Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Your high schooler is ready to graduate and move on to an exciting phase in life. You have provided them with the resources and tools to succeed in life, but have you overlooked an important part of their education? Financial literacy is a key component to the future success of our students. Lack of financial education jeopardizes and limits economic opportunities for all consumers. Credit unions address this often overlooked topic of financial literacy for teens and young professionals by offering workshops and training sessions. Credit unions are committed to providing financial education to help ensure a future success for the leaders of tomorrow. Visit ASmarterChoice.org for more information on the credit union difference.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
March is National Kidney Month, a time when people across the country come together to raise awareness about kidney disease. Join the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA) this month as we get the word out.
An estimated 30 million Americans live with kidney disease, and one in three U.S. adults is at risk. Over 30,000 people in Illinois suffer from kidney disease, and when it progresses to kidney failure, patients are faced with two treatment options: life-sustaining dialysis three times per week or undergoing a kidney transplant.
The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance consists of community groups, advocates, health professionals, and businesses from across Illinois striving to educate the public about the challenges that people with kidney disease experience every day. People who have the disease feel a mental, physical, and financial burden — and their families suffer, as well. IKCA is here to tell their story. For more information, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or visit our website.
The internal bleeding a 4-year-old East Peoria boy suffered last week was so severe it caused cardiac arrest and led to unconsciousness, a condition from which he never awoke.
That’s the message from a one-page probable-cause statement filed Friday in Tazewell County Circuit Court by prosecutors in support of murder charges against a woman who was dating the boy’s father.
Lesli Jett, 33, faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery. Her bond was set at $3 million on the charges during a hearing Friday afternoon.
Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert said DCFS isn’t being transparent about its potential involvement with the family of a 4-year-old East Peoria boy who died last month.
“The response has been crickets,” said Golbert. “And of course that raises my suspicion antennas even higher.”
Golbert said his office requested a timeline of agency involvement in Tate Thurman’s life last week, but still hasn’t received that information. In other recent high-profile child death cases like the A.J. Freund case in Crystal Lake, he said the agency has released that information readily.
“If, in fact, this was another case where DCFS had warning after warning, and red flag after red flag, and a child ended up dying because of very poor judgment and social work practices, that would need to be exposed,” he said.
Director Smith and DCFS staff at every level are completely devastated by the sudden loss of Tate Thurman, who was just 4 years old when he died two weeks ago. The tragic incident that led to his death is heartbreaking and DCFS is fully cooperating with law enforcement as we investigate what took place. Our department is committed to being as transparent as possible as this investigation moves forward, while also protecting the privacy of Tate’s siblings and family. We serve families in times of extreme crisis and our top priority will always be protecting them and ensuring they have the support they need to recover.
* DCFS timeline…
DCFS’ involvement with Tate’s family began in 2011 when the department investigated his mother for an unsafe sleep environment that led to the death of her newborn child.
DCFS conducted a total of seven investigations involving the household over the next six years. Tate’s mother lost guardianship of her children a number of times during those years.
Following the death of his mother in 2017, Tate and one of his siblings were returned home by the Tazewell County Court to live with their father, Jeremy Thurman. Following the closing of the case in 2018, DCFS had no further contact or hotline reports involving this family.
On February 18, 2020, DCFS received a hotline report when Tate was brought into OSF St. Francis Hospital with abdominal injuries and internal bleeding. Following Tate’s death, the girlfriend of his father, Lesli Jett, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery.
Tate’s older sibling and an unrelated child in the household have been removed from the home and have been placed with relatives.
DCFS is investigating allegations of abuse and neglect related to Tate’s death and is working closely with law enforcement to fully investigate what happened in this case.
There is no prior history of DCFS involvement with Leslie Jett or with the other unrelated child removed from the home.
By almost three-to-one, voters are in favor of redistricting reform, which has been the subject of two ultimately unsuccessful statewide petition drives. More than six in ten (64 percent) favor having “legislative district maps created and recommended by a commission that is independent of the elected representatives.” Four in ten (40 percent) strongly favored redistricting reform, with 24 percent favoring it somewhat. Two in ten respondents (22 percent) were opposed.
Voters across partisan and regional groupings were in favor of the redistricting commission idea: 67 percent of Chicago city voters, 66 percent of suburban Chicago voters, and 58 percent of Downstate voters in support. Likewise, the redistricting commission was supported by 68 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Independents, and 60 percent of Republicans.
“The proposal for redistricting by an independent commission is now quite popular as it has been in all of our earlier Simon polls. There seems to be a very active grassroots movement supporting a change, and this year there is an unusual number of legislators from both parties who have signed on,” noted John S. Jackson, one of the co-directors of the poll.
Lobbying Reform
Concern over influence-peddling in Springfield may be driving support for lobbying reform proposals. By a wide margin (85 percent in favor, only 11 percent opposed), voters support a so- called “revolving door” proposal that would force lawmakers “to wait at least one year after leaving office before accepting jobs with firms that lobby their state legislatures.” Support is uniformly robust—in the mid- to high 80 percent range across demographic and geographic categories.
Six in ten (61 percent) support a ban on state legislators being paid for lobbying local governments—46 percent strongly in favor and 15 percent somewhat in favor. A third (33 percent) oppose the proposal. As in the “revolving door” question, there is little meaningful variation according to party or region, with support approaching or exceeding 60 percent throughout.
Redistricting reform, by the way, has about the same level of support as the graduated income tax in this poll (65 percent). Fewer people opposed remap reform than opposed the graduated tax, however (32 percent).
It has been proposed that Illinois ban state legislators from lobbying for local governments if they get paid for the lobbying. Would you favor or oppose this proposal?
Favor 61%
Strongly favor 46%
Somewhat favor 15%
Oppose 33%
Somewhat oppose 11%
Strongly oppose 22%
Other/don’t know 6%
Most states surrounding Illinois require lawmakers to wait at least one year after leaving office before accepting jobs with firms that lobby their state legislatures after leaving office. Illinois does not. Should Illinois require lawmakers to wait at least a year before registering as a lobbyist?
The artist LL Cool J will no longer appear at the 2020 Illinois State Fair Grandstand, according to social media posts by the fair.
A statement on the fair’s Facebook page and the Grandstand’s web page Monday evening said, “LL Cool J is no longer able to perform at the 2020 Illinois State Fair. The Department of Agriculture will announce another performer in the weeks ahead and looks forward to welcoming popular artists like Toby Keith, Chris Young and Kane Brown to the Grandstand this August.”
The performance was announced Jan. 31 and scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19. Tickets had not yet gone on sale. The event was still listed under “concert dates” on the artist’s Facebook page Monday night. No further information was available.
* The Question: Your suggestion for a replacement artist/band? Explain.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Three months ago, Mike entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, Mike is leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.
Defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is Joe Biden, who is decent, honest and committed to the issues that are so important to this country.
We made our campaign slogan a clear, simple promise: Mike will get it done. Now and through November, we will get it done together - not for Mike, but for our Country.
* Unlike the cancellation of the International Housewares Association event (56,000 people) this is a somewhat smallish event (5,500 attendees), but it’s the second convention cancellation in a few days and is therefore a worrisome development. Crain’s…
Software giant Oracle today announced it will shift an upcoming conference scheduled at McCormick Place to an online-only format amid coronavirus concerns, becoming the second event this week to cancel its trip to the Near South Side convention because of the outbreak.
“Due to increasing concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, and to help protect the health and safety of our customers, employees, partners, and everyone who helps host the event, Oracle is postponing the in-person component of our upcoming Oracle Modern Business Experience conference,” the Bay Area-based company said on its website. The conference had been slated for later this month. […]
The cancellations deal a blow to the convention center and the many hotels and businesses that thrive on its event visitors. Tourism bureau Choose Chicago estimated the nine major events scheduled there over the next 90 days would account for more than $460 million of spending.
