Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza, her staff and other volunteers passed out 160 turkeys and hams as well as other donated food to Cairo residents at the Arrowleaf community center today. Laborers’ Local 773, which represents workers in fields such as construction and railroad maintenance, donated the meat and bags of food. Krispy Kreme in Marion also donated boxes of doughnuts.
Alexander County, of which Cairo is the county seat, has the lowest vaccination rate of Illinois’ 102 counties, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. So among the offerings at this year’s giveaway were vaccine shots administered by the Southern Seven Health Department.
“Residents throughout the state can greatly benefit from the protection these free COVID-19 vaccinations provide against severe disease,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “That’s why my office wanted to make sure the people of Cairo were given an additional opportunity to get vaccinated.”
This is the fifth year the Illinois Office of Comptroller has helped coordinate and distribute donations in Cairo so that in-need families can put a Thanksgiving meal on their dinner tables. The Office of Comptroller worked with Arrowleaf, a human-services nonprofit, to coordinate and host the donations. Arrowleaf also offered clothing and coat donations during the event.
“I’m a strong believer in the people of Southern Illinois. While the region has its own unique challenges, I want its residents to know they are not alone,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “The whole state and I support regrowth and regeneration in Cairo and the surrounding region, which is a beautiful area that my family and I love to visit.”
Comptroller Mendoza reiterated her promise to expedite payments for the development of Cairo’s new international port, expected to bring jobs and economic development to the region,’ noting, “Cairo needs more than one shot in the arm.”
Comptroller Mendoza was joined at the donation event by State Sen. Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg, State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, and Cairo Mayor Thomas Simpson.
“I’ve been vaccinated. It’s not only a personal choice but also a choice about protecting others, like your family,” said Mayor Simpson.
Southern Illinois residents can call their local county health departments to schedule a free COVID-19 vaccination. People who are unsure of who to call can call the Southern Seven Health Department at 618-634-2297 for more information.
“It’s a blessing to see these officials and groups come together to provide these meals. It’s wonderful that they are taking notice of Cairo and working to support its regrowth,” said Mayor Simpson.
Comptroller Mendoza also dropped off food donations at the Cairo Women’s Shelter for survivors of domestic abuse and their children in Cairo this morning. On Wednesday, she met with the founders of The Giving Tree Fund in Sesser, a charity that coordinates donations of Christmas gifts and necessities for area youth and their families.
“During the holidays, it’s an especially great time to make note of the charitable nature of so many of our neighbors and fellow Illinois residents. I’m honored to be able to meet with and support the efforts of those working to better their communities,” said Comptroller Mendoza.
* Photos…
I’m told about a dozen people got their shots at the event.
* The Question: Do you participate in any holiday season charity events? Explain either way, please.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell -0.2 percentage point to 6.0 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +40,900 in October, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The preliminary report for September monthly payrolls was revised from +9,200 to +11,000 jobs. The September unemployment rate was also revised from the preliminary report, decreasing from 6.8 percent to 6.2 percent, as a result of a large downward revision that the BLS introduced to September statewide unemployed. More information on the September unemployment rate revision can be found in the attachment to this news release.
The October payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflects activity for the week including the 12th. The BLS has published FAQs for the October payroll jobs and the unemployment rate.
In October, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Professional and Business Services (+17,700), Leisure and Hospitality (+8,400) and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+7,700). The industry sectors that reported the monthly payroll declines were: Information (-1,500) and Educational and Health Services (-500). […]
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.4 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for October, which was 4.6 percent, down -0.as 2 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -2.1 percentage points from a year ago when it was at 8.1 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +190,300 jobs, with gains across nearly all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases were: Leisure and Hospitality (+60,800), Professional and Business Services (+50,000), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+37,200). Financial Activities (-5,200) was the only industry group that reported jobs losses. In October, total nonfarm payrolls were up +3.4 percent over-the-year in Illinois and +4.1 percent in the nation.
The number of unemployed workers was down from the prior month, a -3.4 percent decrease to 370,400, and was down -27.7 percent over the same month for one year ago. The labor force was up +0.1 percent over-the-month and was down -1.6 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
Explanation of the revision to the September 2021 Illinois statewide unemployment rate
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has examined state labor force data for unusual monthly changes, also referred to as outliers, and made monthly adjustments based on a statistical evaluation of the monthly changes. Without these adjustments, the BLS statewide labor force models would have discounted a portion of the pandemic impact and would not have reflected accurately the current labor force conditions. Historically, these types of adjustments to monthly state labor force data occur during the annual benchmarking in February of each year, but they have been implemented on a monthly basis since the beginning of the pandemic to be more responsive to the recession’s impact.
In January 2021, BLS introduced an adjustment to the State of Michigan’s labor force model in response to a detected outlier. This adjustment inadvertently created distortions to statewide labor force estimates for Michigan and other states within the East North Central Division (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin) for January and all subsequent months through September 2021. One part of the monthly statewide labor force estimation process involves adjusting monthly statewide employed and unemployed estimates to equal monthly Census Division employed and unemployed levels. In turn, Census Division employed and unemployed estimations are adjusted to national monthly employed and unemployed estimates, which ensures that the sum of all states equals national employed and unemployed levels.
The distortions to the state labor force estimates occurred gradually through September 2021 but were only recently identified by the BLS after Illinois and another East North Central Division state raised concerns about their monthly 2021 statewide labor force estimates. The BLS has found that distortions to the Illinois labor force estimates are limited to January-September 2021.
Effective October 2021, BLS changed its approach to detecting and adjusting for outliers in monthly statewide labor force data. This change has reduced distortions to the revised September 2021 statewide labor force estimates and the preliminary October 2021 statewide labor force estimates for Illinois and other states in the East North Central Division. The distortions made to January–August 2021 statewide labor force estimates will be modified during the annual benchmarking process in February 2022.
The federal government has corrected Michigan’s unemployment rate upward by 1.7 percentage points, above the U.S. average.
Federal officials cited an outlier in statistical modeling amid sharp job swings during the coronavirus pandemic.
The September unemployment rate is now 6.3%, but it had been 4.6% — below the national rate. The October number, also released Wednesday, dipped to 6.1%.
As Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., mulls his 2022 options — another House run or governor bid — he made a noteworthy Chicago stop on Monday: at a meeting with members of the Fraternal Order of Police and other law enforcement officials organized by a House GOP task force.
