The Illinois Education Association (IEA) said Wednesday the practice of using seclusion rooms – where students are placed alone in a room and observed from the outside by an adult – should no longer be used. Instead, a workgroup should be formed to look at alternative, long-term solutions that value safety and restorative practices.
“We know that safety is priority number one with our students, especially those who have traumatic pasts and who have special needs,” said Kathi Griffin, IEA president. “Seclusion takes safety out of the mix and adds fear and torment. Calm rooms, or reflection rooms, should provide caring adults, helping to support students and to teach them strategies for self-regulation.”
The IEA has been working for nearly five years to bring these concepts to its 135,000 members across the state of Illinois. It has partnered with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and many other community partners to educate teachers and support staff on restorative practices since 2014 in order to prevent situations exactly like those outlined in the reporting done by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica.
“Plywood and cement walls are a ‘cell’, not a room meant to provide safety and support. We applaud the Illinois State Board of Education for coming up with emergency rules to try to provide immediate relief to this situation, but we’d also ask that a workgroup or taskforce be formed that includes all stakeholders – including parents – that helps determine how schools can wrap safety and support around struggling students, keep all students safe and determine how all of this work can be funded,” Griffin said.
“There is nothing more important to this state than its children. It speaks to who we are as a people how we are going to handle this crisis going forward. It’s imperative it’s handled the right way.”
Nineteen other states have banned the practice of seclusion rooms.
* Press release…
IFT President Dan Montgomery’s statement responding to the Chicago Tribune’s and ProPublica’s investigative report on the use of isolated seclusion and ISBE’s response
“The Illinois Federation of Teachers does not support the use of isolation as a form of school discipline, and as a parent and former teacher, I was disturbed to read yesterday’s report. We agree with ISBE’s decision to end the practice but that in itself does not solve the problem. The IFT would like to see a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to this issue and a broader discussion about how schools can sensitively address discipline and behavior issues.”
“Schools in every part of Illinois are in desperate need of supports for students such as counselors and mental health services, as well as training for teachers, staff, and school leaders who care for students each and every day. The IFT looks forward to working with ISBE and other partners to equitably address school discipline issues.”
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
I am appalled and share the outrage rightly expressed by many upon reading reports of the apparent widespread use of isolation rooms as disciplinary measures in Illinois schools, which seem to disproportionately impact vulnerable children with behavioral and emotional disorders.
I am encouraged that the Illinois State Board of Education has committed to taking immediate action, including filing emergency rules to ban the use of isolation practices. I urge the ISBE to work with the General Assembly to explore legislative solutions to more permanently address the use of isolation rooms, and my office is ready to work with the ISBE and the General Assembly on this issue.
* Just yesterday, ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune published a dramatic, yet painstakingly researched story on what amounted to torture of public school students by the very adults who were supposed to nurture and educate them.
One day later, the Illinois State Board of Education has been forced to issue emergency rules to stop this blatant child abuse and initiate an investigation.
That, my friends, is impact journalism at its best. So, I’d like to ask you to consider contributing to ProPublica to make sure it can continue publishing stories like this. Click here.
* Also, keep a kind thought in your heads for all Tribune reporters today. Their company’s top shareholder is now this outfit…
Michael Ferro, the largest shareholder in Tribune Publishing Co., sold his 25% stake in the newspaper company for about $118 million to Alden Global Capital LLC, a hedge fund known for making deep cuts to newsrooms. […]
Alden is the backer of MNG Enterprises Inc., which tried unsuccessfully to acquire Gannett Co. for $1.36 billion earlier this year. It also was rebuffed in its efforts to gain board seats at Gannett, owner of USA Today and the Arizona Republic.
Workers at Gannett were concerned that a MNG takeover would take a knife to its operations. MNG, owner of the Denver Post, St. Paul Pioneer Press and other daily newspapers, is known for heavy layoffs. […]
“Alden has a well-established history of harming media institutions and journalists,” the [Chicago Tribune Guild] said. “Still, no matter who owns these shares, we promise to fight as hard as we can to protect our members, improve our company and serve our readers.”
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced today that it will take emergency action to end the use of isolated seclusion in Illinois schools. ISBE also will take steps to improve data collection on all instances of time-out and physical restraint in schools, as well as immediately begin investigating known cases of isolated seclusion to take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.
“Isolated seclusion will end now; it traumatizes children, does lasting damage to the most vulnerable and violates the most deeply held values of my administration and the State of Illinois. The use of this unacceptable practice in districts around the state for several years is appalling, and I am demanding complete and immediate accountability,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I have directed ISBE to take immediate action to ban isolated seclusion in Illinois schools, investigate any case where isolated seclusion was used illegally in the past, and mandate strict reporting on any form of time-out moving forward. I also pledge to work closely with the General Assembly to take additional steps to codify these emergency rules and take any additional steps to protect all the children of this state.”
The emergency action follows the publication of an investigation into the misuse of isolated time-out and physical restraint in Illinois schools.
“The data and stories from students and parents are appalling, inexcusable, and deeply saddening,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “The practices of time out and physical restraint have been misused and overused to a shocking extent; this must stop today. ISBE condemns the unlawful use of isolated seclusion, and we will take immediate steps to ensure the traumatic treatment described in the investigation never happens to another Illinois student.”
ISBE will ban the use of isolated seclusion in any educational entity serving public school students in Illinois. ISBE also will institute a new data collection to increase accountability and transparency for all instances of time-out and physical restraint, among other changes detailed below.
Unlawful use of time-out and restraint includes using these practices as a form of punishment. Time-out and restraint are lawful only when used to protect the safety of students and staff in certain rare crisis situations. ISBE will take action against any educational entity serving public school students that is violating these regulations.
“As educators, we work hard to make our schools trauma-responsive – but first and foremost, our schools must be trauma-free,” continued Ayala. “Our schools must be places where all students feel and are safe. We welcome additional feedback and dialogue as we work together to address this urgent problem and implement stronger protections statewide for students’ mental, physical, and social-emotional health.”
