U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, asked the Biden Administration to use executive authority to keep the Byron and Dresden nuclear power stations operating.
Kinzinger, in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, asks that emergency powers be used until the legislative process in Illinois or Washington offers a solution. […]
“I am gravely concerned about both the nationwide trend of a thinning nuclear fleet as well the parochial interests involved with the decommissioning of Byron and Dresden stations, the result of which will be disastrous for individuals and municipalities in my district.”
Kinzinger wrote that the Defense Production Act and the Federal Power Act both offer routes the president could take to keep the stations open for reasons of national defense and public interest.
* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today where he stands with current union negotiations on his limited vaccine mandate and if he planned to expand the mandate to all state workers…
Well, I want to remind you that we’ve already implemented a number of significant mitigations. And we’re always looking at whether we need to impose more. One is, of course, the indoor mask mandate in schools. We’ve required vaccinations for all of our state employees in congregate settings, we’ve got a vaccination requirement for nursing home personnel across the state of Illinois, we’ve required masks in all of our state buildings, we do regular testing in our congregate settings. And we’ve adopted the CDC guidelines for masking indoors. So we’re consistently looking at the menu of options that we may need to impose in order to bring down the numbers.
I will remind you that if we are not able to bring these numbers down, if hospitals continue to fill, if the hospital beds and ICUs get full, like they are in Kentucky, that’s just next door to Illinois, if that happens, we’re going to have to impose significantly greater mitigations. So those are things that we don’t want to go back. Those are, you know, phases, situations, things on the menu that I think we don’t want to go to. But right now, I think, you know, again, we want everybody to wear a mask everywhere. indoors. And, you know, we’ve recommended that that’s what the CDC has recommended. And then we’ve got a variety of mandates already in place.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* Pritzker was then asked about Mayor Lightfoot’s decision to mandate vaccines for all state employees. Was it an overreach?…
No. What I would say is that, and I’ve said this for a year and a half during this pandemic, that local leaders need to make decisions for their local populations, to make sure to keep them safe. And those decisions need to be made in a serious fashion, to make sure that they’re doing everything that they can to keep everybody safe. But that means mitigations that are tougher than the ones that are in the state of Illinois more broadly. So we set a standard in the state of Illinois, a minimum, but local officials should react properly to the data in their local areas in order to keep everybody safe.
* “So far, 51 school districts out of 859 are defying your mask mandate and allowing parental choice. Are you really going to withdraw funding, take away their sports and deny their high school diplomas, or was that just an idle threat?”…
Am I really going to do that? Yes, we are really going to do that. And by the way, many school districts are heeding our call to have mask mandates in their schools. And so they’re reversing their position. What I would tell you is that it’s extraordinarily important that we keep our kids safe. Remember, the numbers are going up before schools went back in session. And now, [crosstalk] I’m just explaining to you that look at all of the other states around the country where schools have reopened, and now you’ve seen schools close right back up again, or have massive numbers of kids who need to stay at home because they’ve caught COVID, or because they’ve been exposed to COVID. So, let’s get serious about this.
I mean, I realize that there are people who like to show up and shout at local school boards, at the local school board members. But the reality is that the vast majority of people in Illinois want to make sure that the children of Illinois, their parents, their communities are safe. And having a mask mandate operative in schools will help to do that.
* Meanwhile…
More than 1,200 K-12 schools across the state have signed up to use the SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 saliva test for the start of the 2021-22 academic year. More than 650,000 students in Illinois will now have access to the test, pioneered by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recently expanded access to free SHIELD testing to all K-12 public schools statewide outside of Chicago, which had earlier received its own federal funding.
IDPH is utilizing funding from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan to fund testing in public schools. Funding for testing in non-public schools statewide comes from the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Midwest Expanded Testing Coordination Hub, which is run by Batelle, a non-profit technology development company.
