* I have some errands to run, so you’re on your own this afternoon. Instead of a question, let’s do an open thread. Keep it Illinois-centric and please be nice to each other. Thanks.
When former @ILVetsAffairs chief Erica Jeffries announced her resignation last April, Harry Sawyer was announced as interim director. But then he quit. I did a little math, which reveals the fact that Jeffries knew about Sawyer's harassment even as he was put up for a promotion. https://t.co/t3amuMKHmf
The report also details instances of Sawyer’s alleged use of racial slurs and racially insensitive language.
In August 2017, Sawyer allegedly had been upset with an employee’s job performance, which he described as being inadequate.
“All n—–s stick together,” Sawyer allegedly said, also referring to what he allegedly called a “‘sisterhood’ of African American women within IDVA protecting each other.”
On another occasion in late 2017 or early 2018, Sawyer allegedly referred to an employee with the N-word while he berated her for not being able to fill out a travel reimbursement voucher for Sawyer “in a correct and timely manner.”
Man, the storm that would’ve hit Rauner if that guy had been appointed director. Whew. They dodged a big bullet over there.
Recently, Illinois Democrat State Senator Martin Sandoval, an outspoken critic of President Trump, was caught hosting an event where pictures were taken of a staged assassination of President Trump.
We can not and will not let this dangerous act stand. We must send the message to all Democrats that this despicable act will not be tolerated. We must defeat Sandoval next November!
Take a look at the photos that were shared on social media…
We hope you are as appalled as we are. Please help the Illinois Republican Party continue to demand Senator Sandoval’s resignation and ultimately, his defeat next November.
Will you help us stand against horrific acts like this? Will you help us send a message and defeat Sandoval?
While the secret service is aware and looking into the possible threat, we can’t only rely on that to hold Sandoval accountable for promoting violence against the President. Donate NOW to help us defeat Sandoval in next year’s election!
Your help is appreciated,
Team ILGOP
I’m thinking they’re not going to use even one thin dime of that cash to fund an opponent against Sandoval, unless they decide to back a Democratic primary candidate. JB Pritzker won the district by 53 percentage points, Hillary Clinton won it by 52 points.
*** UPDATE *** It gets even better. A sharp-eyed commenter pointed out that Sandoval is in the midst of a four-year term and isn’t even up for reelection next year. Hilarious.
The recent trip to Venezuela by a group calling itself a Chicago Teachers Union delegation has upset some union members and expats who question the point of the tour and take issue with the group’s praise of the country’s disputed government.
The four travelers, who crowdfunded the July trip under the banner of the CTU, met with Venezuelan government officials and educators, visited a commune and were featured in local media. […]
And though the four travelers regularly called themselves a “CTU delegation” online, the union representing close to 25,000 people has sought to distance itself from the trip, stating the CTU did not endorse, sponsor or fund the trip.
Asked on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” last week about “some controversy” surrounding the excursion, union President Jesse Sharkey said: “Members go all kinds of places in the summer. This was neither an official trip nor something that was funded by the union. This is a group of people who are members of the CTU who decided to go to Venezuela.”
Much of the criticism has come from a few educators in the “Members First” CTU caucus, which lost the CTU election in May that saw Sharkey regain his position as president. Members First is generally more centrally aligned politically than the current progressive CTU leadership and urges the union’s focus to remain on rank-and-file members rather than national or international political issues.
This spring, the Chicago Teachers Union Executive Board and House of Delegates each unanimously passed a resolution condemning Donald Trump and U.S. intervention in Venezuela. Resources that never seemed to find their way to our classrooms are being used to intervene in the democratic processes of other countries instead.
This blog represents the members delegation of the Chicago Teacher’s Union that are currently in Venezuela to learn from educators and activists on the ground. The rest of this week, we will be reporting on what we learn and see while we are here. We are being aided by Dozthor Zurlent (Educator) and Miguel Ángel Nuñez (Facilitator) from the Education Ministry of Venezuela.
One of those posts [retweeted by the CTU] was from teacher Sarah Chambers, a member of the CTU executive board on the trip, who wrote, “While staying in #Venezuela, we didn’t see a single homeless person. USA is the richest country in the world; yet, there are homeless people everywhere. Over 17k CPS students are homeless… This is why @CTULocal1 is fighting for fair housing #CTUAgainstVezIntervention.”
The teachers’ delegation met with leaders from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Communes, Ministry of Education, Adult Education Teachers, and students, as well as on-the-ground activists.
One important meeting was when the delegation sat down with Vladimir Castillo, the Venezuelan Director of International Affairs. They learned that Chavez started to talk about socialism in 2005, at the World Social Forum in Brazil, and that a few years after 2007 and 2008, community councils emerged as a result.
Yesterday, we had the amazing opportunity to meet with Jacobo Torres de León, the president of the Central of Bolivarian Socialist Workers. In his compelling interview, he spoke about his journey alongside President Maduro, his union brother and now Venezuelan President, and how they worked together to improve the rights of workers and unions.
Sharkey says with 25,000 members, the CTU is a diverse union, and its members are proud – they represent the union in many different activities – and he has no interest in policing what everyone says.
But more than that, he says right now, members should focus on being unified while they negotiate this critical contract.
“I would say to the people for and against Venezuela: please stop, it’s not where we need to be going right now,” Sharkey said.
“I have no interest in policing what they’re going to say. I don’t have the ability even if I wanted to do that.”
