In the spot titled “Sh*t,” Congresswoman Marie Newman’s campaign dismisses attacks from one of Sean Casten’s SuperPACs, Democratic Majority for Israel, which is dumping six figures in a campaign to erase a lifelong Democrat and progressive woman from Congress.
The ad features Newman walking her dog and dismissing false attacks on her from Casten’s dark money allies as “Sh!t,” then pivots to the differences between her and Casten: “So here’s the truth: I grew up here, and have been a lifelong progressive Democrat. Casten voted for anti-choice Republicans like George Bush. I’ve always fought to protect reproductive rights, an economy for all, and universal health care. Sean Casten hasn’t. I don’t accept corporate money, while Casten has taken a million dollars from corporate PACs.”
The new Newman ad references Casten moving to this area just a decade ago and buying his way into Congress - accepting nearly $1 million in corporate contributions and relying on SuperPACs spending six figures to attack his female opponents. The ad goes live across Illinois’ new 6th District June 1st.
Sean Casten regularly encourages SuperPACs to engage in his congressional campaigns to tear down progressive women. Mr. Casten is currently under Federal Election Commission investigation for allegedly “illegally [colluding] with a SuperPAC funded by his wealthy father in airing $130,000 worth of ads attacking a Casten primary rival then, Kelly Mazeski.”
He and his SuperPAC are now spending six figures to tear down Congresswoman Newman. This formula has played out in PA12, TX28, and OR05 where a dark money SuperPAC spends six to seven figures to tear down progressive women fighting for working families in their districts.
Hi, I’m Congresswoman Marie Newman, and unfortunately, you’re going to hear a lot of s*** about me from my opponent, Sean Casten. So here’s the truth: I grew up here, and have been a lifelong progressive Democrat. Casten voted for anti-choice Republicans like George Bush. I’ve always fought to protect reproductive rights, an economy for all, and universal health care. Sean Casten hasn’t. I don’t accept corporate money, while Casten has taken a million dollars from corporate PACs. I approve this message because unlike Sean Casten, I’ll always fight for our progressive values.
Yeah, I know it’s after hours, but I was looking through A-1s and saw the press release, so I figured you might wanna rate it tonight.
In March, Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith was cited an eighth time on a contempt of court order for failing to appropriately place a teen who was in the agency’s care into the proper setting. What should be done to address the agency’s shortage of proper shelter for children in DCFS care? What other reforms do you believe are needed at DCFS?
Former Governor Bruce Rauner decimated social services at DCFS, intentionally cutting 500 residential beds and refusing to pass a budget for over 700 days. Making improvements to this state agency is not like flipping a light switch: it requires ongoing investments and efforts.
As Governor, I’ve sought outside input on strategies and tactics to improve DCFS. As a result of those recommendations, we’ve increased DCFS’s budget by over $340 million, launched aggressive efforts to hire hundreds of additional staff, and eliminated the DCFS abuse and neglect reporting hotline backlog––reducing the percentage of calls requiring callbacks from 50% in 2019 to under 1% now.
DCFS has also overhauled its technology, led trainings for every staff member, and is working hard to create needed placements for children. Importantly, DCFS has bolstered its provider network and intends to hire an additional 360 DCFS staff this year and next. The agency has made improvements––but there’s still work to do––and those who seek to use our most vulnerable as political pawns don’t deserve to lead our state.
There’s still a lot of work to do, governor. A lot.
It’s heartbreaking to see a state agency repeatedly endanger the lives of our most vulnerable children. The public has a right to know how long J.B. Pritzker has known about the horrific problems inside his agency and why he defends his hand-picked director who continues to be found in contempt of court. This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s an issue of incompetence, corruption and lack of compassion. We need new leadership at the top in Illinois to fix the problems at DCFS.
Priority one: Fire the current director of DCFS who, as of April, has been found in contempt of court nine times for failing to protect our most vulnerable children. We need competent leaders who can drive improvements inside DCFS, and partners in the General Assembly willing to remove any barriers to reform.
Fire the director and hope for the best, apparently. And since the contempt fines are being tossed out by the appellate courts, I’m kinda wondering if these contempt findings are really worth anything.
As Governor, I will immediately initiate a thorough review of the operations of DCFS. From that review I will make an assessment of every aspect of DCFS and from that assessment make the reforms necessary. Reforming DCFS will be one of my top priorities as Governor.
There is no agency of Government more important than the one that protects children and there is no bigger failure of the Pritzker Administration in its management of DCFS.
Like so many other agencies, the Department of Children and Family Services is missing leadership from the Governor’s Mansion that demands results and holds agency directors accountable. I am open to establishing a dedicated revenue stream that will fund the necessary shelters for DCFS care.
Money is not really an issue at DCFS these days, unless you cut taxes. Then it becomes an issue everywhere in government.
The crisis at DCFS is very personal to me and my family – my wife Monique and I made the decision to be foster parents and have welcomed two incredible foster kids into our home. Other politicians will say they’re pro-life or pro-family – we’re living it.
The problems at DCFS, sadly, go deeper than a quick fix. It takes a culture change at the top, and the solution isn’t just going to be throwing more money at a broken system - they’ve tried throwing more money at the system, but nothing changes. Fixing this broken system is going to require partnering with and empowering the faith and civic leaders in our state; they are the key to solving this crisis. It will also require recruiting great families to foster our most vulnerable children, which is something I am uniquely suited to do, as a foster parent.
The state already partners with faith and civic groups. Outside groups deliver the services. And while being a foster parent is a hugely commendable endeavor, fostering children with such severe violent behavioral issues that they wound up stuck in psychiatric hospitals with no place to go is a whole other story.