Davis, 51, from downstate Taylorville — a former Hill staffer first elected to Congress in 2012 — is well known in the Capitol but has a slim profile in the Chicago area.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 president John Catanzara — a very strong supporter of former President Donald Trump — just quit his Chicago Police Department job to avoid discipline charges and is flirting with a 2023 run against Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The GOP-friendly FOP hosted on Monday a session with Davis and Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., the chair of the American Security Task Force, created by House Republicans and with only GOP members.
He didn’t even tell anyone he held that meeting until well after it ended.
* But it sure got Sen. Darren Bailey’s attention. From the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s daily Facebook live video…
And even today, we see a US Congressman up in Chicago for the first time ever taking an interest in Chicago all of a sudden. Why? Because they don’t think they can win their US congressional districts, so why not make a run for governor? Friends that’s the mentality of the Republican Party and it must stop. We need to remove bad leaders. I will assure you that as your governor, I will help make the weak leaders better.
Not trying to pick on Bailey here, but this theory that Rodney Davis is too afraid of a possible Mary Miller primary bid to run for reelection is definitely on the goofy side. Miller would have to run in a whole lot of turf currently represented by Davis. And, as for Miller’s current turf, Davis made a whole lot of lifelong contacts when he was running John Shimkus’ district operation. Unlike his successor Miller, Shimkus actually ran a good constituent services program.
Yesterday, the House voted to censure Representative Paul Gosar (AZ-04) after he posted a photoshopped anime video of him killing Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and attacking President Biden.
The only two Republicans that voted for censure were Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) and Liz Cheney (WY), meaning Rodney Davis voted in favor of his Republican colleagues using vitriolic rhetoric against other members of the house, and the President of the United States.
That’s interesting, because here he is in 2017 saying that Democrats were using hateful, vitriolic rhetoric when saying that people would die if the Republicans healthcare plan passed.
I believe wholeheartedly that our movement, which includes you, we have the Republican gubernatorial nominee locked in. Everything we do now is building towards the general to get Pritzker out of office, and I believe it’s going to happen.
* Speaking of Pritzker, this is a big stretch, even though I hear it regularly…
Then he was on hand at the White House this week for President Joe Biden’s signing ceremony of his signature $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Perhaps Pritzker also was there to measure the drapes, check the paintings and consider the décor?
Maybe he did the same while visiting in July to lobby the Biden administration for more infrastructure money for the Land of Lincoln. The governor believes Illinois has a number of projects shovel-ready for some of the $17 billion the state is expected to receive for the 2022 construction season because of his vast Rebuild Illinois program.
While Democrat Pritzker is seeking reelection next year to a second four-year term in Springfield, there’s an adage in politics that even while running for reelection, one is always seeking the next office. Could a presidential run be in J.B.’s future? […]
We know he once looked to Washington, D.C., before he ran for governor. Pritzker expressed interest in the U.S. Senate seat of Barack Obama when he was elected president in 2008.
Um, no. He asked for an appointment to state treasurer in case Alexi Giannoulias was called to DC by Obama. There were those who thought he would get a Cabinet appointment if Hillary Clinton had won in 2016, but she lost and he ran for governor.
You get invited to the White House by a president, you go. Simple as that (well, okay, there was a recent exception). Also, I know plenty of politicians who are content to run for reelection without constantly plotting their next upward moves.
Illinois GOMB says next bond issue well tentatively sell competitively Dec. 1, it's $400M of general obligation paper with about $175M going to fund ongoing accelerated pension benefit buyout program, remainder for capital…..
S&P Global Ratings revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed its ‘BBB’ rating on the State of Illinois’ general obligation (GO) debt outstanding, its ‘BBB-’ rating on the state’s appropriation-backed debt, and its ‘BB’ rating on the state’s moral obligation debt. At the same time, S&P Global Ratings assigned its ‘BBB’ long-term rating to the state’s $400 million GO bonds series A and B of December 2021, with a positive outlook. […]
The positive outlook means that there is at least a one-in-three chance that we could raise the rating within the two-year outlook period given Illinois’ continued improved transparency and budgetary performance. While pension-related fixed costs are likely to persist, if funding of the actuarially determined pension obligations does not continue to improve and the state’s forecast budgetary outyear gaps do not meaningfully narrow, we could revise the outlook to stable. If funding of the actuarially determined pension obligations continues to improve and the state resolves its forecast budgetary outyear gaps in a timely way, we could raise the rating. […]
Illinois’ strengthened operational reporting and controls and improving economic condition are leading to positive budgetary performance. The state now forecasts fiscal 2022 will close on June 30 with a $418 million surplus. This projected surplus includes $1 billion to complete repayment of the Municipal Liquidity Fund (MLF) borrowings from the Federal Reserve, a $928 million repayment of interfund borrowing, a proposed $913 million supplemental appropriation to reduce the health insurance reserve fund backlog, and a $300 million proposed contribution to the almost empty budget stabilization fund (BSF). This follows fiscal 2021’s strong results showing a $2.7 billion general fund surplus that also included a $1 billion MLF paydown. Not including the MLF paydown, the surplus represents more than 6% of fiscal 2021’s total expenditures. […]
As strong as the current performance is, the five-year forecast could indicate that this positive performance may not be short-lived. One year ago, the five-year forecast delivered in the annual Economic and Fiscal Policy Report from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) showed five consecutive outyear budget gaps of $4.2 billion-$4.8 billion annually. The November 2021 report shows a considerably more manageable budget gap forecast, with the largest expected deficit occurring in fiscal 2025 of $1 billion and all other years below that. In the annual budget cycle in a state with the resources that Illinois has, we view it to be able to close a $1 billion gap without any extraordinary measures. […]
The positive outlook reflects our anticipation that continued economic recovery will deliver revenues in line with forecast, the state will take action to rebuild the BSF, and that regular revenue and expenditure reporting will lead to timely actions to deliver a fiscal 2022 surplus.
…Adding… Fitch also assigned a positive outlook…
The Positive Outlook reflects Illinois’ preservation of fiscal resilience through the pandemic, coupled with unwinding of certain nonrecurring fiscal measures. Continued improvements in operating performance and structural balance could support a return to the pre-pandemic rating or higher. […]
Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade:
–Sustained progress in reducing the state’s liability burden by maintaining recent improvements including further reducing accounts payable closer to a level more consistent with normal operations, or fully repaying federal and interfund borrowings in the next fiscal year;
–Continuation of the recent pattern of more normal fiscal decision making, including on-time budgets that address fiscal challenges primarily with sustainable measures;
–Narrowing of the structural budget gap by better matching recurring revenues with recurring spending, including funding pensions at actuarially determined levels.
Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade:
–Failure to implement plans for early retirement of federal pandemic loans and repayment of interfund loans in fiscal 2022;
–Actions that materially exacerbate structural budget challenges, such as substantial use of one-time federal aid for recurring expenditures in future years.
The word “normal” in the context of Illinois fiscal matters has rarely been seen in years past.
The Teachers Retirement System, the largest of the five that make up the state’s pension system, said its newly released fiscal 2021 actuarial results “revealed that since the 2019 inception of two benefit buyout programs, TRS members have collected $534 million in advance benefit payments, which has led to a $70 million reduction in the required state contribution in the new fiscal year.” […]
The Teachers’ Retirement System recently published its preliminary fiscal 2021 financial report showing its funded ratio moved up to 42.5% after holding steady around 40% for several years and its unfunded liabilities dropped slightly to $79.9 billion from $80.7 billion due in large part to stellar investment returns of 25.5% for fiscal 2021, according to Segal Consultants.
The state’s total fiscal 2020 tab was $141 billion. If the others show similar results to TRS the total figure would mark a reversal in the steady rise.
* The four declared Republican gubernatorial candidates appeared on a Wirepoints Facebook program yesterday to talk about pensions. Here’s a transcript of what they said. I’ve tried to clean up some of the repeated words and other tics, but I didn’t have all day. I’ve highlighted actual policy ideas for those of you who would rather not read everything. And, as always, please forgive any transcription errors.
Well, good morning everyone. It’s nice to be with you. Ted, I’ve made no bones about it since the beginning, late June of 2017, you have a lot of responsibility for me entering into government, as a state representative, when I was totally checked out, people across this state, indeed, don’t truly understand this burden. Because once Illinois is unable to sell bonds, once they’re unable to borrow money, and the interesting thing is check out our last, you know, 20 years worth of budgets. And you know, I’m a farmer, and if I have a bad year, and I lose money, I can’t go to the bank and borrow money and say that I made money. That’s what Illinois is doing, because this money must be paid back. So getting on board understanding this, you know, the pension problem in 2017. You know, I did something about I saw the problem I was concerned about the future and for our grandchildren jumped in ran for state representative against someone who had been voting for just just more tax debt, more pension debt. And that’s been the fight since day one. You know, I get out being blessed to be able to serve as a state representative for the last two years. And now as senator, when I talk to the people, all across the the pensioners, I find that I find something in common. No one feels secure about their future. And I certainly believe that when a promise has been made, it should be honored. And I think that it is very important that we communicate to these pensioners that we you know, we are trying, working, wanting to uphold your earned obligation. But we have got to sit at the table and work and come up with solutions. And as two years in the House, and now one year in the Senate, I found another, a common point. Union bosses and the political elites, they don’t want to talk about this. They just they just keep wanting to push kick the can down the road, as you suggest. And it is becoming an enormous problem. So gosh, I’ve been sharing Wire Points information since day one, people are responding to it.
I did something that anyone would have said probably would have been the broad side to a campaign just a month after announcing. I drew up and introduced a constitutional amendment to remove the Pension Protection Clause, because as I sit in committees, as I talk to union bosses, which they’re, you’re correct, they won’t hardly talk to you unless you force the issue. Many times it’s because I had an audience in a committee and was abruptly shut down that we’re not talking about any problems solutions, because there are, we had tier two a few years ago and no, yes, we it is protected by the Constitution. Yet when I go out, and I talk to the people that are working, they are very uncertain, very concerned about their future. So it must be talked about. So I sat and I thought well, what in the world can I do to try to create conversation? So I introduced this constitutional amendment to remove the the Pension Protection Clause. And interestingly enough, it garnered conversation, people are now coming to me as they see this platform expanding and they’re wanting to talk.
Governor Pritzker, you know, he loves to to chastise the Republican saying that we have no solution saying that we’re anti union saying that we’re trying to take away everyone’s pension, which is absolutely untrue, we have got to come up with some solutions. Wire Points has some wonderful starting points. I like to tell people that I liken it to purchasing a piece of farm equipment or purchasing a vehicle that we start somewhere and then we bring people to the table. And that’s just exactly what the Republican Party has to do. That’s what I will do.
As your governor, I will bring people to the table. I don’t want to talk to the union bosses, I don’t want to talk to the political elites, I want to talk to the men and women of IDOT, of Department of Corrections just on and on and on who are very concerned as they should be about their feature. We’ll sit down, we’ll come up with some solutions. You know, it’s obvious that 401k plans must supersede it’s obvious that we have to, you know, we’ve got to work with a reasonable COLA, we’ve got to have obviously, you know, health insurance participation and all this can be done. And as much of your research Ted suggests that in 15 to 20 years, we can begin to right this ship. We can come up with a final fix so that we’re not worried or concerned or talking about pension problems anymore, and then we can make Illinois the great state that we know that it should be and that we can help make the The people that are working so hard and diligently under state government secure in their future. So I just want to thank you so much for allowing this for your research for your concern about Illinois. Thank you.
His constitutional amendment is here. And the long-established 2045 target date for paying off the pension liability is not much more than 20 years from now.
…Adding… It’s being debated in comments, but putting workers on a 401(K) plan would increase costs to Illinois taxpayers because of Social Security payments and any matching 401(K) contributions. The real problem here is the unpaid debt, not the “normal” costs. And moving workers off the pension systems would also mean the state would have to come up with money lost from employee contributions.
Thank you very much Ted for putting this together. I really like the fact that we have four people running for governor as conservatives. And as conservatives we hopefully look at the future whether it’s bright or dull and shine a light on it, and this is what we’re doing. We’ve got trouble ahead. And if we don’t fix it if we don’t look forward to fixing it as conservatives, it’s not going away. And so I like the fact that we have four governors running on the Republican side that are all looking at this issue hard and fast. And Ted, we appreciate your guidance because we’ve all been watching your you know, your your everything you’re writing, and we we get it so I appreciate that. We better face this problem. If we don’t our state is going to is going to go to hell in a handbasket.