* The Rolling Stones wouldn’t ever have been a thing without Charlie Watts’ swing. RIP, man…
It was hard to imagine the Stones without Watts even then, though. His light touch, singular rhythmic sense, and impeccable feel, as heard on canonical rock songs such as “Paint It, Black,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Brown Sugar,” made him both the engine that powered the Stones’ music and one of the most famous and respected drummers of all time.
As Keith Richards said in 1979: “Everybody thinks Mick and Keith are the Rolling Stones. If Charlie wasn’t doing what he’s doing on drums, that wouldn’t be true at all. You’d find out that Charlie Watts is the Stones.”
Yesterday, Governor Pritzker signed bipartisan legislation filed by State Representative Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) to support students. House Bill 3359 ensures students with developmental disabilities attending public universities or community colleges will be able to have their personal support workers at their sides during classes.
“I’m honored I was able to serve as the lead sponsor for this bipartisan legislation and see it signed into law by the Governor,” said Bos. “When I became aware of the situation involving a constituent in my district, I was frankly shocked. The fact that not one, but two, public community colleges had prevented a student with developmental disabilities from having his support worker with him in class didn’t make sense. Yesterday, we made sure this won’t happen again in Illinois and ensure all students will have access to the support they may need to be successful in the classroom.”
As Bos referenced, a student in the 51st House District had been denied the ability to have his support worker with him in class in pursuit of coursework in photography. To correct this problem, HB 3359 provides that if a student has a support worker, the governing board of the public university or community college district must permit the support worker to attend class with the student but is not responsible for providing or paying for the support worker. It further provides that if the support worker’s attendance in class is solely to provide personal support services to the student, the governing board may not charge the support worker tuition and fees for such attendance.
HB 3359 received unanimous support in both the Illinois House and Senate, where the legislation was carried by Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods)
* Restore Justice press release…
Restore Justice Applauds Governor Pritzker, Senator Fine, Representative Gabel, and the Illinois Department of Corrections for Supporting Families with Incarcerated Loved Ones
We applaud Governor JB Pritzker, Senator Laura Fine, Representative Robyn Gabel, and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for their partnership in taking a step towards better supporting families with incarcerated loved ones. Senate Bill 1976 was signed into law on August 20, 2021, after unanimously passing through the Illinois House and Senate.
Senate Bill 1976 creates a Family Liaison within IDOC to receive complaints, suggestions, and requests from visitors and help to resolve issues. Previously, those with incarcerated loved ones had to rely on the staff at a particular facility to address visitation issues, including conflicts over visitation rules, concerns with staff behavior, or questions. These same staff members may have been directly involved in the issue.
One family member explained the significance of this bill by recalling an earlier experience when they needed help. “I drove 6 plus hours to visit my son and I brought his brother to see him. We had not seen him in over a year. The officer at the front desk stated my 12-year-old son needed a state ID even though it isn’t part of IDOC’s policy. I had brought his birth certificate but that was not enough. When I asked to speak to a supervisor I was told, ‘I am the supervisor.’ I had to turn around and drive home without seeing my son. I wish I would have had someone I could call.”
Visits can also be stressful and humiliating for families. Another family member shared, “They gave my friend a stapler to staple her blouse closed because they felt it showed too much of her collarbone. Yet, they denied another woman her visit for the same thing.”
Regular in-person visits have substantial benefits to people who are incarcerated as well as their families. Senator Laura Fine and Representative Robyn Gabel sponsored Senate Bill 1976. These legislators are champions of families and understand the importance of visits to promote rehabilitation, successful reentry, and increasing family stability.
* Press release…
Senator Linda Holmes’ (D-Aurora) legislation to allow pregnant women to use a disabilities vehicle placard or sticker in their third trimester was signed into law by the governor Friday.
Holmes was motivated to sponsor the legislation, originally introduced by Representative Keith Wheeler (R-North Aurora) in the House, after hearing the story of Wheeler’s district office director Ben Marcum and his family, who inspired the measure.
“This family suffered a devastating loss that may have been avoided if this accommodation for expectant mothers had been in place two years ago,” Holmes said. “This can prevent future heartbreak if an expectant mother in her third trimester can get temporary disability parking access.”