Governor Pritzker today signed historic and equity-focused nursing home rate form legislation (HB246) that will improve care for nursing home residents across Illinois. The legislation holds facility owners accountable by tying new funding to improving care for vulnerable Illinoisans.
The reform principles include increased funding that is tied to staffing levels, a proven predictor of improved health outcomes for residents; a new pay scale for certified nursing assistants that increases wages based on years of experience; and funding connected to improving key quality measures. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services first introduced these reforms in March 2021, and they were also included in the Governor’s budget for this fiscal year.
Illinois will become the first state to implement this reform model, as well as the first to incentivize better nursing home staffing at this magnitude. For the first time in Illinois, there will be a direct tie between funding for nursing home industry and quality measures, including the hiring of staff.
“Since day one of my administration, I’ve made it clear that everyone deserves quality, affordable healthcare,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With today’s signing, Illinois will no longer tolerate an emphasis on profits over people, especially at the expense of our most vulnerable Illinoisans. When it comes to taking care of our seniors, Illinois is setting a new standard—the highest in the nation. This is what accountability looks like.”
“Under HB 246, we are carving the path for well-funded, well-staffed nursing homes with workers who have the training to provide quality care,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “I have had the opportunity to hear from nursing home workers, who shared what it’s like to be stretched thin and how transformative this legislation can be. With this bill, we are building a better future for residents and workers alike with their voices at the forefront.”
Medicaid customers, and especially Black and Brown nursing home residents, are more likely to live in understaffed facilities, making equity a driving force behind the changes in the nursing home rate reform legislation. COVID-19 disproportionately affected nursing homes in vulnerable, often Black and Brown communities, further widening the inequities that exist within long-term care. But the need for change in the nursing home Medicaid payment system in Illinois began long before the pandemic.
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) spends over $2.5 billion annually to care for the roughly 45,000 nursing home residents who are enrolled in the Medicaid program, which accounts for nearly 70% of nursing home residents in the state. The legislation ties new funding to accountability and transparency for nursing facilities by adopting the federal Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), which is designed to more accurately reflect the clinical care needs of residents and requires the disclosure of all individual nursing home ownership interests.
Accounting for federal matching funds, Illinois will invest more than $700 million in Medicaid funding in the nursing home industry through a combination of new revenues generated by simplifying and expanding the existing nursing home assessment tax, and by allocating additional general revenue funds.
Additional funding will be dedicated to addressing increased costs at nursing facilities due to labor shortages and wage increases, with an adjustment of $4 per resident day for facilities that serve an above average percentage of Medicaid customers. Medicaid funding to support the new wage scale for certified nursing assistants will increase funding for wages by as much as $8 per hour, depending on a worker’s role and length of service in nursing homes.
The Medicaid program will repay nursing homes that opt in for their share of the cost of the wage scale increase. For some facilities, Medicaid will fund virtually the entire cost of the scale. The scale is structured so that CNAs will receive an increase for each year of their experience in Illinois nursing homes.
For those with at least one year of experience, their wage will increase by at least $1.50 per hour, and Medicaid will pay its share of that $1.50 increase. The pay increase goes up by $1 for each year of experience, topping out at a $6.50 per hour increase for those with six or more years of experience in nursing homes. The legislation also allows for a $1.50 per hour wage increase to accompany qualifying promotions, which is in addition to the experience-based wage increases. Medicaid will fund its share of this increase too, up to 10-15% of nursing home CNAs.
* CMS…
Reforms sought to update business and labor practices of nurse staffing agencies have been signed by Governor JB Pritzker.
The pandemic increased demand for nurses and nurse aides, causing healthcare facilities in Illinois to increasingly rely on temporary contract nurses referred by nurse staffing agencies to fill staffing needs
HB 4666 amends and modernizes the Nurse Agency Licensing Act to bring transparency around fees charged, increase Nurse Agency reporting on their pay and labor practices, and expand protections for workers referred by nurse agencies. The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is responsible for regulation and oversight of nurse staffing agencies pursuant to the Nurse Agency Licensing Act.
“This bill critically protects temporary nurses and nurse aides’ right to change jobs or get hired directly by a healthcare facility. It will also increase stability and transparency in the healthcare industry in the state. As the pandemic illustrated time and time again, healthcare workers and the healthcare industry are critical to the well-being of the people of Illinois,” said Illinois Department of Labor Acting Director Jane Flanagan.
The operational changes include the following provisions:
• Nurse staffing agencies are prohibited from entering into covenants not to compete with nurses and certified nurse aides.
• Nurse staffing agencies are prohibited from requiring the payment of liquidated damages, conversion fees, employment fees, buy-out fees, placement fees and or other compensation, if the employee is hired as a permanent employee of the health care facility.
• Nurse staffing agencies must disclose new contracts with facilities to IDOL within 5 business days of the effective date (protected from FOIA).
• Wage rates paid to nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) must match wage rates identified on the contract. Failure to do so allows IDOL to recover underpaid wages for the worker.
The new reporting requirements include the following:
• Nurse staffing agencies must submit quarterly reports related to average charges to health care facilities to IDOL.
• IDOL must publish yearly a report by county of average amounts paid to employees and charged to health care facilities.
The changes take effect July 1, 2022.
* Sen. Hunter…
A lack of diversity amongst health care professionals can lead to disparities in treatment, which is why State Senator Mattie Hunter sponsored a new law to incentivize representation in health care.
More than half of practicing physicians are white, and only 17% are Asian, 6% are Hispanic, and 5% are Black.
“Diversity in the health care industry is so important, and it is proven to benefit patients’ quality of life,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “When patients have professionals that look like them, there is increased trust, communication, and an enhanced understanding of values.”
The law creates an Equity and Representation in Health Care Workforce Repayment Program, which will provide loan repayments and scholarships for health care professionals who serve in Illinois medical facilities.