The Illinois Education Association (IEA), which represents more than 135,000 members, supports ISBE’s emergency actions.
“The IEA supports ISBE’s swift and decisive response to the reports of unlawful and egregious misuse of time-out and physical restraint in Illinois schools,” said IEA President Kathi Griffin. “The IEA supports banning the practice of isolated seclusion; this practice inflicts trauma upon children and has no place in Illinois schools. The IEA is committed to fully engaging in the rulemaking and legislative processes to institute the necessary protections for all students’ physical, mental, and social-emotional health.”
ISBE will take the following steps impacting all public schools, cooperatives, private special education facilities, and other educational entities serving public school students:
• File emergency rules today to:
o Ban all isolated seclusion practices;
o Allow time-out with a trained adult in the room and with an unlocked door, but only for therapeutic reasons or protecting the safety of students and staff;
o Ban physical restraints that could impair a student’s ability to breathe or speak normally, and institute strict parameters on when physical restraint is allowed;
o Require all educational entities to submit data to ISBE on all instances of physical restraint or time-out used during the current (2019-20) and past two school years (2018-19 and 2017-18);
o Require all educational entities to submit data to ISBE within 48 hours of any instance of physical restraint or time-out;
o Eliminate the option for parents or guardians to waive notification of instances of physical restraint or time-out.
• Issue an advisory notice today to school districts, superintendents, and special education cooperatives reiterating the emergency rules and guidance.
• Create a required State form for school districts to use to document and to provide thorough information to parents and guardians when time-out or physical restraint is used.
• Add a physical inspection of time-out spaces to the monitoring conducted by Regional Offices of Education.
• Issue updated guidance and provide technical assistance to the field on appropriate uses of time-out and physical restraint.
Additionally, the Governor’s Office will file a complaint on behalf of all known cases of isolated seclusion to expedite the investigative process and require a report to be returned within 60 days of the notification. ISBE will make determinations whether the educational entity violated federal or state special education requirements.
ISBE will work with lawmakers and stakeholders on legislative action and will issue further communication as these steps are taken.
KSED #801 is a special education cooperative whose Central Office is located in Centralia Illinois. KSED #801 partners with its thirty member school districts within the Clinton, Marion, and Washington Counties. KSED strives to provide integral special education services, support, and leadership to our member districts and the needs of the students within their districts.
Bridges Learning Center (BLC) is a therapeutic education center that serves students with severe behavioral, emotional, and developmental disorders. Self-contained classrooms are located at BLC that provide services to students enrolled in grades kindergarten through high school.
The mission statement for the Bridges Learning Center is to
“provide a safe, caring, and therapeutic learning environment where students with emotional, social, and educational challenges can best develop the skills and character necessary to achieve at his or her highest potential and transition to a successful future.”
By 8:35 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2017, all five of the timeout “booths” at Bridges Learning Center near Centralia were already full. School had been in session for five minutes.
Each booth is about 6 by 8 feet, with a steel door. That day, one held a boy who had hung on a basketball rim and swore at staff when they told him to stop. In another, a boy who had used “raised voice tones.”
Two boys were being held because they hadn’t finished classwork. Inside the fifth room was a boy who had tried to “provoke” other students when he got off a bus. Staff told him he’d be back again “to serve 15 minutes every morning due to his irrational behavior.”
None of those reasons for seclusion is permitted under Illinois law.
Yet, over the course of that one day, the rooms stayed busy, with two turning over like tables in a restaurant, emptying and refilling four times. The other three were occupied for longer periods, as long as five hours for the boy who hung off the basketball rim. In all, Bridges staff isolated students 20 times.
Seclusion is supposed to be rare, a last resort. But at Bridges, part of the Kaskaskia Special Education District in southern Illinois, and at many other schools, it is often the default response.
Bridges used seclusion 1,288 times in the 15 months of school that reporters examined. The school has about 65 students.
According to the Tribune/ProPublica Illinois analysis of Bridges records, 72% of the seclusions were not prompted by a safety issue, as the law requires.
Only 65 students and yet forced seclusion was used 1,288 times in 15 months? That place needs to be investigated pronto.
* Meanwhile, this is from Hope School in Springfield…
Rich,
In today’s Capitol Fax, you write about the ProPublica/Chicago Tribune article about the widespread use of “isolation rooms” to deal with children experiencing behavioral issues. We also read that alarming article and wanted to share Hope’s stance on these rooms and our own answer to providing the best care for our students.
At Hope, we specialize in educating children who represent a broad spectrum of learning styles and abilities. We recognized years ago that so-called “isolation rooms” are not an appropriate answer to the behavioral needs of children, nor are they appropriate for use on any child with a disability. Hope utilizes open sensory rooms for our students to elect to use them who need a quiet space to cope with overwhelming sensory stimuli, or to re-regulate. These rooms are located within classrooms and the students are always near their peers and the classroom staff. Students are not permitted to enter the room unless accompanied by a staff person. The goal of these rooms is to be a calm atmosphere where students can choose retreat. The rooms do not have a door so the children are free to come and go. Our trained behavioral staff monitor each classroom to ensure that these rooms are being used correctly at all times. For children with sensory issues, a room such as this has been proven to be helpful in dealing with the overwhelming feelings they may experience in a situation where they become overstimulated.
We strive to provide the very best learning environment for all of our students. The idea of isolation rooms is antiquated and does nothing to help a child learn. In fact, it does the exact opposite. At Hope, our mission is to educate our students in the most inclusive environments, which is why we focus on adapting our classroom environments to help our children learn and grow to the best of their abilities.
The Illinois Supreme Court will decide whether a Southern Illinois woman whose Firearm Owners Identification card was revoked in 2012 after the Illinois State Police were notified she had been convicted of misdemeanor battery.
The court on Tuesday heard a direct appeal from Wabash County Circuit Court, filed by the Attorney General’s office after a county judge ordered the state police to return her FOID card, finding the revocation unconstitutional. […]
When Justice Mary Jane Theis asked Johnson’s attorney David Jensen, of New York-based firm David Jensen PLLC, why Johnson didn’t instead file a federal lawsuit, Jensen said the federal application of the law to Johnson’s case was irrelevant.