When Marcum’s wife was pregnant with their first child in 2019, she faced a long, difficult walk from her car to her office, which only became more grueling as her pregnancy progressed. When Marcum tried to secure disability parking privileges for his wife, he was shocked to learn that pregnancy was not considered a qualifying condition. Unfortunately, his wife went into early labor at 21 weeks, and their son Henry only survived an hour.
The legislation would allow an expectant mother in her third trimester to use a disabilities placard for up to 90 days. To qualify, an individual would have to provide documentation proving that they have entered the third trimester.
“In memory of Henry Marcum and in honor of pregnant women who could use some additional support during their third trimester, I’m am happy to sponsor this commonsense measure,” Holmes said. “I’m grateful to Rep. Wheeler for bringing it to my attention.”
Today, Illinois State Senator Robert J. Peters, Illinois State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr., and Illinois State Representative Justin Slaughter were presented with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ (NACDL) Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award at NACDL’s 20th Annual State Criminal Justice Network (SCJN) Conference. The award recognizes an individual or group whose tremendous efforts have led toward progressive reform of a state criminal justice system.
Senator Peters, Senator Sims, and Representative Slaughter ushered in the passage of the monumental 2021 Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act. The SAFE-T Act, also called the Criminal Justice Reform Omnibus, contains long-awaited comprehensive public safety reforms, including ending cash bail and reforming the pretrial system, policing reform, sentencing and prison reform, and victim service reform. This Act makes Illinois a national leader in public safety reforms and begins the process of addressing and untangling decades of racist, ineffective criminal legal system policies, in addition to making communities left behind by the criminal legal system safer. The legislators worked with numerous stakeholders across the state and spent countless hours drafting a bill that puts evidence-based reforms at the forefront, addresses widespread racial disparities, and improves support systems for victims of crime. All three legislators have dedicated their careers to addressing racism and inequity to better their communities and transform their state’s criminal legal system.
A measure led by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) to expand the amount of birthing center licenses in Illinois was signed into law Friday by Governor JB Pritzker.
“Tragically, 75 women die every year while pregnant or within a year of pregnancy,” Van Pelt said. “It is even more heartbreaking to know that four out of five pregnancy-related deaths could have been preventable. That is why this measure is so important – we must do everything we can to combat the issues of maternal mortality, including increasing birthing centers.”
Currently, the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act provides for 10 birthing center licenses: four birthing center licenses in the Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will Counties; three in municipalities with a population of 50,000 or more not located in the collar counties; and three in rural areas.
This initiative expands the available licenses for birthing centers under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Demonstration Program from 10 to 17, providing that birth center alternative health care models shall be located in the Westside of Chicago, the Southside of Chicago and East St. Louis.
* The state peaked at 1,289 ICU beds in use on April 29th last year, then 1,224 ICU beds on November 25th, and 506 on April 25th this year. ICU bed usage is now at 487. We found out last year that ICU beds can be created fairly quickly. But after a year and a half of this, hospitals are dealing with extreme staff burnout, so finding nurses and doctors to actually staff those beds ain’t easy, especially with the American South burning with COVID. With that in mind, here’s NBC 5…
Thirty-seven Illinois counties and Chicago are now at “warning level” for intensive care unit bed availability, according to COVID-19 data from the state health department.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting that the following areas are experiencing limited ICU bed availability: Alexander, Bond, Boone, Carroll, Chicago, Clinton, Cook, DeKalb, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Ogle, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, St. Clair, Stephenson, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Williamson, Winnebago.
Since the start of the global pandemic, more police officers have died of COVID than all other causes combined in the line of duty. Just by the nature of their work, having to interact with the public on a near-daily basis, exposure to the virus is almost a certainty.
But despite the mounting death count, law enforcement officers in the country are simply not getting vaccinated. Their reluctance—whether over politics, retaliation for growing criticism toward their profession, or distrust for something as new as the COVID-19 vaccine—is putting themselves, and the communities they’re supposed to serve, at risk. And their bosses are running out of ways to convince them otherwise.