…Adding… Good news…
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it relates to the upcoming NSBA Annual Conference in Chicago on April 4-6.
We want to assure conference participants and attendees that your health and safety are of utmost concern and our top priority. We are in close communication with Choose Chicago (the Chicago Convention and Visitor Bureau) and McCormick Place authorities. In addition, we are seeking guidance from the local health, public safety, and transportation authorities to make sure that appropriate disease prevention, monitoring, and response protocols are in place for the conference.
Based on the information currently available, NSBA’s current plan is to proceed with the conference as scheduled. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago.
Public health leaders in the state are getting ready to make their way to Washington D.C. They will update Congress about the local impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Before heading there, the director of the state’s department of public health updated state lawmakers about the need for more resources to continue fighting the virus.
“The risks to the Illinois public still remains low but we still want people to pay attention to what’s going on around the world and to prepare,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Department of Public Health director.
Dr. Ezike said the state will need more testing supplies to combat the novel coronavirus. “We are using them daily, I know at last count was about 2,200 so we are requesting for the CDC to send additional reagents so that when this runs out, there won’t be any pause and we will continue to test.” […]
Ezike said the agency is considering drive-thru style testing where people can pull up and be tested in their cars, eliminating the risk of spreading the virus. For now, new labs in Springfield and Carbondale are open in addition to the original testing lab in Chicago.
While 22 people in Illinois are awaiting test results, Ezike said 116 people have been tested for the virus in total. Only four people have been diagnosed with the illness, no one has died of the aliment in Illinois yet.
A state and city that have had trouble paying their bills even in good times are facing a potentially budget body blow as the coronavirus begins to infect the local economy.
Fiscal experts and some officials are warning that a region that serves as a logistics and meetings center and as a major international exporter is particularly vulnerable to disruption from the spreading virus. That means less tax receipts at a time when government needs more. […]
“We don’t have any reserves. We don’t have any unrestricted funds that are being held in abeyance,” either at the state or city level, warns Laurence Msall, president of the watchdog Civic Federation.
“It is reasonable to forecast tens of millions of dollars of revenue impact for the city and hundreds of millions for the state, depending on how long a possible recession continues,” he added. Both state and city officials should be doing the same thing now, in his view: “They should be refreshing their Plans B and preparing alternatives.”
* Coronavirus fears cause Illinois college to cancel basketball games: The Chicago State University men’s basketball team will not travel for two regularly scheduled Western Athletic Conference games this week, and its women’s team will not host two games, the school said late Tuesday, citing the spread of the coronavirus.
* Worst of coronavirus is yet to come for U.S. factories - Unlike retailers or airlines that feel the immediate hit of missed lattes and canceled flights, the supply-chain pain wrought by the coronavirus takes more time to manifest.
* Coronavirus shakes hotel industry—including Hyatt - The Chicago-based hotel operator said new corporate travel restrictions in North America and Europe would hurt results and make it difficult to forecast the rest of the year.
* Kendall County Health Department chief provides update on coronavirus spread: Dr. Amaal Tokars, executive director for the Kendall County Health Department, said during the Tuesday, March 3 County Board meeting that health officials have been working with community members as the spread of the coronavirus continues. She said local health officials aren’t aware of any cases in the county currently. “And I say those words very carefully,” Tokars said. “We don’t know of a case, because you can see cases coming up in the country where people don’t know where those originated from.”
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Healthy Youth Act builds upon the current requirement that instruction be medically accurate, developmentally and age appropriate to include instruction that is also culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted for students with disabilities and non-English speaking students for grades K-12.
It also removes outdated, stigmatizing language and updates the current 6-12 standards for health and sexual health education courses by including information on healthy relationships and decision making; STIs including HIV; puberty, growth, and adolescent development; gender identity, gender expression; and sexual orientation; personal safety; and pregnancy and reproduction.
Navigating the criminal justice system can be confusing and scary. Testifying in court and retelling a painful story of abuse or violence can cause victims to relive those traumatic experiences.
— State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (@SAKimFoxx) March 3, 2020
Victims are the center of our work, and we will keep working to expand trauma-informed approaches in Cook County’s criminal justice system. Thank you to @RepEdlyAllen for sponsoring HB5580 and championing this work!
— State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (@SAKimFoxx) March 3, 2020
* This bill was put on hold last year after Republicans demanded it be stalled for a year to win their votes on the budget and other end-of-session legislation…
The Illinois Farm Bureau is joining the Illinois Associated Builders and Contractors in opposing a measure to require prevailing wage for entry-level laborers working in refineries.
Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert said at Tuesday’s Ag Breakfast in Springfield that for agriculture to thrive in Illinois, it needs four things: “Great trade agreements” and exports, growth in the livestock industry, and “a renewable fuel industry that works well.”
“[Ethanol] provides another opportunity for us to market the goods that we so well raise here in this state and that’s corn or soybeans made into biodiesel,” Guebert said.
He urged the room full of farmers to oppose Senate Bill 1407. He said it would limit future markets for corn and soybeans.
“Forty-two percent of Illinois corn goes through an ethanol plant. Twenty percent of the distillers’ grains are fed to livestock in the state of Illinois,” Guebert said.
The builder’s group previously said Senate Bill 1407 will hurt its apprenticeship programs.
One of the co-sponsors of the bill in the Senate, state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said he wanted to see how negotiations on the bill go in the House.
“I would like to look at the information again on what’s been taking place in the House in terms of negotiations,” Villivalam said.
A 2013 state law allowing utilities to tack natural gas surcharges onto consumer bills for the purpose of funding infrastructure improvements is under scrutiny at the Capitol.
At a Statehouse news conference Tuesday, lawmakers and consumer advocates called for ending that state law on Jan. 1, 2021, three years earlier than its Dec. 31, 2023, statutory sunset date.
They claim allowing the surcharges “helps major utilities sidestep the regulatory process, automatically raise heating bills, and force many customers into financial crisis to cover billions of dollars in reckless utility spending.”
Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said his Senate Bill 3497 and its companion House Bill 5247 are aimed at starting “a conversation centered on the accountability, the safety, and the affordability of utility bill increases that our families are facing in the state of Illinois.”
* Press release…
State Representatives Mike Marron (R-Fithian), Charlie Meier (R-Okawville), Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis), and Assistant Minority Leader Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) held a press conference in Springfield Wednesday alongside fellow Republican legislators and 2nd Amendment supporters to discuss solutions to end delays in FOID card processing, and discussed their shared 2nd Amendment focused legislative agenda. The lawmakers expressed their concerns that fund sweeps of $28 million from the Illinois State Police fund have led to delays in processing FOID card applications and renewals.
Marron says his office is overwhelmed every week with calls from constituents experiencing long delays for FOID renewals.
“My office receives dozens of constituent calls regarding FOID renewals every month,” Marron said. “There has been a steady increase of approval delays leading to many frustrated citizens unable to speak with a live person when checking on their FOID renewal and approval status. The delays are not due to a lack of funding, but because money that was supposed to be used to provide service to Illinois’ two million FOID cardholders was used for spending in other areas.”
Rep. Charlie Meier says the fund sweeps have led to long delays for gun owners to get their FOID cards renewed.
“The FOID program has been used as a piggy bank to fund other programs,” Meier said. “If the State is going to require the fee, and require the FOID, then we owe it to our citizens to run an efficient and effective program. If we can’t do that, the program should be eliminated.”
Rep. Patrick Windhorst said he is sponsoring a legislative package that would eliminate the FOID altogether (HB 913). Barring its passage, Windhorst says his agenda reduces costs and regulations for law-abiding citizens.