Jensen told the justices that the federal law doesn’t necessarily matter to Johnson, as she could easily buy a gun from a non-licensed firearms dealer, build her own gun or buy a gun that falls under the definition of firearm under state law Illinois, but not according to federal law.
“The question here is: Is she entitled to a FOID card, which is what’s necessary to exercise Second Amendment Rights under Illinois Law?” Jensen said.
The 3rd District, which stretches from Montclare east to Central Park in Avondale, is over 65 percent Hispanic, mostly Puerto Rican. But there is a sizeable white voter base. [Sen. Rob Martwick] is backing his longtime political operative Dave Feller, who lives in Portage Park, in the March 17 primary. Feller did not present his credentials on Nov. 15, calling the meeting a “sham. Let the voters decide.” [Sen. Iris Martinez], who is running for Circuit Court Clerk, said the replacement of Arroyo by a non-Latino would be “racist.”
Nine candidates appeared [at the ward committeeman meeting to choose the replacement] on Nov. 15: [Eva-Dina Delgado, who was chosen to replace Arroyo], firefighter Joaquin Vasquez, Belinda Cadiz from the 33rd Ward, Ruth Cruz and Otilio Serrano from the 30th Ward, Alonzo Zaragosa, a perennial candidate against Berrios in the 31st Ward, former 1st Ward alderman Jesse Granato, TV broadcaster Ruben Calderon, and Jacqueline Baez, who announced months ago and is circulating petitions for both state representative and for 36th Ward committeeman, which will set up a three-way contest for Arroyo’s party post between her, Feller and Alderman Gilbert Villegas (36th), Arroyo’s ally. But Vasquez, Baez and Zaragosa walked-out with [Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa] (but Vasquez came back), sources said.
The March 17 primary will feature Feller, Delgado and Baez against Nadia Carranza, a teacher and CTU member who is Ramirez-Rosa’s candidate, and also backed by state Representative Delia Ramirez (D-4). Ramirez-Rosa is a “democratic socialist” and chairman of the Chicago Socialist Party, and he and his organization will be working fervently for Bernie Sanders. To win, Delgado needs equally fervent support from Reboyras, Villegas and Alderman Felix Cardona (31st), who is running for the retiring Berrios’s post.
Whether Delgado does or does not get seated is a critical factor. She can position herself as a martyr, a pristine victim of either Arroyo’s wrongdoing or of Madigan’s arrogance. Or, as Martwick predicts, she will be revealed as a self-promoting insider with connections to Arroyo. It is a fact that Delgado, who now works for Peoples Gas, Edison, was a lobbyist in Springfield for Chicago for many years, and that her husband Erik Varela has a top county job under Toni Preckwinkle and multi-tasks as a lobbyist for Union Pacific. Arroyo, chair of the House Latino Caucus, put Varela on the board of the Latino Caucus Foundation, which doles out college scholarships, primarily to children of undocumented immigrants who can’t get aid elsewhere. This “Arroyo connection” will surely surface during any expulsion hearing. Delgado’s name ID will rise exponentially, but not necessarily favorably.
The 3rd District primary turnout in 2016 was 15,860 and in 2018 was 7,906. Whoever gets 33-36 percent will win. About 4,500 votes will do it. That leaves out Feller and Baez. Give the edge to Carranza, who will have CTU money and no baggage.
I’ve been telling subscribers about Carranza for a while now. She is definitely one to watch and Feller’s presence on the ballot could siphon some “regular” votes away from Delgado.
…Adding… From the Cook County President’s office…
Erik Varela no longer works for Cook County and hasn’t for some time. He left the County more than a year ago. Additionally, he never multi-tasked as a lobbyist for Union Pacific while working for the County. He left his County position to take the Union Pacific job. There was never an overlap in employment.
I want the voters to have a representative that is chosen in a proper fashion, that will truly represent them and not be part of an air of corruption. It’s important to me that we look closely at this process and ask the question ‘Is this the right process?”
He also noted that the House will now decide whether to seat Delgado and noted that Speaker Madigan has already said what he plans to do.
ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune published the results of an investigation this morning into the use of isolated time-out and physical restraint in Illinois schools. The stories from students and parents and the data the reporters collected and analyzed are appalling, inexcusable, and deeply saddening. The practices of isolated-time out and physical restraint have been misused and overused to a shocking extent; this must stop today.
ISBE condemns the unlawful use of time-out and restraint, which includes using these practices as punishment. ISBE will take action against any school district that is violating the law.
The Illinois State Board of Education will take immediate steps to address this urgent problem and implement stronger protections for students’ mental, physical, and social-emotional health.
As educators, we work hard to make our schools trauma-responsive – but first and foremost, our schools must be trauma-free. Our schools must be places where all students feel and are safe.
…Adding… The ISBE knew this story was coming and waited until after the fallout hit to issue a statement of outrage. From the original story…
Informed of the investigation’s findings, the Illinois State Board of Education said it would issue guidance clarifying that seclusion should be used only in emergencies. Officials acknowledged they don’t monitor the use of isolated timeout and said they would need legislative action to do so.
…Adding… To the handful of folks defending this barbaric practice in comments, I point you to this passage from the original article…
In Illinois, it’s legal for school employees to seclude students in a separate space — to put them in “isolated timeout” — if the students pose a safety threat to themselves or others. Yet every school day, workers isolate children for reasons that violate the law, an investigation by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois has found.
Children were sent to isolation after refusing to do classwork, for swearing, for spilling milk, for throwing Legos. School employees use isolated timeout for convenience, out of frustration or as punishment, sometimes referring to it as “serving time.”
*** UPDATE *** Gov. JB Pritzker was asked for comment today by reporters at an unrelated event. He called the forced isolation practice “appalling,” said it was “unacceptable” and pledged to “make a change.”
Pritzker said the State Board of Education will be implementing emergency rules for now. He said long-term solutions, like perhaps more funding, would be looked at, but wanted some short-term issues addressed as soon as possible.