“In the profession as a whole, you generally find a lot of skepticism inside law enforcement,” Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant told VICE News. “Police officers are just overly cautious about things they don’t understand. They don’t move quickly into place without a lot of detail and a lot of information. That apprehension is shared throughout the profession.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday there “absolutely” will be a vaccine mandate for city employees — but the police union vowed to go to court to stop it. […]
Not on the same page with the mayor is Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, whose union represents rank-and-file Chicago police officers.
“It cannot be mandated. It’s that simple. Our members don’t want to be mandated to do anything like that,” Catanzara said Monday. “This vaccine has no studies for long-term side effects or consequences. None. To mandate anybody to get that vaccine, without that data as a baseline, amongst other issues, is a ‘Hell, no’ for us.”
* American Medical Association…
“The FDA has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the meticulously collected evidence from more than 100 million vaccinated Americans is clear: the vaccines we have to defeat COVID-19 are safe, effective, and the only way out of this pandemic.
“For months, physicians have advocated for vaccination against COVID-19, urging our patients to take the step that will save their lives and protect those closest to them. States have even offered numerous incentives – from lotteries with a chance to win a million dollars or scholarship money to cash prizes. Vaccine supply is ample, and for months, access has been easier.
“But these incentives have not gotten us where we need to be. With the highly transmissible and more virulent Delta variant wreaking havoc and emergency departments once again overwhelmed, physicians and all frontline health care workers need help. The way to regain the upper hand in this fight is requiring vaccinations – specifically vaccine mandates.
“The simple fact is unless a significant percentage of our population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – we could be stuck fighting this virus for many more months or even years to come. Now is the time for the public and private sectors to come together, listen to the science, and mandate vaccination.
“The AMA has robust policy on vaccine mandates - a tool that has been used across the U.S. and around the world for generations to defeat polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable disease. And now, we urge similar mandates to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians and frontline health care workers have taken tremendous risks during this pandemic, and we continue today risking our own safety and well-being—putting our families at risk—to treat mostly unvaccinated people afflicted with COVID-19. Help us win this fight, follow science, and end this pandemic by requiring vaccination.”
* I’m hearing about lots of school quarantines these days, but I’m wondering if the mayor looked around before making this blanket statement…
“Our schools are safe. We have a mountain of evidence of that fact starting back in February of this year when we first opened elementary schools,” Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference.
While it’s true that far more people are vaccinated now than in February, the delta variant wasn’t much of a thing in the spring. But it’s clearly hitting people hard these days.
* More…
* IHSA mask mandate enforcement policies: If the school is still on probation on the date of seeding (or the list of participant entry deadline) in that sport they will not be allowed to participate in the State Series. [More here.]
* Edward-Elmhurst, Amita requiring COVID-19 employee vaccinations: “We recognize that not everyone will agree with this decision,” said Mary Lou Mastro, Edward-Elmhurst’s CEO. “The ethical framework under which we operate, however, means that it is our responsibility to do good, and an individual’s right to autonomy ends when that person’s actions may harm others.”
* Faith leaders pray for hospitalized Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline: Jesse Jackson, who has Parkinson’s disease, received his first dose of the vaccine publicly in January to encourage the Black community and others to receive the immunization. His wife has not been vaccinated, according to longtime family spokesman Frank Watkins. He declined to elaborate Monday.
Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Creating the Local Journalism Task Force
Task Force Aims to Promote and Aid Local Journalism
Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 134, which creates the Local Journalism Task Force. The Task Force will conduct a comprehensive study of the status of journalism and make recommendations for improvement to the Governor and General Assembly.
“Many communities across our country have become news deserts – through this legislation, Illinois is taking a step toward addressing that challenge,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Robust local journalism is vitally important and I look forward to reviewing the recommendations from the Task Force as we seek to maintain and grow a strong press corps in Illinois.”
“I’ve dedicated years of my life to journalism, so I understand the importance of having access to local news,” said State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). “People deserve to know what’s going on in their community, regardless of where they live.”