And so here’s the thing. I was at breakfast this morning with a friend of mine. He was he was showing me that he’s paying his bill in Florida for his place in Florida. $300,000 place It was less than $1,500 for his annual taxes. Okay, where I live in Woodstock, Illinois, that would be $12,000. Okay, Ted, so when you you show that 2% of value? I think that’s 2019. I’m very confident we’ve got more than that. 2.2 or 2.3 Wherever that was, we’re up closer to three in my opinion. That’s how far we’ve I’ve seen my property value right my property taxes go up. At the same time property taxes have gone down. I got another a couple examples. East St. Louis to St. Louis. Boy St. Louis they’re booming. East St. Louis is looking terrible. Just like you said, the border town. Decatur I think you used, it’s sickening to see the depreciated value that the loss in value to our border counties and heck, across our state of Illinois, depreciation of value instead of appreciation. We have all this crazy inflation, everything else and we’re still down in values for most homes in Illinois. Since 2008. That’s tax theft. This isn’t fair for any Illinoisan to have, you have to go through this. When I was looking at a friend of mine’s property of the day to look at repaving a parking lot for him, this building this building would cost $30 million to rebuild about a $500,000 parking lot to repave. He can only spend like 20 or $30,000 to patch it up. Because he says the value of the building is no more than one or $2 million today. Because his taxes are 500,000 a year on a building with like, zero to $3 million in value is his estimated value. Okay, on a building that would cost 30 million to rebuild. So it’s not just the residential properties that were getting crushed on. It’s our commercial properties as well. And so you’re seeing vacancy everywhere in retail and office and this isn’t going to stop if we don’t face the facts. And then the crazy thing Ted is, what are we getting for it if these high taxes were actually paying down that the some of the principal on this debt, that’d be one thing we could talk about, but we’re not even paying down any principal, it keeps growing. We’ve been paying down all the interest on this debt. So if we don’t face it now we’re going to be a dark place in years to come. And great leadership like I believe we have on this call will face this tough problem, like politicians usually don’t. And I gotta tell you, visionaries look to the future bright or dull and they really, you know, they understand what to do to fix the future and I gotta tell you that the future looks great in Illinois, if we can fix it, when we fix this problem and only when we fix it. The goal is to save the pension for pensioneers, but you can’t do it if you don’t look at the future of it. I say there’s when I think of the the it’s just not property taxes you know, we’re pumping up our gas tax you know second highest I think in the country now we’re looking at you know a sales tax everywhere you know, different different pockets raising your sales tax and Cook County number one or two in the country today. With this all this all trickles down to to to unsustainable living for working class families, and we better stop and we better stop ait fast so I admire the fact that we’ve got for four people seriously running for governor and I believe we need to band together this doesn’t need to be a point of differentiation between us in my opinion with help from from smart people in economics like yourself Ted, and people across the country have fixed this problem. We should band together have a solution for this problem together and know that anybody that votes for the Republican that wins they are going to get common sense can’t-be-bought leadership, like I’m gonna bring to the table because I tell you what, we haven’t seen that in Illinois in a long time. So I thank you so much for having us on. And thank you to the other three, gubernatorial candidates for being on because I know you guys are serious as I am about fixing In this problem.
You go on a program that’s about pensions and you don’t bother to do any sort of research about what to do about pensions except mouth vague platitudes? C’mon, man.
Well, thank you. Thank you, Ted. And thank you to Wire Points for your important work on this absolutely critical issue. I also want to echo what Gary said about my fellow candidates, I’m glad that you’re taking us seriously and dedicated to solutions. Lastly, I want to also thank those of you who are tuning in and watching this. Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself about what is a very critical issue facing our state. Now, my name is Paul Shimpf and I’m running for Illinois Governor because our state needs common sense, conservative leadership that we can trust. I am not a career politician, you’re going to hear me talk about the causes of this shortfall. In a couple minutes. I was not part of that problem. I spent my adult life in the United States Marine Corps. I got out as a lieutenant colonel in 2013, I came home, wound up getting involved in politics, because I think you have a duty to try to make your state your country and your community a better place. So I was a state senator from 2017 until beginning of this year, I’m not a state senator anymore, but I am not a career politician.
Look, the current status of our pension system is simply unsustainable. The insolvency of our pension systems threatens the very financial stability of our state. You know, and this is something that leaders do have to be talking about. Ted mentioned out-migration from Illinois. I was shocked when JB Pritzker gave his last State of the State speech. And he didn’t even mention the fact that people were leaving our state that we were hemorrhaging population. You know, JB Pritzker has not led on this issue. The numbers that Wire Points just unveiled are absolutely alarming and shocking. But it’s important that we also realize that we did not get into this mess overnight. We have been as a state digging this pensions hole that we now find ourselves in for decades. And it’s important to understand that there’s not going to be any silver bullets or magic beans type solution that’s going to get us out of this quickly. The number one driver for our pension shortfall is simply the Illinois politicians not making the required pension payments. And you know, I’m military, I can’t help myself. But there is no other way to describe it than simply dereliction of duty by the Illinois General Assembly. And that negligence is not going to be able to over be overcome instantaneously. But we can solve this problem. However, it’s going to require sacrifice in time and fiscal responsibility. Now, in 2019, JB Pritzker, his very first budget, saw our state increase spending across the board, despite the fact that we had record revenue coming in. We had a real opportunity in 2019, to do something to move ourselves in the right direction. Unfortunately, we missed that opportunity. I was one of just a handful of Republican senators who voted no on that first Pritzker budget, and I voted no because the increased spending and failure to pay down the pension shortfall made our situation much worse in the long run. That no vote that I cast on that first Pritzker budget. And that was a no vote in opposition to the Republican leadership in the House and Senate who supported that budget. That no vote is how you know that I’m serious about solving this fiscal this pension crisis that our state faces. JB Pritzker and the Democratic Party that he leads have had absolute control over Illinois government for three years now. And what have they done to solve this problem? Nothing, absolutely nothing. The only solution that JB Pritzker offers to this, or any other challenge that our state faces is increased taxes, increase government spending. JB Pritzker simply does not have the leadership capability to handle this crisis. This is yet another example of what I’ve been calling the Pritzker leadership deficit. It is real and it is adversely affecting our state like ever Another challenge our state faces, we need leadership, not outrage to solve our pensions crisis. Illinois needs a leader who can be tough, trusted to tell the truth, give measured analysis, offer solutions and then unite our state. I am that leader. And I’m asking for your trust. And your vote in the upcoming Governor election in 2022. Thank you so much for listening to me today.
Schimpf’s solution is to spend more money on pensions and spend less money on other things. Of course, the devil is in the details. What gets cut? Education? Public safety? Healthcare?