Increasing diversity in the health care sector is a priority of the program, especially in medically underserved areas.
“Unfortunately, medical professionals’ implicit bias can be a huge barrier for patients of color, LGBTQ patients, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds,” Hunter said. “This measure combats a lack of representation by providing scholarships for those who can help diversify the field.”
This measure builds upon measures in Hunter’s health and human services package, which was signed into law last year.
House Bill 4645 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect in January 2023.
* Sen. Stadelman…
State Senator Steve Stadelman joined domestic violence prevention advocates Tuesday to celebrate the recent signing of a law he championed to protect and empower survivors of domestic violence and abuse.
“The burden of trauma and abuse can weigh heavily on the lives of victims coping with their grief, and this law can help them take the first steps towards healing,” Stadelman (D-Rockford) said. “We are empowering survivors by giving them the choice to file for protective orders in the comfort and safety of their own home. By doing this, we are giving them the chance to move forward at their own pace.”
Stadelman’s measure, Public Act 102-0853, gives people the option to file a protective order either online or in-person. The law also requires any court in a county with a population above 250,000 to offer the option of a remote hearing to the petitioner for a protective order. It allows both the petitioner and the respondent to appear for related hearings remotely or in-person – and the courts would also have the discretion to grant or deny the request for a remote hearing.
Any and all types of protective orders would be covered under this law.
“We know from speaking with survivors that one of the most frightening and intimidating processes they engage in is seeking an order of protection,” said Manager of the Rockford Mayor’s Office of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention Jennifer Cacciapaglia. “Providing options for survivors to engage in this process in a more survivor centered trauma responsive way is imperative to our overall efforts to improve our response to survivors across the state, and this legislation is a step in the right direction.”
The law allows both the petitioner and the respondent to appear for related hearings remotely or in-person – and the courts would also have the discretion to grant or deny the request for a remote hearing.
Senate Bill 3667 was signed into law earlier this month.
* Sen. Villanueva…
State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) celebrates the signing of a measure she sponsored to expand women’s access to healthy pregnancies and fetal development.
“Modern lifestyles make nutrient-deficient diets extremely convenient, which presents great risk to soon-to-be mothers lacking access to steady sources of necessary vitamins and minerals,” Villanueva said. “Expanding insurance coverage to include prenatal vitamins will increase access to supplements that lead to safer pregnancy and healthy births.”
The new law requires insurance policies that already cover prescription drugs to also cover prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins when prescribed by a licensed physician can have many health benefits to both mother and child that range from supplying more oxygen to the baby to preventing bone loss in the mother.
“These supplements can be vital to the safety and wellness of mothers and their children,” Villanueva said. “This is a commonsense piece of legislation protecting pregnant women and tearing down financial barriers to quality care strategies, and I am proud to have been the sponsor of this law.”
The new law was signed Friday and took effect immediately.
* Sen. Collins…
State Senator Jacqueline Collins successfully championed a new consumer protection measure, this time tackling predatory arrangements in litigation finance between legal funding companies and consumers.
“When a person has to seek legal remedy for an injury or wrongdoing, their ability to live comfortably hinges on financial stability,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “We have to make sure companies offering aid through legal funding transactions do not extort the people they serve under the guise of helping them stay afloat during difficult times.”
Litigation finance occurs when a legal funding company buys a portion of a plaintiff’s upcoming settlement to directly help the plaintiff make ends meet in exchange for repayment plus interest upon the claim’s success. The new law signed Friday creates the Legal Consumer Funding Act and places restrictions on these lawsuit funding agreements, which are meant to help a person get through their day-to-day life without missing vital expenses such as rent, utilities, medical expenditures and other necessities while they pursue legal remedy.
Though Illinois allows litigation financing, the Legal Consumer Funding Act requires legal funding companies to be licensed in the state and establishes punishment for violations of the law. Additionally, these types of agreements are subject to Senator Collins’ Predatory Loan Prevention Act placing a 36% annual interest rate cap on all consumer loans.
“These regulatory methods prevent legal funding companies from charging exorbitant amounts and preying on the vulnerability of consumers,” Collins said. “Promoting integrity among financial legal companies helps maintain the equitable practices I’ve been fighting for as a legislator.”
The new law took effect immediately.
* Sen. Sally Turner…
Legislation introduced by State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason) that would provide victims of child sex crimes with additional privacy protections was signed into law on May 27.
Senate Bill 2942 clarifies that a judge can use his or her discretion to clear disinterested parties, excluding media, from the courtroom during the victim’s testimony even if the victim is over 18 years of age as long as the crimes were committed while the victim was still a minor.
“I was both shocked and appalled when my local State’s Attorney told me that a victim of a child sex crime was forced to share the intimate details of the worst day of their life in a room full of strangers and the accused’s former cellmate just because they had turned 18 by the time of the trial,” said Sen. Sally Turner. “This legislation will guarantee that a judge has the power to provide these victims with the privacy and discretion that they rightfully deserve. I’m thankful to be able to play a small role in ensuring that our legal system doesn’t unnecessarily add to the victims mental and emotional anguish.”
Under previous Illinois statute, a minor victim of a sex crime is afforded the right to testify without the presence of so-called disinterested parties. However, due to a lack of clarity within the statute, there was uncertainty on whether those privacy protections extended to victim’s who turned 18-years-old by the time of their trial.
“Having personally prosecuted cases involving victims of childhood sex assault, I’ve observed how the judicial process adds to their trauma and that of their families. To a person, they’ve relayed their dismay at the thought of sitting in front of a bunch of strangers to talk about the most horrific events in their life and asked why strangers would be allowed to view videos or pictures captured of them during those moments,” said McLean County State’s Attorney Don Knapp. “No legislation can magically wipe away that trauma. But I am confident that this legislation can lessen the additional trauma our most vulnerable victims suffer when having to come to court to testify. I am honored that Senator Turner asked me to write this bill and thank her and the entire General Assembly for acknowledging the need to search for methods to help victims of these horrific crimes.”