“Many of the residents of the state are deprived of comprehensive local news coverage,” said State Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford). “Local news coverage provides a shared sense of community and a vital check on local government. SB134 creates a task force that seeks to find out what can be done to save it.
Senate Bill 134 creates the Local Journalism Task Force, which will:
• conduct a comprehensive study relative to communities underserved by local journalism in Illinois,
• review all aspects of local journalism including, but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of communities, print and digital business models for media outlets, the impact of social media on local news, strategies to improve local news access, and public policy solutions to improve the sustainability of local press business models and private and nonprofit solutions, and
• submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by January 1, 2023.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will be required to provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. The Task Force is also required to meet a minimum of five times.
The membership of the Task Force will consist of the following 15 members:
• one member of each chamber appointed by the caucus leader,
• one member appointed by the Governor,
• one representative of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University,
• one representative of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield,
• one representative of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
• one representative of the School of Journalism at SIU-C,
• one representative of the Illinois Press Association,
• one representative of the Illinois Broadcasters Association,
• one representative of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association,
• one representative of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association,
• one representative of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council, and
• one representative of the Illinois Municipal League.
SB 134 is effective January 1, 2022.
The legislation was supported by numerous publishing/broadcasting groups.
* The Question: What are your suggestions to improve local news?
*** UPDATE *** How about we start with not running ubiquitous and goofy stories like this?…
A Freeport lawmaker wants the state to let local school boards and health departments determine if students and staff should wear masks at school.
Rep. Andrew Chesney (R) filed HB 4131 on Friday. […]
Rep. Chesney hopes the bill be discussed during the state’s Special Session on Aug. 31 to discuss the political maps.
Um, yeah, no. The bill hasn’t even been assigned to a committee yet and the only way it will be “discussed” during the special session called for a specific purpose that has nothing to do with masks in schools is if Chesney gets up to speak about it during a lull. A quick phone call could’ve cleared that up.
Facebook is helping kill off local journalism, but that doesn’t mean local news stories ought to be just like Facebook posts. How about, maybe, you know, report the thing out a bit? There’s literally nothing in that story which actually challenges Chesney’s claims.
Defense attorneys for four former ComEd executives and consultants with close ties to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are seeking to dismiss some of the federal charges filed against them last year, arguing the bribery indictment against them “fails to allege any quid pro quo.” […]
“The indictment loosely strings together an assortment of events over a ten-year period of time—largely hiring decisions made by ComEd made at the recommendation of Public Official A—and alleges that, because such recommendations were made in the same decade that legislation affecting ComEd was passed, a crime must have been committed. But the indictment fails to allege any connection between these hiring decisions and any agreement or understanding with Public Official A that he would take (or refrain from) any action on ComEd’s behalf in exchange for the things of value Defendants allegedly provided,” attorneys wrote.
Further, the defense team argued that accepting federal prosecutors’ stance that an explicit quid pro quo is not necessary to uphold the bribery charges “would put huge numbers of American citizens at risk of prosecution for their ordinary participation in the political process.”
“These gaps are fatal to the indictment because giving things of value to public officials can be perfectly legal. The Supreme Court has unanimously held that it is not a crime to give something to a public official ‘to build a reservoir of goodwill that might ultimately affect one or more of a multitude of unspecified acts, now and in the future,’” defense attorneys wrote.
The attorneys argued that allowing the bribery charges to stand without an explicit quid pro quo “would provide the government essentially unlimited discretion to prosecute anyone who has provided a benefit to a public official, and convict them on evidence that the public official took some official act that the defendant favored, without ever proving that the official’s actions were taken in exchange for the benefit provided, or even that the defendant understood or expected that the benefit would influence the official’s actions.”
Federal prosecutors argued Monday that a bid from four members of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle to convince a judge to toss part of the indictment filed against them ignores the alleged corruption at the heart of the case.