Meh. Whatever you think of Venezuela, you’d think a union could at the least publicly chastise a group that misrepresented itself on a foreign mission.
* Whenever you toy publicly with running for higher office you can raise your local public profile, but you also run the risk of prompting people in your district to start thinking seriously about running for your vacant district. Rep. Allen Skillicorn (East Dundee) did just that by teasing a congressional bid against US Rep. Lauren Underwood.
Skillicorn only fueled speculation about a possible “up or out” scenario when he didn’t raise a single dime in the second quarter and reported having only about $13K in his campaign bank account on June 30th.
He recently said he’ll announce his reelection next month at a fundraiser and then loaned his campaign $45,000 a couple of days ago.
McHenry County Board member Carolyn Schofield of Crystal Lake has announced she will run for the Illinois 66th House District seat in the 2020 primary election.
Schofield, who also serves on the executive board of directors for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), said residents of the 66th District deserve better representation than they have received over the last three years.
“The people of the 66th District have had three years of failed leadership by Allen Skillicorn and it’s time for a change,” said Schofield. “While other House Republicans have been able to get bills signed into law that directly benefit their constituents, our current Representative has burnt bridges and become completely ineffective. He’s done nothing to build relationships that provide a foundation for personal legislative success. As a result, during his three years in office he still has not written even one bill* that he’s been able to carry through the entire legislative process. The people of the 66th District deserve a representative who is committed to working collaboratively to deliver real, sustainable results for McHenry and Kane Counties.”
Schofield said Skillicorn’s recent suggestion that he may run for Congress instead of the Illinois House is a clear indicator that the people of the 66th House District may no longer be his top priority. “He won’t say which office he’s running for in 2020,” Schofield said. “While he wallows in a state of indecision, I stand committed to serving the people of the 66th District where reforms have the greatest financial impact— at the state level. High property taxes and pension debt are the biggest issue here, and those problems are solved at the state level, not in Congress.”
Schofield said she decided to run for the 66th District seat after being approached by several community leaders who felt new state-level leadership was in order. “Successful legislators build relationships, establish trust, and respect their colleagues- even when their opinions on issues clash,” Schofield said. “We don’t have that in the 66th District. Instead, we have an individual who refuses to work with local municipalities on their issues, and rails against not just Democrats, but also members from his own caucus. We don’t need an obstructionist who believes the key to success is widening the political divide. That strategy does nothing to bring taxpayer dollars back to McHenry and Kane Counties.”
Schofield said she will leverage her reputation as a consensus-builder to bring change and reform to Illinois. “Consensus on key issues in Springfield is possible when we find common ground and work together on solutions,” Schofield added. “Only then can we make real progress in addressing the state’s financial problems, improve the jobs climate, and solve the pension crisis. Most importantly, since Republicans work from a position of super-minority, only when we work together will we be able to provide real and sustaining property tax relief for Illinoisans.”
Prior to being elected to the McHenry County Board in 2012, Schofield served on the Crystal Lake City Council from 2009-2012 and on the Crystal Lake Planning & Zoning Committee for ten years, from 1999-2009. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in General Engineering with an Environmental Quality Specialization from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Skillicorn…
Perennial candidate Carolyn Schofield is once again announcing her intention to run for State Representative in the 66th District. Voters in the Republican Party will be given a clear choice between a committed conservative who is resolutely opposed to tax increases and a candidate in Schofield who has never met a tax increase she didn’t like.
She once told Kane County GOP Executive Vice Chairman Jeff Meyer that the reason she supported so many property tax increases over the years was because the voters were not paying attention. Public servants should always be on guard for the taxpayers whether they are paying attention or not because protecting taxpayers’ hard-earned money is the right thing to do.
In her announcement she says the key to solving the state’s financial problems is “consensus.” It was “consensus” that gave us a 32 percent income tax increase in 2017. It was “consensus” that doubled the gas tax this year. It was “consensus” that created the pension crisis as both Democrats and Republicans in the Springfield establishment refused to act responsibility in terms of managing the state’s pension obligations. “Consensus” is a fancy way of voicing support for the failed policies that are bankrupting our state. The Illinois General Assembly already has a bunch of tax hikers. We don’t need more. My record on taxes speaks for itself. I have and will continue to stand up for taxpayers.
Teachers will see an increase to their minimum salary under a new law sponsored by State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker.
“We’re facing a severe teacher shortage in Illinois and increasing their salaries is just one way we can attract and retain qualified teachers in this state,” Manar said. “We need to start taking this problem seriously and this legislation is a good step toward solving it.”
House Bill 2078 will increase the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 over a four year period.
Illinois had not updated its minimum teacher salary since 1980. Since that time, state statute has mandated that that Illinois school districts pay teachers with a bachelor’s degree a minimum of only $10,000.
“This is a long-needed change and I’m glad to see that both sides of the aisle came forward to support this legislation,” Manar said. “We’re showing that we value teachers in Illinois and that’s going to go a long way toward attracting qualified teachers in Illinois and convincing young people to consider a career in education.”
Under the measure, the state would update the minimum mandated salary for teachers annually over four years, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. After that, subject to review by the General Assembly, it would be increased according to the Consumer Price Index. The phase-in would look like this under the proposal:
· $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year;
· $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year;
· $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year; and
· $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year;
A coalition of mayors from mostly African American south suburbs are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reconsider a key portion of the state’s new gambling law, which they say gives the house edge to owners of a combination horse racetrack-casino over majority-black towns vying for a separate casino license nearby.
