Gonzales plans to appeal
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Attorneys for Jason Gonzales say they plan to fight a federal judge’s ruling to dismiss a lawsuit that accused Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan of putting “sham” candidates on the 2016 ballot. […]
But Gonzales’ attorney Tony Peraica on Monday said he plans to file a motion to reconsider the dismissal — while also vowing to file a motion with the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals should that move fail.
“We are very disappointed by the court ruling. Illinois voters were defrauded by Madigan and his crew who got away with violating federal laws,” Peraica said in an email to the Sun-Times. “We will move to reconsider court ruling. If our motion is denied, we shall appeal.”
* I reached out to Peraica and asked which federal laws had allegedly been violated. His response…
The Civil Rights Act, Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution, and the Voting Rights Act. Specifically, 42 U.S.C. 1983 and 42 U.S.C. 1985.
42 U.S.C. 1983 is the Civil action for deprivation of rights. 42 U.S.C. 1985 deals with Conspiracy to interfere with civil rights.
* Courthouse News…
“The price of political dirty tricks must be collected at the ballot box, rather than the courthouse,” the Seventh Circuit ruled last year in Jones v. Markiewicz-Qualkinbush.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly relied heavily on Jones in his Friday ruling clearing Madigan of liability for questionable tactics used in his 2016 re-election race. […]
“Under Jones, the Court may not appropriately second-guess the voters’ choice ‘without displacing the people’s right to govern their own affairs and making the judiciary just another political tool for one faction to wield against its rivals,’” Kennelly concluded.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Confederate Railroad’s Facebook page…
CONFEDERATE RAILROAD DECLINES COMPENSATION FROM DU QUOIN FAIR
The Band Rejects Payment Due to Its “Guiding Principles”
Nashville, Tennessee (August 27, 2019) — ACM Award-winning and CMA Award-nominated country band Confederate Railroad continues its trek across the United States in support of its “Lucky To Be Alive” Tour that will conclude this December.
Drawing national attention, this tour has not been the smoothest for the band. As Associated Press reported on August 6, 2019 — Confederate Railroad was dropped from the performing talent lineup at the Du Quoin, Illinois Fair 2 months after being secured for the show. Read here: https://loom.ly/T4LRhLU
Concerning the band’s decision to decline compensation from the Fair, the three decade-old band has released the following statement via its founding member and lead singer Danny Shirley:
“On June 24th, 2019, the Du Quoin State Fair agreed to pay us in full. We contemplated the proper use of this money. The band agreed we should give it to a charitable organization that directly benefits the people of Southern Illinois. Those “tax dollars” (https://loom.ly/qHl7vLY) belong to the people of southern Illinois, and to see some good come from it seemed like the best solution. On July 19, 2019, we received a multi-page conditional legal release in order to obtain that payment.
After months of being referred to as promoters of hate and racism, without one individual stepping forward to cite any such personal occurrence - ever- and 30 years of performing to the contrary: I simply cannot and will not accept this money that requires their conditional Settlement Agreement and Release. Hopefully, they will be guided to put that money back into the region, as we intended to do.
We’ve fulfilled the conditions twice previously with performances at this fair. The offer was submitted from the fair on April 17, 2019, and a contract was sent shortly thereafter. Then, on June 4th, the fair requested a proposed announce date of June 17th and proceeded to advertise.
I’m forever grateful and humbled by the people of southern Illinois and your words of encouragement are deeply felt. A decision was made for you—one intended to mute your voices and cause you to question your morals. Never apologize for thinking for yourself or let anyone shame you out of your own common sense.
Our track now leads to Black Diamond Harley in Marion—see you in 10 days.”
The state was supposed to pay the band $7,500.
* The Question: What should the state do with this $7,500 refund?
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SLAPP ‘em down
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the subscribers-only Capitol Fax on May 21st…
Back in February, a LaSalle County judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) against his 2018 general election opponent Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa). Rep. Yednock won the race, but Long claimed a Yednock ad defamed him for claiming he was being investigated for sexual harassment.
The problem with Long’s suit, Judge Eugene Daugherity pointed out back then, was that Long told reporters last fall that the House Republicans were looking into a sexual harassment claim. The House Republicans, you will recall, walked away from Long’s Tier One campaign after a staffer lodged a private complaint against him.