“The illegal conduct alleged in the indictment did not consist merely of lobbying, and it did not include campaign contributions made by ComEd,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote in a new 74-page court filing.
Instead, Bhachu wrote, the four allegedly delivered benefits to Madigan’s associates with the hope Madigan “would give favorable treatment to ComEd legislation” — an arrangement that could be understood as a quid pro quo. […]
Bhachu countered Monday that the four sought “to influence and reward Public Official A in his capacity as Speaker of the House of Representatives with significant power over legislation affecting ComEd’s interests.
“These were not bona fide arrangements made in the usual course of business,” Bhachu wrote, “and there is no legal basis to dismiss these charges from the indictment.”
But in a 74-page response filed late Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote the federal bribery law does not require a quid pro quo, and even if it did, the allegations in the indictment make clear that Madigan — identified only as Public Official A — was in on the scheme. […]
“Here, the charges are not based on political logrolling, but rather, on private benefits in the form of jobs, contracts, and payments offered to be paid by a private company in order to influence and reward a legislator in carrying out his official duties,” the motion stated.
Bhachu also blasted arguments by the defendants that some of the bribery charges should be dismissed because they could not be tied to a specific “official act,” citing former Republican Gov. George Ryan’s corruption conviction.
Bhachu said the 7th Circuit ruled in the Ryan case that a “stream of benefits” was provided to the governor over time, “more like a meal plan in which you don’t pay for each item on the menu.” The indictment in the ComEd case alleges a similar scenario, he said.
* Related…
* Ed Burke’s lawyers say feds spent four years investigating him before tapping phones: Additionally, Burke’s lawyers responded to a revelation by the feds last spring that Burke allegedly made a “distasteful” comment about Jewish people. His attorneys insisted Friday the comment is too prejudicial, and any relevance to the racketeering case is outweighed by “the risk that the jury will infer from the statement that Ald. Burke is anti-Semitic.”
The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Public Safety section has issued a report on the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) use of ShotSpotter acoustic gunshot detection technology and CPD’s response to ShotSpotter alert notifications. OIG concluded from its analysis that CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts can seldom be shown to lead to investigatory stops which might have investigative value and rarely produce evidence of a gun-related crime. Additionally, OIG identified evidence that the introduction of ShotSpotter technology in Chicago has changed the way some CPD members perceive and interact with individuals present in areas where ShotSpotter alerts are frequent.
OIG issued its descriptive analysis on the outcomes of ShotSpotter alerts to provide the public and City government officials—to the extent feasible given the quality of the Office of Emergency Management (OEMC) and CPD’s data—with clear and accurate information regarding CPD’s use of ShotSpotter technology. ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection system that uses a network of acoustic sensors to identify and locate suspected gunshots, and currently operates in more than 100 U.S. cities. Chicago’s $33 million, three-year contract with ShotSpotter began on August 20, 2018; in December 2020, well before the end of the contract term, the City exercised an option to extend the contract, setting a new expiration date for August 19, 2023.
The CPD data examined by OIG does not support a conclusion that ShotSpotter is an effective tool in developing evidence of gun-related crime. If this result is attributable in part to missing or non-matched records of investigatory stops that did take place as a direct consequence of a ShotSpotter alert, CPD’s record-keeping practices are obstructing a meaningful analysis of the effectiveness of the technology.
OIG analyzed data collected by CPD and OEMC regarding all ShotSpotter alert notifications that occurred between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021, and investigatory stops confirmed to be associated with CPD’s response to a ShotSpotter alert. OIG’s analysis of OEMC data and investigatory stop report (ISR) data revealed:
• A total of 50,176 ShotSpotter alerts were confirmed as probable gunshots, issued an event number—a unique record identification number assigned to distinct “events” of police activity—and dispatched by OEMC; each of these resulted in a CPD response to the location.
• Of the 50,176 confirmed, 41,830 report a disposition—the outcome of the police response to an incident. Of those dispositions, a total of 4,556 indicate that evidence of a gun-related criminal offense was found, representing 9.1% of CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts.