Not only would the two new full-blown gambling dens compete with one another for customers in a saturated suburban market, but the law also potentially allows the racino owners to block a traditional casino from setting up shop in the first place. That “11th hour” provision to the gaming bill only benefits “a wealthy, white track owner,” according to Matteson Village President Sheila Chalmers-Currin.
”While this proposed law appears to allow two casinos (one with a track), in fact, we all know that this will never happen, and the favored track owner will have the only gaming property in South Cook County,” Chalmers-Currin wrote in a June 11 letter to Pritzker publicly released Wednesday. “I speak for the many minorities that suspect this is all a ruse and special legislation to benefit the private racino operator to the disadvantage of the African American community and its leaders.” […]
The bill also authorized another casino located in one of the following townships: Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Rich, Thornton or Worth.
One hangup: that casino can’t be located within 35 miles of the track — effectively ruling out any of those townships — unless the track operator “has given written consent” for the casino to open there, the law says.
(230 ILCS 5/) Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. […]
(230 ILCS 5/19.5)
Sec. 19.5. Standardbred racetrack in Cook County.
Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary, in addition to organization licenses issued by the [Illinois Racing Board] on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Board shall issue an organization license limited to standardbred racing to a racetrack located in one of the following townships of Cook County: Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Orland, Rich, Thornton, or Worth. This additional organization license shall not be issued within a 35-mile radius of another organization license issued by the Board on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, unless the person having operating control of such racetrack has given written consent to the organization licensee applicant
Horse-racing advocates on Thursday shot down the incorrect claim of a south suburban mayor who said owners of a soon-to-be-licensed racino can block a standalone casino from breaking ground nearby.
But Matteson Village President Sheila Chalmers-Currin says there are still flaws in the expansion, which, as written, gives substantial leeway to one of the state’s most powerful horse-racing families. […]
The Matteson mayor acknowledged the misreading, saying she and other south suburban leaders have since “gotten some clarification on that” from state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, an architect of the casino expansion.
* Bernie asked House Republican Leader Jim Durkin about the Eastern Bloc’s proposal to kick Chicago out of Illinois…
“They’ve got interesting ideas, and I will say that if it works back in their district, good for them,” Durkin told reporters on the Illinois State Fair’s Republican Day last week. “But we know that’s not a possibility.”
Asked if the idea could damage the state, Durkin said: “If (there) was ever a chance that it could happen, it would be, but this is just political rhetoric by some members. I don’t put much stock into it and nor does anybody else.”
Asked if the lawmakers are playing a game, Durkin said: “I think they’re playing the game of re-election in an arena where it sounds good.”
“It is a vehicle to express a very real frustration with a lack of respect for our values and our way of life,” Halbrook said. “People in rural counties are tired of these far-left policies being forced on those of us who simply have a different point of view. Maybe, a formal separation won’t happen, although it has happened four times in U.S. history, but this movement is gaining momentum. The separation issue is rural America telling folks in Chicago how much they disapprove of the policies they have forced on this state. And the fact that their views are being ignored and dismissed as political rhetoric is only going to serve to fan the flames because it is another example of how rural Illinoisans are again overlooked.”
He said those who think it’s a bad idea should look for ways to show they care about concerns of rural residents, “instead of dismissing what is for many a serious idea and a serious effort to separate from Chicago.”
It is neither a serious idea nor a serious effort. Durkin nailed it.
* Would you rather read a post about former Illinois US Rep. Joe Walsh talking about running for president, or would you rather I post some videos of musician Joe Walsh’s tunes? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
A day after an explosive report revealed years of bullying under the reign of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s chief of staff, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday dodged questions about whether he’s still confident in the speaker’s leadership.
Now that a report of a toxic workplace at the Capitol is out, Gov. JB Pritzker’s glad the culture of harassment, intimidation, and bullying is now known to all.
But, he says, it doesn’t end here.
“I think we need to hold everybody accountable, and that means we need to address the culture,” Pritzker said Wednesday in Chicago after a bill-signing ceremony. “The only way to do that — you can’t just do one-time training; you can’t just announce that this is a problem. You have to be persistent and consistent about addressing it. People need to be reminded, and new people are coming to Springfield all the time.”
“The culture of sexual harassment exists in Springfield on both sides of the aisle,” the rookie Democratic governor said Wednesday at an unrelated event in Chicago. “It has been pervasive for a long time. I think anybody that’s worked in Springfield has talked about it and knows about it. And it is a very positive thing that these things have come to light.”
The report from Maggie Hickey, a former federal prosecutor and state executive inspector general under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, pointed the blame for many of the problems within the speaker’s office at his longtime chief of staff, Tim Mapes.
Mapes, who also was House clerk and executive director of the Madigan-led state Democratic Party, was ousted from his positions last summer after a staffer publicly accused him of fostering “a culture of sexism, harassment and bullying that creates an extremely difficult working environment.”
Pritzker says the report detailed “a special kind of harassment and intimidation from Tim Mapes.” But when asked if putting Mapes in positions of power reflects poorly on the speaker’s judgment, Pritzker answered it depended on what Madigan knew.
Pritzker on Wednesday refused multiple times to single out Madigan himself.