To safeguard the constitutional rights of defendants, the judge must find that particular parties do not have a direct interest in the case and must put their basis for that finding into the record. The new privacy protections and procedures are effective immediately.
Got a Republican in that one, but no House members.
When we asked Bailey if there was “any daylight at all” between himself and the actions of former President Donald Trump, whom this editorial board long has regarded as pernicious to the future of the Republican Party, he answered “none.” Given Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the last election, that’s problematic. And, frankly, it is hard to imagine level-headed Chicago Republicans voting for someone who called their city “a crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole,” all of our self-evident problems notwithstanding. Especially not when the candidate has supported what he calls a “New Illinois” movement, arguing that the rest of the state should separate from Chicago.
“Those of us in rural Illinois have different values and a very different way of life,” Bailey told the political reporter Rich Miller in 2020.
We reject that kind of dangerous, divisive talk and we argue it disqualifies Bailey. Illinois must remain unified. Chicagoans are not different creatures from the rest of the state. Our values have far more in common than Bailey seems to think.
But I want to also address Darren Bailey, and I think address much of the sort of right-wing views inside our existing parts of the Republican Party, a large part of the Republican Party. The fact of the matter is, dumping on the city of Chicago is not going to make anybody safer, whether they live in southern Illinois, central Illinois or the city of Chicago and Cook County. It’s a fundamental excuse. It is built on a long-standing dog-whistle tradition. And if you want to be governor of the state of Illinois, you have to be governor of the city of Chicago, the governor of Peoria, the governor of Bloomington, the governor of Carbondale, the governor of Champaign, the governor of so many other small towns that exist in the state of Illinois. And your job is to represent everybody. So dumping on a city and playing into the right-wing narratives and the dog-whistle politics of the past isn’t going to make things safer or better for anybody. This is just, again, a long standing tradition, whether it’s coming from some folks in the Republican primary here in Illinois, or whether it’s coming from Governor Abbott, that has existed for decades [including other cities like New York, LA and the Bay Area]. And just like public safety policy over the last few decades, it is built on failure. And so I’m disgusted and annoyed because I want to do whatever we can to make sure that people, no matter their zip code, no matter what part of the state they live in, no matter what part of the country they live in, have the safety, the dignity and the life they deserve. And what we aren’t going to do is build that on the backs of a dog-whistle politics that has been failing us over and over again.
* The Question: Should gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s comments on Chicago be disqualifying? Make sure to explain your answer.
…Adding… Statement from the Bailey campaign…
Senator Bailey has stated multiple times that Joe Biden is the President. We were answering a vague question on what we believed was based on policy where President Trump put Americans, working families, law and order, and taxpayers first. At earlier publicly recorded forums, we were the only candidate who stated we wouldn’t audit 2020, but would instead focus on election integrity measures moving forward. The Board retroactively added the word “actions” into the question to change the meaning. Everyone who answered the question talked about policy. Senator Bailey is a supporter of President Trump and the America First Agenda. He proudly voted for him in both elections, but he is clearly his own man in how he handles himself and sets policy agendas.
…Adding… Also from the Bailey team…
This is a quote from Suntimes from last year and has been Bailey’s stance since the filing.
“Many times when two people are in a relationship or there’s a marriage and someone’s not happy, someone finally says I’m not happy. To me, that’s what that resolution was. It was a warning shot. “I am going to fight to make Illinois stronger from the north to the south from the east to the west as a whole and to make Chicago the great city that it should be,” Bailey said Tuesday. “But unfortunately, it’s being held hostage with liberal terrible ideas.”
The facial recognition company Clearview AI agreed in a settlement this month to stop selling its massive database of photographs culled from the internet to private firms across the United States. That decision is a direct result of a lawsuit in Illinois, a demonstration that strong privacy laws in a single state can have nationwide ramifications.
The Biometric Information Privacy Act of Illinois sets strict limits on the collection and distribution of personal biometric data, like fingerprints and iris and face scans. The Illinois law is considered among the nation’s strongest, because it limits how much data is collected, requires consumers’ consent and empowers them to sue the companies directly, a right typically limited to the states themselves. While it applies only to Illinois residents, the Clearview case, brought in 2020 by the American Civil Liberties Union, shows that effective statutes can help bring some of Big Tech’s more invasive practices to heel.
Technology companies are in a feverish race to develop reliable means to automate the identification of people through facial scans, thumbprints, palm prints and other personal biometric data. The data is considered particularly valuable because unlike, say, credit card info or home addresses, it cannot be changed. But as these data companies profit by deploying the technology to police departments, federal agencies and a host of private entities, consumers are left with no real guarantees that their personal information is protected.
Facial recognition software, in particular, has been shown to fail too often at identifying people of color, leading in some cases to wrongful arrests and concerns that the software could put up additional barriers to people seeking jobs, unemployment benefits or home loans.
Because the United States lacks meaningful federal privacy protections, states have passed a patchwork of laws that are largely favorable to corporations. By contrast, Europe passed the General Data Protection Regulation six years ago, restricting the online collection and sharing of personal data, despite a tremendous lobbying push against it by the tech companies.
I didn’t fill out the paperwork for the Facebook settlement, but, in full disclosure, I did sign up for a settlement against RayBan…
A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act regarding biometric facial geometry allegedly collected from consumers who used the Virtual Try-On Application Tool on RayBan.com. The case is Vo v. Luxottica of America Inc., Case No. 2019-CH-10946, currently pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division. The proposed Settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by the Defendant, and the Defendant denies that it violated the law. The Court has not decided who is right or wrong. Rather, to save the time, expense, and distraction of litigation, the parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit. That Settlement has been preliminarily approved.