Great, Ted. Thanks for having me. And thanks, everyone, for joining this really important conversation. So I think back when I think of the pension issue, I think of sitting when I was telling my dad, I was going to run for governor, and I was sitting on his back porch of his house, it’s, I’m his neighbor. And so as we’re looking out over our corn and soybean fields, and my dad said, Hey, listen, he’s a retired public school teacher, and he said, Hey, if you’re going to take away my pensions, I’m not going to vote for you. And I said, Hey, you know, what, you taught me better than that, you taught me that your word is your bond. And, you know, a man is only as good as his word. And the state made a contract with a set of individuals that owned up to their part of that contract. Now, it’s incumbent upon us to actually care for these pensioners that are receiving these by actually making good on that promise. And as you know, you pointed out Ted 39% funded that is an insecure future for these retirees that we’ve made a promise to. So now you need to recognize, okay, we’ve got to do something serious about this, not by taking away any earned benefits from those who have earned them, but by reforming the system, drastically reforming it. And you think about JB Pritzker, his leadership, or lack of leadership on this, it’s really a head in the sand approach to the most important issues facing our state, whether that’s crime, or the pension issue. I’m not a politician. I’m a common sense problem solver who looks at you know, a business person who says what is the core problem here? What is the root cause problem that our state is facing? And politicians don’t like to do that, because then that means they own the problem. And they actually own solving the problem, and getting real outcomes for the people of the state. That’s why JB Pritzker has avoided taking it on. And so, for me, it’s just making that recognition that being a common sense problem solver is what we need to take this on. And I don’t think this is a partisan issue, I think it can be a bipartisan issue and approach. I think, back in 2013, there was a real initiative in a bipartisan way to get this done. I was able to serve over in Afghanistan, doing counterinsurgency work as a Department of Army civilian. In this work, what I learned was, you put the mission first, you don’t care who’s on the right and the left of you what their ideologies are, you know, what you care about is getting the job done getting the outcomes for those who are in need. And, and that’s what we need, as a leader of our state, someone who’s willing to step in and take this problem head on. Also, I approached this as a job creator, someone who I created Altar, a venture capital firm to back entrepreneurs, creating jobs around the world. I recognize what is needed from the government in order to create an atmosphere that business businesses and job creators want to be in. We are doing the exact opposite of that here in Illinois, we’re creating a really unfriendly business environment. And don’t take it from me as a business person. Take it from Warren Buffett, you know, the Great Investor who said, Hey, one of the first things we look at whenever we’re looking at investing into a new state is what are their unfunded liabilities. And when you look at Illinois being this extreme outlier, we’re not going to be able to create the jobs of the future here in Illinois for our children, if we have this, I call it it’s like a crack under the sea, it’s pulling everything else down along with it. And we need to point it out, we need to identify it, we need to have a bridge builder who can actually solve it. And that’s the last piece is we need someone who can actually be a common sense problem aolver work with people on the other side to be able to get outcomes here. And there are a lot of potential outcomes. I know today’s not about solutions. But there are a lot of potential solutions out there. But it’s going to take the right type of person who’s able and willing to work with the other side to actually get the results and outcomes the people of Illinois deserve. So I want to be that fighter, as your governor to actually step up and say we need to care about our retirees, those who have earned a pension. We need to care about them so much that we make this system solvent. We also have to care about the tax. There’s making sure they’re not getting around to the deal moving into the future, we need to care about the job creators here in Illinois and have a governor who will stand up for them and make this a business friendly state. So please check out Jessesullivan.com. I know I’m new to politics, but I’m not new to Illinois, and I love our home, I want to fix it. And I want to work together with the next generation of leaders here in Illinois that are going to make it happen.
OK, my eyes glazed over so much at all that excess fluff that I couldn’t accurately edit the statement. Sheesh. He started out strong talking about his dad, though.
Charlie Wheeler has forgotten more about the Illinois Legislature than most reporters will ever know — and he hasn’t forgotten much, least of all the time an ill-tempered state senator purposely dumped a bowl of hot soup on him.
Longtime readers of the Chicago Sun-Times might remember Wheeler by his elegant byline, Charles N. Wheeler III, matched by the equally elegant writing style he used to explain the legislative complexities in a way everyone could understand.
More recent readers might know him for his insightful comments, offered from his perch as director of the public affairs reporting program at the University of Illinois-Springfield, where he has helped mold a generation of top young journalists.
Wheeler, 77, is retiring this summer after an amazing 50-year run as a close observer of the Springfield scene — the first 24 years with the Sun-Times, the last 26 running the reporting program.
* Today is Charlie’s 80th birthday, so I thought we could honor our occasional blog commenter with a caption contest…
Happy birthday, Charlie!
…Adding… From Charlie…
Hi Rich,
Thank you so much for the kind words in your post about my birthday in yesterday’s Capfax. Thanks too to all the commenters who responded to your captions request, they really gave me a chuckle, especially those relating to my Santa Claus-like appearance and presumed octogenarian tastes. In my defense, I’d mention that I have heard of ear buds, but unfortunately they don’t work well when your ears are already plugged with hearing aids, thus the traffic controller headset.
I would have included my thanks as a Point of Personal Privilege in the comments section, but I spent most of the day with my daughter and grandkids, and by the time I saw the post, I figured it was too late to add anything. But I did want to let you know that I appreciate the shout out.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker attended a fundraiser last night for state Sen. Mike Simmons, a signal to any potential primary challenger that the recently appointed lawmaker from Chicago’s 7th District has the deep-pocketed governor’s support.
Simmons is Black and the state Senate’s first openly LGBTQ+ member, a point of pride for the party.
But Simmons also didn’t take a position on the most prominent piece of legislation the General Assembly tackled this year: the clean energy bill. The governor fiercely supported it, and traveled the globe to celebrate it at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
At the time of his vote, Simmons told constituents he was concerned that the legislation would raise residents’ electric bills by $4 or more a month. Simmons took a pass — voting “present” — out of principle, knowing that the legislation would easily pass anyway.
By not holding that vote against him, Pritzker seems to be signaling that he doesn’t use litmus tests when it comes to supporting fellow Democrats.
It’s a turn-around from how the Democratic Party handled a lawmaker who sat out a vote on a crucial issue in 2019. Then-Democratic state Rep. Yehiel “Mark” Kalish, the General Assembly’s first member also serving as an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, passed on voting for the Reproductive Health Act, a law that enshrined abortion rights into state law. Kalish checked with the bill’s sponsor beforehand to be sure that it could pass even with his non-vote.
But his fellow Democrats turned on him nonetheless because he had said during his appointment interview that he would vote for the bill. He later lost his reelection bid in 2020.
Similarly, Simmons said during his appointment interview that he’d support the clean energy bill — which is why a few 47th Ward Democrats in his district are now concerned about his non-vote.
There is a huge difference between Simmons’ climate/energy bill vote and the backlash against Kalish: None of the groups behind the climate/energy bill are up in arms and demanding Simmons’ political head be put on a platter. Kalish’s flip-flop infuriated the pro-choice groups, particularly at Personal PAC, which, like it or not, has been a hugely powerful and influential pro-choice organization for decades here.
