Just something to think about
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bloomberg this past summer…
DraftKings Inc. is becoming an official gambling partner of Major League Baseball in a multiyear deal that will let the company offer betting lines and products backed by MLB’s official data. […]
DraftKings and MGM Resorts International, which signed a marketing partnership last November, are the only sports books to partner directly with the league so far. Once an operator receives the MLB stamp of approval, it is then allowed to work with one of league’s official data partners, such as Sportradar AG or Perform Group, for access to live feeds from games around the country. That data is especially important for the in-game betting Kucharz described, which is becoming many gamblers’ preferred way to wager. […]
Deals like this are also critical for MLB’s goal of claiming a share of the growing sports betting industry. While operators in Las Vegas have offered baseball betting for decades without becoming official MLB partners, the league is hoping that access to its official data — plus the right to use team logos alongside betting lines — will be enough to entice sportsbooks to open their wallets.
* Legal Sports Report…
Official league data would be front and center if you built a word cloud to visualize the sports betting conversation. The battle for control over data has emerged as one of the primary fronts in the effort to shape US policy at the state and federal level.
Following their years-long opposition to gambling, leagues now seek a role as primary stakeholders in legal sports betting. And they are intent on profiting from US sports betting, ideally via a direct share of the total amount wagered. […]
Most US sportsbooks are under no obligation to use any particular source of data. Laws in two states, however, include a requirement that operators use official data to settle certain wagers:
* Illinois sports betting (“for determining the outcome of Tier 2 sports wagers”)
* Tennessee sports betting (“for purposes of live betting”)
The Illinois law requires leagues (or their data companies) to obtain a license to act as a Tier 2 data provider.
* Dodger Blue…
The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed the addition of two new members to the ownership group, with Robert L. Plummer and Alan Smolinisky purchasing a minority stake.
That would be Sen. Jason Plummer’s father.
* From Sen. Plummer’s recent press release about his new ethics bill…
SB 2318 would specifically bar members of the General Assembly and their immediate family, as well as staff of the General Assembly and their immediate family, from holding an ownership interest in a privately held gaming enterprise or business. It was also bar the same groups of people from holding anything more than a passive interest in any publicly traded gaming enterprise. In addition, the legislation would bar members and staff of the General Assembly and the immediate families of both groups from receiving any form of compensation for services rendered to or employment with any gaming enterprise or business.
Emphasis added because Mark Maxwell has a copy of Plummer’s bill…
Immediate family member is defined as “anyone living with a member, or a spouse, child, sibling, or parent of a member, regardless of whether that person lives with the member.”
As Major League Baseball and its teams forge business partnerships with the gambling industry and are under state mandates to provide official data for sports betting, they might actually be considered a gambling enterprise one day.
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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Before we hand out the awards in these categories, this needs to be said…
I truly believe that all the legislative assistants do a very good job!! Keep up the great work!!
They work hard, they’re paid poorly, they’re not always treated very well or respected (and a bunch of them were laid off in the House) and yet just about every one of them somehow manages to be efficient and courteous. My hat is off to all of you.
* The 2019 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Administrative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to the overwhelming favorite Lisa Katava…
Lisa was originally with Senator Mulroe before his retirement. With all the craziness/changes on the first floor, she still is just the best. She knows the legislative process through its ins and outs and is the kindest person under the dome. She constantly has a smile on her face and is always ready to help anyone in need. There is no question that she is the best legislative assistant in the capitol. (Also, she clearly has the best coffee/snacks in the building)
* The 2019 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Administrative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Liz Moody…
Behind every effective legislator is a strong LA that keeps the show going, is often yelled at by some stranger who is upset by some gun bill & tries to coordinate meetings knowing everything will change in a hour. {Sigh} If I have to pick one LA, then I have to go with Liz Moody. For years she has assisted Art Turner and he treated her like family. This year she gained Jay Hoffman. Now, we all know that a Rep. Hoffman can be high maintenance…I mean he does have his own bobblehead. But, in all seriousness, as others have already pointed out Liz is the best. She kept Art & Jay on schedule, is an effective gatekeeper and loyal person.
Honorable mention goes to Mike Amarilio.
* OK, let’s move on to today’s categories. Sorry I’m getting to this so late in the day…
* Best Illinois House Democratic Staffer - Non-Political
* Best Illinois House Republican Staffer - Non-Political
In other words, staffers who don’t specialize in running campaigns during the “off” season.
Do your very best to nominate in both categories. Also, make sure to explain your nominations or they will not count. This isn’t just about vote totals, it’s also about the intensity of support. Have fun!
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* You just knew this would happen…
Chicagoans caught smoking weed on front porches and in backyards — even high-rise balconies — that are visible to the public could still face fines after the drug is legalized next year, Chicago police say.
But Chicago cops are being encouraged to explain the new law to residents caught violating it rather than take punitive measures right away, particularly in the initial months. […]
Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, nevertheless raised concerns about the CPD policy. He noted that the law shouldn’t be enforced against those using cannabis in places that are “clearly out of the view of the street,” like backyards and enclosed porches.
“The spirit of the law and the letter of the law in terms of the state law is the notion that as long as whatever behavior is happening is out of public view, it wouldn’t be subject to any kind of punishment,” Yohnka said. “Because they’re expanding what is sort of the spirit of the law, it just provides for more opportunities for enforcement.”
Yohnka also worries that ticketing and enforcement related to cannabis will continue to disproportionately affect people of color. Though the number of pot arrests has plummeted since the city decriminalized weed, a Sun-Times analysis last year found that African-Americans continued to bear the brunt of that enforcement.
From that above-referenced Sun-Times analysis…
In 2017 and the first four months of 2018, 94 people were busted in Chicago for petty marijuana possession. Seventy-six of them were black. Sixteen were Hispanic. Two were white.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** Statement from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Interim CPD Superintendent Charlie Beck…
Righting this City’s generation-old wrongs and overturning the unjust, cannabis enforcement laws of our past has been at the heart of our efforts since day one, which is why we’ve taken the important step forward in reducing overly punitive fines and fees for minor cannabis violations by passing a smart, sensible and safe cannabis enforcement ordinance that truly prioritizes public safety of all residents in this City.
While the state law prohibits cannabis consumption in a “public place,” which is defined as anywhere you can be observed by others in the public, the Chicago Police Department recognizes that an individual using cannabis in their own backyard or balcony poses no direct threat to public safety, and no resident should be arrested or ticketed solely for such a scenario. Any characterization to the contrary is simply wrong. Over the past several months and throughout December, all 13,000 of Chicago’s police officers are being trained on the reformed cannabis enforcement laws, including how they should use discretion of their enforcement powers to educate residents on the new legalization laws, rather than issuing tickets as a default response.
As we prepare for legalization next year, the Mayor’s Office and CPD are wholeheartedly committed to working in partnership with Chicago’s community advocates and leaders to ensure that the days of unfair and unequal targeted enforcement for low-level cannabis violations have come to an end.
Good for them.
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* CBS 2’s Chris Tye…
We obtained DCFS transport records that show over the last 2.5 years 28 cases where restraints—leg shackles and handcuffs—were used on foster kids. […]
“At some point, and I don’t know what that point is, but this is torture,” said Cook County public guardian Charles Golbert.
The state contract calls for the Jim Steward transport company, not state experts, to determine the “proper methods of containment and if necessary restraint.”
“To delegate that to a bus company is illegal, unconstitutional, outrageous and stupid,” Golbert said.
Who were the stupid, beastly morons at DCFS who thought delegating shackling decisions about children to a bus company was a good idea? What could possibly go wrong?
These are kids who have been taken from terribly abusive and/or horribly neglectful parents ostensibly for their own good. But even though they’ve already been traumatized by their very own families, they’re treated by DCFS like prison inmates.
The prime directive of that agency is helping children. I mean, it’s even in their agency’s name, for crying out loud. It’s not called the Department of Making Bus Drivers’ Lives Easier So We Can Save Money On Trained Staff. And if DCFS employees can’t figure that out, then they need to quit or be fired. Now.
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Tom Cullerton’s trial set for July
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
A judge Thursday set a trial date for next summer for state Sen. Thomas Cullerton, one of three elected officials hit with federal charges so far this year.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman set the trial for July 21, putting aside five days for prosecutors to put on their case that Cullerton embezzled from the Teamsters.