“Illinois is one of only four States that still requires a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID),” Windhorst said. “Though I believe the FOID card is unconstitutional, that issue will ultimately be decided by the courts. Until the courts decide, there are steps we can take as a legislature to address FOID renewal delays and decrease high costs and burdensome regulations on law-abiding gun owners.”
Windhorst says his legislative package aims to reduce fees, eliminate long waiting periods, and allows for automatic FOID renewal if a concealed carry license is still in effect.
“We are here to say, either void the unconstitutional FOID card, or stop the fund sweeps and pass our legislative package to ease the burden on law-abiding gun owners, reduce costs, and improve renewal times,” Windhorst said.
Multiple House Republican members are sponsoring legislation that would reduce costs and regulations for law-abiding gun owners and protect FOID and CCL funding.
HB 4391 would ban local government units from imposing taxes or fees on firearms and ammunition.
HB 4392 would eliminate the 72-hour waiting period for individuals that have been granted a valid license to carry a concealed handgun under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
HB 4393 would lower the fee to obtain a concealed carry license from $150 to $100.
HB 4397 grants exclusive power to the State of Illinois in regard to the regulation of the ownership and possession of firearms and invalidates existing and future local ordinances or resolutions that require local registration, or local reporting of the sale or transfer of a firearm, and bans municipalities from maintaining any kind of firearm registry.
HB 4398 allows any individual that has received a permit to conceal carry a firearm to do so on public transportation.
HB 4447 states that any renewal application shall be accepted by the Illinois State Police if submitted within 180 days before the expiration of the applicant’s FOID card or concealed carry license.
HB 4448 would require the Illinois State Police to automatically renew any concealed carry license holder’s FOID card as long as their conceal carry license is in good standing until the time that the concealed carry license expires.
HB 4450 spells out the process by which any appeal of the denial of a FOID card or concealed carry license must be handled and provides specific guidelines for the State Police in regard to the time it takes to process any such appeal.
HJRCA 40 would amend the Illinois Constitution to place fees collected from FOID and CCL applicants in a ‘lock box’ fund that would be protected from future fund sweeps.
*** UPDATE *** ISP…
Sweeps of the firearms services funds by previous administrations prevented long-term planning and improvements to firearm services for years.
Now that the firearms services fund has been stabilized under the Governor’s bi-partisan budget, the Illinois State Police is implementing a multi-year plan for hiring and technology upgrades to provide the customer service that firearms owners should expect. We currently have 35 positions available.
However, the ISP needs the help of the legislature to streamline and improve the FOID and CCL process and welcomes the chance to work with Rep. Windhorst and others to shorten and standardize appeals, consolidate FOID and CCL functions, and reduce costs.
This is separate and apart from the need for enforcement resources for state, county and local law enforcement.
* Related…
* FFA members participate in 50th annual Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day: High school agriculture students get to meet with their local lawmakers and address the importance of agriculture across the state. They bring their lawmakers baskets with unique items produced in Illinois along with a lunch they prepare in the morning.
This morning, Jeanne Ives, candidate for Congress (IL-06), released her first television ad of the 20202 cycle.
The :30 second spot, All In For Ives, is focused on her success in uniting Republicans behind her campaign for Congress, and features the endorsements of national conservative leaders Senator Ted Cruz, Economist Stephen Moore, and Congressmen Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows.
Republicans are unifying behind Jeanne Ives’ Congressional bid, as she has also been formally endorsed by every GOP organization in the Sixth District that endorses, including Lake County Republican Party, Cook County Republican Party, Lyons Township Republicans, Palatine Township Republicans, Barrington Township Republicans, Hanover Township Republicans and Winfield Township Republicans. Ives has also received the endorsement of former IL-06 Congressman Peter Roskam, Republican National Committeewoman Demetra Demonte, Chicago GOP Chairman Chris Cleveland, ILGOP Vice Chairwoman Char Foss-Eggemann, Cook County Republican Party Chair Sean Morrison, DuPage Conservatives (chaired by Frank Napalitano), Club for Growth, the House Freedom Fund, FreedomWorks, Susan B. Anthony List, and United Hellenic Voters of America,
Rich Porter, Illinois Republican National Committeeman has also thrown support behind Ives in her 2020 race. And the entire Illinois’ Republican Congressional Delegation were recently joined by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in hosting a fundraiser for Ives in Washington DC.
Illinois House Republicans called on the Democratic majority Tuesday to hold fair hearings on measures to reduce property taxes in Illinois, which has the second-highest property taxes in the nation.
State Rep. Deanne Mozzachi, R-Elmhurst, said since the Property Tax Relief Task Force was created in the fall and wrapped up their work in late December without producing a final report, property taxes across the state continue to increase.
“Again increased bills while another Democrat lead blue-ribbon task force has failed to deliver,” Mozzachi said.
Republicans on Tuesday used a statehouse news conference to call the Illinois Property Tax Relief Task Force a “sham,” a “failure,” a “facade” and an effort to push for increased sales and income taxes rather than property tax relief. They say Democrats need to act.
Task force member, state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, responded.
“I don’t know what they want us to do differently and if they have any good ideas then we’ll support them but where are their ideas and when are we going to start seeing those,” Carroll said. […]
House Republicans say they’ve filed 23 bills, all of which are in the House Rules Committee they called a “graveyard” controlled by Democrats.
Task force member, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Humboldt Park, understood Republican’s frustrations.
“I can see there’s skepticism, there always is, but I do know that the pressure we feel strongly, at least this Democrat here, feels really strongly that we have to do something, and we have to do something now,” Ramirez said.
One idea that republicans said they would really like to see gain traction is a measure that would allow the district to end certain mandates if the state does not cover the cost for it. “It’s really disrespectful to teachers and I do believe that teachers should have control over the curriculum they want to teach in the classroom,” said Representative Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont). “I do believe that teachers have the best interests of their students at heart and we as Springfield legislators are so far removed and Illinois is such a diverse state. It’s really troubling that we are not willing to just respect teachers and trust they are going to do the best for out students.” Mazzochi said when she tried to get this bill some momentum, Democratic Representative Michelle Mussman said she loves mandates and sees no problems with mandates.
When asked for comment, Mussman said she was digesting the information presented from republicans and would send over a comment if she had one. A comment has not been sent.
Republicans need to tread carefully on this topic, particularly targets like Rep. Mazzochi. The House Democrats routinely point to quite popular unfunded mandates to attack Republican candidates who call for an end to them. For instance, background checks to prevent hiring sexual predators. That’s been a “winner” issue for several cycles.
Also, Rep. Mussman might want to explain why she loves unfunded mandates.
Meanwhile, Republicans have said they have introduced numerous bills they believe would provide property tax relief, including bills calling for overhaul of public pension benefits, limiting workers compensation awards, repealing what Republicans call “unfunded mandates” on school districts and expanding property tax exemptions for seniors.
“We want these bills that we’ve proposed, that were suggested at the property tax committee level, but then we’ve introduced in bill form, to have their opportunity to be heard in committee and voted on,” Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, said during the news conference. “The taxpayers of Illinois deserve this, and we call on the House Democratic leadership to let that happen.”
Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, who chairs the House Revenue Committee, did not immediately respond to the Republicans’ charges but said through a spokesperson that he would make a statement later in the week after that committee has met.
But other Democrats have said the GOP’s chief proposal, for further pension reform, is off the table. They note that Illinois passed significant pension reform in 2013 when it established the “Tier 2” system for newly-hired employees. That package included reduced cost of living increases, higher retirement ages, and limited the amount of salary that was covered by pensions.