• Among the 50,176 confirmed and dispatched ShotSpotter alerts, a total of 1,056 share their event number with at least one ISR, indicating that a documented investigatory stop was a direct result of a particular ShotSpotter alert. That is, at least one investigatory stop is documented under a matching event number in 2.1% of all CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts.
• Through a separate keyword search analysis of all ISR narratives within the analysis period, OIG identified an additional 1,366 investigatory stops potentially associated with ShotSpotter alerts whose event number did not match any of the 50,176 confirmed and dispatched ShotSpotter alerts.
OIG’s analysis of ISR narratives further revealed that the presence of the technology is changing police behavior. Specifically, OIG reviewed instances in which CPD members rely, at least in part, on a perceived aggregate frequency of ShotSpotter alerts in an area to form the basis for an investigatory stop or as part of the rationale for a pat down once a stop has been initiated. Additionally, better data on law enforcement outcomes from ShotSpotter alerts would be valuable to support the City’s future assessments of whether to extend, amend, or discontinue its contractual relationship with ShotSpotter.
“Our study of ShotSpotter data is not about technological accuracy, it’s about operational value,” said Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety Deborah Witzburg. “If the Department is to continue to invest in technology which sends CPD members into potentially dangerous situations with little information––and about which there are important community concerns–– it should be able to demonstrate the benefit of its use in combatting violent crime. The data we analyzed plainly doesn’t do that. Meanwhile, the very presence of this technology is changing the way CPD members interact with members of Chicago’s communities. We hope that this analysis will equip stakeholders to make well-informed decisions about the ongoing use of ShotSpotter technology.”
Today, Nikki Budzinski, a labor activist, former senior advisor to Governor JB Pritzker, and former member of the Biden administration at OMB announced her campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 13th congressional district with a coalition of support.
Born in Peoria, Nikki’s parents taught her the importance of family, community, and service to others. From her grandpa, a union painter, she saw how unions built and sustained the middle class. From her grandma, a public-school teacher, she learned the value of a good education. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, Nikki traveled the country fighting to get hard-working people the pay and workplace protections they deserve while working with the IAFF firefighters union and UFCW.
As Governor JB Pritzker’s senior advisor, Nikki helped pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois and expand high speed internet across the state. As the Chief of Staff in President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget, she helped implement the American Rescue Plan and established the Made in America office.
Budzinski also announced the endorsement of UFCW Local 881, Pastor Ray McJunkins, the Lead Pastor of Union Baptist Church in Springfield, State Representative Katie Stuart, Sangamon County Democratic Chairman Bill Houlihan, Christian County Democratic Chairman Ben Curtin, Jersey County Democratic Chairman Mark Pohlman, Calhoun County Democratic Chairman Paul “Snow” Herkert, and Macoupin County Democrats Chairwoman Pam Monetti.
Budzinski made the following statement: “I’ve spent my whole life fighting for working people and I’ll do the same in Congress. I want to make sure every Illinoisan has access to the same middle-class opportunities that my grandparents did as union painters and teachers.
Rodney Davis isn’t getting the job done. The stakes are too high for middle class families like the one I grew up in to have ineffective leaders in Congress and I plan to go to Congress and deliver for Illinois.”
Steve Powell, President of Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President made the following statement: “Nikki has spent her entire professional life fighting for working people. As we recover from COVID19 and build a new 21st-century economy, we need leaders like Nikki in Congress that are going to stand up for our members and make sure labor has a seat at the decision-making table. My job is to deliver for our members and having advocates like Nikki in Congress makes that easier. That’s why UFCW Local 881 is supporting Nikki.”
Pam Monetti, Chairwoman of the Macoupin County Democrats made the following statement: “Working people need allies in Congress that will make sure middle-class families get a fair shake. We haven’t gotten that from Rodney Davis the entire time he’s been in office. We need a true ally to working people which is why I’m supporting Nikki. She’s walked the walk - working in the labor movement, working to pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois, and working on the American Rescue Plan in President Biden’s administration. Nikki will get the job done and I encourage others to support her.”