Rep. Yednock claimed throughout the lawsuit that Long was illegally using the legal process to retaliate against him for participating in the democratic process. Illinois has a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation Statute (SLAPP) on the books, although courts have watered it down over the years.
After the case was dismissed, Yednock pursued Long for his attorney’s fees. Last week, Judge Daugherity cited the SLAPP statute in awarding Yednock nearly $17,000 in attorney’s fees to Yednock.
Hopefully, this ruling will chill some of these campaign-related lawsuits that are becoming all too common.
* More goofy lawsuits bit the dust last week…
On Wednesday, a Kane County judge threw out a lawsuit brought by two failed McHenry County Board candidates, Ersel Schuster and Orville Brettman, who had filed a defamation suit over campaign literature opposing them in 2018. The flyer was financed by a “dark money” group called the Illinois Integrity Fund, which has ties to County Board Chairman Jack Franks.
But the judge ruled that the facts on which the flyer’s claims were based – that an online threat against Franks had been traced to a computer at Schuster’s home, and that Brettman had been a party to violent acts in the 1970s with a group called the Legion of Justice – probably were true.
The allegations against Schuster and Brettman had been recorded in public records and reported in the Northwest Herald, among other news outlets. They were public knowledge.
On Friday, two additional County Board candidates who had filed lawsuits – Chuck Wheeler and Michael Rein – withdrew their suits against the same group and agreed to pay the Illinois Integrity Fund’s lawyer fees.
* The judge ruled the lawsuit was in violation of Illinois’ Anti-SLAPP laws…
In a joint lawsuit filed Feb. 19, Schuster and Brettman alleged the flyers wrongfully accused them of having histories of “criminality and hate.” The flyers referenced news articles reporting Brettman’s alleged ties to a paramilitary group called the “Legion of Justice,” and a police investigation tied to an online death threat that was traced back to Schuster’s home. […]
Last year, an apparent online threat against Franks’ life led police to Schuster’s home, where officials say the IP addresses associated with the comment originated. […]
According to the transcript from Brettman’s 1975 testimony before a Cook County grand jury, the former Carpentersville village president and police officer was involved in a right-wing extremist group that was responsible for several raids and the bombing of an Elgin church.
If you don’t want somebody sending out mailers about your sordid past, don’t run for office. And, for crying out loud, don’t sue when you’re busted. It’ll cost you.
* Meanwhile, this motion was filed in February…
Respondent in Discovery, BETH QUINN, (”Respondent”) request that this Court dismiss Plaintiff David Krupa’s Complaint under 2-619(a)(9) of the Code of Civil Procedure and the Illinois Citizens Participation Act (735 ILCS 110/15). In support, Respondent states as follows:
Plaintiff is an aldermanic candidate running against Respondent’s husband Alderman Marty Quinn. On February 1, 2019, Defendants the Chicago Teachers Union (“CTU”) and Jeanine Muir (“Muir”) published a letter describing harassing conduct committed by Plaintiff (the “Letter”). The Letter stated that Plaintiff “demonstrates complete disregard for women and a pattern of judgment that disqualifies him from holding public office. I respectfully request that you do not vote for Mr. Krupa in the upcoming municipal election.”
In this lawsuit, Plaintiff is suing CTU and Ms. Muir for alleged defamation over statements in the Letter. Even though the Letter contains no indication that Respondent had any involvement whatsoever in its publication, Plaintiff also named Respondent as a respondent in discovery, purely speculating that Respondent must have been somehow involved, yet failing to allege any specific facts to support such speculation. Plaintiff’s Complaint also does not claim that this Respondent, or any of the other named respondents in discovery, made any other allegedly defamatory statements.
Plaintiff’s lawsuit is nothing more than an abuse of the judicial process to: (1) attempt to stifle Respondent’s’ First Amendment rights in the weeks leading up to the Chicago municipal election; (2) retaliate against Defendants Chicago Teachers Union and Ms. Muir for opposing his candidacy: and (3) to baselessly name Respondent in a blatant attempt at harassment, since she is the wife of Alderman Quinn, his election opponent, in order to attract media attention to himself. This lawsuit is clearly nothing more than a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (“SLAPP”) that must be dismissed under the Citizen Participation Act (“the Act”).