So, Kalish had to go. And so might Simmons if the AFL-CIO teamed up with the environmental groups to angrily demand his ouster. That hasn’t happened. Also, Personal PAC is more of an all-or-nothing organization. Its motto is “Pro-choice or no choice.” Labor and the enviros are more about the art of driving hard legislative bargains.
…Adding… Good point in comments…
The bill changed drastically between his commitment and his vote. By all means feel free to hold him to it, but then expect more non-answers from politicians like “It depends on what’s in the bill.” Or “I support the principle of promoting clean energy, but cannot make any commitments until I see the bill.”
I’m sure onlookers looooove that kind of response, but that’s what you incentivize.
State Senator Neil Anderson has announced that he will run for re-election in a sense, but in a new Senate District.
Republican Anderson hails from Andalusia, Illinois, and has been representing the nearby 36th District in the Quad Cities area.
Anderson is a firefighter and paramedic for the City of Moline, where he holds the rank of engineer.
The newly redrawn maps by the Democratic-controlled legislature very narrowly put Anderson in the 47th where he will run to represent parts of Knox, Rock Island, Warren, McDonough, and Fulton counties.
That new district is much more Republican than his current district. It’s already been interesting to watch his generally pro-labor voting record change to voting against the climate/energy bill.
* Rep. Dan Brady has been in office nearly 20 years and represents a very GOP district. His campaigns have mostly been cakewalks…
As of Sept. 30, Brady had nearly $190,000 in his campaign coffers. By comparison, the top two Dem campaign coffers are owned by Giannoulias, who ended September with more than $3.4 million in the bank, and Valencia, who raised more than $707,000.
But Brady was undaunted by the financial challenges. The longtime state rep said he’s been the underdog — and underfunded — in every campaign he’s ever been in but “there’s no hill for a climber.”
Click here for a bit of electoral history.
…Adding… Mayor Lightfoot was asked yesterday about FOP President John Catanzara’s threat to run for mayor…
A suburban businessman admitted Wednesday he rewarded then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval with thousands of dollars for Sandoval’s help speeding up the sale of property in McCook in a scheme that also involved former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski.
Vahooman “Shadow” Mirkhaef, who ran Cub Terminal in McCook, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy during a hearing held by video before U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland. He also agreed in his 18-page plea deal to cooperate with federal prosecutors.
The judge did not set a sentencing date for Mirkhaef.
Mirkhaef’s plea deal refers to a “Public Official A.” A source identified that person as Tobolski, who also served as mayor of McCook. A lawyer for Tobolski declined to comment Wednesday. Tobolski pleaded guilty to an extortion conspiracy last year and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. His sentencing is also on hold.
The man who led southwest suburban Crestwood for nearly a decade admitted Wednesday not only that he took a secret $5,000 cash payment from a red-light camera company’s representative, but that he did so while promising tickets there would “creep up higher.”
Louis Presta even bragged about the higher percentage of red-light traffic violations approved by Crestwood and issued to drivers in February 2018, telling the person with an ownership stake in SafeSpeed LLC, “You got a new sheriff in town.”
Those details were revealed when Presta, 71, pleaded guilty Wednesday to corruption charges and told U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin he resigned his position with the village Tuesday night. Crestwood lawyer Burt Odelson said a special meeting has been set for Nov. 23 to try to pick an acting mayor who would serve through the next municipal election in April 2023.
* Karen Ann Cullotta, Tracy Swartz and Joe Mahr at the Tribune…
An uptick in youth COVID-19 cases in Illinois in recent weeks is fueling school outbreaks and student quarantines, just days before the start of the Thanksgiving holiday break.
In the past two weeks, the average number of youth cases reported, ages 0-17, has risen from 628 a day to 1,020 a day, which equates to a 62% increase, based on a seven-day average, according to a Tribune analysis of state health department data.
All age groups are seeing major jumps, with a 57% rise in cases for those ages 0-4, a 59% rise for those ages 5-11, and 71% rise for ages 12-17. […]
But the recent figure, accurate through Tuesday, remains notably lower than the pandemic’s highest average daily tally of new youth cases — 1,532 — which was reported exactly a year earlier, on Nov. 16, 2020. […]
“In the last 30 days, one in four Chicago COVID cases have been in children under age 18, whereas over the whole pandemic, it’s been about half that, one in eight. Some of this is because there’s more testing happening, of course, in schools that we’ve talked about, but this is also just a reflection that many children are only now getting the opportunity to be vaccinated.”
Illinois children ages 5 to 11 are receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a faster pace than most kids their age across the country.
So far, Illinois Department of Public Health officials say nearly 11.6% of children ages 5 to 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said that by the end of Wednesday, 10% of the nation’s children in that age group will have received their first shots. That amounts to roughly 2.6 million American children.
“For perspective, it took about 50 days for us to reach 10% of adults with one shot,” Zients said at a briefing Wednesday. “And when the polio vaccine was first rolled out for kids in the 1950s, it took about three months to cross 2.5 million shots in arms.”
Mask-wearing is the single most effective public health measure at tackling Covid, reducing incidence by 53%, the first global study of its kind shows. […]
Results from more than 30 studies from around the world were analysed in detail, showing a statistically significant 53% reduction in the incidence of Covid with mask wearing and a 25% reduction with physical distancing.
Just over one month after making public plans to run for Macon County sheriff in 2022, Howard Buffett is dropping out.
The 66-year-old Decatur philanthropist, businessman and former sheriff announced Saturday that he is suspending his campaign, citing uncertainty over his eligibility and desire to prevent more instability following the 2018 sheriff’s election, which was resolved just a week ago. […]
Under the law, sheriffs must now complete the Minimum Standards Basic Law Enforcement Officers Training Course as prescribed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. […]
Buffett was appointed sheriff in 2017 following the retirement of Thomas Schneider. He completed the final 14 months of Schneider’s term, vowing not to run for a full term.
Before that, he was a volunteer in the sheriff’s office.
“Howard received a waiver from the state training and standards board for his extensive previous law enforcement experience. Many of us, including myself, thought that the waiver and the 705 certificate were equivalent,” Schneider said. “Unfortunately that is not the case.”
Yeah, well, as it turns out Buffet shouldn’t have received the waiver.
An official in charge of training police across Illinois was fired in September on the recommendation of the state’s top government watchdog, who found he improperly granted a law enforcement certification to philanthropist Howard Buffett after Buffett had donated millions of dollars to support the training agency’s efforts.