It’s not clear whether the trial date will stand, though. Lawyers also told the judge there is a dispute over evidence Cullerton’s legal team hopes to access regarding a key witness. Cullerton has pleaded not guilty and has vowed to clear his name.
Cullerton has been accused of collecting $188,320 in salary, bonuses and cellphone and vehicle allowances from the Teamsters, as well as $64,068 in health and pension contributions, while doing little or no work for the labor union. He also allegedly collected $21,678 in reimbursed medical claims.
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* Tribune…
With Chicago weeks away from opening the weed gates to recreational cannabis use, black aldermen on Wednesday again complained white dispensary operators will get too big a head start on the lucrative business, and argued broad legalization should be stalled until midyear.
The City Council hearing on Black Caucus Chairman Ald. Jason Ervin’s ordinance to push back the start date on recreational sales until July 1, 2020, did not include a vote on his proposal. That clears the way for the state law to take effect on Jan. 1.
They didn’t have a vote because that hearing was all for show. Something else may be going on there.
* What Ervin and others, including in the media, have failed to focus on is why it’s important to social equity applicants to get this program up and running…
Toi Hutchinson, a key architect of the legalization law and the governor’s top pot adviser, added that “January 1 is just the beginning” of the rollout of the cannabis law.
So far, 14 of Illinois’ 21 current cultivation centers have earned licenses to grow recreational weed and 30 of the state’s 55 existing dispensaries have been awarded licenses to sell both medical and recreational pot.
To earn those licenses, existing operators had to cough up hefty application fees that will form the economic bedrock of the social equity program. Dispensary owners will also have to make another contribution to the state’s cannabis business development fund, which will be used to offer fee relief, loans and technical assistance to equity candidates.
The statute lays out what those fees will pay for. Here are some bullet points I’ve made that were taken from the statute…
* Grants and low-interest loans to social equity applicants to help start and operate cannabis businesses;
* Outreach programs to attract and support social equity applicants;
* Studies on the participation of minorities, women, veterans, or people with disabilities in the cannabis industry, including, without limitation, barriers to such individuals entering the industry as equity owners of cannabis business establishments;
* Job training and technical assistance for residents in Disproportionately Impacted Areas.
Any delay by Chicago would hurt all of these programs.
* Also…
To date, only 30 dispensary licenses have been issued. The state expects 500 by the time the program is fully deployed. Next week, regulators will begin accepting applications from so-called “equity” applicants from traditionally disadvantaged communities.
“In Illinois we’re different,” Pritzker said. “Our social equity applicants will be eligible for the 75 licenses that come online in just a few months, and be able to get business loans to get off the ground funded by the existing industry.”
* Related…
* JB Pritzker signed follow-up cannabis legislation. Here’s what it included.
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Reform roundup
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background is here if you need it. Mark Maxwell…
Brady, the Republican Senate leader from Bloomington, spent significant time over the last two days making phone calls to his members to reassure them he has a grasp on the reins of the caucus, and that Plummer’s broadside is only a contained episode. Most of the senators, who described their conversations with Brady on a condition of anonymity, say he sounded frustrated, but not rattled by Plummer’s public statements.
Other than Plummer, most Senate Republicans are opting to lay low and wish to avoid criticizing Brady publicly, but privately, many share concerns that their leader may be more enamored with Governor J.B. Pritzker, a progressive Democrat, and they wonder if he has the stomach to fight Pritzker on issues important to Republicans.
Brady did voice public opposition to Pritzker’s proposals to expand abortion rights, raise the minimum wage, and institute a progressive income tax. The Republican explained his mild-mannered approach in his closing speech on the floor of the Senate in early June.
“Let those watching know that Senate Republicans came to the table,” Brady said. “We did not seek to turn it over.”
Some folks simply want to watch things burn.
But some of the criticism is more nuanced than that. The House Republicans and some members of Leader Brady’s own caucus were unhappy with Brady during the final week or so of spring session. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin was trying to pressure the Democrats into agreeing to his business reforms and some felt that Brady wasn’t backing him up. Durkin eventually got everything he demanded, but only after making a huge dealio about it.
* Meanwhile, in other reform-related news…
Five GOP lawmakers are calling on Governor Pritzker to call a special session before Christmas to deal with ethics reform.
The call comes after Democrats pushed through the establishment of an ethics reform commission in November to make recommendations by the end of March. However, Republicans say that is too long of a period to wait when taxpayers want reform now.
The lawmakers calling for the special session are State Representatives Dan Caulkins of Decatur, Brad Halbrook of Shelbyville, Blaine Wilhour of Beecher City, Chris Miller of Oakdale and Allen Skillicorn of Crystal Lake. […]
WAND requested a comment from the governor’s office on the call for a special session. The office sent us a 40-minute video clip from a news conference in Chicago not related to the call for a special session.
They should’ve watched that video because Pritzker answered questions on this topic…
Pritzker said at an unrelated bill-signing ceremony in Chicago that the idea of “a quickie special session … doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“That ethics commission, deliberately created with Republicans and Democrats, is designed to look at each of the issues that, in fact, those same state representatives would like to have reviewed and make sure that they’re done in the right way,” Pritzker said.
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Senate Democratic leadership roundup
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Yesterday in Politico…
State Sens. Jacqueline Collins and Melinda Bush are endorsing Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford to follow Cullerton as Senate president when he retires next month.
“I’ve found her to be a master negotiator and accomplished legislator,” Collins told Playbook, pointing to Lightford’s dogged efforts to raise the state’s minimum wage. […]
“I’m not committed to anyone,” Sen. Julie Morrison said, adding other senators “are in the same place… We’re being really thoughtful.”
Sens. Cristina Castro, Laura Fine and Ram Villivalam are also waiting to see which candidates emerge for the Jan. 19 vote. […]
(O)ther senators want to know why Senate leadership isn’t backing Harmon.
Um, Lightford is the Senate Majority Leader, so why wouldn’t members of leadership be backing her? Subscribers knew about Sen. Bush’s endorsement on Monday. Bush was floating her name as a Senate President candidate, so that was a significant get.
Also, that endorsement from Sen. Collins is interesting considering that Sen. Harmon was touting his petition-gathering work for Collins, who was having some trouble and didn’t file until the last day possible…
(O)n 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.”
* Politico today…
RICKEY HENDON SPOUTS OFF: The former state senator says divisions within the Black Caucus could keep Sen. Kimberly Lightford from becoming president of the state Senate, in a Facebook Live post after leaving a fundraiser for Lightford’s new Leadership PAC.
Hendon said South Side black senators are not joining West Side black senators to support Lightford, who would be the first African American woman to hold the position, and specifically calls out Sens. Elgie Sims Jr. and Napoleon Harris III. Hendon also questions why Sen. Don Harmon just loaned himself $100,000. “Because he wants to give senators money to vote for him,” claims Hendon, a senator from 1992 to 2011.
A filing with the state Board of Elections shows Harmon gave $100,001 to his campaign fund Wednesday — and that more than $675,000 was moved into that account (by other donations and consolidating money from other accounts). Harmon’s big donation broke the $100,000 cap and can now he can operate as a self-funder. During the last cycle, he gave come $800,000 to support fellow lawmakers.
Harmon’s fundraising moves came the same day Lightford kicked off her Leadership PAC fundraiser. No dollar totals yet, but a source close to Lightford’s camp says the event raised six figures.
Only about half the money Harmon raised came from others.
* Jim Dey…
That’s relevant to the ongoing deliberations, because Lightford’s conduct has been publicly questioned on three separate occasions since 2016 — two government reports involving improper hiring and an Illinois Times investigation into misuse of campaign funds.
Although unmentioned — both in the news media and apparently among Lightford’s colleagues — the record is clear.
Earlier this year, the state Executive Inspector General issued a 35-page report demonstrating how Eric McKennie was improperly hired by the Chicago Transit Authority because of Lightford’s political influence. The report identified McKennie as an individual who “holds himself out as being married” to Lightford and claimed to live with her.
The report said McKennie was hired as an $81,000-a-year diversity consultant “because of his wife’s position as a state legislator.”