The judge has not yet ruled on the SLAPP motion, but on August 12th he dismissed the complaint against Mrs. Quinn. The plaintiffs are, however, expected to refile.
…Adding… I was looking for something else and found Beth Quinn’s statement at the time the motion was filed…
I was shocked and disturbed by the allegations Tony Peraica leveled at me. I am not involved in politics but was inappropriately dragged in through a ploy to attack my husband. I don’t want to be involved in this fight, but I also will not stand by while my reputation is attacked. I am hopeful the judge sees this situation for what it is - Tony Peraica enabling David Krupa, a known aggressor and bully of women, and not a legitimate complaint against me.”
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* Press release…
Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly M. Foxx and Code for America today announced a cutting-edge partnership to use Clear My Record technology to automatically seal tens of thousands of eligible cannabis convictions in Cook County under a newly passed Illinois law.
Signed into law in June, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act will provide relief to tens of thousands of Illinois residents. Cook County is the first county outside of California to take part in Code for America’s Clear My Record program to help government automatically clear convictions eligible for relief under the law. By providing proactive and automatic record clearance services, Illinois has an opportunity to address the wrongs caused by the failed war on drugs, felt most acutely in communities of color, and fulfill the promise of the reforms aimed at remedying the legacy of mass incarceration in Illinois.
“The technology and innovation made possible through our partnership with Code for America will help us provide broad and equitable conviction relief for tens of thousands of people while ensuring that more of our time and resources can be used to combat violent crime,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. “This partnership is one of many steps Cook County is taking to leverage technology in order to better serve our community and bring our criminal justice system into the 21st century.”
“Code for America’s partnership with Cook County expands our Clear My Record program to a second state and further proves that justice can happen at the scale and speed we know is possible in the digital age,” said Jennifer Pahlka, Founder and Executive Director, Code for America. “Thanks to the leadership of State’s Attorney Foxx, we’ll provide conviction relief expeditiously, at reduced cost, and in bulk in Illinois, and help tens of thousands of individuals get a fresh start. And we’ll continue to show that government can work as it should for all people, when we bring government into the 21st century.”
The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act
Illinois recently legalized the sale and use of recreational marijuana and created an opt-in process for the Illinois Attorney General and State’s Attorneys to clear convictions in their jurisdictions. Now, State’s Attorneys can receive a list of eligible convictions from the Illinois State Police to review and grant relief by submitting those eligible convictions to the courts for final approval.
Record Clearance for the Digital Age
With the aid of Code for America’s Clear My Record technology, an office can automatically and securely evaluate eligibility for record clearance by reading and interpreting conviction data in just a few minutes. This requires no action on the part of the individual and greatly reduces staff time and resources — two obstacles to record clearance. Streamlining conviction data processing also will make it easier for courts to update records, ensuring that individuals can obtain relief as soon as possible.
By rethinking the clearance process from top to bottom and using digital tools to examine criminal record data, this partnership will create a statewide technology and policy blueprint in Illinois.
This partnership demonstrates a growing momentum for automatic record clearance across the nation. It builds on recent announcements that Code for America’s Clear My Record technology is helping counties in California dismiss and seal more than approximately 75,000 cannabis convictions. Once this pilot is completed, Cook County will share its findings with the state and other Illinois counties.
Code for America has been making it easier for people to remove eligible convictions from their records through their Clear My Record technology since 2016. Code for America has set a goal of clearing 250,000 eligible convictions nationwide by the end of 2019.
* Sun-Times…
So far, the software has been used to identify at least 67,000 convictions in four California counties, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to Code for America. After a final county is brought into the pilot program, Code for America will release an open source toolkit that will help California’s 53 other counties expunge their own convictions.
“We hope it’s part of a larger agenda that gets people to challenge the conventional thinking about how our government can work,” Pahlka said.
Foxx said Code for America was offering its services at no cost to the county, but taxpayers will have to foot the bill for mailing the notifications and other administrative costs.
* CBS 2…
Foxx said in a news conference Tuesday that the process would begin with newer convictions and move back to older convictions.