As memories of the Leap Day Tornado that hit Harrisburg eight years ago resurface, and as images of the Tuesday morning Nashville, Tennessee tornado flood the news, Illinois’ state climatologist says the area known as Tornado Alley is shifting east.
Many who grew up in the region recall talks in school about the infamous portion of the United States where tornadoes were commonplace. However, Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist with the State Water Survey at the University of Illinois, said Tuesday that this zone has shifted east. Where once the majority of tornado activity was relegated to places like Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, he said, tornado activity has shifted over to Southern Illinois and northern Mississippi.
Ford said several studies over the last decade have confirmed the shift. Research also shows the storms aren’t just one-and-done systems. Researchers are seeing an increase in the region in tornado outbreaks — systems that spawn more than one tornado. […]
Ford said while research is still being conducted, it is not alarmist to attribute some of the shift to climate change. He said with increasing temperatures, it does make it more likely that the region will have conditions that are conducive to severe weather earlier in the spring.
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has repeatedly violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act and abused the FOIA process by improperly releasing and withholding certain information to the detriment of a licensed terminal operator, according to a new lawsuit. The plaintiffs, Gold Rush Amusements, Inc., and its executive, Rick Heidner, allege the IGB has abused FOIA to publicize negative information about them, while also denying their legitimate FOIA requests as part of an orchestrated campaign.
The new lawsuit against the IGB comes three weeks after Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner filed a different lawsuit against the agency, alleging that an IGB employee intentionally and illegally leaked their personal and sensitive financial information as part of a data breach. The new lawsuit alleges that the IGB willfully and intentionally violated FOIA by failing to produce all non-exempt public records relating to three requests Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner submitted for information about the data breach and the IGB’s unequal treatment of them compared to other licensees. The case was filed yesterday in Cook County Circuit Court.
“The IGB has used FOIA as a sword to quickly disseminate harmful information about Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner, yet it hides behind the shield of extensions and thin assertions of exemptions when Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner seek legitimate information from the IGB via FOIA,” the lawsuit states.
According to the complaint, the IGB has engaged in a pattern of targeted actions against Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner, including unfairly contributing to negative media coverage of them, treating them differently compared to other licensees, and illegally disclosing sensitive personal information belonging to Mr. Heidner, his family, and business associates.
In December 2019, the suit alleges, the IGB responded to a FOIA request by the Chicago Tribune by providing a copy of a disciplinary complaint against Gold Rush, which was not otherwise publicly available, “a mere 33 minutes” after the reporter’s FOIA request was submitted. This occurred immediately after an IGB official allegedly tipped-off the reporter about the existence of the disciplinary complaint. The tip prompted the reporter to submit a FOIA request, followed by a text message to the official, confirming that the FOIA was submitted. The tip-off, the Tribune’s FOIA request, and the IGB’s response all occurred in rapid succession the day after the IGB initiated its disciplinary complaint. That unfounded complaint against Gold Rush seeks the severe penalty of revoking Gold Rush’s license despite its well-established record of compliance. By inviting the Tribune’s FOIA request, the IGB was complicit in ensuring that its disciplinary complaint quickly made news, and its conduct appears to conflict with its own policies governing investigation documents and media inquiries, according to the lawsuit.
Less than a week later, counsel for Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner submitted a FOIA request for communications between the IGB and the Tribune to learn how information relating to the disciplinary complaint was shared, as well as communications between the IGB and five specific individuals with the Office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. However, that FOIA request did not receive the same expedited review and response by the IGB as the Tribune’s request did the previous week.
The IGB’s slower, incomplete, and cavalier responses to the plaintiffs’ FOIA requests have hindered the plaintiffs’ ability to defend their reputations and Gold Rush’s terminal operator license. “When the IGB ignores the mandates of FOIA, public access, government transparency, and accountability to the citizens of Illinois―the core principles of FOIA―are the real victims,” the suit states.
As part of its unfair treatment of Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner, the IGB has consistently responded to their legitimate FOIA requests by delaying responses, asserting inapplicable exemptions, and making incomplete productions. Two of the alleged FOIA violations relate to Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner’s legitimate requests for information about how the IGB reviewed and handled a sale transaction involving one of its competitors. According to the lawsuit, the IGB responded by invoking an inapplicable exemption and refusing to provide any documents to the plaintiffs.
In December 2019, Gold Rush reported to the IGB that a competitor had engaged in a sale transaction that constituted an illegal inducement under Illinois gaming laws and regulations. According to the lawsuit, Gold Rush had confirmed that a November 2018 deal involving Laredo Hospitality Ventures, LLC, a chain of video gaming establishments; Illinois Café and Service Company, LLC, another chain of establishments; and Midwest SRO, LLC, a competing video gaming terminal operator, was structured to facilitate Midwest’s payment of millions of dollars to gaming establishment owners to become the terminal operator for their establishments.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the IGB has violated FOIA, an injunction prohibiting the agency from withholding responsive public documents, an order directing the IGB to immediately produce responsive documents, as well as civil penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Across Illinois, communities are struggling to stay above water. Meanwhile, clean energy jobs in our state are growing faster than the rest of our economy. The question now is, who will benefit?
Hundreds of low-income and people of color are already in good-paying jobs because the state is funding training programs that make sure everyone shares in the new clean energy economy. The popularity of these programs and the demand for clean energy jobs continues to grow.
This spring, Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly can choose to double down on equity in our energy economy by passing transformative legislation that will create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in communities of color and communities too often left behind.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act is the only comprehensive, equitable energy bill that puts Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy, lowers electricity costs, and reduces transportation pollution.
We need to take bold action on climate and create economic opportunities in communities that need them the most.
It’s time to pass CEJA now! Visit ilcleanjobs.org to learn more.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
In addition to supporting the state’s economy with more than 246,000 jobs across Illinois, biopharmaceutical innovators support policies to help ensure Illinoisans can afford and access their medicines. Our companies are committed to being part of the solution and support commonsense measures to lower what patients are paying at the pharmacy counter. We also want to serve as a resource for people who may be struggling by providing resources they can use now while legislators work toward addressing growing health care costs.
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* I know Super Tuesday is of great interest, but do try to keep your discussion as Illinois-centric as possible and most definitely be nice to each other. Thanks.
The day after his Super Tuesday success, former Vice President Joe Biden picked up the endorsements of three Illinois U.S. House members, his campaign announced Wednesday.
U.S. Reps. Bill Foster, Robin Kelly and Mike Quigley are all backing Biden. The surging Democratic contender continues to pick up support among Illinois’ elected officials ahead of the state’s March 17 primary.
“In Chicago, we know something about toughness and resilience, and nobody embodies that spirit more than Joe Biden,” Quigley said in a release. “On all the issues that matter most in our community, Joe has been fighting beside us for decades.” […]
The three House members follow Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White in throwing their support to Biden in recent days. He also has the backing of U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Brad Schneider.
…Adding… My own take last night…
I think I'd probably better deposit that Bloomberg ad check soonish.
Michael Bloomberg, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to self-fund his 2020 presidential run, announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign after a poor performance on Super Tuesday, according to a source familiar.
He’s endorsing Biden.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates today announced their personal endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ candidacy for president of the United States.
“Educators in Chicago’s public schools fight for their students, and their students’ families and communities. No other candidate has put forth a better plan to make that fight a reality than Bernie Sanders,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey said. “Not only will Bernie fight for our students and their families, but he reflects the core values and mission of our union. Bernie is part of a movement that is putting students and working families above the interests of millionaires and billionaires, and that is something we should all be fighting for. On March 17, I plan on voting for Sen. Sanders, and I urge every Illinois voter to do the same.”