However, the investigation turned up no evidence that Sen. Lightford was in any way involved in the hiring. The guy just kept using her name. The Lightford camp pointed that out to me and issued this response…
The findings of the IG report speak for themselves. And to quote a wise woman, “When they go low we go high.”
* The Illinois Times story is relevant…
Twice since 2013, Lightford has used campaign funds to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in the Cayman Islands, racking up hotel bills of $3,931 during her two stays. In 2012, she reported spending $553 for lodging at the Desert Longevity Institute in Palm Desert, California, a holistic health clinic that offers such services as hyperbaric oxygen treatments and colon cleansings but does not rent rooms.
Lightford said that the reported payment to the health clinic was in error – after Illinois Times brought it to her attention, she said that she corrected it. She makes no apologies for the Cayman Islands.
Loretto Hospital in Chicago was in danger of losing its insurance, which could have forced closure, explains Lightford, who is on the hospital board. After exhausting other possibilities, she said that the hospital set up a captive insurance company, essentially a form of self insurance, in the Cayman Islands.
“We cannot convene in the United Sates because it’s a captive in the Cayman Islands,” Lightford says. “Our meeting every fall is in the Caymans so that our auditors can come in, and we have our yearly meeting there. That’s (the Ritz-Carlton) the location that we stay when we’re there.”
Members will want to know that the money she raises as the caucus leader will be spent wisely.
* Speaking of money…
In an unusual transaction, retiring Illinois Senate President John Cullerton obtained a personal loan from a politically connected Chicago bank by using money from his campaign fund as collateral, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The deal allowed Cullerton to sidestep campaign finance disclosure requirements that would have been triggered if he had borrowed or withdrawn the money directly from his campaign fund.
While Cullerton answered some questions from the Sun-Times about the deal, he declined to make available records of the transaction. The maneuver does not appear to violate Illinois ethics laws, based on the information provided by Cullerton.
In response to questions, Cullerton confirmed by email he took out a personal line of credit for $75,000 on Oct. 20, 2014, from Belmont Bank & Trust Co., where Cullerton’s friend and business partner, former state Sen. James DeLeo, is a member of the board of directors.
Six months earlier, Cullerton had deposited $100,000 in campaign money held by his Citizens for John Cullerton fund into a certificate of deposit with the bank.
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* Mitchell Armentrout at the Sun-Times…
More than a year after issuing a warning cry that dire financial straits might force them to sell the prized stovepipe hat that purportedly — but debatably — belonged to the 16th president, officials from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation announced Wednesday they’ve reached a new loan agreement that means the organization “no longer needs to consider auctioning off any of the artifacts.” […]
The foundation borrowed $23 million in 2007 to buy the Taper Collection, a trove of more than a thousand items including the bloodstained gloves Mary Todd Lincoln wore the night of the president’s assassination, and, most notably, the famed beaver-fur hat. […]
But an uptick in private fundraising earlier this year allowed the foundation to make “a larger-than-normal payment to principal,” and they’ve reached a loan extension agreement with Lake Forest Bank & Trust that now matures Oct. 31, 2022, and “includes a more favorable interest rate.” … They’ve paid off more than $22 million of the $31 million debt.
The debt had been $9.7 million.
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Drea, Devaney new IL AFL-CIO leaders
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
The Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board elected Tim Drea as President of the 855,000 statewide member organization following the recent retirement of Michael T. Carrigan.
Drea previously served as Illinois AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer for 12 years and will fill the remaining term.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, one of the leading labor organizations in the nation,” Drea said. “I thank Michael Carrigan for his years of service as president and I am excited to continue to represent union members in protecting their rights, working conditions, and safety on the job. The labor movement in Illinois is diverse and united in the common goal of making Illinois a better place for all working families.”
Born and raised in Taylorville, Drea started his career as a rank and file member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). After being laid-off due to a depressed Illinois coal market, he joined the Illinois State Democratic Staff for five years, and then served as Legislative and Political Director of Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). He was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO in 2007 and re-elected in 2008, 2012, and 2016. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, he resides in Springfield with his wife Elizabeth. He has four children: Andrew, Bridget, Lillian, and Jack.
The Executive Board also elected Pat Devaney, President of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI), to fill the unexpired term of Drea as Secretary-Treasurer. He started his career as a City of Champaign fire fighter with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1260 in 1995 and currently serves as a lieutenant for the department. He was elected President of the AFFI in 2008, representing over 15,000 fire fighters throughout the state; he also has served as a Vice President of the Illinois AFL-CIO for over 11 years.
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* Wednesday press release…
Governor JB Pritzker signed ethics reform legislation today and appointed four members to the newly formed Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform.
“The people of Illinois deserve a state government they can trust, and that means we need to put stronger ethical safeguards in place, prioritize transparency and demand more accountability from public servants,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “While we took important steps in November to tighten ethics requirements and improve transparency, it’s critical to take additional action to end the unconscionable self-enrichment and corruption that has been uncovered. I expect this commission to deliberate swiftly and report their recommendations with the greatest possible urgency.”
Senate Bill 1639 strengthens the detail of information required on statements of economic interest, increases lobbyist disclosure requirements – including whether they are elected officials anywhere in Illinois, whether they are registered lobbyists in any unit of local government and whether they subcontract – and requires the Secretary of State’s office to create a publicly accessible and searchable database combining registered lobbyist disclosures, contributions by registered lobbyists and statements of economic interest.
Created by HJR 93, the joint commission will review and make recommendations to change state ethics laws, examine best practices from other state and local governments, and seek expert and public input on improving ethics in Illinois state government.
Comprised of 16 members from Illinois’ executive and legislative branches, members of the joint commission are prohibited from lobbying Illinois state government during their service on the commission or at any time during the last five years.
* Emphasis added because of this appointment…
Steven A. Andersson serves as a Commissioner of the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Andersson has been a licensed attorney for more almost three decades. He is a partner at the law firms of Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi and Andersson, P.C. and the Elder Law Center, P.C. He is admitted to practice law at all Illinois courts, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Andersson was also the state representative for Illinois’ 65th legislative district from 2015 to 2019 where he served as Republican floor leader in 2018. During the 99th General Assembly, Andersson was a leader of the Republican coalition that joined with the Democratic caucus to end the longest state budget impasse in U.S. history. He has also been a strident defender of the rights of all people, including being the chief co-sponsor for the ERA, a two-time sponsor of the Equal Pay Act and chief co-sponsor of the LGBTQ curriculum bill. Prior to joining the Illinois House of Representatives, Andersson served his community as a trustee and treasurer on the Geneva Library District Board for approximately 5 years, including serving 2 years as treasurer. Andersson is a past president of the Kane County Bar Association. He is also a member of the Kane County Bar Foundation; Illinois Bar Association; American Bar Association; National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; and served on the governing board of the Aurora Family Counseling Service and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Um, he’s a good guy for sure, but Andersson was a registered lobbyist until June 28th of this year.
*** UPDATE *** From the Pritzker administration…
Steve Andersson is a dedicated public servant and the administration appreciates his willingness to serve. However, given the requirements of the resolution, we will be submitting a different appointee.
That was fast.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Christine Radogno will serve on the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform. Radogno is the former Senate Minority Leader, the first female leader of a political party in the Illinois Legislature. She served as a Republican member of the Illinois Senate, representing a Legislative District in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties from 1997 to 2017. She also serves as a co-chair of the Governor’s Pension Consolidation Feasibility Task Force. Prior to serving in the state senate, Radogno served for eight years as a Village Trustee in LaGrange. Radogno received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in social work from Loyola University in Chicago. She was employed in the field of mental health before entering politics.
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* AFSCME Council 31’s Anders Lindall reached out to me this morning and asked if it was OK if his daughter got in contact with me about a school project. I said of course it was OK and Greta sent me this email…
Dear Rich Miller,
I have heard a lot about your blog and I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out.
I am in 7th grade and working on a science fair project about the correlation between age and beliefs about certain “controversial” issues—eg Green New Deal and voting behind bars.
For my survey I need a lot more Republican and Independent answers than I have now and I was wondering if you would help me get there. All I ask is that you post it on your blog and ask Republican and Independent readers only to answer it.