The process will not require any intervention by the person affected, Foxx confirmed.
Foxx was a crucial part of the effort to pass legalization. She was able to assure black and Latinx legislators that the expungement provisions were real.
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New laws
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation today that works to increase diverse voices on corporate boards across the state.
“As a result of this legislation, in the coming years, both the legislature and the public can review the gender, racial and ethnic makeup of the governance of large businesses that call Illinois home,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Better diversity among leadership leads to reduced turnover, increased growth and improved market share. That’s good business, and it advances my vision of an Illinois where both businesses and working families thrive.”
The new law directs publicly-traded companies headquartered in Illinois to submit an annual report to the Secretary of State’s Office on the representation of female and minority board members in the company and their practices for identifying and appointing diverse leadership to their board.
The University of Illinois systems will then study the demographic makeup of boards across the state and establish a rating system for those businesses in an effort to increase diversity in corporate leadership.
Beginning in 2021, reports from corporations will report to the Secretary of State’s Office by January 1 each year, and the U of I will publish its analysis by March 1 of each year.
House Bill 3394 takes effect immediately.
“I introduced this bill and feel so passionately about this issue because there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about creating a brighter future for my children,” said Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside). “I am committed to fostering a business environment that offers the same opportunities for my son, daughter, and all women and people of color that are afforded to their peers.”
“With this new law, we will be able to pinpoint the corporations who aren’t diversifying,” said Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Centreville). “Illinois is a very diverse state, and boards should reflect the diversity of its employees, consumers and community.”
* Public Radio…
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law Monday that expands insurance coverage of mammograms.
Previously, insurance companies only had to cover the initial “screening” mammograms that check for cancerous tissue. Under the new law, insurance must now cover any follow-up mammograms that scrutinize the body in more detail. Pritzker says this extra coverage is essential.
* Chalkbeat…
Illinois abolished its charter commission on Friday, the body reviled by school districts but valued by charter promoters for offering a recourse to local disapproval of school proposals.
As widely expected, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1226 into law, close to the deadline for him taking action. The bill will dismantle the commission by July 1 and will hand off oversight of 11 schools, which the commission previously approved, to the state Board of Education next summer.
The state board will take over the responsibility of hearing appeals on charter school openings, closings and extensions. The state also will dole out funds it had collected to oversee the schools that the commission had approved. Once the state board takes over the commission’s role, the board will be able to levy a 3% fee on any state-approved charter school to help cover the cost of oversight. […]
Until Pritzker signed the bill, [Shenita Johnson, director of the commission] had held out hope that the governor would veto it. She said she was used to uncertainty, because the commission has long been a lightning rod for criticism from charter critics and districts that don’t want their decisions overruled — both of whom have sought to eliminate the body.
* Other new laws…
* New Illinois laws take aim at high maternal death rates, racial disparities: Illinois is taking steps to combat troubling maternal and infant mortality statistics after one lawmaker was moved to action by a series of reports which showcased the state’s and country’s maternal health shortcomings, particularly among African-American women.
* New law allows craft distilleries to skip distributors, sell limited amount of product to bars: Under the measure signed into law Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and effective immediately, distilleries producing up to 50,000 gallons of spirits annually can bypass liquor distributors and sell and deliver a maximum of 5,000 gallons. The law also allows “still pubs” to sell the booze made in-house and other alcoholic beverages, similar to how breweries can sell wine.
* Worker protection unit formed in attorney general’s office: The law gives the attorney general’s office express authority to investigate and file suit against employers who violate the Prevailing Wage Act, the Employee Classification Act, the Minimum Wage Law, the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act and the Wage Payment and Collection Act.
* Illinois Municipal League pushes pension consolidation talks as budget pressures mount: Cole said he wants lawmakers to address the issue during the six days they are in Springfield for the fall legislative session in October and November. The Illinois Municipal League has proposed a consolidation of public safety pensions funds to resemble the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, “which is the second-largest and best-funded pension system in the state,” according to a fact sheet the league produced.
* Pension Loophole Closed: The loophole allowed several Lake County Board members to draw their Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pension while still serving on the county board. The new law requires any county board member or elected local governmental official to forfeit their salary at the beginning of their next term if they are receiving pension benefits for service as a county board member or elected officer.
