county employee to replace a retiring black judge in a 7th sub-circuit dominated by African-Americans that includes much of the West Side.
Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) accused Burke of putting politics ahead of diversity and demanded that Burke rescind the appointment of Cara Smith, a top aide to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, a longtime political ally of Edward Burke. Smith was sworn in Monday.
On Tuesday, Hispanic politicians piled on. They complained about Justice Burke’s February appointment of Daniel Tiernan, who is white, to fill a vacancy in a 14th sub-circuit dominated by Latinos that includes Cicero, Berwyn and the Chicago neighborhoods of Little Village, Pilsen, Back of the Yards, Archer Heights and McKinley Park.
The Daley Center news conference included: newly-elected aldermen Michael Rodriguez (22nd) and Daniel La Spata (1st); Juan Morado Jr., immediate past president of the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois; state Rep. Aaron Ortiz (D-Chicago); and Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya. Ervin was in the audience.
* Daily Line…
In February, Burke recommended Dan Tiernan, who is white, to fill 14th subcircuit vacancy created by the retirement of Judge William G. Lacy. Tiernan is a former investigator with the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General and assistant state’s attorney.
“We need fair representation, especially in the selection committees responsible for filling vacancies in the subcircuits,” Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) said, adding judges should “have roots in the neighborhood… We have good candidates in our community and we need to raise them up.”
“Representation can be critical in determining outcomes in the courtroom,” Cook County Comm. Alma Anaya (D-7) said. “We cannot get to a point of true restorative justice if those deciding the fate of our communities are disconnected and not representative of us.”
* ABC 7…
“Seventy percent of the 14th Subcircuit is Latino and only three of the 11 judges are Latino,” said 22nd Ward Alderman Michael Rodriguez. “I think that is unacceptable and I don’t think any competent individual would say that makes any sense whatsoever.”
Ald. Rodriguez said subcircuits were created because the judiciary knew representation is important. He and other strongly criticized Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke’s recent appointments of two white judges in subcircuits that are primarily black and Latino. Rodriguez accused Burke and her husband, Alderman Ed Burke, of patronage.
“The person that Justice Burke appointed gave a $1500.00 donation to Ald. Burke in November, that is the kind of pay to play patronage stuff we need to get rid of,” Rodriguez said.
* WBBM Radio…
The new head of the Chicago Bar Association is adding his voice to calls for more diversity on the bench in state courts.
There have been some recent calls for more diversity on the bench in Illinois; and now Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz has just been named President of the Chicago Bar Association and he said he supports the goals.
Ruiz said it is important for people of color to see those who look like them when they walk into a courtroom with judges and lawyers. And he said the Bar Association has proven it values diversity as well.
“We now have the most diverse executive committee ever in the Bar Association’s 145 year history. We have the young lawyer section and the big bar now both headed by Latino lawyers,” he said.
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