Here is the link to the survey:
https://forms.gle/gKitqoVA7Zu9PGj37
Thanks in advance,
Greta Lindall
Please don’t “freep” the survey if you’re a Democrat. She’s a kid. This is a school project. Thanks!
*** UPDATE *** Greta has updated her survey page…
Hi! Right now we DON”T NEED ANYMORE REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS we only need Independents-but also need NO MORE MALES, only females (but females of any political party) thanks–Greta
Click here.
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* Ray Long and Jason Meisner at the Tribune…
Federal authorities have asked questions about Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his political operation as part of an ongoing investigation, four people who have been interviewed told the Tribune.
The sources, all of whom requested anonymity, said FBI agents and prosecutors asked about connections between Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and Madigan, lobbyists giving contracts to people tied to the speaker, and city, state and suburban government jobs held by his associates.
They also said authorities had numerous questions about the speaker’s relationship and dealings with longtime confidant Michael McClain, a former ComEd lobbyist.
“These were the people they were most focused on,” according to one person interviewed by authorities.
You should definitely read the rest of that story. Lots more in it.
* Meanwhile, here’s Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney at WBEZ…
After retiring from Cook County, Raymond Nice supplemented his public pension checks with a job representing Commonwealth Edison’s interests in county government.
For Nice – a longtime campaign operative for Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan – the job paid as much as $60,000 a year on top of his annual pension of more than $70,000, records show.
Nice answered to ComEd lobbyist and City Club of Chicago President Jay Doherty. Earlier this year, Nice disclosed that his work involved talking to county officials about ComEd’s business operations “when requested by Jay Doherty.”
But records show Nice’s job ended on July 1 – weeks after FBI agents raided the nonprofit City Club’s offices in the Wrigley Building in mid-May as part of a broad public corruption investigation into ComEd.
Authorities sought documents about Madigan and ComEd as they probed allegations the giant power company had hired multiple politically connected consultants – including some with ties to Madigan – under deals that demanded little or no work, WBEZ has reported. A source involved in the investigation has told WBEZ the feds are looking into suspicions that Doherty served as a “pass through” for ComEd’s deals with clout hires.
Uh-oh. Again, read the rest. Nice was definitely Madigan’s guy. I’m told Madigan only requested a tiny handful of appointments from newly elected Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2015, and Nice was one of them.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Open thread
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I have to take a family member to the airport, so I’ll be gone for a while. Keep your conversation Illinois-centric and please be nice to each other. Also, you might use some of this time to donate to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. Just sayin…
*** UPDATE *** Ever heard that old saying about how adventures don’t begin until something goes wrong? Yeah, that’s been my entire afternoon. Talk with you tomorrow.
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* Background is here if you need it. Public finance/muni bonds reporter for Debtwire Municipals…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
“Illinois taxpayers are so tired of Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman and his named or unnamed partners who seek to profit from trying to tank Illinois’ finances,” said Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. “This appeal should be laughed out of court the same way the original case was. Remember, that 2017 refinancing I championed saved taxpayers $4-$6 billion and helped businesses across Illinois. It hurt the profit margins of Tillman’s partners.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The appeal is here.
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* Letter to the editor from Alaina Hampton’s former spokesperson Lorna Brett…
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan could stand in the middle of Michigan Avenue and shoot someone, and the Democrats of Illinois would still support him. Like President Donald Trump, his vengefulness against anyone who dares cross him is legendary. I am most disappointed in the female leadership of the party. With the entire country’s support for the #MeToo movement behind them, they still cross their legs. Profiles in courage, they are not. When Alaina Hampton needed an advocate, “they” had to bring in someone from out of state — me — to help her because of fear of retribution. Hats off to Chicago Tribune for continuing to cover this story and stand up for women and clean government.
* Letter to the editor from Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago)…
In its Nov. 22 editorial, the Tribune called on lawmakers to challenge House Speaker Michael Madigan for his response to the #MeToo scandal in the statehouse. It’s true that most politicians won’t call out the speaker for publicly promising to end sexual harassment in politics while his friends apparently arranged a payout of $30,000 for the harasser he formerly employed.
Madigan’s spokesman says the speaker knew nothing about the payoffs. This denial strains credulity. The Tribune shouldn’t scold legislators for failing to ask the speaker what he knew and when he knew it. Questions are challenges, and politicians who challenge the speaker face retribution. Political contributions might dry up, worthy legislation might not advance, and challengers might be put up to run for your seat.
The #MeToo movement has given a voice to women who may be justifiably afraid to speak up. Our legislators and leaders need encouragement, support and, most important, protection from Mike Madigan.
* And this is something I already posted from Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Elmurst)…
This is just unbelievable coming from McQueary. She criticizes the women’s caucus every chance she gets when in reality we have spent our time doing the difficult work to change a culture and not chasing headlines.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Conroy…
Rich, I have lived through my own issue, faced it head on and tried to move forward in private. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to do so. I have been trusted by many victims who have also wanted to keep their stories confidential. I have honored their wishes by working behind the scenes to find a resolution to their satisfaction. My respect for any victim of bullying or sexual abuse of any kind will always be my guide. Each victim deserves all of our respect in how they chose to handle their story, either in public or in private. So many people, including myself, have not only had to face the fear of our own story but on top of that have been shamed and bullied by others who believe that they have the right to judge us. We must support and respect each other. Every individual’s story public or private has moved us to where we are today. Changing a culture is hard although there is more work to be done we are making progress.
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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It seems like every year we get fewer and fewer nominations for best bartender/waitstaff and this year was no exception. There simply weren’t enough nominations to make a choice, so the category is no more.
Today’s categories…
* Best Senate Administrative Assistant/District Office Manager
* Best House Administrative Assistant/District Office Manager
Make sure to fully explain your vote and try to nominate in both categories. However, I totally get that some of you only work with (or in) one chamber, so I’m more lenient on these sorts of categories. Anyway, have fun!
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* Background is here if you need it. Mark Maxwell followed up with Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville)…
* Transcript…
Plummer: Certain legislators are making a lot of money from industries where they have a tremendous amount of influence. And I think that the more the average voter in Illinois paid attention, the more shocked they’d be about what’s going on in Springfield. […]
This bill eliminates the opportunity for elected officials and employees of the General Assembly to be owners of privately held gaming enterprises or receive consulting… payments from those entities. […]
A lot of people were surprised by the news that broke at the end of May [about Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady receiving commissions from a video gaming company]. And everyone that I have talked to has been extremely supportive of the general concept. […]
Bill’s inclination was to work more closely with the other leaders to maybe take a slower approach and maybe go after, I think in your article you said ‘low hanging fruit,’ and I would say that, I believe those were the exact terms he used. […]
I agree that the words ‘video gaming’ never came up [in conversations with Brady], that’s not really how things work in Springfield. What was crystal clear was his intention. And his intention was this legislation couldn’t be filed. And his intention was that I couldn’t speak publicly about this legislation. And those conditions and those terms weren’t placed on the other people who were being appointed to the commission. Those terms and conditions weren’t placed on other ethics-related legislation. It was just my ethics-related legislation.
Maxwell: You’re saying he basically offered you a position in exchange for your silence.
Plummer: Yes. […]
Maxwell: Do you still want to serve on the commission?
I very much want to serve on the commission. There’s a significant difference between resigning from the commission [as Brady has claimed he did] and declining an appointment that was very inappropriate. I’d love to serve on the commission.
Other Republican Senators have confirmed to me that Brady originally supported the Democrats’ idea to create a new legislative ethics commission, but had to bow to the will of caucus members who were furious that a “low hanging fruit” ethics bill was the only thing they’d get out of the veto session. Brady and Plummer reportedly got into a heated argument in caucus about this.
Plummer is not the lying type. He may be interpreting things in a different way, but he seems genuine in his belief that he was effectively being silenced in exchange for a little campaign sweetener, when he actually wanted to make some real changes in the way the Statehouse functions. That’s not an unusual thing for a legislative leader to do, by the way. Co-opting members is part of the game.
Brady also does have some issues with his caucus, and while there’s nothing illegal with him profiting from video gaming, some of his members tell me they were most concerned with the fact that he never actually reported he was making money off the industry…
The senator lists Brady Ventures but not [Midwest Electronics Gaming] on his legislative statements of economic interests, which are filed with the Illinois secretary of state under the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. That’s because payments to Brady from Midwest go through Brady Ventures and are not made to him directly.