I used that app several times when I was looking for new shades.
I wanted to highlight for you an interesting development that just happened this week related to election security. Illinois Congressman Mike Bost, Laura Pollastrini and Susan Sweeney with help from Judicial Watch filed a federal lawsuit against the Illinois State Board of Elections related to the counting of ballots AFTER election day. Illinois Democrats passed a law that says mail in ballots must be counted up to 14 days past the election day in November, even if the mailed ballot is NOT postmarked. At the very least, this lawsuit helps highlight this truly ridiculous delay in election results and election integrity issue. You can read the Tribune story on this HERE.
* Irvin campaign…
Today the Irvin for Illinois campaign received the endorsement of former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and current Co-Executive Chairman of Winston & Strawn Dan Webb.
“Richard Irvin understands that to improve the lives of Illinoisans, we must make our state a safer, stronger and less corrupt place to live, work and visit,” Webb said. “His successful track record of reducing crime by prioritizing support and resources for our law enforcement and judicial systems shows that he is the best candidate to lead Illinois in this endeavor over the next four years. I am proud to endorse him for Governor and look forward to supporting and following his campaign to take back Illinois.”
In 1990, Webb received international attention for his successful prosecution of retired Admiral John Poindexter for his role in the Iran–Contra affair. Here in Illinois, as U.S. Attorney, Webb led Operation Greylord for the U.S. Department of Justice, which resulted in the successful prosecution of 76 corrupt judges, police officers, court clerks, and lawyers in Cook County. He has been appointed by courts to act as a Special Prosecutor or in a similar capacity on five occasions, including the recent prosecution and conviction of Jussie Smollett for staging a well-publicized fraudulent hate crime in Chicago.
* GOP AG candidate Dave Shestokas…
Every candidate speaks of crime reduction; the Attorney General is THE ONLY OFFICE THAT CAN AFFECT CHANGE IMMEDIATELY. Dave will. As your elected lawyer and the state’s chief law enforcement officer, the office has the responsibility and autonomy to right wrongs, protect citizens from roaming criminals, lax prosecutors, and election irregularities. Make Crime Illegal Again is not a slogan. It’s a promise.
Dave’s Plan his First Day in Office:
1. Reprioritize the first duty of the office is to represent the people, not the government.
2. Reassign Assistant Attorneys General to monitor and initiate prosecutions when local states attorneys don’t. (i.e. Kim Foxx Cook County, Eric Rinehart Lake County, and across the state.)
3. Create a Law Enforcement Liaison Office and hotline to alert the OAG of local prosecutors’ neglect.
4. The Illinois AG Act directs that it is to prosecute election offenses. David as AG will. It is critical to providing legitimacy to everything else that government does.
The Attorney General shall be the legal officer of the State, and shall have the duties and powers that may be prescribed by law.
Emphasis added.
* Speaking of Shestokas…
* Valencia campaign…
Democratic Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia announced today that she has earned the endorsement of the United Steelworkers Local 1899. In a statement announcing their endorsement, the union noted Valencia’s working-class background and that members of her own family earned a living working in the Mill. The announcement comes as Valencia continues to build a strong and diverse coalition of supporters and endorsers.
“Anna will bring vigor and vision to the office of the Secretary of State,” the Union’s statement reads. “Like she did in the Chicago City Clerk’s office, she will improve services through modernization, technology, and transparency. With creative leadership and the development of such programs as the Illinois DMV app, self-service kiosks, and digital driver’s licenses, Anna will provide Illinoisans with a Secretary of State’s office that works for them and one that they can be proud of.”
Local 1899 represents nearly 1,500 members and is an affiliate of United Steelworkers, North America’s largest industrial union with 1.2 million members. The United Steelworkers have a proud heritage at Granite City Works, and Local 1899 is known as a leader and activist Union in District 7 and throughout the International Union.
… Republican Senate candidates’ opinions on climate change vary widely, by Daily Herald’s Jake Griffin [Geneva investment manager Bobby Piton claimed oil companies were responsible for creating a “climate change hoax” to prevent access to something he referred to as “free energy,” but did not elaborate on what that was.]
— Congressman Chuy Garcia is endorsing Democrat Fernando “Sergio” Mojica for 13th House District, citing Mojica’s “unique background and decades of work in Chicago communities.” Mojica is running for the seat now held by House Majority Leader Greg Harris, who isn’t seeking reelection.
— Karin Norington-Reaves, a Democratic candidate for Congress in IL-01, is out with a new digital ad that has Rep. Bobby Rush giving her resounding endorsement.
— Assessors race: Former Congressman Luis Gutiérrez and a group of Latino leaders have written a letter calling out “offensive comments about the Latino community” made by Maze Jackson, husband of Cook County assessor candidate Kari Steele. At least some of those signing the letter have endorsed incumbent Assessor Fritz Kaegi. In a statement, Steele responded, saying, “As I said before, I unequivocally reject any hateful rhetoric. My husband has pledged to do better. While the comments referenced by this letter occurred before his pledge, I am disappointed that they were said, and I expect him to do better moving forward.”