“The culture of sexual harassment exists in Springfield on both sides of the aisle,” Pritzker said. “I am counting on the speaker and the Senate president and the minority leader of the House and the minority leader of the Senate to carry out functions that will safeguard women, anybody that could be sexually harassed or attacked.”
Pritzker was asked again if Madigan had dropped the ball, presiding over a workplace culture where abuse was rampant.
“I think it’s clear on both sides of the aisle. I think everybody in Springfield, we’ve let this culture go on too long,” he said.
[House Republican Leader Jim Durkin] said Republicans have had their share of problems, but said under his leadership, employees should feel safe to come forward with complaints. He said when there have been complaints, officials have acted swiftly.
“We didn’t need an extensive investigation for us to make decisions and to take action. We will continue to do that in those situations when you get into harassment of employees, but also conduct that’s unbecoming of members,” Durkin said.
Durkin said Madigan’s future depends on House Democrats.
“I’m not going to get involved with the House Democrats and how they manage their operations,” Durkin said. “I have nothing further to say on that.”
Illinois on Wednesday became the second state to prohibit landlords from evicting tenants solely because they’re living in the U.S. illegally.
The measure Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law also prohibits landlords from reporting or threatening to report tenants’ immigration status to authorities in order to intimidate them, or as retaliation for exercising their rights as tenants, or to force them to move out. The legislation was modeled after a similar law in California. […]
Supporters said the new Illinois law was necessary because some landlords use the threat of notifying immigration authorities to keep tenants from reporting unsafe living conditions or other problems. State Sen. Cristina Castro, an Elgin Democrat and chief sponsor of the legislation, said this type of behavior was previously legal under state law. […]
Previous Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed an earlier version of the legislation last August, citing concerns that it conflicted with federal law. The new version was approved this spring with a smattering of GOP support and without formal opposition from real estate groups, which opposed the earlier attempt.
To be successful, the consultants concluded, a Chicago casino would have to be located downtown, where tourists would be likely to visit it. And even then, they said, given the “onerous” tax burden the legislature had stipulated, it was unlikely to be profitable enough to get financed.
But they had a suggestion: drop the city’s one-third revenue share, and a downtown casino could be in the hefty 20-plus percent range of annual profit that’s typical of the industry.
So here’s where we stand now: locked into private ownership, but without a feasible neighborhood location and minus the city’s one-third slice of the anticipated revenue pie. In other words, suckered into giving up the exact selling points that made the deal seem worth doing. And what are the long-term effects? Bigger profits and a prime location for the private casino owner, while the city gets some low-paying jobs likely to be offset by the social costs of a hugely expanded predatory industry.
Lightfoot, who has personal and former business connections to people in the gambling industry, says the city will go back to the legislature this fall to “fine-tune” the law (even though the expansion has already cost her all her Springfield leverage). The Illinois Gaming Board has 90 days from the time it received the study to come up with recommendations for those changes, and Union Gaming Analytics has suggested one: If the law were changed, the city could, in fact, be the casino owner, trading its one-third tax on adjusted gross revenue for any possible profits; financing the casino development with municipal bonds (thereby transferring all the risk to the public); and hiring a professional gaming company to run the operation.
For instance, the chief Senate sponsor of the casino bill, Lake County Democrat Terry Link, argues that if Chicago thinks the taxes are too high to finance a casino it can take less or offer its own inducements, maybe free land or a big tax increment financing grant.
“There’s ways they have to help developers without going to the General Assembly,” Link told me. And there’s good reason to think that the consultant’s report overstated the risk that high taxes could kill any Chicago casino, Link added. “I don’t think there’s a shortage of developers willing to go in there.”
One idea I’ve heard discussed is to cut that special [33 percent] Chicago tax. Slashing it by, say, half could increase that 3 percent operating margin to around 20 percent, making the casino financially viable, one government insider told me. […]
Revenues from the Chicago casino now are targeted to pay debt service on the governor’s vaunted new $45 billion capital program. With other revenues sources from legal sports gaming and cannabis a little shaky and possibly running short of what was projected, Pritzker will have reason to compromise, says one insider. “He’s already spent the money” on the capital program, says that source. And even if the state has to cut its taxes a bit on the Chicago casino, “He’ll still be able to tell people that the state is getting more money overall than it would have otherwise.” […]
Another wrinkle: The deadline in the law for new casinos authorized in other portions of the state to apply for state licenses is Oct. 15. But it’s possible not all of the locations will be ready by then. Which means that the legislature may have to reopen the gambling bill in its November veto session.
After settling for a deal she said she knew was bad in the first round of casino negotiations, Lightfoot will be under a brighter spotlight and be working with less leverage as she tries to revamp the agreement to Chicago’s advantage during the the legislature’s two-week veto session this fall. […]
Aside from lowering the city’s 33.3% share of the revenue, any changes to make a Chicago casino more financially feasible likely could mean creating a unique set of rules. Other casino towns get only 5% and in some cases have to split that with nearby localities.
In addition to city’s share, the Chicago casino operator also would have to pay a $250,000 application fee upfront, a $15 million “reconciliation” fee when the license is issued and up to $120 million in gambling position fees — which cost $30,000 each. The casino is authorized to have up to 4,000 gambling positions — such as slot machines and blackjack tables — with some slot machines possibly going to O’Hare International and Midway airports.
After three years, the casino would have to pay a fee equal to 75% of its post-payout revenue from its most lucrative 12-month period, minus the fees paid upfront per gaming position.