And with the recent revelations that the Illinois Gaming Board has given licenses to people with connections to organized crime, the entire industry is now under a cloud.
*** UPDATE *** From Leader Brady’s spokesperson…
· The leader originally supported the ethics commission task force because it was evenly split and not partisan.
· If you’ll recall during Senate Executive Committee, it was changed to become a partisan commission and the leader strongly voiced his concerns.
· The leader then shared those concerns and his opposition to the changes with caucus and that is when they all decided to oppose it.
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Because… Madigan!
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lorraine Swanson at the Patch…
Art Jones, the snookering, Holocaust-denying, Jew-hating, self-avowed Nazi is making another bid for the Republican nomination in Illinois’s 3rd Congressional District. Jones filed his petitions at 8:32 a.m. Monday, the deadline for candidates to file to run in the 2020 election. Those hoping for an Art Jones-free election cycle are now lining up (again) to challenge Jones’ petitions and get him tossed off the ballot.
The former president of the American Nazi Party and part-time Lyons insurance broker has called the Holocaust of World War II — where 6 million Jews were exterminated — the “blackest lie in history” and “a fairy tale.” He hasn’t denied his Nazi past and, in fact, says he’s proud of it, including his minor street skirmishes with leftists. Jones says he supports President Donald Trump but doesn’t care for Trump’s “punk” Jewish son-in-law and senior White House advisor Jared Kushner.
“We challenge Art Jones every time he runs,” said Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, who chairs the Cook County Republican Party. “This is history repeating itself. We’re going to have to waste time and resources to knock him off. I don’t like talking bad about people, but this is a bad guy.” […]
Provided that Jones survives a petition challenge, he will be joined by two other GOP candidates in the Republican congressional primary. Oak Lawn resident Catherine O’Shea and Will County board member Mike Fricilone have both declared their candidacy.
Reached by phone Tuesday evening, Jones told Patch he thinks the two GOP candidates are shills sent by Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Morrison.
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A note from Wordslinger’s daughter Emma
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I forgot to post this email from Wordslinger’s daughter Emma which I received before Thanksgiving and I forgot that Wordslinger’s birthday was mentioned in her email. Those were both massive fails on my part. Sorry!
But since we’re fundraising for LSSI partly as a tribute to Wordslinger’s legacy, I thought you might like to read it. You’ll recall that Emma Oxnevad is a DePaul journalism student and we raised some money to help her pay for college after we found out that her dad had died…
Hi, Rich!
This week in my student newspaper, I wrote a column about staying thankful even when your life has been rocked by tragedy. I mention my dad frequently throughout it and thought you may like to read it.
https://depauliaonline.com/44385/opinions/opinion-when-facing-extreme-hardship-its-crucial-to-acknowledge-moments-of-happiness/
What I didn’t mention in the column is how thankful I am for you and everyone at Capitol Fax, not only for the extreme generosity you all showed me but the respect and love you showed to my dad and his work. It may interest you to know that his birthday is coming up (December 3).
Also, I talked to my mom and she said she would be very much interested in meeting you. I know you mentioned wanting to meet sometime in the spring, and I can see if my brothers would be interested or available as well.
I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving.
Best,
Emma
As I told you yesterday, I’m hoping to put together a meet and greet with Wordslinger’s family during the spring legislative session.
Click here to contribute to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. We’ve raised about $8,000 so far, which is pretty darned amazing. Thanks! Let’s keep it going.
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ISBE revises restraint rules after pushback
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was told yesterday that several schools had threatened to disenroll a large number of students over the ISBE’s new rules on student seclusion and restraint. So, ISBE revised its rules…
After receiving significant feedback from schools and advocates across the state, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) filed an amendment yesterday to its emergency rules that banned seclusion in Illinois schools and placed restrictions on the use of physical restraint.
The amendment temporarily allows prone and supine physical restraints in narrow circumstances and only for severe crisis situations to protect the safety of students and staff. The amendment will give schools time to transition to the use of alternate interventions without causing students to be disenrolled. The amendment mandates that other less restrictive and intrusive interventions have been tried first and have not succeeded in stopping the danger.
ISBE developed the amendment in collaboration with numerous stakeholders, in response to feedback from the field. ISBE received feedback that, in certain emergency situations, the use of prone or supine restraint is currently the only way to prevent a student from physically harming themselves or others. Several stakeholders indicated that students in private placements would be disenrolled from those schools without the amendment. Temporarily allowing prone and supine physical restraints in crisis situations supports schools in continuing to serve students safely while the State develops further training and guidance on alternate interventions and proceeds with permanent rulemaking.
The amendment continues to prohibit using prone or supine restraints in a manner that impairs a student’s ability to breathe or communicate, as well as for students with medical or psychological limitations that contraindicate their use.
The amendment requires that one staff person trained in identifying the signs of distress observe the student during the entire incident of prone or supine physical restraint. The amendment also requires an additional layer of review if a student is restrained in a prone or supine position in at least two separate instances within a 30-school day period.
The emergency rulemaking extends for 150 days from its initial filing on Nov. 19. The amendment to the emergency rules allows ISBE to collect additional feedback and review data as it develops permanent rules. Stakeholders will have multiple opportunities to submit formal comments on the proposed permanent rules.
The amended rules are here.
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* Whew…
Yep. Click here and you’ll see COGFA projected in April that the unfunded liability by the end of Fiscal Year 2019 would be $136.8 billion. Click here and you’ll see that COGFA’s most recent report shows the actual unfunded liability for FY19 was $137.3 billion.
* More from Hannah’s report…
The total amount of pension costs included in the current fiscal year’s budget is $9.2 billion — which represents 22 percent of the total amount of state spending in the current $40.7 billion budget. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget estimates the state budget for the 2021 fiscal year will grow to $42.2 billion, and the estimated $9.8 billion in pension contribution costs for the state’s five pension systems would represent 23 percent of the state’s operating budget.
When debt service payments for past pension bonds — including pension funding bonds from the 2003, 2011 and 2020 fiscal years — are included, along with the state’s contribution to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund, the total amount of pension costs the state expends represents over a quarter of the state’s overall operating budget. Illinois is projected to spend $708 million in debt service for its pension bonds in the 2020 fiscal year.
The estimated costs for next year could climb even higher, as represented by the increase between actuarial demands for the pension systems this time last year and what ended up being included in the state’s fiscal year 2020 budget. Additionally, the Teachers’ Retirement System — by far the largest retirement system of the five under state control — actuarial funding policy calls for contributions of $8.3 billion, $3 billion more than called for in state statute. […]
The growth in unfunded liabilities to $137.3 billion during the 2019 fiscal year is “largely due to the continued actuarially insufficient State contributions and lower-than-expected investment returns,” according to COGFA’s report.
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* WICS TV…
As a result of our FOIA, we received a document showing DCFS and the company they hired, Jim Stewart Transportation, used either full restraints or leg restraints more than 25 times since 2017 [on children in their care]. […]
The log shows one transport, which took place on September 24, 2019, was from Benton, Illinois to Portsmouth, Virginia.
According to our search, the drive would take about 13 hours to complete.
The Cook County Public Guardian, Charles Golbert, who represents close to 6,000 kids in DCFS care, said this is unacceptable.
“It’s just outrageous and there is no justification documented on these documents at all. Not a safety justification, not a clinical, not even attempted to give any kind of rational and that’s because there is not any rational,” Golbert said.
Keep in mind here that full restraints means arms and legs are shackled with metal cuffs. DCFS has since said it will only allow “soft” restraints in certain cases.
* From the National Association of Social Workers’ lobbyist…
Agreed.
* Hillman also told me via DM he suspects that DCFS was using shackles as a substitute for staff. “Instead of staffing these transports, they were cuffing and shackling kids,” he said. “That way they couldn’t get away at stops or lash out when dealing with the trauma of transport.”
“Imagine being a kid - taken from an abusive home - and then shackled in a van with a stranger,” he continued. “And they wonder why these kids have such bad outcomes.”