* New law allows craft distilleries to skip distributors, sell limited amount of product to bars: Similar to small breweries and winemakers, Illinois’ craft distilleries are now allowed to sell a limited amount of products directly to bars, restaurants and retailers under a law that was sparked by a suburban state senator. Under the measure signed into law Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and effective immediately, distilleries producing up to 50,000 gallons of spirits annually can bypass liquor distributors and sell and deliver a maximum of 5,000 gallons. The law also allows “still pubs” to sell the booze made in-house and other alcoholic beverages, similar to how breweries can sell wine.
* New law extends insurance coverage for those with Lyme disease: The bill, sponsored by 74th Dist. Republican State Rep. Daniel Swanson, will require private-pay insurance to cover the medical costs associated with Lyme disease. “Lyme patients once they are coded as being a Lyme patient once treated with those 21 days of antibiotics their insurance will stop paying for their Lyme coverage. So we thought ‘we have to do something’,” Swanson said.
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Separatist roundup
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WSIL TV…
The idea of southern Illinois separating from the city has been around for decades but in March, Jefferson County residents will be asked about it in the next election.
Randy Edwards, vice chairman of the Jefferson County Board, doesn’t like how Chicago guides the political agenda in Illinois.
“I feel like the people of southern Illinois aren’t being properly represented due to us being so outnumbered by Cook County. Their values are different than ours. We look at things differently than they do,” Edwards said. “I can’t see where Cook County values are what we need down here.”
The ballot question is only an advisory referendum, meaning a yes or no vote wouldn’t actually change anything.
* Meanwhile, let’s go back a few weeks…
The resolution, which could be dismissed as simple political maneuvering — plays big at home, but has scant chance of seeing daylight in the legislature — is also backed by several grassroots groups agitating for separation. Illinois Separation, founded by Collin Cliburn, of Athens, has 24,000 followers on Facebook, and growing. Cliburn is also holding events at venues around the state through August and September to capitalize on the cause’s momentum. […]
Across the state on the same Saturday in July, Illinois Separation’s Cliburn is meeting with another group of like-minded individuals. He is planning a run for state Senate based on the separation platform, and is meeting with other people interested in getting separation-minded candidates to run for office.
* Bernie followed up…
I reached out to Cliburn, and it turns out his eye is on the 44th Senate District, now represented by Senate GOP Leader BILL BRADY of Bloomington. However, Brady is in the middle of a four-year term, so he won’t be up for re-election until 2022. By then, the 2020 Census will be done and new legislative maps will be drawn. So it can’t be said with certainty that Brady and Cliburn would even be in the same district for that race.
Hilarious.
That Tribune story was truly full of ridiculousness.
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Sponsor thanks governor for vetoing his bill
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Monday press release…
State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), issued the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed his legislation changing rules for court reporters:
“Today, at my request, Governor Pritzker vetoed my Senate Bill 2128, a bill intended to improve the practice of court reporting in Illinois.
“After the bill passed the General Assembly, I became aware of consequences unintended at the time that would be very disruptive to pending litigation and the practice of trial law if the bill became law.
“I’ve invited all of the affected stakeholders to join in a conversation about the legislative effort, and I look forward to working with them all to produce an even better bill.
“I’m grateful to the governor for his action today, which both avoids those unintended consequences and puts all of the stakeholders on an even playing field as we restart negotiations.”
That’s a pretty unusual press release, so I asked Harmon about his bill’s unintended consequences.
Sen. Harmon said there are three types of court reporters. The old fashioned stenographers and newer reporters who are called verbatum or voice writers who repeat everything into a recording device.
The third category is even newer, and Harmon wasn’t aware of those folks. They make a recording, then send it off to be transcribed. The bill was an agreement between first two types of reporters, but, Harmon said, the final product “worked to the detriment” of the third category. Lots of lawyers had transcripts that couldn’t be used if the bill had been signed.
So, it’s back to the drawing board.
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* Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaking today at the IBEW Local 134 Membership Development Conference…
In this state, we do have significant challenges with our pensions. Unfortunately, decisions that were made by people who stood in my office for years, people at the state level, they didn’t make sure that your pensions were secure.