The state’s executive inspector general’s office found that Brent Fischer, executive director of the state’s Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, granted the certification to Howard Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, even though Buffett didn’t have the qualifications to be a part-time law enforcement officer, according to the IG’s report released Wednesday.
A Decatur business executive, Howard Buffett, 66, served as the appointed sheriff of Macon County in central Illinois for a little over a year until November 2018. This spring, he announced he’d run for the job, but ended his campaign shortly afterward, citing changing qualifications written into sweeping criminal justice reforms that were signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this year.
In a 30-page report, which identifies Buffett only as “Individual 1,” the inspector general’s office concluded that Fischer granted Buffett a certification despite knowing he didn’t meet the state-mandated qualifications. Fisher also inappropriately issued Buffett a waiver to skirt the normal process, the IG found.
On May 6, 2021, the Office of Executive Inspector General (OEIG) opened an investigation into whether Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Executive Director Brent Fischer improperly provided a Law Enforcement Officer certification to [Individual 1], certifying [Individual 1] as a part-time law enforcement officer without [Individual 1] having the requisite training.
[Individual 1], through his [Charitable Organization 1], has made substantial donations to various law enforcement entities and projects throughout the years. Of significance, in 2016, [Individual 1] donated property to ILETSB and spent approximately $15 million dollars to build a training facility on the property; in 2017, [Individual 1]’s [Charitable Organization 1] provided $250,000 in transition costs, $330,000 in instructor salaries, and two vehicles for the startup of the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center; and in the summer of 2019, [Individual 1]’s [Charitable Organization 1] executed a lease of a building to ILETSB for one-dollar annual rent. Executive Director Fischer and ILETSB have also made requests to [Individual 1] for funds, including a donation of $275,000 and another $10,000 to support the ILETSB canine program.
In 2018, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office sought a waiver for [Individual 1] so that he could serve as a part-time undersheriff. Although waivers had previously only been granted to officers who changed jobs and had been through the prescribed minimum standard basic training course or an equivalent training course out of state, [Individual 1] was approved for a waiver by Mr. Fischer on January 11, 2019 without having completed such a training course. In addition to approving the waiver, Mr. Fischer provided [Individual 1] with a certification dated January 11, 2019, indicating that [Individual 1] was certified to be a part-time law enforcement officer when, in fact, [Individual 1] did not meet the requirements for certification. [Individual 1] proceeded to provide this ILETSB certification to other entities in support of his law enforcement credentials.
On October 16, 2020, [Individual 1’s Political Committee] filed a statement of organization with the Illinois State Board of Elections, supporting [Individual 1]’s candidacy for Sheriff of Macon County in 2022. On June 12, 2021, during the course of this investigation, [Individual 1] announced that he was suspending his campaign for Macon County Sheriff explaining, in part, that it was “open to interpretation whether” he met the new Sheriff eligibility requirements. One of those requirements includes having a certification attesting to the successful completion of a training course as prescribed by ILETSB or a substantially similar training program of another state or the federal government.
* OK, kids, I have been struggling with multiple issues all morning and I am just done for a while. My keyboard isn’t working right, my computer is struggling, my Internet is out, I have a car repair issue that I need to attend to ASAP, and I have an HVAC service person on his way.
That’s the news and I am outta here. Be nice to each other.
Today State Representative Dan Brady is announcing his Campaign for Illinois Secretary of State with three stops across the state of Illinois—Chicago, Bloomington and Mt. Vernon. Highlighting his track record of cutting through government red tape, and working tirelessly for businesses, educational institutions, and individuals, all in the name of getting positive results. Brady unveiled his platform that is centered around creating a Secretary of State office that accelerates growth and helps us reach our full potential.
“I am running for Secretary of State to build the long-needed foundation our state needs to thrive. I will focus on partnering with the brightest innovators and technology experts this state has to offer, addressing not only service efficiency, but issues of cyber-security and identity protection,” said Brady. “The Secretary of State office serves as the backbone for our state, without it our economy and government would not function. But simply functioning shouldn’t be good enough.”
As State Representative since 2001, Brady has constantly worked across the aisle to pass legislation that has a positive impact on communities across the state. He has helped pass legislation that provided funding for infrastructure projects, schools, and included tax incentives that helped incentivized companies to invest in Illinois.
Brady also recently sponsored a law that provides older adults in Illinois better access to driver training programs and most recently he sponsored the Reimaging Electric Vehicle Act, which aims to increase investment into electric vehicles across the state and increase jobs and the growth of Illinois’ economy.
“When I looked back at everything I witnessed during my last three decades in public office to identify what, if anything, was holding our state back from achieving its biggest goals, I realized what Illinois needs most is a streamlined, modernized foundation.”
Endorsements for State Rep. Dan Brady
U.S. Representative Rodney Davis
U.S. Representative Darrin LaHood
U.S. Representative Mike Bost
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin
Illinois State Senator Terri Bryant
* Video…
* GOP Rep. Caulkins will run in Brady’s district. A Hardee’s launch is a new one on me…
Republican state Rep. Seth Lewis is running for the Illinois Senate’s 24th District seat. Lewis currently represents the 45th House District. “I love being the voice in Springfield for the communities that I currently represent,” Lewis said in a statement. “After the implementation of the new legislative maps, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to continue serving our region on a greater scale by running for the state Senate. My goal as an elected official remains to make Illinois a place where people want to live, not to leave.”
* Press release…
Today, eight elected officials, including five members of the Chicago City Council, endorsed Alderman Gil Villegas for Congress in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District of Illinois. Villegas announced his candidacy with the support of Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) and earned the support earlier this week of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Iris Martinez and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado.
Ald. and Committeeman Felix Cardona (31st Ward), Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Elmwood Park Mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano, Committeewoman Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez (26th Ward), and Former State Rep. John D’Amico (D-15th District) released the following joint statement::
“We’re thrilled to join the growing movement supporting Gilbert Villegas for Congress. He is ready to lead at a moment when working families need Congress to focus on what’s most important to them” said these officials in a joint statement. “Gil is a dedicated public servant with the experience, drive, and compassion necessary to hit the ground running on behalf of Illinois,” they concluded.
Villegas responded to the news of this endorsement with gratitude.
“I could not be more honored than to earn the trust and support of so many important leaders in our community. I’ll work every day to make them proud to be among this campaign’s first supporters and will never stop fighting for working families,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas.
President Joe Biden signed the historic $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law Monday, passing to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot — at the White House for the ceremony — the massive job of spending the billions in new money flowing to the city and state in the next five years. […]
In terms of timing, Pritzker, in a Sun-Times interview, said “We won’t see those dollars until the first quarter of the calendar year. So sometime in January, February, March.”