“The Chicago Teachers Union has always fought to make big changes,” said CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates. “Collectively, we have fought against racial and economic disparities, attempts to close and privatize our public schools, and powerful special interests. And now, our fight for high-quality schools and thriving neighborhoods takes us to the ballot box. And let’s be real, our nation needs a political revolution. Black mothers and educators like me need a candidate that will fight for all our students and ensure they live in a society where student loan debt isn’t a burden and access to health care is a human right. For these reasons and so many more, I’m happy to say that I’m part of the revolution, and I urge my fellow educators to stand with Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic primary nomination.”
In May 2019, Sanders unveiled his Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education, which will reinvest in our nation’s schools and modernize our education system.
A patient being treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center for a suspected coronavirus case has tested negative for the virus, hospital officials said Tuesday night. That leaves a total of four reported COVID-19 cases in Illinois.
Regulators say state law bars the release of almost all the information businesses have to submit to get lucrative licenses to grow or sell cannabis.
As a result, the public can’t see records that could show whether pot businesses have questionable funding sources or ties to unsavory people. That’s proven problematic in another state-regulated industry — gambling, where revelations of reputed mob ties have sent officials scrambling.
Concerns about a lack of transparency came up last year before the passage of the law that legalized recreational pot. Sponsors Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy vowed to “make ownership data completely accessible.” Despite that pledge, their bill passed with a confidentiality provision that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation recently cited in denying the Tribune’s open records requests for applications and ownership information about marijuana dispensaries. […]
Both Pritzker’s office and legislators are promising changes that would allow more disclosure of pot industry ownership, though they did not offer specifics. […]
Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said the owners of pot enterprises remain concerned about being identified, given that marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
Most other states already post this information. Get it done.
* I still can’t quite believe that Effingham, in the heart of the Eastern Bloc, went ahead with it…
With security in place and a celebratory atmosphere inside, Effingham’s Rise operation, formerly known as The Clinic Effingham, opened their doors Saturday morning for the city’s first day of adult-use cannabis sales.
It may be time for a fact-finding mission, perhaps including a stop at the Firefly Grill.
* Press release…
Community activists with the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition announced today that they have signed a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Nature’s Care Company, LLC (“Nature’s Care Company”), a cannabis operator seeking approval from the City of Chicago to open a new dispensary in the West Loop.
The CBA is a legally enforceable agreement designed to ensure that the economic success of the dispensary is linked with economic benefits for the communities most disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs. Among other provisions in the CBA, Nature’s Care Company has committed to:
Provide 100% living wage jobs for disproportionately impacted individuals
Hire 75% of employees from disproportionately impacted areas (“DIAs”) within two years
Donate 10% of net profits of the dispensary to community organizations working in DIAs
Contract 10% of products and services from minority and social equity businesses
Create a training and career development program for employees
Host “know-your-rights” educational events and participate in National Expungement Week
“This is a milestone moment for racial justice in the story of Illinois’ cannabis legalization,” said Doug Kelly, President of the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition. “Nature’s Care Company is leading the way for Chicago’s new fleet of adult-use dispensaries. Their customers in the West Loop will greatly benefit from their commitment and their dollars will directly help address the historic wrongs of our cannabis laws, instead of reproducing them.”
Charles Amadin, General Manager of Nature’s Care Company, said: “We recognize the critical role we must play to help support under-served communities and citizens in Chicago. Signing this CBA is our way of saying we won’t just pay lip service to that responsibility. We applaud the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition for driving this initiative.”
The Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition has pledged to support only those dispensaries that sign a CBA as they seek the City’s approval to open a plus-one location to sell recreational cannabis. This Friday, Nature’s Care Company and seven other dispensaries seeking approval of their plus-one locations will appear at City Hall before the Zoning Board of Appeals, which has the power to grant them the special use permit that is required to open a state-licensed cannabis business. The coalition will attend the hearing and express its support for CBA partner dispensaries like Nature’s Care Company.
* Cresco Labs co-founder Caltabiano resigns: Cannabis companies that were once seen as risky by corporate executives are beginning to attract seasoned talent. Cresco recently promoted Greg Butler, a former marketing executive at Molson Coors, to chief commercial officer. GTI recently hired Julie Knudson, former chief human resources officer at GGP, and Beth Burk, general counsel, who was chief compliance officer at Aon.
Should anybody need further evidence that an infectious, potentially deadly disease can spread like wildfire, look no further than the coronavirus.
The global outbreak of this highly contagious virus should put anti-vaxxers — science-denying parents who refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated — to shame. […]
Religious exemptions from an Illinois law requiring vaccinations are soaring in number. From 2016 through 2019, according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, measles vaccination exemptions rose from 15,652 to 19,169, polio exemptions rose from 15,130 to 18,690, and chickenpox exemptions rose from 16,050 to 20,244.
We support legislation, introduced by State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, to eliminate all religious exemptions to vaccinations, as called for by the American Academy of Pediatrics. No one parent’s religious convictions — or anti-science militancy masquerading as religious conviction — should be allowed to put somebody else’s child in harm’s way.
* In this case, it’s not even a bill yet. From Capitol News Illinois…
Several statewide law enforcement organizations said Monday they will strongly oppose efforts to eliminate cash bail in Illinois, one of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s top priorities.
“We’re here to say we cannot, and unequivocally do not, support efforts being discussed to eliminate cash bail,” Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, said during a news conference. “This is not the way to make the criminal justice system more equitable. It is not the way to make our communities safer.”
Kaitschuk and several other law enforcement leaders announced they had formed a new organization, Coalition for Public Safety. Its members include the Sheriffs’ Association, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, Chicago Lodge 7 Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association, and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. […]
But McDonough County Sheriff Nicholas Petitgout said bail is also an effective way to ensure someone will make their court appearances. Since the 2017 reforms went into effect, he said, the number of warrants issued in his western Illinois county has more than doubled, from fewer than 1,000 per year before the change in law to more than 2,000 per year.
I asked Jordan Abudayyeh for a response…
The governor believes the cash bail system for low and moderate risk defendants is broken and the socioeconomic barriers to justice need to be addressed. The administration welcomes questions and scrutiny in how we approach this problem, but we are committed to fixing it. From his first days in office Gov. Pritzker has worked to bring stakeholders and lawmakers together to address problems. We look forward to working with people who want to be at the table to negotiate a solution that makes our criminal justice system and communities safe, equitable and fair.
Annie Thompson at the attorney general’s office…
Attorney General Raoul has previously called for ending wealth discrimination in setting bail and will continue to work with stakeholders to evaluate reforms that ensure pretrial justice and public safety. As part of those efforts, the Attorney General’s office participates in the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices, which is working to minimize the effects of monetary conditions of release in the criminal justice system while also maximizing appropriate release and ensuring court appearances.
* Media advisory…
State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) will partner with Southwest Airlines employees to hold a press conference advocating for the expansion of sick leave for airline employees Wednesday.
Hastings will be joined by Corliss King, a flight attendant for Southwest, who was affected by this in 2017 after her husband was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. He was hospitalized several times and received various surgeries that left him in need of care. Corliss was able to use her own accrued sick time to help care for her husband and children until 2017, when a law was passed that removed coverage for airline employees.
Lawmakers are looking to give back to some first responders. State Senators Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) are sponsoring new legislation to help volunteer firefighters and EMTs with expenses.
Senate Bill 3224 provides a $500 tax credit for qualifying first responders when they file state income tax. Since it’s a credit and not a deduction, it will decrease the amount of taxes owed or increase potential refunds.