* Related…
* ‘Not a done deal’: Waukegan residents push back against casino while supporters push for proposal backed by business that fueled local elections: Like several opponents, Verratti raised concerns about the level of spending tied to Bond and Tap Room Gaming in the recent aldermanic elections and pointed to the ongoing campaign promoting a North Point Casino proposal backed by Bond and Warner Gaming. Of the nearly $400,000 donated to aldermanic candidates across Waukegan’s nine wards since December 2018, 85% came from four organizations tied to Bond or the video gambling industry, according to a News-Sun analysis of state-mandated campaign disclosure forms. Of the six candidates that received money from these groups, four won.
Today, the Midwest Region of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) celebrates Governor Pritzker’s approval of House Bill 252, which closes a loophole in Illinois law that left tens of thousands of workers unprotected against employment discrimination.
Previously, the provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act addressing discrimination in employment only applied to employers with 15 or more workers, with limited exceptions. The new law brings the State of Illinois in line with 17 other states and territories that prohibit discrimination at all workplaces, including fellow Midwestern states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Similar legislation was passed by the General Assembly in 2018, but was vetoed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on a number of factors, such as gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and more, but that protection was limited. It is an embarrassment that, until now, countless Illinoisans who have been discriminated against at work had no way to seek justice, simply because of how many coworkers they have,” said Anna Koeppel, LiUNA Midwest Region Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs. “We thank the Governor and the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Will Guzzardi and Sen. Cristina Castro, for once again standing with working people and righting this wrong. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and appropriately at work.”
A new law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker legalizes syringe exchange programs in Illinois, opening the door to an increase in operations aiming to serve a community at risk of overdoses and infection from unsafe supplies.
Currently, there are six syringe exchange programs in the state, with half located in Chicago, according to the North American Syringe Exchange Network.
“We need to be providing ways to reduce harm and making sure we’re supporting people who are dealing with substance use issues,” said Illinois Sen. Melinda Bush, who sponsored the legislation. “These syringe exchange programs continue to address the (opioid crisis) and help provide reductions in overdose deaths.”
Syringe exchange programs typically provide free needles to people who use injectable drugs, but also offer disposal services for used syringes, overdose prevention training, kits with opioid-reversing medication and referrals for additional services.
* Press release…
Making critical reforms to improve the lives of justice-involved Illinoisans, Governor JB Pritzker signed a package of legislation today expanding voting rights, civic engagement and educational and rehabilitation programming in Illinois’ criminal justice system.
“It’s a new day in Illinois – one where we not only recognize the sanctity of the vote but commit to doing everything we can to invite everyone who is eligible to fully participate. In Illinois, we understand that every vote matters and every vote counts,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois will continue to stand strong, even as our country takes a dangerous turn toward deeper disenfranchisement of minority communities. Especially as the Voting Rights Act remains gutted, especially as jurisdictions across the nation purge voter rolls and restrict registrations in college towns and communities of color, here in Illinois, we’ll do our best to live up to the ideals of our democracy.”
“These policies are an example of what’s possible when we come together in the name of restorative and transformative justice,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “I thank Governor Pritzker for signing these bills into law and working alongside the JEO to create a justice system that better reflects our values.”
Senate Bill 2090
Senate Bill 2090 expands voter access and education efforts in jails across the state. The new law takes the following steps to allow individuals to exercise their right to vote:
Directs county jails and local election officials to establish a process that allows detainees awaiting trial to cast their ballots during elections
Establishes a temporary polling place at the Cook County Department of Corrections
Directs the Illinois Department of Corrections and county jails to provide a voter registration application and detailed information about their voting rights, including notification that their voting rights have been restored, to any person in custody eligible to vote for those being released
Clarifies that for in-person voting, non-partisan poll watchers are limited to one per division within the jail, instead of one per precinct and requires in-person voting to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
SB 2090 takes effect immediately.
“Every citizen who is eligible to vote must be provided with the opportunity to cast their ballot,” said Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago). “Thousands of eligible voters who are detained before trial are systematically denied that right. Coupled with a justice system that disproportionately jails people of color, there is a clear effort to suppress the vote in communities of color across the country. This measure addresses that systematic voter suppression and shows that we value civic participation in Illinois.”
“I commend Governor Pritzker and our Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for fighting for access to the ballot box,” said Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside). “Today, we help guarantee the right to vote in Illinois for another underrepresented group. Through Senate Bill 2090, we help ensure that those being held in county jails – those not yet convicted of a crime – are given the opportunity to cast a ballot.”
I’ll post the full release on the live coverage post.
Under this proposed income tax structure, marginal rates will vary from a low of 4.75 percent to a high of 7.99 percent. It is designed to raise around $3.6 billion in new revenue to address some of Illinois’ significant fiscal shortcomings — all while reducing the income tax burden for an estimated 97 percent of Illinois taxpayers. Increasing taxes on just the wealthiest 3 percent while cutting taxes for everyone else would in fact better align state income tax burden with ability to pay. That’s because since 1979, 108 percent of all inflation-adjusted growth in income in our state — or more than all of it — has gone to the wealthiest 10 percent of earners. Which means the bottom 90 percent of Illinois workers are taking home less today than they did four decades ago.
Martire told me his group “ran an inflation adjusted analysis of the data published by the Economic Policy Institute in its Unequal States of America report for 2018” to arrive at that number.