* From Heather Wier Vaught’s weekly newsletter…
Chicago Delays Early Voting: The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners announced a delayed start to early voting, but will have the super-site ready this week. […]
Cash Flows In Supreme Court Race: Four Republicans and three Democrats are running for the Supreme Court’s Second District, a seat formerly held by Justice Robert Thomas and currently held by appointed Justice Michael Burke. Two candidates have already broken the contribution caps on the race setting the stage for an expensive primary and general election. Lake County Circuit Judge Daniel Shanes and Kane County Circuit Judge John Noverini have both filed self-funding notices with the State Board of Elections, which lifted caps on contributions to all candidates. Shanes leads the pack in funding after reporting $244,000 on hand at the end of March. Noverini raised over $127,000 by the end of March, but he has only added about $4,000 since. On the Democratic side, Lake County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Rochford leads the pack with more than $375K. Previously the most expensive race was the retention campaign for Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride’s campaign, in part due to spending by Citizens for Judicial Fairnes,s a Ken Griffin-funded campaign opposing Kilbride’s retention. Everyone should keep an eye out for spending from Citizens for Judicial Fairness, even though Griffin’s independent expenditure committee has not involved itself in the Supreme Court race to date.
* CD1…
Today, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 1st District Karin Norington-Reaves released a new digital video about the creation of the Chatham Education and Workforce Center which she created to honor the memory of Dr. Betty Howard, killed by gun violence on May 29 in 2014.
“It was one of the greatest honors of my lifetime to pull together the forces of Chicago’s philanthropic and business sectors to create the Chatham Education and Workforce Center from the ground up,” said Norington-Reaves. “I know that giving communities hope through economic opportunity reduces crime and gun violence–that’s the approach that I’m going to take with me to Congress.”
In an interview on Fox 32 Chicago on May 27th, Marie Newman claimed that only 3% of documents related to her bribery scandal have been released, and that the remaining documents deem it a “zero merit case.”
Casten for Congress Spokesman Jacob Vurpillat issued the following statement in response to Newman’s claim:
“If 97% of the documents related to her corruption exonerate her, then voters deserve to see these documents immediately. Congresswoman Newman is either safeguarding critical information from voters or purposefully misleading them in an attempt to downplay the bipartisan House Ethics Committee investigation into her bribery scandal.
“There is no question that the right thing to do is to release the documents, as well as the details of her secret settlement with the man she is accused of bribing. The only question is whether or not Congresswoman Newman has enough respect for voters to do it.”
On December 7th, Newman campaign manager Ben Hardin claimed “information will be made public on January 24th and that it will be definitively clear that there was no ethical wrongdoing.”
On January 24th, the House Ethics Committee decided on a bipartisan basis to extend its review into Newman’s bribery scandal following a report from the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics that found “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Newman may have promised federal employment to a primary opponent for the purpose of procuring political support.”
* CD13…
Rich,
Illinois Public Media, WAND News, and the League of Women Voters of Champaign County will host an Illinois 13th Congressional District debate between Republican primary candidates Regan Deering, Matt Hausman, Terry Martin, and Jesse Reising on Thursday, June 2 in the WILL-TV studios located in Urbana, Illinois.
This debate will air on WILL-TV and WSIU-TV and simulcast on radio on WILL-AM 580 and -FM 90.9 out of Urbana, WSIU-FM out of Carbondale, and NPR Illinois (WUIS-FM) out of Springfield. It will air on COZI-TV the following night.
The governor signed a plan into law Friday led by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton to invest in child care services for workers with non-traditional schedules, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and more.
“Finding reliable child care can be difficult for first responders and other third shift emergency workers,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “By creating the Off-hours Child Care Program Fund, Illinois is working to increase accessibility for parents in public service who work non-traditional hours.”
Under Glowiak Hilton’s law, the Department of Human Services is required to establish and administer an Off-Hours Child Care Program to assist first responders and other workers with access to off-hours, night, or sleep time child care. The program is appropriated $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
“Many state child care facilities don’t offer services outside of normal work hours,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This measure will help fund child care for hardworking individuals serving our communities.”
Under the law, DHS must implement the program by July 1, 2023.
* Sen. Peters…
Youth in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services are one step closer to receiving the financial resources they need to be ready for adulthood thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Robert Peters
“I’m pleased that we are taking this step to ensure that the state will be proactive at helping youth in care build a strong future during their final years of care,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “We need to do all we can to ensure that they have access to a financial head start before they have to live on their own.”
The new law, formerly known as SB 3470, will require DCFS to save or invest a minimum percentage of a youth’s benefits once they reach the age of 14. This will ensure that when DCFS no longer serves as the financial representative of the youth, they will have some money to help them transition into a successful adult life.
The minimum percentage that DCFS will be required to invest are:
● 40% for youth between the ages of 14-15
● 80% for youth between the ages of 16-17
● 100% for youth between the ages of 18-20
The law will also require the DCFS to take defined actions when applying for and managing certain federal benefits that the department receives on behalf of any youth in care.
“State services should help empower youth and give them strong support to enter our society,” Peters said. “We should not be sending young people out into the world without the resources they need to live independently, and we must ensure that they are able to make the transition into adult life.”
The measure was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.
* Sen. Munoz…
Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) spearheaded a measure to help reduce the number of stolen car parts by requiring people to keep record of the sale of catalytic converters that was signed into law Friday.
“The rise in crime in Chicago and across Illinois was addressed this legislative session,” Munoz said. “This new law will decrease catalytic converter thefts by closing the loophole many found a way around.”
The new law adds catalytic converters to the definition of recyclable metal, requiring record keeping on the purchase of catalytic converters. The license plate number of the vehicle, photographs or video of the seller, a verified name and address of the seller, and a signed declaration by the seller stating that the catalytic converter was not stolen are required.
In addition, the measure prohibits a recyclable metal dealer from purchasing a catalytic converter with a value over $100 with cash.
According to a recent State Farm study, Illinois ranks in the top five states in the nation for catalytic converter thefts.
“I’m hopeful innocent people won’t be affected by this senseless crime anymore,” Munoz said. “We need to keep our streets safe, and this is one way we will do that.”
The new law takes effect immediately.