The Illinois Legislative Inspector General, Carol Pope has substantiated recent ethics violation claims filed against Representative Allen Skillicorn charged with falsifying his attendance and voting record in Springfield while campaigning in Harvard, Illinois for another office on the same day;
“My investigation substantiated allegations that Representative Skillicorn was not present when the quorum roll call vote was taken at 12:15 p.m. on June 1, 2019, nor was he present for any of the votes that he was recorded as voting on prior to 3:00 p.m. Representative Skillicorn filed a letter to correct the record with the Clerk of the House.”
“I interviewed 11 people during the course of my investigation, including Clerk’s Office personnel, staff members, and several members of the General Assembly.”
“Apparently it is common practice for members to ask a seatmate or staffer to vote their switch if they need to step out and use the bathroom, or meet with leadership or talk to a constituent. It is not accepted practice for a member to ask someone to vote their switch when they are out of town, nor is it appropriate for a staffer or seatmate to take it upon themselves to vote another member’s switch when they are out of town and absent from the session.”
The LIG also indicated that no legislators were paid for the overtime session held on June 1st, 2019, at the direction of Speaker Mike Madigan. A suggestion will be made to Leadership that written protocol be put in place as some members, despite the existing set of Rules that govern the House, have not familiarized themselves with proper procedures.
Skillicorn is being challenged for his 66th District House seat by McHenry County Board Member Carolyn Schofield in the March primary.
I’ve reached out to Skillicorn for comment.
…Adding… The letter from LIG Pope…
Ms. Schofield—I wanted to update you on the status of my investigation into your complaint relating to Representative Skillicorn. My investigation substantiated your allegations that Representative Skillicorn was not present when the quorum roll call vote was taken at 12:15 p.m. on June 1, 2019, nor was he present for any of the votes that he was recorded as voting on prior to 3:00 p.m. Representative Skillicorn filed a letter to correct the record with the Clerk of the House. You can find it on pages 5-6 of the House Journal for June 1, 2019. Here is a link to the Journal: http://www.ilga.gov/house/journals/101/2019/HJ101063R.pdf
I found no evidence that Representative Skillicorn authorized anyone to operate his switch in his absence. I interviewed 11 people during the course of my investigation, including Clerk’s Office personnel, staff members, and several members of the General Assembly. Apparently it is common practice for members to ask a seatmate or staffer to vote their switch if they need to step out and use the bathroom, or meet with leadership or talk to a constituent. It is not accepted practice for a member to ask someone to vote their switch when they are out of town, nor is it appropriate for a staffer or seatmate to take it upon themselves to vote another member’s switch when they are out of town and absent from the session. I will be suggesting to Leadership that a written protocol be put together and given to members and staff so there is no question about the procedures to be followed when a member is going to be absent. There is a set of Rules that govern the House, however, I am not sure how many members have totally familiarized themselves with the particulars of those rules. Some members could relate to me the procedures that should be followed if they are going to be absent, but some members indicated they did not know what procedures to follow if absent.
I found no evidence of malicious intent with regard to the operation of Representative Skillicorn’s switch.
No per diem was paid to any member of the House for June 1, 2019, per order of the Speaker.
Thank you for bringing this situation to my attention. I am hopeful that a written protocol provided to every member and his or her staff will prevent such a situation from reoccurring. I have closed my investigation into this matter.
Sincerely,
Carol Pope
Legislative Inspector General
State of Illinois
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Skillicorn…
I agree with everything in Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope’s findings. Clearly, mistakes were made here. I corrected the official record of the House to reflect the fact that I was not present in the chamber on June 1, 2019 during the few initial votes that were taken that day.
I strongly support LIG Carol Pope’s recommendation for a written protocol to ensure that this does not happen again. As she noted, she “found no evidence of malicious intent with regard to the operation of Representative Skillicorn’s switch.”
Indeed, there was no malice. It was mistake and we as a legislative body should clearly define what the protocol should be so that the rules are clear and mistakes like this will not be made.
Set aside the prank for a moment. That’s just a bad video all around and… what the heck is on Rod’s face? This is the clearest evidence yet that you should not be paying him for one of his goofy videos.
* Anyway, a Rodriguez ally actually filed a complaint with the Board of Elections claiming there should be a “paid for by” on Bambenek’s silly tweet. Click here to read it. That’s kinda weird because Bambenek isn’t running for anything and currently has no active candidate committee. It’s paid for, in other words, by Bambenek himself.
The complaint, dated March 2nd, alleges that Bambenek has supported Rosales in his primary challenge, and that he should have included a “paid for by” disclaimer in the video he posted to his 35,000 Twitter followers.
As chairman of the County Board, Rosales, a Democrat, has an obligation to appoint someone to fill the vacant Treasurer position. Bambenek, a Republican, has expressed interest in running for that seat in November. Bambenek claims he did not coordinate the gag with Rosales, and that the $65 expense is below the reporting threshold. He also argues the satire is protected under his right to exercise political speech, and does not consider the video an ‘in-kind contribution’ to the Rosales campaign.
If the expense were to be filed with the State Board of Elections, it would not appear until the next reporting period, which is after the primary will have concluded.
In fact, until about the time of filing this complaint, [Emily Rodriguez’s] own twitter profile stated something of the form “once described as a gussied up Blago”. It has since been deleted.
* Since she was the object of ridicule, Rodriguez will get the last word…
A man retaliates against a woman who denied him the attention he feels entitled to… I wish I were more surprised by this pattern of behavior. https://t.co/Tm7xsqG7kI
With the Illinios primary two weeks away and as voters in “Super Tuesday” states were going to the polls, Gov. JB Pritzker today remained neutral in the Democratic race for president.
“I’m for the Democrat,” he told reporters following an agricultural legislative day event at the Illinois State Library. “I don’t know who’s going to win Illinois. I don’t know who’s going to win the nomination. But I know one thing: (President) Donald Trump’s got to go. You can see it in the way that some of the challenges around the coronavirus are being handled. The administration has done a terrible job, in my opinion, of really helping states with the challenges they face.”
[Sheila Nix], the president of Tusk Philanthropies, said the Biden Illinois team hit the phones to leverage the new Biden boom, making another round of calls to uncommitted Illinois elected officials and to donors.
Notice the campaign didn’t call actual voters. Biden has zero ground game here, or pretty much anywhere, for that matter. He’s got his name and a few new dollars and some intense media exposure since South Carolina. Other than that, not much.
Nix, by the way, was hired as one of Rod Blagojevich’s deputy governors after Bradley Tusk quit. She then became Jill Biden’s chief of staff before going to work for Tusk, who is a Bloomberg guy.
…Adding… Advisory…
Tuesday, March 10
12:30 p.m. Bernie 2020 Rockford Rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders
Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N Main St, Rockford, IL 61101
Information for the public: This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Entrance is provided on a first come, first served basis. Doors open at 11:00 a.m.
* The Question: Who are you supporting for president? Make sure to explain your response and don’t start arguments with anyone else. Their opinion is their opinion. Yours is yours. Keep it that way or find yourself deleted and possibly banned. Thanks.
An annual trade show that brings close to 60,000 visitors to McCormick Place each year has canceled its event there this month, citing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
The International Housewares Association today announced it will not hold its four-day Inspired Home Show, which was scheduled for March 14-17 at the Near South Side convention center.
The Rosemont-based trade group becomes the first to cancel an event at McCormick Place amid the recent outbreak of the virus, which has set off unrest among many companies unsure of how its spread will impact their operations.
The cancelation deals a blow to the convention center and especially downtown hotels, which lose more than 47,000 room nights tied to the event.
The University of Chicago Medical Center admitted a patient Monday that is suspected of having coronavirus.
If the case is confirmed, the patient would be the fifth person in the Chicago area to have contracted the disease.
“UChicago Medicine has been preparing for this eventuality since COVID-19 became a global health concern in January,” hospital officials said in an email to faculty, staff, students and residents. “Senior hospital leadership and leaders from our infectious diseases and infection prevention teams, along with other expert clinicians, are working closely with local, state and federal health officials and continue to apply up to date recommended guidelines.”