“Under my watch these are things that should not happen,” Pritzker said.
In fall 2015, Glacier Ridge Elementary School in Crystal Lake first used its Blue Room, a padded space that allows school workers to place students in “isolated timeout” for safety reasons.
Students were secluded in that room more than 120 times during the 2015-16 school year, according to records obtained by ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune. Yet the district, in its required reporting to the federal government, said it hadn’t used seclusion at all that school year.
Crystal Lake District 47 is an example of how even with federal reporting requirements, it’s nearly impossible to know how often some Illinois schools seclude children. An investigation by the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois found widespread use of seclusion but little transparency.
All public school districts are required to report their use of seclusion and physical restraint to the U.S. Department of Education as part of its Civil Rights Data Collection, which the department uses to help investigate discrimination complaints and to ensure districts follow federal policies. The data is collected every other school year and published online.
Because the Illinois State Board of Education does not monitor the use of seclusion or restraint in public schools, the federal data is the only systematic way for communities to determine whether and how frequently those practices are being used in their schools.
Some public schools, however, either reported incorrect data or failed to submit any information — making it difficult for parents to know with certainty whether their children’s school secludes or restrains students. A spokeswoman for Crystal Lake District 47 said its failure to report accurate data was a mistake.
To determine whether Illinois districts complied with reporting requirements, the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois filed requests under the state’s Freedom of Information Act with 75 randomly selected districts where the federal data showed no instances of seclusion for the 2015-16 school year. Those requests asked for records documenting the use of seclusion or restraint from 2015 through the end of 2018 — records that Illinois law requires districts to keep.
In addition to Crystal Lake, five districts provided records showing they had used seclusion or restraint in 2015-16 despite indicating to the Department of Education they had not.
Unreal.
* I told you yesterday that Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook) is filing a bill to end these seclusions. He also texted me this…
I was so upset when I read this I filed something immediately. This practice has to stop.
You’re isolating children who on top of everything else feel isolated. Imagine being different from your peers and the response to your challenges is being isolated. Just terrible.
As a former special education teacher, I can tell you that these children already feel isolated. We need to focus on teaching coping strategies and make sure these kids do not feel alone. By putting them in isolation, it’s reinforcing that they’re different and that his/her challenges are his/her fault. It is not and we need to make sure our children are safe and protected.
Isolation rooms are, in theory, used to help calm an individual down through separation and reflection. Except these rooms can often act as a form of torture to an individual in crisis. Trust me, I know first-hand how painful being isolated can be. My childhood was very difficult. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a time where people still didn’t quite understand the disorder. There were many interventions used including isolation timeouts in a locked closed space. I am 45-years old and still have nightmares because of this treatment.
Due to my challenges, I was already ostracized by my peers. Getting invited to birthday parties and playdates was a rare occurrence. My life was isolation. In response to my challenges, I would be locked into a small room. I can recall every detail from the smell, lighting and texture of the carpeted walls. There was a small window on the door. One constituent who contacted us through social media shared that he still has scars on his knuckles from punching the carpeted walls because panic had set in. This treatment was, and continues to be, beyond cruel. We isolate criminals instead of using the death penalty. Think about that for a second; we use the same intervention on children that’s used on our worst criminals.
I very rarely talk about my past because it is very painful for me to do so. Simply writing this blog post, and recollecting my past experiences is giving me anxiety. Isolation was my personal Hell. I begged my parents to take me out of that school and when they did, it changed my life. My struggles didn’t go away, but I learned better coping strategies without having to be isolated. Thank goodness I was one of the lucky ones. Others are not so fortunate. It was my experience with this that helped shape my decision to become a Special Education teacher, and make sure that future students are not subjected to this kind of treatment. Now, as a legislator, I am working on a bill to ensure this practice stops entirely in our state.
I am drafting legislation to stop this practice in Illinois. It is a battle I must and will fight. No child should ever be isolated when he or she is in crisis. When around 40% of states already recognize how this treatment is wrong, hearing that Illinois uses this more than any other state is horrific. There will be opposition to my efforts, but I’ll be ready. To the 12-year old boy who’s still inside of me dealing with this pain, I will do everything in my power to not have others feel the same way.
* Related…
* The Quiet Rooms: How children are being locked away in schools across Illinois: Lakeidra Chavis, reporting fellow for ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune data reporter joins The Roe Conn Show with Anna Davlantes to discuss how children are being locked away in so-called “quiet rooms” in schools across the state.
The woman who says she’s “close” to having the votes lined up to become president of the Illinois Senate is laying out a detailed agenda, including ethical reforms, professionalizing her party’s election operation and standing up to House Speaker Mike Madigan.
In an interview, Sen. Kim Lightford, D-Maywood, confirmed what at least some Springfield insiders have been rumoring the past couple of days, that she is well on her way to securing the votes she’ll need to succeed John Cullerton, who is retiring in January.
Lightford wouldn’t give me any numbers but allies say she has a solid 14 votes on her side at the moment with another five or six heavily leaning that way. “It’s headed her way,” said one Democratic caucus member, adding that female lawmakers in particular are united in a desire to elect the Senate’s first female president ever.
Lightford only will need votes from only 21 of the Senate’s 40 Democrats to get the job—assuming her party unites around her after the campaigning and provides the total of 30 required for the actual election. That’s no sure thing, says Sen. Don Harmon-Oak Park, who along with Chicago colleague Elgie Sims is still running. “She’s far from 30 votes. I think I’m going to win.”
“Senate [Democrats are] diverse [and have] always led in tackling difficult problems,” said Harmon. “It is my goal to protect the working families of Illinois and bring sensible ethics reform to our state.”
Lightford, now Senate Majority Leader, promises a progressive agenda.
“John has served for over 40 years and he’s a traditionalist,” said Lightford. “And it’s just time for some different changes to take shape.”
Lightford acknowledges her bid is not quite as dramatic as it would have been a few years ago, now that African-American women already serve as Mayor of Chicago, President of the Cook County Board and Cook County State’s Attorney.