* Sen. Martwick…
A measure advanced by Senator Robert Martwick to address Illinois’ ever-growing teacher shortage by bringing back retired educators was signed into law.
“There are thousands of classrooms across the state where students are left without a fully qualified instructor during the school day,” said Martwick (D-Chicago). “We need to put teachers in classrooms to ensure our children thrive.”
The new law, formerly known as Senate Bill 3465, amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension code by allowing retired CPS teachers to return to work without it affecting their pensions. Schools are able to submit documentation with their regional superintendent to request help from retired educators in a “subject shortage area.” This emergency measure will remain in effect until June 30, 2024.
“Although our students have returned to in-person learning, we will not make up for pandemic learning loss without qualified teachers in classrooms to guide and support them,” Martwick said. “I am pleased that we are taking this step to remove a barrier that prevents retired professional educators from returning to schools during this epic shortage.”
SB 3465 was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.
* Sen. Crowe…
To streamline the detection process and determine hereditary risks for breast and ovarian cancers in women, a new law by State Senator Rachelle Crowe requires insurance companies to cover the cost of genetic testing kits.
“Early detection through genetic testing is essential for women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancers,” said Crowe (D-Glen Carbon). “By offering genetic testing at no cost, Illinois can offer comfort and stability to individuals who are at the most risk.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the genes most commonly detected in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. About 3% of breast cancers, approximately 7,500 women per year, and 10% of ovarian cancers, an estimated 2,000 women per year, result from inherited mutations.
Once a test is recommended by a health care provider, Crowe’s law requires insurance coverage for costs associated with genetic testing for the BRCA1 and 2 genes. The measure applies to Illinois residents with individual or group insurance policies issued on or after Jan. 1, 2024.
The Illinois Insurance code requires individual and group insurance health plans to cover annual cancer screenings for women who have tested positive for BRCA1 or 2 mutations. However, the code did not require health insurance plans to cover the gene mutation testing. Some insurance companies have specific genetic testing criteria or do not cover genetic testing in certain situations, even when considered medically necessary.
“By codifying the coverage into law, Illinois is creating a consistent, reliable process for genetic mutation testing for at-risk women,” Crowe said. “Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers pose significant threats to women’s health, and preventative medical treatment can be implemented once the risks are determined.”
House Bill 5334 is effective Jan. 1, 2024.
* Sen. Fine…
State Senator Laura Fine’s (D-Glenview) measure to ensure caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are trained on how to best treat these specific conditions is now law.
“Before this law, caregivers were not required to receive substantial training on how to specifically care for patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s,” Fine said. “This important change will ensure our loved ones receive treatment specialized to their specific, changing conditions to achieve their highest quality of life possible.”
Over 230,000 people in Illinois are living with Alzheimer’s. Many take part in the Community Care Program, which allows seniors with or without these conditions to receive in-home and community-based services from their own homes. Employees that provide these services are currently required to complete 12 to 24 hours of training, but training specific to dementia and Alzheimer’s patients is optional.
Fine’s law requires employees and contractors with the Department of Aging Service who provide direct service to individuals in the Community Care program to complete at least two hours of training on Alzheimer’s and dementia prior to the start of their employment. Fine believes that condition-specific training is essential to ensuring adults living with these conditions are able to be cared for properly and better understood.
“We want our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and dementia to have access to the best care possible. This training prepares caregivers to respond to issues patients and their families may experience because of their conditions,” Fine said. “This will ensure all Alzheimer’s and dementia patients have access to the highest quality care possible and are able to receive informed support from their caregivers.”
Senate Bill 3707 was signed by the governor May 27, 2022. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Sen. Koehler…
A new law championed by State Senator Dave Koehler will keep Illinois on track toward a greener future by expanding recycling opportunities for renewable energy technology.
“Sustainable energy isn’t really sustainable when it requires technology that can’t be reused and is difficult to recycle,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “As we look to expand the widespread use of renewable energy, we have a responsibility to safely dispose of any associated waste.”
As much as one million total tons of solar panel waste is estimated to accumulate in the United States by 2030, and the U.S. is expected to have the second largest number of retired solar panels in the world by 2050, with as many as an estimated 10 million total tons of panels.
States such as California, Hawaii, New Jersey, North Carolina and Washington have already implemented strategies to address this excess waste, and Illinois would join these states by creating a Renewable Energy Component Recycling Task Force under Senate Bill 3790. The task force will be responsible for investigating options for recycling and other end of life methods for renewable generation components and energy storage devices, and is required to report its findings to the General Assembly by March 1, 2023.
“Our hope is that the task force is able to find new, innovative ways to recycle and reuse materials from our solar panels, ultimately increasing the sustainability of solar energy in Illinois,” said Koehler.
The legislation was signed Friday and goes into effect immediately.
* Sen. Villa…
Under a newly-signed law sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), school boards across the state will have the option to include safe firearm storage in their safety education curriculum.
“Guns are the leading cause of death of children in Illinois,” Villa said. “By giving students the opportunity to learn about safe, responsible firearm ownership, we are giving them the tools to protect themselves and others.”
Under House Bill 5193, safe gun storage will be added to existing safety education instruction taught in schools in Illinois. Automobile safety, CPR training, safety in the home, and safety while carrying out vocational training or work are all examples of what is already included in statewide safety education curriculum.
Under current law, when not in use, firearm owners in Illinois must keep their guns temporarily inoperable with a designated device or mechanism, kept in a securely locked container, or in a location that a minor under the age of 14 would not reasonably have access to. House Bill 5193 would bring this information to classrooms discussing safety in the home in an effort to raise awareness of firearm safety among young adults and to educate them about responsible firearm ownership.
Schools are not mandated to teach safety education, but if they elect to offer it they are required to teach all existing components.