Chicago election officials urged voters worried about contracting coronavirus to vote by mail instead of trekking to a voting location as early voting expands countywide. […]
Despite the virus, both the city, and the county, are surging ahead with their early voting plans. Voting sites will have hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes at voting sites.
[Iran’s] head of Parliament said that nearly two dozen lawmakers had tested positive and should avoid meeting with members of the public, the authorities announced on Tuesday.
Mushrooming outbreaks in the Mideast, Europe and South Korea contrasted with optimism in China, where thousands of recovered patients were going home. Virus clusters in the United States led schools and subways to sanitize, quickened the search for a vaccine and spread fears of vulnerability among nursing home residents. […]
In China, the count of new virus cases dropped again Tuesday, with just 125 new cases after a six-week low of 202 a day earlier. It’s still by far the hardest-hit country, with 80,151 cases and 2,943 deaths. The virus has been detected in at least 70 countries with 90,000 cases and 3,100 deaths.
China’s ambassador to the United Nations said the country was winning its battle against COVID-19.
“We are not far from the coming of the victory,” said Zhang Jun.
Then again, China is not a reliable source. Click here for more on that topic.
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday that data has shown the new coronavirus disease to be considerably deadlier than the usual seasonal flu, but he added that it also appears to spread less easily.
Crucially, Tedros also said it did not appear that the new COVID-19 disease was spread readily by infected individuals who are not experiencing symptoms themselves. That news came after days of experts warning that many thousands of cases could essentially be hidden around the world, spread quietly by infected people with either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Tedros said about 3.4% of confirmed COVID-19 cases have died globally, a huge increase in previous estimates which have ranged between 1-2%. Generally the seasonal flu kills less than 1% of those infected, Tedros said by way of comparison.
* ‘We are in uncharted territory,’ World Health Organization says, as coronavirus shifts west toward US, Europe: In the capital of Seoul, drive-thru virus testing centers began operating, with workers dressed head-to-toe in white protective suits leaning into cars with mouth swabs, a move meant to limit contact with possible carriers of the illness. Troops were also dispatched across the city to spray streets and alleys with disinfectant.
* Coronavirus Confusion: Miami Woman Allegedly Denied Proper Testing: In what may be the first case of coronavirus in South Florida, a woman who recently returned home from Italy says she was told by doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital that she “likely” has COVID-19, but that they are unable to verify it because state and federal officials refused to conduct the necessary tests to confirm it.
Two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents said they favored a constitutional change “to allow a graduated income tax—that is, tax rates would be lower for lower-income taxpayers and higher for upper-income taxpayers.” Support was robust, with 44 percent strongly favoring and 21 percent somewhat favoring the proposal. About a third (32 percent) opposed the proposal, 24 percent strongly and 8 percent somewhat opposed.
Support for the graduated income tax proposal reached majority levels in all three of the major geographic breakdowns in Illinois: 73 percent in favor in the City of Chicago, 68 percent favorable in the Chicago suburbs and 55 percent favorable downstate. Partisan differences were more stark with 83 percent of Democrats favoring the graduated tax system, compared with only half that level of support among Republicans (41 percent). Roughly six in ten (59 percent) Independents favor the graduated tax. […]
A bare majority (51 percent) favored a constitutional amendment that would allow a reduction in retirement benefits earned in the future by state workers. About a quarter (24 percent) strongly favored, and 27 percent somewhat favored a proposal that “would preserve state retirement benefits already earned by public employees, but would also allow a reduction in the benefits earned in the future, whether by current or future employees.” More than a third (37 percent) opposed the proposal.
The pension-reduction question received majority support in Chicago (55 percent) and its suburbs (51 percent), and plurality support Downstate (48 percent). The variation occurs among partisan groups: below a majority among Democrats (48 percent) and independents (47 percent), with much more enthusiasm among Republicans (61 percent favor).
1,000 voters, MoE of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, mobile phone users were 60 percent of those polled. We’ve discussed some problems with this poll before. A big one is the sample was 56 percent male and 44 percent female. Another is that Chicago is underrepresented and the poll skewed older.
Some people have proposed an amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would preserve state retirement benefits already earned by public employees, but would also allow a reduction in the benefits earned in the future, whether by current or future employees?
Favor 51%
Strongly favor 24%
Somewhat favor 27%
Oppose 37%
Somewhat oppose 17%
Strongly oppose 20%
Other/don’t know 12%
Would you favor or oppose a proposal to change the Illinois Constitution to allow a graduated income tax – that is, tax rates would be lower for lower-income taxpayers and higher for upper-income taxpayers?
Favor 65%
Strongly favor 44%
Somewhat favor 21%
Oppose 32%
Somewhat oppose 8%
Strongly oppose 24%
Other/don’t know 3%
Low levels of undecideds on the tax question and high numbers of “strongly favor.”
We’ll get to some of the other questions later today.
Andrew Rubenstein rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange last November, then pumped his fist and cheered. He had much to celebrate. In a decade, the company he founded and led, Illinois-based Accel Entertainment, had grown from a tiny startup into the largest video gambling operator in the nation. Accel had also become the country’s first video gambling operator to be publicly traded. With the backing of investors, Accel now hopes to bring video gambling to other cash-strapped states hungry for new sources of revenue.
Few would have predicted Rubenstein’s fledgling enterprise to emerge as the industry leader in 2009, when Illinois legalized video gambling outside of casinos. He had no experience in the gambling business and no apparent ties to companies that, before legalization, had provided bars and restaurants with “gray” machines, simulated video slots and poker devices that were legal but widely known to be used for illegal gambling.
Rubenstein, according to the company, used a combination of savvy hires, well-timed acquisitions of other operators and infusions of capital from family, friends and private equity firms to catapult Accel to the top of the heap.
But records obtained by ProPublica Illinois, as well as interviews with current and former Accel employees who asked to remain anonymous, reveal that Rubenstein and his company also took advantage of connections at the Illinois Gaming Board. They did so using an unusual degree of access to a key board attorney during video gambling’s earliest days, when regulations were being drafted and the competition to lock up gambling locations was at its fiercest.
In addition, the company obtained internal gaming board documents about its competitors and benefited from board decisions that made it more difficult for other operators to gain a foothold in Illinois’ video gambling market.
The gaming board lawyer, Bill Bogot, was a childhood friend of Rubenstein’s. He met with Rubenstein regularly and used two private email accounts to correspond with him, answering legal questions and helping the company when it ran into snags with other regulators, according to the emails and interviews. […]
Similarly, industry insiders say the confidential documents in Accel’s possession would have given it an advantage in building its business. It’s also illegal for gaming board staff to release “protected personal information” to third parties; gaming board officials said they would investigate the leaked confidential documents and, if appropriate, forward any findings to other authorities.
“The IGB takes these allegations very seriously and will not tolerate unethical or illegal conduct of any kind,” said Marcus Fruchter, a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement lawyer appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in May 2019 to run the gaming board.
Bogot said in an interview that he would have given any other video gambling operator the same information he provided to Rubenstein in the emails.
How many times were we told that the Illinois Gaming Board Chairman was running a super-tight ship? The Tribune editorial board was solidly behind him, and yet we keep seeing these sorts of stories emerge years later.
Bogot left the board in July 2013 and not long after went to work for Donna More, Accel’s gaming attorney. More was the gaming board’s first general counsel and is currently running in the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney.
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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Mike Can’t Be Bought: He is self-funding this campaign and no special interests will influence him.
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The office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked the editor of a west-central Illinois newspaper in February to unpublish a news story by The Center Square about the governor’s plans to cut spending if voters don’t pass a progressive income tax in November.