Pastor Ray McJunkins made the following statement: “Nikki Budzinski’s career spans over 20 years as a public servant. With an impressive and extensive background in government and political science Nikki is an exceptional individual when it comes to her passion of making a difference. She understands the importance of involvement in the decision-making process while working for the common good. With her education and experience, I am confident she will be a strong voice for the working class. Nikki Budzinski will bring to Capitol Hill knowledge, skill, experience, integrity, determination, and character. In fact, my descriptive summary of Nikki includes words such as competent, committed, talented, and innovative. She is an asset to local and state government and will be an even greater asset to federal government as she works for the people.”
Keep in mind that we don’t yet know what the districts will look like, and probably won’t until late October.
*** UPDATE *** Aaron DeGroot at the Rodney Davis campaign…
Hey, Rich.
Here is a quote from me as Davis campaign spokesperson regarding the Nikki Budzinski announcement:
“Nikki Budzinski is a lifelong Democrat political operative who is steeped in corrupt, Madigan-style politics. When she was a top staffer for Governor Pritzker, she helped Mike Madigan put his allies in patronage jobs throughout state government. Illinois voters have had enough of corrupt Madigan Machine politicians like Budzinski.”
And since Budzinski is Dick Durbin’s candidate for Congress against Rodney, I’ll note that Durbin is 0-5 against Rodney.
* I gave this info to subscribers yesterday, but it’s been picked up by another outlet and wasn’t quite reported right, so I thought I should take off the password protection. This docket entry was filed yesterday by a federal judge (not the Illinois Supreme Court, as reported elsewhere) in the lawsuit against the new redistricting law after a Monday morning hearing…
Taking into account the parties’ written submissions and the discussion held on the record this morning, Defendants’ motion to adjourn the expert discovery schedule and to set status conference for September 1, 2021 is granted in part and denied in part. Opening expert reports and supporting materials, which are due today under the existing schedule, are still to be exchanged no later than August 25, 2021. All other expert deadlines and expert discovery are stayed until further order of the Court and will be discussed either with the three−judge panel on September 1, or with Magistrate Judge Jantz, or both. Plaintiffs’ motion to expedite briefing schedule with respect to pending dispositive motions is denied. The pending dispositive motions remain under advisement, though the panel observes that in the event that the General Assembly enacts an amended redistricting plan in next week’s special session, the parties may need to consider whether to amend the pleadings and motions that currently are on file. The panel also reiterates the comments made on the record urging the General Assembly to take into account the views of the Plaintiffs in crafting any amended plan with the objective of presenting for the Court’s consideration a plan that satisfies all constitutional and statutory obligations, not just those raised in the existing pleadings and motions. To the extent that an amended plan still raises viable legal challenges, the parties should expect to update their pleadings, motions, and expert work (including proposed revisions or alternatives to the map(s) under consideration) on a highly compressed schedule given the need for an expeditious conclusion to this litigation to accommodate the 2022 election calendar. As a housekeeping matter, the motions to dismiss the original (and now superseded complaint) are stricken as moot. In view of the foregoing, the status conference previously set for 8/24/2021 at 12:30 p.m. is stricken and reset to 9/1/2021 at 12:30 p.m. Information regarding the video link for the panel and counsel and the telephone link for members of the public and media will be provided in a separate minute order. Finally, the notice of motion date of 8/27/2021 on Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is stricken and no appearances are necessary on that date.
* Basic translation: The Republicans wanted the court to step in before the special session, but that was a no-go and the GOP’s motion to expedite the briefing for summary judgment was denied. Instead, the court punted the case until after the scheduled August 31st legislative special session on the remap. Democrats were urged to listen to plaintiffs on the constitutionality of the new remap plan (I’m told that means in particular the plaintiffs arguing insufficient Hispanic origin districts) because this could be their last chance to save their map.
In other words, the Democrats better get it done and get it right next week or they could lose control of the map-making process to a federal three-judge panel.