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* Press release…
Reform-minded legislators Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), Randy Frese (R-Paloma), Margo McDermed (R-Mokena), and Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) today demanded Speaker Madigan resign amid FBI investigations and harassment cases that have tainted his caucus for decades.
Representative Batinick believes Illinois has a culture of corruption, but it’s leadership that sets this culture. “House Speaker Mike Madigan is the longest-serving House Speaker in history, and under his reign we’ve seen a decades-long pattern of unethical behavior and corruption in Illinois government,” said Rep. Batinick. “People all around him are being investigated, searched, recorded, arrested and indicted. To restore trust and accountability in state government, Speaker Madigan must resign.”
According to Batinick, the resignations must extend beyond the Speaker and also include the state’s top financial watchdog, Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino. “Auditor General Mautino has been under fire since his appointment in 2016 when it was alleged he used campaign money for personal purposes for over a decade while serving as a lawmaker,” said Batinick. “He has yet to answer those charges, and efforts to remove him from the position of Auditor General have been squashed by Speaker Madigan and his Democratic Majority. At a bare minimum, Mautino must resign.”
Rep. McDermed said the typical response to scandals by Madigan and his loyalists, which includes denouncing behaviors and floating the illusion of reform while rejecting anything substantive, must end. “Amidst a #MeToo scandal atop the political and legislative sides of Madigan’s operation, the Speaker has again and again promised reforms while simultaneously protecting his allies,” McDermed said. “Their response to sexual harassment and bullying has been to lie and intimidate the accusers while rewarding the harassers. On behalf of the 200 people who signed a letter alleging harassment in Springfield and others too afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, I am demanding Speaker Madigan’s resignation.”
McDermed pointed to Madigan’s refusal to advance more than a dozen ethics reform bills filed by House Republicans, only to bring forward extremely watered down measures during the 11th hour of the fall veto session. “Legislation that would have brought forth meaningful change were blocked while Democrats approved ethics reform bills that have no hope of improving ethics in Springfield,” McDermed added.
“Speaker Madigan has the power to advance or kill legislation, and he controls the committee process through his House rules,” said Rep. Morrison. “Those who play his game are rewarded with key committee chairmanships and later many receive lucrative lobbying contracts and jobs, while those who stand up to these practices are punished. This culture of corruption denigrates our entire system of government and impacts families on a personal level through the ‘corruption tax’ we pay.”
Rep. Morrison also reiterated the need for Auditor General Frank Mautino to resign. “The condition of state and local government finances are one of the most critical issues facing the state of Illinois and its thousands of local units of government,” said Morrison. “That’s why the Illinois Constitution provides for the position of Auditor General, who oversees state agency spending, grants, and helps ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Illinois residents deserve a genuine and competent watchdog over state finances, an individual beyond reproach. Sadly, this is Illinois, and our current Auditor General, Frank Mautino, remains under a cloud of scandal. Speaker Madigan’s refusal to demand answers from Mr. Mautino or call the bill to remove the Auditor is an example of ‘turning a blind eye.’ For this reason and more we are reiterating our call for Auditor General Mautino to resign.”
Batinick and Morrison are facing serious reelection challenges. McDermed is retiring.
…Adding… This post originally had an older version of the press release, which is still here. It’s been updated with a new version.
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*** UPDATED x2 *** Our sorry state
Tuesday, Dec 3, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Aging out of the state’s public special education system, Nick [22, who has been diagnosed with autism] now stays at home, where his mother worries he is becoming more and more isolated and losing what he has learned. She wants to get him into adult programs funded by the state that would continue his training and maybe even set him up in a group home. […]
Nick is among nearly 20,000 disabled adults in Illinois who are on a waiting list to get into adult programs. Many of them come from families who don’t have a way to pay for home care, job coaches or other services.
Most wait an average of seven years before they are selected, despite a court order in 2011 that Illinois shrink the list and do other things to improve how it serves developmentally disabled adults.
One family told the Tribune they signed up their child when he was just 5 and he still did not get a spot when he turned 22 this year.
20,000?
* IARF President & CEO Josh Evans…
Earlier today the Chicago Tribune published an article that serves as a painful and frustrating reminder to all Illinoisans – particularly those with disabilities and their families - that as a state we have failed to provide for the multi-generational needs of thousands of adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities that are on the state’s waiting list for community-based services and supports in a timely manner. With this publication on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Association and its members have a renewed focus in working to address the funding and structural issues that continue to serve as barriers to growing access to services and supports.
While we share the frustrations and concerns of so many individuals and families, recent efforts by the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pritzker’s administration give the Association confidence that as a state we are now in a better place to begin to chip away at the inadequate funding plaguing our service array, as well as the statutory and regulatory barriers that have limited growth and flexibility in community-based services and supports.
We join organizations and individuals across Illinois in our collective efforts to advance the Fair Tax Constitutional Amendment, as this will not only lower taxes for the significant majority of Illinoisans, but will provide the resources that are necessary to address rate inadequacies, ensure a living wage for frontline staff, and expand the community-based service array and reduce the number of individuals on the waiting list for services.
IARF looks forward to working with Governor Pritzker and his leadership team, the General Assembly, the Arc of Illinois, and stakeholder partners towards eliminating barriers to individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities accessing community-based services and supports.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From IDHS…
IDHS exists to support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families who are striving for independence, integration and inclusion in our society.
We have made strides in the last year, but far too many individuals with disabilities who “age out” of the school system are waiting for appropriate services because these services were neglected and hollowed out for years. Too many parents are still struggling to help support their adult children with complex needs.
Our administration is working every day, in good faith with individuals, families and stakeholders, to dramatically improve the current system of services and supports. One example is our commitment to revising the rate methodology for developmental disabilities (DD) rates and services to ensure that our rates adequately support our community providers. (Kathy Carmody of the Institute for Public Policy for People with Disabilities and Ronnie Cohn, the court monitor in the Ligas case, were members of the IDHS Rates Oversight Committee that developed recommendations on DD system rate changes.)
The leadership team at IDHS is committed to proving to parents that we honor their devotion to their children and that we will be strong partners with them. Some of our actions to date include:
* Committing by 2025 to ensuring that no individual remains on the PUNS list 5 years after their 18th birthday.
* Moving more than 600 individuals off the PUNS list this year.
* Revising the PUNS list to distinguish individuals planning for services from those actively seeking services. (While there are close to 20,000 individuals on the PUNS, roughly 7,000 are actively seeking services.)
* Establishing a dedicated email account for inquiries about PUNS status and expected selection dates: DHS.DDD.PUNS@illinois.gov.
* Forging a deeper partnership between the Divisions of Developmental Disabilities and the Rehabilitation Services so individuals leaving high school can immediately access vocational and employment supports.
* Submitting a federal Medicaid waiver amendment to increase wages for front-line workers to account for Illinois’ increased minimum wage, so community-based DD providers can recruit and retain strong teams.
* Investing unprecedented levels of state support for the community-based system of services serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Getting this right – eliminating prolonged delays for disability services – requires we marshal and manage significant resources that can support individuals with disabilities to live self-determined lives in their communities.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Kathy Carmody, CEO Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities…
Glad you ran the Tribune item from earlier today. As I stated in the article, our current situation is the result of decades-long neglect and under-funding in the I/DD community service delivery system. We are encouraged by the current administration’s commitment to community services and the inclusion of community providers and their representatives in efforts to improve and enhance the community system. The Institute looks forward to continuing to work with the leadership teams at DHS and HFS to find creative and cost-effective solutions to the challenges facing people with disabilities and their families.
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Something’s missing here
Tuesday, Dec 3, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is an odd story…
A Republican college sophomore who got clobbered in what he described as a “David vs. Goliath” aldermanic race against a member of the state’s most powerful Democrat’s ward organization is back for more.
But this time 20-year-old student David Krupa is seeking to set up a Republican beachhead in state House Speaker Mike Madigan’s heavily Democratic 13th Ward.
After losing to Madigan’s handpicked alderman in February, Krupa, a student at DePaul University, filed paperwork this week to run for 13th Ward Republican Committeeperson in an effort to “chip away” at the longtime speaker’s power in the Southwest Side ward.