But pensions are a promise. And I know that again from my upbringing. When you work hard and you struggle, in particular when you’re doing work as a government employee, you have a right to expect that the work that you have done is going to be rewarded at the end of your working life with a pension that pays you not just a living wage, but a comfortable retirement that you can build on.
That’s under siege, unfortunately, in our city and our state. But the one thing that I will make sure that I do as mayor of this city is I will make sure that we live up to the promise that we have made to working men and women. Because pensions are absolutely a promise and I’m not going to do anything to ever allow those pensions to be endangered.
But that means we have some tough decisions to make and we’ve got to do that in partnership together. I will be calling upon Don and other members of organized labor to partner with us to finally make the structural changes that are necessary to make sure that our pensions are secure and that no one has to worry that they’re not going to have their pension at the time of their retirement.
Thoughts?
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* Monday press release…
The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today filed a complaint in federal court against the Illinois Secretary of State’s (SOS) office and Secretary Jesse White to address language in an official form stating that when an individual has his or her picture taken at a SOS facility while wearing a kufi (religious skullcap) or hijab (religious head covering), they may not remove their religious headwear in public or else they risk having their driver’s license or ID cancelled.
Specifically, the form states:
“In observation of my religious convictions, I only remove my head dressing in public when removal is necessary (such as for a medical examination or a visit to a hair dresser or barber). I do not remove the head dressing in public as a matter of courtesy or protocol (such as when entering a professional office or attending a worship service). I acknowledge that if the Director of the Driver Services Department is provided with evidence showing I do not wear a religious head dressing at all times while in public, unless circumstances require the removal of the head dressing, my driver’s license or identification card may be canceled.”
CAIR-Chicago’s lawsuit seeks to prohibit the continued use of the form by the Secretary of State since such matters are to be reserved for the religious beliefs of each individual applicant. The form violates the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the First Amendment (through Section 1983), which prohibits religious discrimination by governmental agencies. CAIR-Chicago’s client, who wears a hijab, was forced to sign the form, or she would have been denied a license.
“The State should not be in the position of forcing people to choose between acquiring a necessary form of ID or a needed driver’s license and the free practice of their religion,” said Phil Robertson, Litigation Director for CAIR-Chicago. “There are a host of instances in which religious headwear may need to be removed while in public, and people should not be concerned that doing so will jeopardize their future ability to drive. With the upcoming Labor Day Weekend, the least our clients should have to worry about is their licenses being voided.”
The complaint is here.
* Sun-Times…
Part of the issue is that a person might temporarily remove their religious head covering in public for a reason the Illinois rule does not consider an exception. Those instances include medical duress, excessive heat or simple discomfort, the lawsuit states. […]
Secretary of State Jesse White’s office did not reply Monday evening to requests for comment.
The rule in question is Illinois Administrative Code Title 92, which states driver’s photographed with head coverings must sign an “acknowledgement that, if the Director of the Driver Services Department obtains evidence showing the driver does not wear religious head dressings at all times while in public, unless circumstances require the removal of the head dressing, the driver’s license may be cancelled.”
The rule does allow a driver to remove a “head dressing in public when removal is necessary (such as for a medical examination or a visit to a hair dresser or barber).”
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An overlooked aspect of gaming expansion
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Just six pages of the state’s hefty new 816-page gambling law are devoted to the nascent lottery sports pilot. It’s limited to parlay wagers, meaning bettors pick the outcomes of multiple games as part of the same bet, and have to get each one right to win. […]
In the Illinois version, gamblers will place their bets at electronic kiosks placed in up to 2,500 retailers that are authorized in the first year of the pilot. An additional 2,500 retailers will be eligible to join the action in the second year. If they all take part, that comes out to about two-thirds of the nearly 7,400 lottery retailers currently spread across the state.
Before any of that, the lottery will put a whopping $20 million master license out for competitive bids, for a company to install, operate and maintain the betting kiosks through a central network system.
Like the state’s traditional sports-betting industry — for which regulations are still being hammered out by the Illinois Gaming Board — lottery officials say they don’t have a timeline for when the pilot could launch. They still have to draft rules governing the sports that can be bet on, wager amounts and parlay sizes, among other things.