“I would love the opportunity to serve as Senate president,” Harmon said. “I ran for the office 11 years ago when John Cullerton was first elected, and I expect that I will be a candidate again this time. I’m just still working my way through talking to a handful of colleagues I haven’t connected with.”
But on Saturday morning, [Democratic Party of Oak Park] volunteers were urged to go to the far South Side of Chicago to gather signatures for the nominating petitions for state Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) to put her on the ballot for the March primary. DPOP volunteers helping Collins get on the ballot could influence Collins to vote for Harmon as Senate president in January.
DPOP volunteers, guided by Harmon, have been sent to help out many Democrats across the state over the years.
“My colleagues recognize my track record and experience in helping others,” Harmon said. “That’s what a good Senate president would do, help 40 Democrats get re-elected. And as we go into redistricting and the 2022 election when all the senators will be on the ballot, that’s a critical skill.”
On a 3-2 vote, the Effingham City Council voted to allow the sale of adult-use cannabis within the city limits.
Actually, the vote was 2-3, since the motion before the Council was to prohibit cannabis sales. Mayor Mike Schutzbach and Commissioner Merv Gillenwater voted for the prohibition, while Commissioners Hank Stephens, Larry Micenheimer and Libby Moeller voted against the measure and to allow sales.
In a separate motion, the Council voted 5-0 to set the tax rate on cannabis sales at 3%. Sale of adult-use cannabis in Illinois will be legal as of January 1, 2020. […]
About 10 people spoke on the issue ahead of the vote, almost evenly divided between those supportive of or opposed to the sales.
Chicago voters take note: With one of your Illinois House seats open and one of your state Senate seats about to go vacant, you may think you should choose the two new legislators who’ll represent you in Springfield. To which we offer a full-throated Sit down, losers. Also Get lost, Fuggedaboudit and several coarser expressions.
Because you, little voter, have … no say in this. None whatsoever. Instead, Democratic Party swells are busy arranging who’ll replace Luis Arroyo, a disgraced and departed representative, and John Cullerton, a senator who’s about to retire.
The editorial board goes on to advocate for special elections to fill these and other vacancies. I have zero problem with that idea, although I can see some arguments against it, including costs and low turnout during special elections.
But, one thing not mentioned in the editorial is that Chicago ward committeepersons and Cook County Township committeepersons are elected. Elsewhere, precinct committeepersons are elected and they, in turn, elect their county party chairs.
Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Schiff have been trying to impeach this president since day one. When one play doesn’t work, they just go back to their political playbook for the next. https://t.co/cOV3qNRNOl
Problems started early Saturday because Madigan decided to call the House into session at 10 a.m., despite a declaration from Blagojevich that the House and Senate should convene at 2 p.m. Madigan wanted to finish work early so House members could return home overnight Saturday before returning to Springfield Sunday.
Madigan agreed that Blagojevich has the authority to call the General Assembly into special session, but said the governor does not have the authority to dictate the time of the meetings. Blagojevich’s office disagreed, saying it has the constitutional authority to set not only the date of the special sessions, but the time as well. The administration said it is exploring its legal options. […]
Before the House could finish its work Saturday, Blagojevich issued another proclamation calling for another special session to start at 2:30 p.m. Nonetheless, Madigan adjourned the House at about 11:45 a.m.
Rank and file lawmakers who’ve been forced to stay in Springfield with little to do while the budget impasse continues erupted in anger Saturday. […]
“I believe we should look into what it would take to see if he (Blagojevich) is to the point where impeachment proceedings should start,” said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro. “I am dead serious.”
Back in the day, Rep. Bost wanted to impeach a governor over an argument about the precise time the House was required to convene a special session.
* Greg Hinz was at Gov. Pritzker’s appearance today at the Economic Club…
Insisting that “no silver bullet” exists to slay Illinois’ staggering public pension problems, Gov. J.B. Pritzker today flatly rejected the idea of tying constitutional pension reform to his proposed graduated income tax. […]
For instance, the most commonly discussed pension change that a constitutional amendment would allow is eliminating the current guaranteed 3 annual percent compounded COLA increase in benefits. But slashing that figure roughly in half to match today’s actual inflation rate “does not solve” the state’s current $133.5 billion unfunded pension liabilities, Pritzker said. “It doesn’t.” […]
Moreover, even getting such a proposition to voters would require a three-fifths approval of the House and Senate, both of which are controlled by union-friendly Democrats, Pritzker continued. Voters then would have to enact the change in a referendum by at least the same three-fifths vote.
“If you did all of that, if you could get it through . . . you will then face the U.S. Constitution’s contracts clause,” which holds that contracts cannot be dismissed by legislative fiat. That’s significant because the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the government worker pensions here are an enforceable contract.
The key political numbers here are 71, 36 and 60. It’ll take 71 votes in the House, 36 votes in the Senate and 60 percent of voters to make this happen. If someone wants to show me a doable roll call in the overwhelmingly Democratic General Assembly and sound polling of likely Illinois voters, then I’ll listen. Until then, this ain’t going anywhere.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Tuesday released a digital ad for her 2020 reelection campaign that invokes President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against Chicago and addresses her own handling of the controversial Jussie Smollett case.
In the ad, Foxx also reminds viewers of her Cabrini-Green upbringing and the struggles she’s overcome on her way to becoming Cook County’s top prosecutor.
“State’s attorney is a tough job. Every day, my office is under attack: from a president who uses our city as a punching bag, the NRA hellbent on letting guns flood our streets and the FOP clinging to the old ways. They’ll do anything to undercut progress, including attacking me personally over the Jussie Smollett case,” Foxx said in the ad. “Truth is, I didn’t handle it well. I own that. I’m making changes in my office to make sure we do better. That’s what reform is about.” […]
Factions of the city’s law enforcement community, led by the Fraternal Order of Police, have heavily criticized Foxx. Her office’s role in the area’s bail reform efforts also is at the center of intense debate.
Her biggest public blunder — the Smollett case — is still on the minds of a lot of people.