“I decided that there needed to be another presence besides Madigan’s Democratic Ward Organization here in the Southwest Side of Chicago, and it needed to be an organized presence,” Krupa said Wednesday of his decision. “I ran as an independent for alderman, but I think we’re going to need more than just independent thinkers, and we’re going to need an organization behind us.”
It’s not odd because Krupa is running for Republican committeeperson. He’s a Republican, lives in the ward and it’s a free country.
* It’s odd because the story doesn’t contain even a glancing reference to Krupa’s recent past…
13th Ward aldermanic candidate David Krupa confirmed an allegation of sexual abuse when speaking to the president of College Republicans, the president said in a statement published in an article in The Gate Thursday.
Fourth-year Brett Barbin said that Krupa, a freshman at DePaul University who has garnered media attention including a Chicago Tribune editorial board endorsement, told him over the phone that he took off his condom when having sex with his high school ex-girlfriend without her consent—an allegation made in an emergency restraining order filed against Krupa in 2017.
Krupa also told Barbin in the call that he believed a judge extending the order until it went to trial was not on his side because the judge was female, Barbin said in the statement
And…
In June 2017, Krupa’s former high school girlfriend Juliet Schmidt filed a domestic violence complaint against Krupa, currently a freshman at DePaul University. Ms. Schmidt’s restraining order against Krupa references physical abuse, harassment, interference with personal liberty, intimidation of a dependent, exploitation, and stalking. Schmidt was granted an emergency order of protection; however, this has expired because a judge never ruled on the case […]
The restraining order details how Krupa called Schmidt’s friends “liberal f*gg*ts,” appeared uninvited outside her window, told her she was mentally unstable, and tried to coerce her into a car with him, only stopping when a police officer intervened.
I dare say that any other story about any other candidate running for office in any other part of the city or state would most definitely contain at least some reference to allegations such as those.
Odd.
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* CNBC…
Amazon revealed details of new renewable energy projects in the U.S. and Spain Tuesday, with the tech giant seeking to ramp up the greening of its operations.
Together, the three solar projects are expected to generate nearly 700,000 megawatt hours of energy per year, which is enough to power over 67,000 homes, according to the firm.
The project in Spain will be southeast of the city of Seville and have a capacity of 149 megawatts (MW). The solar facilities in the U.S. will be in Lee County, Illinois and Northern Virginia, and will amount to a combined 180 MW.
Lee County is in northern Illinois. The county seat is Dixon.
* WREX TV…
Amazon’s newest renewable energy solar projects in the US will be located in Lee County, Illinois and Frederick County, Virginia. Together, they total 180 MW and are expected to generate almost 400,000 MWh of renewable energy annually. This will be Amazon’s first large-scale renewable energy project in the state of Illinois and ninth in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Once complete, Amazon says the three new renewable energy solar projects will provide an estimated 329 MW of additional renewable capacity supplying energy to the company’s fulfillment network in Europe and Amazon Web Services data centers, which power Amazon and millions of AWS customers globally.
“Earlier this year, we announced The Climate Pledge, setting a goal to meet the Paris Agreement 10 years early and be net zero carbon by 2040. We also plan to run on 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030,” said Kara Hurst, Director of Sustainability, Amazon. “We’re committed to investing in renewable energy as a critical step toward addressing our carbon footprint globally.”
Amazon says it’s working toward 80 percent of renewable energy by 2024 and 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, on a path to net zero carbon by 2040.
* WIFR…
Lee County will also be the site of Amazon’s first large-scale renewable energy project in Illinois.
“As we work to put our state on a path to 100% clean and renewable energy, Illinois is proud to have Amazon invest in a major solar project in our state,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “Addressing climate change will take all of us working together, and leadership from state governments and the business community will demonstrate how we can sustainably power a modern economy and create good-paying jobs.”
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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards
Tuesday, Dec 3, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The 2019 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Springfield Political Bar goes to a relative newcomer…
Buzz Bomb. Yes, not one usually thought of, but the folks at BB host a bunch of political events and you’ll find staff, lobbyists, and members there on session nights. Also, great beer.
They’re also pretty cool people.
* The 2019 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Springfield Political Restaurant goes to what I would call a non-traditional establishment because it’s not open at night except for events…
Cafe Moxo. Just sit there on a session morning between 7-10 AM. You will see a parade of staffers, lawmakers, lobbyists and people working in and at the Statehouse. They don’t just pop in, there are lots of meetings that take place there between 1-2 people and groups preparing for a day at the Statehouse. And the food is great.
That nomination just stopped me in my tracks. It’s spot-on.
* On to today’s categories…
* Best Springfield bartender
* Best Springfield waitstaff/kitchen staff
As always, try to nominate in both categories and explain your votes. This isn’t about the number of votes, it’s about why you are voting this way.
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* Today is GivingTuesday…
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on December 3, 2019 and every day.
It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
So, with that in mind, I encourage you to donate today to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. We all know how important the foster care program is, and LSSI is on the front lines…
LSSI provides placement and casework services for children who have been removed from their families because of abuse and/or neglect. The goal of LSSI’s foster care services is to return the child back to his or her family. Services include training and licensing for foster families. Foster parents, working with LSSI, support the child’s connection to his or her family by providing transportation to or hosting sibling visits, and visiting with parents when the child welfare team mutually agrees upon this.
Children who cannot be safely reunited with their families may become available for adoption.
LSSI is the largest statewide provider of foster care services in Illinois. Approximately 10 percent of Illinois children under the guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are served by LSSI.
Those services cost money. Yes, LSSI does receive government funding, but they also rely on donations. So, please, click here and donate to LSSI today. I will match the first $1,000.
And, remember, we’re doing this fundraiser in Wordslinger’s memory. I’m hoping to arrange a meet and greet reception with Wordslinger’s family during the upcoming spring session. That’ll give you a chance to tell them how you donated to LSSI because you respected him so much. Please, click here.
*** UPDATE 1 *** A generous anonymous donor just contributed $1,000. Wow! I contributed my pledged matching amount, so we’re now up to $3,170 of our $5,000 goal. Thanks to everyone! Now, let’s hit that target! Click here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Wordslinger’s brother just texted to say that it would’ve been Word’s 56th birthday today. Wow. What a great coincidence! Please click here to donate.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Holy moly, we reached our interim $5,000 goal. That was fast. I’ve increased it to $6,000. Click here and let’s keep this going! Thanks!!!
*** UPDATE 4 *** Well, we reached our second goal, so I’ve bumped it up again. Please click here and donate if you haven’t done so already. Thanks!!!
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* Mark Maxwell…
Senator Bill Brady’s tenure as Minority Leader faces new uncertainty after Senator Jason Plummer, Brady’s former 2010 gubernatorial running mate, accused Brady of offering him an appointment to sit on the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform in exchange for muting his criticism of Brady’s side gig working to promote video gaming terminals in bars.
“It was said multiple times that he would not appoint me if I followed through on filing that legislation that I had worked on, or if I spoke publicly about it,” Plummer told WCIA on Monday night. “I was kind of surprised that he was as forward as he was. I said to him, I said, ‘Geez, Bill.’”
“I recall the conversation with great detail because it wasn’t just one conversation,” Plummer added.
Several Senate Republicans, who asked to speak anonymously, said Plummer’s explosive allegations could make it incredibly difficult for Brady to keep enough votes in his camp to win re-election to keep his post in 2021. […]
Plummer, an Edwardsville Republican, claims Brady’s aides quizzed him about legislation he has drafted that would outlaw elected officials from earning income to operate or promote video gaming terminals. Plummer says he has drafted, but not yet filed, Senate Bill 2318, which would prohibit any member from the General Assembly from receiving any income from a gaming related interest. The idea has been discussed by a number of Senate Republicans, who say they would support it, even though it would outlaw Brady from keeping one of his side jobs. […]
“I very much wanted to serve on the commission,” Plummer said, citing his interest in passing tougher ethics laws. According to several sources familiar with the private Senate Republican caucus meetings, Plummer openly pressured Brady to pursue more stringent ethical reforms, but the Minority Leader instead opted to embrace the “low hanging fruit” Democrats offered and moved to establish a Commission to study the issue of fighting corruption, as opposed to enacting laws to ban lawmakers from serving as lobbyists, or to broaden the powers of the Legislative Inspector General.