* Related…
* Will Sun-Times Sports legend Bill Gleason be proven right about parlay cards — 43 years later?
* What Is Parlay Betting?
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Today’s must-reads
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ProPublica Illinois and NPR Illinois…
Since last year, allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct have surfaced against three professors and an administrator at the University of Illinois’ flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign. In each instance, the public wasn’t told by the university until news organizations or others brought the allegations to light.
A review of public records by NPR Illinois and ProPublica revealed three additional, previously unreported cases in which professors facing similar allegations were allowed to quietly resign or remain on the payroll in lieu of being fired.
Some of the employees accumulated multiple complaints over a period of years. Here’s a breakdown of the cases reviewed:
Go read the rest.
* “At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Preserving the Reputations of Sexual Harassers”…
By the time officials at the University of Illinois’ flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign found that an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine had engaged in sexual harassment, three women had come forward to raise concerns about his behavior.
All three said he had showed up at their homes uninvited.
Though the professor, Valarmathi Thiruvanamalai, denied doing anything wrong, the university office that investigates harassment and discrimination claims ruled against him. “When three different complainants, who have no prior relationship and no significant commonalities other than the lab in which they work, all assert the same type of interaction, one must question Respondent’s credibility and honesty in responding to the allegations,” a specialist in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Access wrote in February 2015 following an investigation. She recommended that Thiruvanamalai face discipline and possibly termination.
Instead, the university took a series of steps that helped keep Thiruvanamalai’s reputation intact.
Go read the rest.
* Related…
* Experienced Sexual Misconduct at an Illinois University or College? We Want to Hear From You
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* Tribune editorial…
A Sangamon County circuit court judge is expected to decide soon whether to allow an unconventional lawsuit that challenges Illinois’ borrowing habits to proceed.
We’ll cut to the chase: We hope Judge Jack Davis Jr. allows the case to move forward. Why? About 244 billion reasons. That’s how many dollars the financial watchdog group Truth in Accounting estimates Illinois taxpayers eventually will owe due to unfunded pension liabilities, health care obligations and unpaid state bills. The debts have piled up over decades but accelerated since the early 2000s, dragging the state’s credit rating to near junk status.
So yes, taxpayers deserve a shot at having someone contest Illinois’ tradition of overborrowing. The case is considered a Hail Mary attempt, even though it raises legitimate concerns about the manner in which Illinois politicians have borrowed money in the bond market to balance budgets and pay for operations.
At this phase, the judge is merely deciding whether the case is frivolous or malicious, the threshold for tossing taxpayer cases before they can be formally filed in Illinois. This lawsuit is neither.
Pension debt has helped drag the state’s credit rating to near junk status, but let’s all cheer on a lawsuit that will certainly push Illinois into junk bond status because reasons.
Brilliant!
Keep in mind that this is the same editorial board which railed against the 2011 income tax hike even though the state was hemorrhaging money at the time. It then stood firmly with Gov. Rauner’s 2+ year impasse, even though the state was piling up billions in debt. Part of this lawsuit is about invalidating the bonds sold to pay off the state’s debt owed to vendors because of the Rauner/Tribune impasse. The only conclusion one can reasonably draw is that the Tribune wants to force the state into default. With that perspective, the editorial makes perfect sense.
* Bloomberg…
The municipal-bond market is putting long odds on a think-tank chief’s bid to have $14 billion of Illinois debt tossed out in court.
While the yields on some of the challenged state bonds jumped by more than a third of a percentage point in the weeks after the suit was filed on July 1, they’ve since reversed course amid the market’s broader rally, indicating little risk that their legal status will be cast into doubt. Taxable Illinois debt due in 2033 is now yielding 4.46%, only about 0.3 percentage point more than bonds the state issued in April that aren’t being questioned by the suit. […]
Even if the Illinois judge allows the case to move forward, Nuveen’s Miller said he “can’t imagine that an outside plaintiff could prevent” Illinois from making its debt payments. The required three-fifths of the state’s legislators approved the debt and its purpose to pay accruing bills, Miller said.
“I would be shocked if that’s not a legitimate purpose,” Miller said.
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