Nine months after the Smollett saga, in which Smollett reported to police that he’d been the victim of a racist, homophobic attack by President Trump supporters, and seven months after Foxx’s office mysteriously dropped all the charges him, the case still comes up a lot.
Earlier this month, President Trump brought up the situation during a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention.
“It’s a scam. It’s a really big scam, just like the impeachment of your president is a scam. And then you look what’s going on. Smollett is still trying to get away with it,” Trump bellowed.
Um, this is a Democratic primary race. And even if it was a general election contest, the president received 21.4 percent in Cook County. Running as the candidate the president hates would be a positive there.
* Foxx’s opponent raises nearly $900,000 since August: Big executives at the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s richest private equity firms, are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign of Democrat Bill Conway, who is now outraising incumbent Kim Foxx.
* Facebook ads and direct mail make it very easy for candidates to talk out of every side of their mouths at once. Lynn Sweet with the scoop…
An internal document for Rep. Dan Lipinski’s Democratic primary campaign, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, proposed pitching Republicans by highlighting his vote against Obamacare while wooing independents by reminding them he opposed its repeal.
Other highlights from the strategy document suggesting messages to various voter demographics in the 3rd Congressional District:
•Hispanics were to be flagged about Lipinski’s “pro-Dreamer votes” while Republicans would be targeted with “pro border patrol” messaging.
•Lipinski is anti-abortion and that would be the emphasis for Republicans and Catholics, but not for outreach to other women, millennials, teachers, independents, union members and nurses.
•A drive to persuade Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary would include reaching out to GOP officeholders; getting letters from “GOP surrogates”; and through Facebook “ads targeting independents.”
* React…
“The kind of cynicism displayed in the Lipinski campaign memo is why a lot of people are turned off from politics,” said Marie Newman. “Since he has not voted with the Democrats on critical issues, this memo suggests he is turning his attention to Republicans instead. This is why I am running - because I believe this district needs a real Democrat who will fight for everyday issues and represent working people, lower health care costs, and fight for our Democratic values.”
* Planned Parenthood, um, stretches the limits of possibility with this fundraising email…
Illinois could become the next anti-abortion state. Don’t let abortion opponents win! Make an urgent gift now to fight back!
The Reproductive Health Act (RHA) is under attack. It has only been in effect a few months, but dangerous legislation has already been introduced to repeal this critical protection for reproductive freedom.
You fought to pass the RHA, declaring reproductive health care as a fundamental human right in Illinois. But the opposition wants to steal your victory.
This new, alarming legislation will:
* Ban abortions at six weeks - before most women even know they are pregnant
* Jail doctors for providing abortion care
* Strip away people’s access to reproductive health care
You cannot let this happen. [Redacted], make an emergency gift today to support the pro-Planned Parenthood champions in Springfield, and help us fight back against this attack on our reproductive health and rights.
Your support is critical to fight this new legislation, and protect care in the Midwest.
In this together,
Jennifer Welch
Chair
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC
The bill is not going anywhere and they know it and this pitch is designed to generate fear when none is warranted.
* Democratic congressional candidate Anthony Clark uses image of murdered student to raise campaign money…
Donor,
This is Michael Reese.
He was one of my students, and on Oct. 2, he was shot on a street in my district.
Five days later, he succumbed to his wounds and died.
I’ve shared with you before that in my 10 years of teaching here in the Seventh District, I’ve lost 11 students to gun violence. One of the reasons I’m running for Congress is to treat the systems that lead to violence and grief. But, here we are today—I’ve now lost 12 students to gun violence.
As I write this email, our school and our community are in mourning over Micheal’s death. We’ve mourned the loss of far too many young people.
We know these problems don’t have a single fix. They are intertwined with the systematic vehicles of oppression and marginalization. Our students, our communities, and all of us are owed opportunity. We demand a fair judicial system. We deserve fair pay. Everyone deserves the right to grow and flourish.
The system won’t change until people like US are elected to Congress. Our current leaders are too distant from the harsh realities we face on a daily basis to make effective change.
I got into this race because this is OUR community, and it deserves a voice in Congress that is connected to the roots in our neighborhoods. Someone who’s connected now to the communities of Bellwood, Oak Park, and across the district.
That’s why our campaign is 100% grassroots and doesn’t take any money from corporate PACs or special interests. I intend to serve the people, not big money, and I intend to finally put an end to the violence that has claimed 12 of my students and countless others in IL-07.
We can’t afford to lose one more life, so I’m asking you to support our campaign to root out the causes of gun violence and make this epidemic a thing of the past.
This is literally a matter of life and death.
In solidarity,
Anthony
Support Anthony’s camaign
…Adding… An eagle-eyed reader pointed out that Clark also spelled the kid’s name wrong in its second usage. “Micheal.” For crying out loud, do better.
* Rodney Davis uses the House impeachment process to appeal to his fundraising base…
Friend,
Since Nancy Pelosi gave Adam Schiff the green light to do anything he wants, he’s been turning Congress upside down and on its head. Schiff is calling up witnesses who aren’t credible, none of them have ever even met President Trump nor have they ever been in contact with him!
Schiff has no evidence to prove his politically motivated impeachment investigation, yet he continues to waste more and more of taxpayer money. More so, Democrats are polling what charges to bring against President Trump.
This entire investigation is nothing more than a political tool Democrats are trying to use to bolster their 2020 election chances.
If you agree that this entire investigation inquiry has been a complete waste of time and money, add your name to the growing list of Illinoisans who want this partisan impeachment to end!
Rodney Davis is committed to fighting for the priorities of Downstate Illinois and that means advocating on your behalf, Friend.
If you want your voice heard, click here to say NO to impeachment>>>
Help put an end to this politically motivated investigation by signing our petition today! Let Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff know what you think of their partisan impeachment process.
An investigator with the inspector general’s office for the state Department of Human Services remains on the job despite findings that he has sexually harassed employees of agencies that hold DHS contracts.