Wait a second. The Senate Republicans, including Plummer, voted unanimously against establishing that ethics commission. From a press release…
“With the cloud of scandal hanging over the Dome, we need to be taking up serious ethics reforms not punting to another partisan task force,” the caucus said in a statement issued before the vote.
* I checked in with Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady this morning and he said Plummer has “never” spoken to him about that video gaming bill. “He’s never brought it up.”
Brady said he had discussed with Plummer the need to represent “the interests of the caucus” at the joint commission, not his own private views. He also characterized Plummer’s comments as “false accusations.”
* There’s also a passage in the story about Sen. Dan McConchie, whom Brady appointed to the commission after Plummer took his name off the list…
However, Brady did not harbor the same concerns or require the same conditions from Senator McConchie, even though he had made several public statements and filed legislation in support of tougher ethical laws.
All of those bills were filed and the statements were made before the commission resolution passed, Brady said today. He’s right about that.
* Whoever is telling the truth here kinda matters less than the news value of watching two Senate Republicans, who ran as a team in the 2010 gubernatorial election, duking it out in public. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE *** Partial walkback?…
* Related…
* Plummer letter to Brady
* Brady’s response to Plummer
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Filing deadline passes
Tuesday, Dec 3, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lots of info in this Daily Herald piece by Jake Griffin, so go read it all…
Former state Rep. Randy Ramey, stepson of former Republican state Senate President Pate Philip, added his name to what could be a three-way race for the Republican nomination in the 45th District [against freshman Democrat Diane Pappas]. […]
Elsewhere in the suburbs, 63rd District incumbent Republican state Rep. Steven Reick of Woodstock filed for reelection Monday. Democrat Peter Janko, a small business owner from Marengo, also filed Monday to seek his party’s nomination for Reick’s seat. He is slated to face Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager in the March 17 primary.
Naperville Republican incumbent state Rep. Grant Wehrli picked up two Democratic challengers Monday for his 41st District seat. Denika McMillen, a social worker from Naperville, and Janet Yang Rohr, a Naperville Unit District 203 board member, both filed their paperwork Monday.
Democrat Joyce Mason of Gurnee also won’t face a primary challenge for her 61st District House seat. But Republican Dan Yost, an Antioch village trustee, is expected to challenge her in the Nov. 3 general election.
* Good stuff from Barton…
* Meanwhile…
Republicans will have a primary to select their candidate to succeed state Rep. Mike Unes in the Legislature, and Democrats will have a candidate in the November general election.
Sam Goddard, a Pekinite who runs his own logistics and trucking company, filed nominating petitions Monday in the race as a Republican. Moments before the filing deadline, so did Corey Campbell of Pekin, a Caterpillar Inc. employee.
Both will face [Republican] Pekin Mayor Mark Luft, who filed his petitions a week ago for the seat that takes in parts of Tazewell, Fulton and Peoria counties. Unes, R-East Peoria, announced last month that he’s retiring at the end of his term. […]
Josh Grys of Pekin filed for the seat as a Democrat on Monday afternoon, and is unopposed.The father of four boys said he plans to focus on issues including education — he’s a former teacher — as well as criminal justice reform and health care within Illinois.
* I told subscribers about Plummer last week…
Democratic Reps. Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten have no primaries this time around. Seven Republicans are angling to run against Underwood in the 14th Congressional District. And Casten will watch as Republicans Jeanne Ives of Wheaton and Jay Kinzler of Glen Ellyn duke it out in a GOP primary to face him for the 6th Congressional District seat.
Shimkus’ seat: Four Democrats and four Republicans are running for the 15th District seat now held by Congressman John Shimkus, who’s retiring. The big news here is that state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, didn’t file. That means the race is wide open for the GOP — as it’s seen as a Republican seat. Frontrunners are Kent Gray, who worked as state director for Donald Trump in 2016, and Mary Miller, the wife of state Rep. Chris Miller. […]
Democrats are targeting some Republican-held House seats — this could be a challenge for the state GOP as its fundraising efforts are dwarfed by Dems. A top target is Tom Morrison, a Glen View Republican who just barely won his 54th District race in 2018. Two Dems will battle to face him in November. Republican Rep. Grant Wehrli also faces Dem opposition, which will be decided after the primary.
And interestingly, Republican Brad Stephens, the Rosemont mayor who was appointed to his 20th District seat to succeed Michael McAuliffe, will face November competition. Democrats are Michelle Darbro, a Chicago firefighter, and R. Cary Capparelli, whose father held the seat from 1971 to 2004. The younger Capparelli has run for other elected seats — sometimes, even, as a Republican.
…Adding… Also filing in that Shimkus district yesterday was Kimberly Wade. I’m told Rodney Davis’ people helped her gather petitions, but she filed just barely enough so she may not stay on the ballot. Davis featured Wade at the 2016 State of the Union address. She’s a children’s cancer activist.
* Subscribers know more about this Burke thing…
Also, Chicago Ald. Edward Burke drew a last-minute competitor for 14th Ward committeeperson on Monday when Alicia Elena Martinez filed paperwork to challenge the embattled longtime city official.
Just minutes before the clerk’s office was set to close, former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger arrived at the office and filed his nearly 12,000 signatures to compete for a water reclamation district position.
* Courts…
In Springfield, Appellate Justice Nathaniel Howse filed his petitions on Monday to run for the vacancy created by retired state Supreme Court Justice Charles Freeman. Howse joins seven who filed last week — including Justice P. Scott Neville Jr., who was appointed to replace Freeman and is now running for a full 10-year term.
The others who filed last week for the seat on the state’s top court are appellate court justices Jesse Reyes, Margaret Stanton McBride, Cynthia Cobbs and Sheldon Harris and lawyers Daniel Epstein and Clint Krislov. […]
Not filing her nominating petitions was Judge Cara Smith, former policy chief for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who was appointed to the bench earlier this year. Smith apparently opted not to seek a full term in the county’s 7th Subcircuit. She had been recommended for the vacancy by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, wife of embattled 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke.
Smith’s appointment sparked controversy, with some black aldermen and pastors accusing Burke of putting politics ahead of diversity.
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* As of June 30, 2018, the General Assembly Retirement System had an unfunded liability of 85.16 percent. It had 132 “Active Contributing Members” and 302 retirement annuitants and another 115 survivors drawing benefits. Add in stuff like this and you can easily see why GARS is in such trouble. From the Center Square…
[Retiring Senate President John Cullerton’s] starting annual pension will be nearly $83,000, which is 85% of his final salary of roughly $97,600 a year. For most state retirees, the next year of retirement would come with a 3% automatic pension increase, bringing Cullerton’s pension to $85,500 a year.
But in July 2021, Cullerton will see his pension checks explode to nearly $128,000 a year, a 54% increase.
How? For each year he served at the Statehouse since 2003, when he turned 55 years old, Cullerton received an extra 3% increase to his eventual pension payment. After retirement, all of those increases are then applied to Cullerton’s pension as part of his first cost-of-living adjustment.
Should Cullerton retire in mid-January, he will have collected 3% increases for 17 years, good for a 51% pension boost. That will stack on top of his automatic first-year adjustment of 3%, coming to a total pension hike of 54%, according to his pension fund’s response to Freedom of Information Act requests. After that, he will continue to see a 3% bump each year.
This little-known benefit comes from a 1989 bill sponsored by former state Sen. Emil Jones Jr., which allows lawmakers who were elected prior to 2003 to hoard pension “spikes.” Cullerton, who was House Speaker Mike Madigan’s floor leader in the House at the time, was a member of the committee that finalized the bill. It passed both chambers with bipartisan support.
“(F)or those members of the General Assembly right now who … have maxed out … they are still contributing to that retirement system,” Jones told his colleagues at the time, according to the Chicago Tribune. “So all this does is give them a little 3% on their own money.” He was referring to lawmakers who had already maxed out their pension at 85% of their salary.
The same bill established a 3% automatic cost of living adjustment for all retired state workers and Chicago city workers. This benefit alone doubles a retiree’s pension in just 25 years. Even without the special sweetener provision, the 3% automatic benefit increases would bump Cullerton’s annual pension to more than $120,000 by the time he turns 85.
Discuss.
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