* ProPublica Illinois has published a follow-up report to its story about how some upper-income parents have given up guardianship of their children to allow them to qualify for need-based college financial aid programs, including state MAP grants…
[A parent from a wealthy community in southwestern Lake County] said she and her husband both work, earning more than $200,000 a year, to support their two teenage sons. The family is among those who have allowed their guardianship petition to lapse following the reports about the tactic.
“Why should the kids of people who work hard and are busy every day and have no time to see their kids, why are their kids being punished?” the Lake County mother asked. “They will have to take huge loans and not be able to pay.”
Both of her sons want to become doctors. The guardianship strategy may have helped them avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, she said. That now seems inevitable.
“I don’t want to be discouraging them, but I’m looking at this and thinking, ‘I have to support them all of their life?’” she said.
She worries her sons will get “stuck doing something they don’t like,” perhaps attending community college and working in fast food if they can’t afford to become doctors.
Two years after an initial elections complaint, an Appellate Court ruled Monday former state Rep. Frank Mautino’s campaign committee further violated election codes.
The ruling stated the committee’s expenses at a bank and at a Spring Valley gas station for gas and repairs of personal vehicles were violations.
Election code states gas and repairs of personal vehicles should be reimbursed through mileage reporting, and should not exceed fair market value. Between 1999 and 2015, the campaign committee reported $225,109.19 in expenditures to a Spring Valley gas station for gas and vehicle repairs.
“Now it’s clear to any candidate in Illinois the way to handle vehicle expenses is through mileage, you can’t just fill up people’s gas tanks,” said Jeffrey Schwab, an attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, representing Streator resident David Cooke, who brought forward the appeal.
The appellate court said the Board of Elections must now consider further fines. The now-defunct committee was fined $5,000 in May 2017 by the Illinois Board of Elections for failing to produce records. The fine has not been paid, as the committee has disbanded.
Justice James Knecht wrote that evidence clearly established the committee made expenditures to a third party for gas and repairs in violation of the code.
“The board’s decision to the contrary is clearly erroneous,” Knecht wrote. “The record is not clear as to the reasoning of the four members who voted against finding a violation.” […]
Last year, Fourth District judges remanded the complaint for the board to issue rulings on Cooke’s claims.
They directed the board to amend its reconsideration order to show Mautino’s committee violated code on accounting and reporting. […]
Four Republicans [on the State Board of Elections] voted to find violations and four Democrats voted against it.
[David Cooke of Streator, who filed the complaint against Mautino] appealed again and prevailed again.
As a final matter, we recognize some members of the Board who voted against finding violations of section 9-8.10(a)(9) suggested they did so because they concluded any violation was not “knowingly” committed. On appeal, Cooke contends the evidence established the Committee committed knowing violations and the Board’s decision to the contrary is clearly erroneous. Neither the Committee nor the Board addresses Cooke’s argument. We need not address Cooke’s argument. Section 9-8.10(b) provides: “The Board may levy a fine on any person who knowingly makes expenditures in violation of [section 9-8.10] ***.” 10 ILCS 5/9- 8.10(b) (West 2014). The Board, quoting section 9-8.10(b), asserts, “If a section 9-8.10 violation is found, section 9-8.10(b) states that the Board ‘may levy a fine on any person who knowingly’ made improper expenditures.” The Board’s assertion supposes the determination of whether a person knowingly made expenditures in violation of section 9-8.10 is a determination concerning the imposition of fines that is made only after a determination of whether a violation occurred. The Committee does not address the Board’s interpretation of section 9-8.10(b). Absent any argument to the contrary, we agree with the Board’s interpretation. Having now concluded the evidence established violations of section 9-8.10(a)(2) and (a)(9), the Board on remand can address whether the violations were knowingly committed in considering the matter of fines under section 9-8.10(b).
* WBEZ has a story about a tap water study done on the city’s South Side by Virginia Tech researchers…
But the tests also showed another disturbing trend: Lead levels in many homes got higher as the water ran for up to three minutes.
In fact, the study found that after three minutes of running water, Chicago has more lead on average than Flint, Mich., during its 2015 water crisis. […]
“(T)the Chicago Department of Water Management continues to advise residents with lead service lines or fixtures to flush their water for five minutes every time their water has been stagnant for six hours or more,” Water Department spokeswoman Megan Vidis wrote in an email to WBEZ.
About 80% of Chicago homes — mostly those built before 1987— have lead service lines connected to their homes. Researchers suspect the reason lead levels rise after running the water for around three minutes is because that is when the water that has been sitting in lead service lines reaches the tap.
In response to the findings, Vidis noted the city of Chicago consistently meets “U.S. EPA standards for drinking water of 15 parts per billion.” […]
[Marc Edwards, who led the U.S. Water Study Research Team doing the tests for the study] said this low bar is unacceptable, in part because his study and others indicate that the first liter out of the tap is often much lower in lead than the water that follows.
“Everyone knows the Lead and Copper rule is not sufficiently protective and this is just a loophole — some even call it the Chicago loophole,” Edwards said. “The first [liter] draw seems low whereas the normal water people drink tends to be higher. Maybe this loophole will be closed when the new Lead and Copper rules are announced.”
Aside from causing brain damage, lead exposure has been connected to increased violent behavior.
The eruption of the #MeToo movement and companion allegations of sexual harassment in the Illinois Capitol provoked a novel idea: Maybe official Springfield should think about policing legislative misconduct.