According to a report released last month by the state Executive Ethics Commission, Manuel “Manny” Zepeda told three women employed by Marcfirst, a Normal nonprofit that helps the developmentally disabled, that he had an ex-girlfriend who once obtained Viagra for him. Then he told the women that his wife liked to have sex in hotels. All the time, according to the report prepared by the Office of the Executive Inspector General, Zepeda was staring at a whiteboard in the agency office, and when someone said, “That’s not on our board,” Zepeda said that he should probably leave before he got another sexual harassment complaint against him. The conduct occurred in July 2018.
Reactions from employees, according to the report, ranged from alarm to someone who said, “This is just typical Manny” and, “You have to play along.” One of the employees who witnessed Zepeda’s behavior had met him that day. Zepeda was in Marcfirst offices to conduct an investigation, the nature of which wasn’t disclosed in the report released by the ethics commission. As an investigator, Zepeda is charged with investigating allegations of abuse, financial exploitation and neglect involving people who receive services from agencies licensed, funded, operated or certified by DHS.
One Marcfirst employee told the inspector general that Zepeda was “always inappropriate and creepy,” but she had decided to “let it go.” While she said that she was offended and made uncomfortable by Zepeda’s comments, she said she didn’t feel that she could speak up because her agency might suffer negative consequences from his investigations.
Another employee had similar concerns.
“I’ve always been told by coworkers to go along with what Manny says because it could affect the outcome of the case he is inquiring about,” the employee wrote in a statement.
Zepeda was put on 30 days of unpaid leave earlier this fall, according to DHS spokesperson Meghan Powers, after having been moved off of investigations involving the disability service agencies whose employees made complaints. Additionally, a letter has been put in his personnel file.
“IDHS takes employee misconduct extremely seriously,” Powers said in a statement. “In 2018, IDHS strengthened its sexual harassment policy, which was relied upon for the OEIG report. We will continue to aggressively enforce anti-harassment policies and ensure a safe environment for those we represent and serve.”
Zepeda received a pay bump of $1,000 per pay period in 2019, from $6,800 last year to $7,800. Even with his 30-days of unpaid suspension time, Zepeda has made $75,800 so far in 2019, according to state records.
Zepeda’s union contact with AFSCME may have played a role in both the raise — as state workers finally received step increases earlier this year that had been denied to them by former Gov. Bruce Rauner — and Zepeda’s continued employment with DHS.
In March this year, the small Illinois town of Hinsdale, in the western Chicago suburbs, was facing a crisis.
The village’s district had a funding shortfall, and a referendum was scheduled to determine whether $140m could be pumped into Hinsdale’s schools.
The referendum was hotly contested – an organized, enthused Vote Yes campaign was pushing hard for people to back the vote. It looked like the referendum might deliver a yes verdict.
Enter Locality Labs, a shadowy, controversial company that purports to be a local news organization, but is facing increasing criticism as being part of a nationwide rightwing lobbying effort masquerading as journalism.
The company, with two other linked organizations, was responsible for the Hinsdale School News, a print newspaper that was distributed around Hinsdale voters. The paper had the Hinsdale high school district logo, and the look of a journalistic organization. But, as the Hinsdalean reported, the “newspaper” was stuffed full of articles, mostly byline-free, which had a distinct anti-referendum skew.
“The depths of what they went to were pretty egregious,” said Joan Brandeis, who was part of the Vote Yes Campaign.
“This was purposely done to mislead people into thinking that was a publication from the district.”
We’ve talked about Locality Labs several times. These are the Proft papers run by Brian Timpone.
There’s this thing called the First Amendment, so the papers cannot be regulated or put out of existence. It’s possible, perhaps, to argue that some of them should be regulated like campaign committees, but that’s a dangerous path to tread. I mean, if you make that argument, are you gonna require the Tribune editorial board to register, too? Good luck getting that done.
The Hinsdale referendum passed, so Timpone’s paper didn’t have a deciding influence.
But this should be a lesson for everyone. When campaigns are being planned, the possibility that one or more of these Locality Labs outlets could start engaging is something that should be factored into the equation. And whining to an overseas news outlet is not a plan.
Jace spent more than 80 minutes in the room before someone stepped inside to hand him a change of clothes, wipes to clean his feet and some lunch. https://t.co/ExUbPxTQQA
For this investigation, ProPublica Illinois and the Tribune obtained and analyzed thousands of detailed records that state law requires schools to create whenever they use seclusion. The resulting database documents more than 20,000 incidents from the 2017-18 school year and through early December 2018.
Of those, about 12,000 included enough detail to determine what prompted the timeout. In more than a third of these incidents, school workers documented no safety reason for the seclusion. […]
But disability advocates, special-education experts and administrators in school systems that have banned seclusion argue that the practice has no therapeutic or educational value, that it can traumatize children — and that there are better alternatives. […]
Nineteen states prohibit secluding children in locked rooms; four of them ban any type of seclusion. But Illinois continues to rely on the practice. The last time the U.S. Department of Education calculated state-level seclusion totals, in 2013-14, Illinois ranked No. 1.
Although state law requires schools to file a detailed report each time they use seclusion, no one is required to read these accounts.
Several school district officials said they had not reviewed seclusion reports from their schools until reporters requested them. The Illinois State Board of Education does not collect any data on schools’ use of isolated timeout and has not updated guidelines since issuing them 20 years ago.
Go read it all, but prepare to be disgusted, saddened and enraged.
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook) says he is “filing a bill to end this practice,” adding “It’s in LRB as we speak.”
* The Tribune takes a team-coverage look at a significant aspect of suburban opposition to approving local cannabis sales…
In several suburbs, crowds of protesters — many of them Chinese Americans brought out by social media — wore identical Opt Out shirts, carried signs, signed petitions and helped convince local officials to prohibit marijuana sales. […]
Activists said they shared their concerns with a broader audience through WeChat, a China-based multilingual messaging app, similar to Facebook, which claims more than 1 billion users.
Critics complained that Opt Out consisted of the same group of protesters going from town to town. While some people attended meetings in more than one suburb, and got their identical signs and T-shirts from the same group, Asian American Advocacy, organizers maintained that protesters mainly consisted of residents of each municipality.