Illinois is in “an unusually good position” to move ahead with projects, Pritzker said, because the federal money will piggyback on the $45 billion ReBuild Illinois program the Illinois General Assembly approved in 2019.
“This money will help us accelerate some of those projects that are in our multiyear plan,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker cited as examples the road and bridge project on a 16-mile stretch of I -80 “in very bad shape” in Will County and the I-190 turnoff to get in and out of O’Hare. He said he backed rebuilding parts of the Eisenhower in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
Federal money for transit is available now, thanks to President Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure plan and COVID-relief dollars. The RTA already is divvying up $1.5 billion among CTA, Metra and Pace.
Funds will go first to overdue maintenance and replacement of aged rolling stock, as they should. But billions more are available—the infrastructure bill authorizes $66 billion for passenger rail and $39 billion for public transit generally. We’d have to compete for the money, which in any case isn’t enough to fund all of our transit needs. But there’s enough to finance some projects that would improve service and demonstrate possibilities.
“It’s going to allow us to take a better look at our system and how we can better inject cash into a system that probably underserves those who need it the most,” [General Manager of MetroLink, Jeff Nelson] said.
According to Nelson, MetroLink hopes to receive funding which will help it continue to convert its mostly diesel fleet, in to an electric one.
It’s not just more electric buses, but officials hope the plan will allow better electric vehicle infrastructure. Since I-74 and I-80 run through the area, both Bustos and Nelson mentioned cities will be able to invest in charging ports in their public parking lots.
* And speaking of electric vehicles, here’s more from Crain’s on yesterday’s electric vehicle incentives bill signing event…
The move is aimed not only at wooing manufacturers and suppliers—Samsung has been eyeing a possible battery factory across the road from electric truck-maker Rivian’s plant in Normal—but also at keeping existing producers happy. That includes Rivian and Stellantis, which reportedly may shift production of Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars to Belvidere in 2024, and Ford, whose plant on Chicago’s South Side now produces only gasoline-fueled vehicles.
Much of the state’s attention lately has been focused on wooing a battery plant, which could employ several thousand people. Though the buzz about Samsung has died down, industry sources report that at least two other battery-makers are in serious conversations with Rivian about building a plant in Illinois, with an announcement possible later this year or in the first quarter of 2022.
Illinois is not considered a likely location for the second assembly plant that Rivian has indicated it wants to build, with the Atlanta area bidding for the facility. But some here are still pursuing that facility, too.
In comments at Pritzker’s event, James Chen, vice president of public policy at Rivian, sounded optimistic. “This bill will propel Illinois…bringing increased electric vehicle production and investment,” he said. The state and company now “will work together to attract new investment.”
Advocacy organizations across the state have received an “unprecedented” number of reports of bullying, harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ students, a coalition of groups said at a virtual news conference Tuesday.
“LGBTQ students must be treated with dignity and respect and must be supported and loved so that they can show up authentically as they are at schools, where they can be safe and learn and thrive,” said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, deputy director of Equality Illinois, which hosted the meeting. “This is not acceptable.”
Groups across the state are working together to hold schools accountable, offer training resources and make sure no LGBTQ students “fall through any cracks,” Ruiz-Velasco said.
Name calling, destruction of property and assault are just some of the incidents reported recently to LGBTQ support organizations. Though anti-harassment provisions have existed in schools for decades, advocates attribute the increase at least partly due to the pandemic, said Grecia Magdaleno, policy and advocacy manager with the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.
Students took the time to “look inward,” resulting in more coming out — and then a backlash.
The group of LGBTQ advocacy groups around the state that reported the rise in harassment toward LGBTQ students on Tuesday said the climate is difficult for LGBTQ students this fall. They say harassment is coming from staff or fellow students. It’s also happening at the local level at school board meetings like in Downers Grove.
Grecia Magdaleno of Illinois Safe Schools Alliance says some students may have become more vocal about their identities since returning to in-person learning, which may result in an increase in discrimination.
“But there are many other factors for it as well,” Magdaleno said. “I think it’s because of the rise in anti-trans legislation that we’ve been seeing across the country.”
In 2019, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a law that requires public schools to include LGBTQ history in the curriculum. Magdaleno is helping to build that curriculum. They say the most common push back toward LGBTQ affirming material is that it isn’t age appropriate. Magdaleno says the curriculum is designed to reach students at the appropriate time in their development.
Josiah Poynter felt like an outsider when he transferred to Downers Grove North High School as a sophomore.
But his fellow football players filled the gap — providing a warm welcome and strong support. Poynter, who identifies as heterosexual and a Christian, cited that experience Monday night, when he told an audience of more than 100 at a Community High School District 99 board meeting that he strongly supports keeping the controversial LGBTQ graphic memoir “Gender Queer” on the shelves of the district’s high school libraries.
“Inclusion matters to young people,” said Poynter, 18. “Inclusion brings an opportunity to grow in a safe environment. It brings comfort to people who feel cast out.”
The local controversy over “Gender Queer,” which has drawn criticism at schools across the country, spilled into full view at the board meeting, with opponents characterizing images of oral sex and a sex toy as “pornographic,” and saying the book should be removed from library shelves. Supporters say that the book — about growing up asexual and nonbinary — sends a strong message of support and inclusion to LGBTQ teens at a vulnerable time.
About a dozen people spoke — among them students, parents and a former teacher. Most called on the district to keep the book on library shelves, while three speakers called for the book to be removed.
Members of the Proud Boys — a far-right neo-fascist group which has recently latched onto school board protests around the country — promoted the meeting on a messaging app commonly used by far-right activists and urged each other to attend, according to screenshots posted to social media. It’s unclear whether any members of the group showed up.
The school board did not plan to discuss or vote on any items regarding “Gender Queer” — the book was solely brought up during the public speaker portion of the meeting. Supt. Hank Thiele, addressing the topic before people shared their views, said “Gender Queer” met the district’s requirements for inclusion in its library, and it was not part of any class’ required reading. Only one copy of the book is available for check-out at each library at Downers North and Downers South high schools, which combined serve nearly 5,000 students. […]
Tabitha Irvin, a junior at Downers North, said she felt it was “ironic” that people wearing American flag masks, hats and shirts were at the meeting calling for a book to be banned when, in her view, the issue was about free speech.
Linda Schranz, a longtime Downers Grove resident who said her daughter graduated from District 99, said “despite the noise in the community” she believes it’s a small minority who disagree with the board’s policies.