In subsequent fits and starts, House Speaker Michael Madigan has acknowledged misbehavior in his statehouse and political realms, and has vowed to fix a sorry culture of harassment and bullying. Essentially: You can trust me. […]
Madigan responded to Hickey’s report with more platitudes: He takes responsibility for not doing enough, he’s already taken steps to improve the culture, he’s “ready to work with the other legislative caucuses to ensure that everyone has a safe workplace.”
Who knows, maybe more attempts at damage control will placate members of Madigan’s caucus, who’ll have to own Hickey’s findings throughout the 2020 campaign cycle.
Madigan’s a big boy. He should take his medicine.
But I wonder why no other legislative leader has publicly launched his own probe into any potential problems in their respective shops. Same goes for the Illinois Republican Party. Where are their admissions of shortcomings? Where are their promises to do better?
These were hardly isolated incidents.
* Related…
* March, 2018: Legislative Leaders Say They Won’t Join Madigan in Releasing List of Misconduct Allegations
…Adding… From Leader Durkin’s spokesperson Eleni Demertzis…
Hi Rich,
When the #MeToo movement unraveled under the dome, Leader Jim Durkin proactively brought in an outside firm to review, assess and evaluate our office procedures, protocols and work environment. Several employees were randomly selected to be interviewed from offices in Springfield and Chicago, and the entirety of the review lasted approximately two months.
The firm, Alvarez and Marsal, ultimately expanded the harassment section of the House Republican Staff Personnel Rules and Regulations Handbook to include a more comprehensive document for employees to turn to if they are subject to harassment. We have a zero tolerance policy of harassment of any kind.
Leader Durkin also introduced a bill to create the Illinois Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Helpline to give people across Illinois more resources to get help. The helpline went live in June 2018 and the number is 877-236-7703.
Thanks,
E
…Adding… Rep. McSweeney begs to differ…
There should be a full independent review of the operations of @jimdurkin82’s official House operation. We need to make sure there is full transparency. Durkin also needs to join me in demanding immediate release of the buried Porter report about legislator misconduct. #twillpic.twitter.com/1ztGCl2mdx
Provides that a student must be expelled for a period of not less than one year if he or she brings to school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or an activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school a pneumatic gun, spring gun, paint ball gun, or B-B gun, irrespective of the type or size of projectile that can be fired or the gun’s muzzle velocity
The bill was sponsored by Republicans Chapin Rose in the Senate and Dan Caulkins in the House. We discussed it back in March. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and only one person voted “No” in the House (Democrat Delia Ramirez).
Today I veto Senate Bill 2124 from the 101st General Assembly, which would have amended the Illinois School Code. My administration appreciates the hard work of the sponsors of the legislation in the Senate and the House. While this legislation was well intended, the School Code already equips school boards, superintendents, and administrators with the tools necessary to discipline students who bring inappropriate, potentially harmful objects to school.
The School Code authorizes school boards to expel students who bring weapons to school. It also authorizes school boards to establish policies to discipline students who engage in gross disobedience and misconduct. These policies provide authority for school districts to discipline a student who brings a pneumatic gun, spring gun, paint ball gun, or B-B gun to a school or school activity, and to tailor the punishment to the circumstances of the incident. My office is prepared to work with the bill sponsors in order to address any ongoing concerns surrounding student safety.
Our state must do everything possible to prepare students for academic success, career advancement, and civic life. Too many students are derailed during their academic careers and entangled in the school-to-prison pipeline. State law should be crafted to ensure that students are not disproportionately disciplined in a manner that affects the long-term trajectory of their success in school and life. The School Code reflects this philosophy by recommending that school officials consider forms of non-exclusionary discipline prior to using out-of-school suspensions or expulsions.
*** UPDATE *** Sen. Chapin Rose…
The governor’s office called me Friday regarding their anticipated veto of this school safety legislation. We subsequently had a good conversation with them and the Mt. Zion school district about the very real problem that exists and has occurred in their district that the current law does not adequately address. The most important thing is that school boards need flexibility to address school safety issues in these circumstances, flexibility they do not have under current law. This point was reinforced in our conversation with the governor’s staff by the Mt. Zion superintendent. This is not a hypothetical issue, this was based on a real incident. During my conversation with the governor’s office, they agreed to work with me and with the Mt. Zion School District, between now and the upcoming fall veto session, to address the very real concerns and needs that inspired this bill. I appreciate this willingness and look forward to continuing to develop this idea.
I can’t see how mandated expulsion is about “flexibility,” but whatevs.
The expulsion requirement under this subdivision may be modified by the superintendent, and the superintendent’s determination may be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
Three days after completing the roughly $2 billion purchase of rival Dynegy Inc., power producer Vistra Energy Corp. got another reminder of the struggles facing the Illinois coal plants it added to its fleet.
The region’s grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), announced clearing prices for its annual capacity auction yesterday afternoon. And the results will only fuel speculation that the company will close one or more of its Illinois plants. […]
Vistra is in the midst of an operational review of power plants to identify potential efficiencies. But, [Vistra’s CEO Curt Morgan] noted, the Illinois fleet is “challenged.”
“We’re likely going to have to retire some facilities there,” he said, adding that such a decision could come as early as this year.
Coal is becoming a less competitive energy source with cheaper options like natural gas and other renewables on the market, Vistra Energy CEO Curtis Morgan told CNBC’s on Monday.
“I don’t believe [coal] is going to have a renaissance,” Morgan said in an exclusive “Mad Money ” interview. “I think it’s on its way out.”