In an email to the editor of The Jacksonville Journal-Courier, a spokeswoman for the governor said the article was “flawed” and lacked context.
“This ‘article’ is filled with mischaracterizations and devoid of any context in which the Governor talked about the budget challenges the state faces and how, as he said and is not reported, the state will have to manage through them,” spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh wrote in the Feb. 10 email. “Ultimately, it would be prudent to take down this partisan content masquerading as news.”
A nearly 2-minute video that accompanies the same story on The Center Square’s website shows Pritzker saying what he is quoted as saying in the story. The governor’s office did not alert The Center Square to any errors in the Feb. 7 article, headlined “If voters reject progressive income tax, Pritzker promises to cut state spending,” and no corrections were published.
“We have a clear corrections policy. The Center Square story in question is accurate – both factually and contextually – and the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, which refused to comply with this outrageous request, agrees with us,” Chris Krug – publisher of The Center Square, the national nonprofit, nonpartisan newswire – said Monday. “It’s shameful that Gov. Pritzker and his office would attempt to bully a news media outlet into unpublishing a factual news story – for any reason.”
David Bauer, editor and publisher of the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, has been out of the office and unavailable for comment.
The Center Square obtained the email through a request under the state’s open records laws. At least three other news outlets also published The Center Square story.
In the email to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, Abudayyeh called The Center Square’s reporting partisan and included a link to a Columbia Journalism Review article that does not mention the nonprofit news organization.
“The governor’s office attempted to mislead an Illinois news outlet by linking to a story that is not about The Center Square,” Krug said. “Media has a responsibility to accurately report the news. This is a blatant attempt to censor the news. The governor has no business policing media for stories with which he disagrees. He owes our team an apology.”
Abudayyeh, who previously worked as a reporter for WICS TV in Springfield, did not respond to a request for comment about her email to the Jacksonville newspaper.
Pritzker has made changing the state’s constitution to allow for a progressive income tax the cornerstone of his first term in office. His $42 billion fiscal 2021 budget proposal includes $1.4 billion in new revenue from a proposed progressive income tax that voters won’t decide on until November.
The Center Square covers state government and statewide issues in Illinois and 24 other states with a focus on government taxing, spending and regulatory issues. It allows other news media outlets to republish its stories.
Sam Fisher, president and CEO of the Illinois Press Association, whose organization operates the Illinois First Amendment Center, declined to comment.
Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the governor’s office did nothing illegal but said it smacked of “intimidation.”
“The governor’s office is probably within its right to make this request but it does smack of intimidation for the governor’s office to presume to tell a news outlet what it should and should not publish,” Lueders, who also is editor of Progressive magazine, said. “But the ultimate decision is with the news outlet. I think journalists often get blowback from politicians and they need to defend their rights to publish what they want to publish. I’m glad that the newspaper, in this case, didn’t give in to it.”
Pritzker’s office’s attempt to kill a news story is not the first time staff of a sitting U.S. governor has attempted to have a Center Square story unpublished.
In September, the office of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis asked editors of two Colorado newspapers to unpublish a news story by The Center Square that raised the question of the cost of a new office Polis created and included a comment from a Senate GOP spokesperson criticizing the fact it was the third new office created this year. Both Colorado newspapers also refused to comply with the request.
I remember that story because I specifically decided not to post it here. It seemed to be lacking context, but that’s just me. In retrospect, what I probably should’ve done was posted the story and made fun of the liberal governor for warning about 15 percent budget cuts that everybody knows he’ll never willingly make.
The Pritzker administration does not respond to any inquiries from Center Square reporters, but the governor does take questions from them at press conferences.
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
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I live in the 13th Ward and I got the attached letter at my door today from someone named “Steven Hensley” recommending I support Dan Lipinski for Congress and others.
I googled the name Steven Hensley and found this article from the Tribune. I don’t think it’s right that someone who is tied up in this stuff should be trying to influence me and my neighbors’ votes.
I don’t want to be involved or have my name associated with any of this, but I think people need to know.
House Speaker Michael Madigan swayed the University of Illinois to admit the relatives of public officials, political allies and donors who contributed $115,200 to campaign funds he controls, a Tribune investigation has found. […]
Madigan also sponsored a relative of Steven Hensley, a Madigan campaign contributor and circulator of petitions for the speaker’s campaigns. The relative, referred to in university records as a “Madigan request,” was an alternate to get into a competitive graduate program at the Chicago campus. The applicant eventually was admitted. What’s more, the relative then received more than $32,000 in taxpayer-funded legislative scholarships from the speaker.
The two also have different takes on Illinois’ pension woes, caused by years of lawmakers and governors agreeing to skimp on their funding obligations. Severin said that he uses his position to advocate for the state making its required payments in annual budgets. But he said that he would not make further adjustments to benefits. He opposes a proposal to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to tie annual cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA — currently a fixed, compounded 3% annually — to inflation.
Arview, on the other hand, said he would support efforts to tie the COLA to inflation. He also suggested the state pass legislation creating a new benefits structure for incoming employees. Arview was not familiar with legislation the General Assembly passed to do that a decade ago, creating a second tier effective for new employees hired after 2010. Given that information, Arview said he would create a third tier and cut their benefits by 2% compared to the second tier employees.
And then Arview went on to opine on his brand new idea he just came up with after being informed that he was uninformed.
As many small towns and rural communities across America face shrinking populations and slowing economic growth, a new report finds that one positive economic contributor to these areas is the flow of benefit dollars from public pension plans. In 2018, public pension benefit dollars represented between one and three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on average among the 1,401 counties in 19 states studied. […]
This new report finds that public pension benefit dollars also account for significant amounts of total personal income in counties across the nineteen states studied. For all 1,401 counties in this study, pension benefit dollars represent an average of 1.37 percent of total personal income, while some counties experience more than six percent of total personal income derived from pension dollars.
The report’s key findings are as follows:
* Public pension benefit dollars represent between one and three percent of GDP on average in the 1,401 counties studied.
* Rural counties and counties with state capitals have the highest percentages of populations receiving public pension benefits.
* Small town counties experience a greater relative impact both in terms of GDP and total personal income from public pension benefit dollars than rural or metropolitan counties.
* Rural counties experience more of an impact in terms of personal income than metropolitan counties, whereas metropolitan counties experience more of an impact in terms of GDP than rural counties.
* Counties with state capitals are outliers from other metropolitan counties, likely because there is a greater density of public employees in these counties, most of whom remain in these counties in retirement.
* On average, rural counties have lost population while small town counties and metropolitan counties have gained population in the period between 2000 and 2018, but the connection between population change and the relative impact of public pension benefit dollars is weak.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated income tax plan won’t fix Illinois’ pension problems, ratings agency says
Nobody, but nobody ever implied that the proposal would “fix” the problems.
The headline reminds me of the stories about how cannabis revenues wouldn’t cure the state’s many fiscal ills. Um, there is no single, easy cure. Those who think there is such a thing should probably get their heads checked.
* If you’re driving down to session on Interstate 55, here’s an advisory from the Illinois State Police…
I-55 southbound at milepost 126 is shut down near Lincoln, IL. A small plane has crashed. IDOT is on scene and will be working on a detour.
Use this as an open thread, if you wish.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the State Police…
At approximately 08:49, a small airplane crashed on I-55 at M/P 126 in Lincoln IL. The plane became fully engulfed upon impact in the middle of the interstate. Multiple Agencies on the scene to assist. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified and is responding. I-55 S/B traffic is being diverted at M/P 126 into Lincoln, IL by IDOT. I-55 S/B road closure is expected for an extended period of time (4-5 hours).