Many in the movement are Chinese immigrants who share conservative, family-first values, according to Cynthia Hopkins of Hinsdale, a volunteer with Asian American Advocacy. Influenced by a history that includes the drug trade related to the Opium Wars of the 1800s, she said, many parents are motivated to minimize their children’s exposure to addictive drugs. Protesters also raised concerns about rising incidents of emergency room visits and traffic accidents involving marijuana users, and the fact that the drug remains illegal under federal law.
“It’s a perfect issue to show there’s so much potential with the Asian Americans,” Hopkins said. “Once they’re organized, they’re a force, they make sure their voice is heard.”
After hearing about large Asian-American crowds at several local council meetings a couple of months ago, I reached out to some folks in the polling business who told me that some of the most intense opposition to legalization comes from older Asian-Americans.
…Adding… Hmm…
The group behind this push is Asian American Advocacy, a dark money group formed last year, active in Republican politics. I did a long, deep investigation into the org's money trail last year, and more broadly that Asian American voters are often ignored: https://t.co/LoLggIagzKhttps://t.co/A2wJcx6AHG
As an aggressive federal corruption probe pursues Illinois Democrats, frustrated voters of both parties feel a sense of relief. Finally, someone is digging out the bottom of the well — and the top.
Grateful for the intervention of the feds? One person deserves kudos, and progressive Democrats especially might want a defibrillator on standby before saying it aloud: Thanks, Mr. President.
President Donald Trump, through his then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, nominated federal prosecutor John Lausch in summer 2017 to lead the Chicago-based U.S. attorney’s office. Lausch was one of a handful of candidates considered and vetted by Illinois’ GOP congressional delegation. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth signed off, too, but only after eliminating from consideration Maggie Hickey, who had served under former Gov. Bruce Rauner. Her GOP connection made Democrats nervous. Maybe they thought Lausch would go easy. How wrong they would have been.
Also, the US Attorney’s office under Obama ensnared both a Chicago alderman (Daniel Solis) and an Illinois state Senator (reported to be Terry Link) who were eventually used to nab others. Link and Obama used to regularly play poker together back in the day.
The fact is, federal prosecutors and investigators have been involved in a years-long process to get to this point.
Has the Lausch appointment played a major role in this? Yep. No doubt. Does the president deserve kudos for nominating him after he was recommended by the delegation? Yep.
But that nomination didn’t come out of nowhere and neither did this widespread probe.
…Adding… Also, do you remember this case? Lots of players involved and it may have been the catalyst for some of what’s going on today…
The son of a wealthy pharmacist, Sethi was a licensed pharmacy technician in 2003 when his family were partners in a $10 million deal to buy a 122-room hotel on 2.8 acres at 8201 W. Higgins Rd., next to a Hooters along the Kennedy Expressway.
A few years later, Sethi decided to knock down the hotel and replace it with three hotels and a convention center.
He hired one of Chicago’s most politically connected zoning attorneys, James Banks, who got approval for the project from the City Council Zoning Committee which was then headed by his uncle, Ald. William Banks, a powerful member of the Cook County Democratic Party. The alderman — who later ended up working for Sethi — abstained from the January 2009 vote.
Four months later, Sethi hired Madigan’s law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, to seek a reduction in the property taxes by appealing the value put on the hotel and the land by the Cook County assessor’s office and the Cook County Board of Review, agencies controlled by Madigan’s fellow Democrats. Over the next four years, Madigan’s firm saved Sethi and his family more than $645,000 in taxes as the family ended up tearing down the hotel to make way for the project. […]
Sethi also hired attorney Michael McClain, a Madigan loyalist who’s one of the top lobbyists in the state capital. A former state legislator, McClain once served as Madigan’s assistant majority leader. […]
Sethi settled the SEC case in March 2014, agreeing to pay a $1 million fine, sell the land and refund the money he collected from foreign investors, including the administrative fees that went to the Chinese brokers who lined up investors.
Five months later, Sethi was indicted for fraud. In January, he pleaded guilty.
Democratic state Sen. Kimberly Lightford of Maywood has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next Illinois Senate president after John Cullerton’s stunning resignation announcement last week.
Lightford, currently the Senate majority leader, would become the first African American woman to preside over a chamber of the Illinois legislature. […]
Two potential candidates to replace Cullerton aligned themselves with Lightford — state Sens. Andy Manar, a former Cullerton chief of staff from Downstate Bunker Hill, as well as Heather Steans from Chicago, who has family wealth to help Democratic candidates.
“I look at her leadership in the state senate and I see success after success in what is one of the most diverse Democratic caucus in the U.S. Not an easy task. Senate President Cullerton did it – mastered it. That’s what I’m interested in and I believe she has the skill set and the knowledge and the ability to continue that for the Senate Democrats,” Manar said.
Sen. Tony Munoz is also reportedly backing Lightford.
…Adding… I just talked to Sen. Munoz and he confirmed he’s supporting Lightford.
“I am talking with my colleagues and I am assessing their concerns and interests in the caucus. I expect that I will run for Senate president but I want to keep talking to my colleagues before making any formal announcements,” [Sen. Don Harmon] said. “People are eager for change but people also want to be sure that the next Senate president has all of the attributes to be effective both inside the building in terms of having good public policy, but also in the political spectrum. Our public policy victories are only as durable as our majority.” […]
[Sen. Mike Hastings] says the next president has to be a leader who shapes policy that lawmakers from all of the state’s diverse regions can get behind while also serving as a political operator who can get Democrats elected. That requires having a political operation and the ability, “unfortunately,” to raise money.
“I have all those things,” Hastings said. “I can count … probably five senators that have legitimate political organizations – a base of volunteers to send anywhere in the state, and are able to handle their own district, with no problem taking tough political votes. If you’re going to be the leader you got to lead the whole chamber.”
Sen. Hastings was sued in September by his former district office chief of staff who claimed harassment and retaliation.
As we’ve already discussed Sens. Elgie Sims and Melinda Bush are also interested.