Vistra Energy announced Wednesday it is closing its coal burning power plants in Canton, Havana, Hennepin and Coffeen.
The company said in a statement it will retire the four power plants in order to meet new revisions to the Multi-Pollutant Standard Rule introduced by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.
About 300 people will lose their jobs in the closures. The company is working to provide services for those workers.
Vistra said it was closing the four power plants to save the other four plants it operates in Illinois. The company’s emissions in Illinois will be driven down 57 to 61 percent by the closures, getting it under the new cap, the company said. […]
State Rep. Mike Unes (R-East Peoria), who represents the area where Canton’s Duck Creek Power Station is based, pinned the blame for the closures on former Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Future Jobs Energy Act he signed into law in 2016.
* But as noted in the first story in this post, it’s not all about the environmental regulations. From a Vistra press release…
Vistra Energy (NYSE: VST) and its subsidiaries today announced the four power plants that will retire in order to meet the requirements of the recently approved revisions to the Multi-Pollutant Standard rule imposed by the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB). Without this rule change, the company’s entire downstate fleet was at risk of near imminent retirement. […]
“Even though today’s retirement announcements were inevitable due to the changing regulatory environment and unfavorable economic conditions in the MISO market, they are nonetheless difficult to make,” said Curt Morgan, Vistra’s president and chief executive officer.
Irving-based Vistra Energy will soon be the electricity provider for an industry-leading percentage of customers in competitive U.S. markets with a $475 million purchase of Dallas-based Ambit Energy.
Vistra announced the cash deal Tuesday and said its share in Texas alone will grow to one of every three residential consumers. Nationally, Vistra will have 26% of customers in competitive markets.
…Adding… From comments…
Let’s not ignore the fact that this is exactly what they asked for.
They worked hand in hand with Rauner’s EPA to rewrite pollution rules that allow them to shut down their cleaner-burning plants and use their dirtier plants more.
JB’s EPA made some slight changes to the rule, but in effect, Vistra got EXACTLY what they wanted.
Now they are blaming the Governor for shutting down the plants?
That’s fresh.
…Adding… Sen. Andy Manar…
Closing down the cleanest coal-fired power plant in the world makes zero sense. Today, Vistra, the Illinois EPA and Pollution Control Board together failed the environment.
Shame on the Pollution Control Board for not doing its homework and allowing this to happen. If power plants are to be closed, the worst polluters should close first.
In addition, the economic loss related to this closure cannot be fully realized today. Hard-working, middle-class families have had their lives turned completely upside down. Our singular goal in the coming days and weeks should be to help these families through the economic crisis that Vistra set into motion today.
I remain puzzled as to why an out-of-state power company would purchase power plants solely for the purpose of shutting them down. From all outward appearances, Vistra is using Illinois’ Multi-Pollutant Standard Rule (MPS) as an excuse to set into motion something they always intended to do.
If that rule was truly intended to reduce emissions, this move stands in stark contrast to that goal.
…Adding… Sen. Dave Koehler…
I am incredibly saddened by the announcement that Duck Creek will close. The hardships that the workers at this plant will endure cannot be understated. They are not statistics or lines on a balance sheet. They are human beings, and I stand committed to working with the governor’s administration in Springfield to bring much needed economic support to both their families and the rest of the Fulton County community.
The fact is the current business market for coal-based energy is simply no longer sustainable. As we transition to an energy economy that focuses on limiting emissions, we must be proactive in helping those communities that this will adversely effect.
…Adding… Sierra Club Illinois Director Jack Darin…
“Vistra’s announcement today is exactly what the company and Dynegy have stated it has wanted to do over the last couple years in pursuing revisions to Illinois’ Multi-Pollutant Standard: secure greater ‘flexibility’ in meeting less stringent, state pollution limits, so that the company can retire less polluting plants and continue running dirty plants.
“This aging fleet has changed corporate hands three times in the last several years and instead of responsibly investing in modern pollution controls and long-term plans for our Illinois’ workforce, Texas energy corporations have routinely sought delays from state regulators in reducing pollution and have chosen to abruptly shutter units it knew were risky investments upon purchase. While these companies repeatedly claimed financial hardship it has simultaneously brokered expensive deals and lucrative mergers for Houston shareholders.
“We are concerned about the workers and communities impacted by these announcements. It is increasingly urgent that the State of Illinois put plans and programs in place that provide job opportunities and new economic development for those impacted, and that they are prioritized for all the benefits the clean energy economy can deliver. The Clean Energy Jobs Act (SB2132/B3624) will provide a framework for that transition, and we urge the General Assembly to consider and approve it in their fall veto session.”
…Adding… IL Clean Jobs Coalition…
Long before JB Pritzker was elected governor, Vistra CEO Curtis Morgan went on CNBC on April 16, 2018 and promised higher stock dividends and said coal ‘is on its way out.’ The year before, in 2017, the company’s Dynegy division asked the Rauner administration for the rule that made it easier and more profitable for the company to close the four plants they announced today. Because Texas-based Vistra puts its shareholders first and intends to cut and run on local Illinois communities, we must act to protect the people who will lose their jobs and communities that will lose the property tax revenues that fund their local schools, police and fire services. The Clean Energy Jobs Act is the only legislation designed to help these struggling communities, not out of state polluting companies, by creating new jobs, replacing tax revenue and supporting workers affected by plant closures.