“When firearms are not stored safely and securely, there is always a chance they may fall into the wrong hands, whether that be the hands of small children who don’t understand, or the hands of those who may be a danger to themselves or others,” Villa said. “Promoting positive messages about proper gun storage has the potential to save lives.”
The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
* Sen. Cunningham…
State Senator Bill Cunningham sponsored legislation that makes it easier for callers to reach 911 during an emergency was signed into law Friday.
“This new law helps children during times of an emergency,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “We are removing barriers that hinder people from calling 911 and we are making it easier for first responders to locate the caller.”
Under current law, multi-line telephone systems require dialing “9″ or another number to reach an outside line. Places like businesses, hotels and government buildings use these systems to handle two or more calls coming in at the same time. Under the new law, MLTS vendors and manufacturers must configure new systems to support direct dialing 911.
This goal of this legislation is protect people and specifically children. Back in 2013, a women was killed in a hotel room by her estranged husband. Her daughter attempted to call 911 four times, but the calls never went through because the hotel’s multi-line telephone system required her to dial “9” before making an outbound call. Illinois will follow suit with other states who have already passed this legislation.
House Bill 5502 will also update regulation on multi-line systems to provide accurate information about the caller’s location within a building or complex. Far too often, large hotels or complexes use multi-line systems and it is difficult for emergency response to get an exact location on the caller. This is ensures people needing help during an emergency are able to be located by first responders.
“This legislation will save lives and could save your child’s life,” Cunningham said.
House Bill 5502 is effective immediately.
* Sen. Johnson…
Schools fees will be waived for low-income students with veteran or active military parents under a new law championed by State Senator Adriane Johnson.
“Veterans and active military members endure many hardships, and families with young children are finding it difficult to keep up with school fees,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “By offering support to our heroes and their families, we can assist them through difficult financial times.”
Johnson’s law allows school boards to waive fees for students with a parent who is a veteran or an active member of the military with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is an estimated $55,500 for an average family of four.
“Education is critical for children to succeed,” Johnson said. “With this law, Illinois is working to ensure low-income students in military families are able to continue learning without financial burden.”
The law, previously Senate Bill 3867, is effective immediately.
* Sen. Belt…
People will have an additional opportunity to become an organ donor thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Friday.
“Organ donors save countless lives every year,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “After living on dialysis for a year, I received a kidney transplant in January 2010. I know the importance of giving people more opportunities to become organ donors.”
House Bill 4696 allows the Department of Natural Resources to offer online hunting license holders the opportunity to be redirected to the First Person Consent Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. On average, 300 people die each year waiting for an organ donation. More than 4,700 Illinois residents are waiting for an organ or tissue donation. In 2020, there were 7 million Illinoisans registered as organ donors.
The first-person consent law provides an opportunity to save more lives and ensures that your wish to be an organ/tissue donor is honored. Prior to the first-person consent registry, many Illinoisans who signed the back of their driver’s license as a donor were unaware that family consent was still required in order for donation to occur.
“Hunting is a huge industry in Illinois,” Belt said. “Hunting license holders will soon be able to sign up to be organ donors in an easy, efficient way.”
The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Sen. Van Pelt…
Building upon efforts to address maternal and infant mortality in the state of Illinois, the governor signed into law a measure led by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) to expand access to prenatal services.
“Maternal mortality is a serious matter both in our state, and across the country, especially for Black women,” Van Pelt said. “Making prenatal and perinatal services more accessible can set those expecting up for a healthy delivery.”
Maternal mortality rates increased by 14% since the beginning of the pandemic, with Black women facing maternal mortality rates nearly three times that of white women.
Regular prenatal care for mothers helps to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, keep track of the baby’s development, and more.
Under this measure, the number of providers a person could potentially choose for care is expanded.
Managed care organizations will pay for preventative prenatal services, perinatal healthcare services, and postpartum services rendered by a non-affiliated provider, as long as that the provider has not rejected a contract offered in good faith within the last twelve months or had a contract terminated for cause.
“Carrying a life inside of you is a precious experience, and every mother deserves quality care,” Van Pelt said. “Laws like this that ensure care for expecting mothers is how we save lives and change statistics.”
House Bill 5013 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect January 1, 2023.
* Sen. Castro…
Care providers for Illinois residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities will see specific funding go to their wages thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).
“Ensuring people who care for our state’s most vulnerable residents are properly compensated will help address high turnaround in this workforce,” Castro said. “I am proud to have worked on this legislation to hold employers accountable when it comes to passing along funding increases to their workers.”
Developmental service providers are vital in community residential settings, where they help residents with daily personal care like eating and hygiene as well as teaching life skills and attending to complex medical needs. While funding for these services has increased over recent years, starting wages remain barely above minimum wage, and vacancies remain high. This disparity is because the state does not always require agencies to pass wage increases through to the workers.
The law, formerly known as House Bill 4647, will require developmental services that are licensed through the Illinois Department of Human Services to certify that all legislatively or administratively mandated wage increases are passed on to the employees.
“Care providers are the backbone of our intellectual and developmental disability community. This law will help ensure hard workers are directly receiving funding that is meant for them,” Castro said.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed the law Friday. It goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
Apparently, only Senators pass laws. Or at least, according to my inbox. /s
* I’ve had several opportunities to work with Laurie Glenn over the years on stories. This is pretty darned cool…
Laurie R. Glenn’s work to stimulate cultural, artistic, political, social and philosophical debate and discussion between French and U.S. leaders, thinkers, artists and organizers is being recognized with the National Order of Merit from France.
Awarded by the President of the French Republic, and founded 3 December, 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle, the National Order of Merit is an institution of the French Republic born in the middle of the 20th century, the second national Order after the Legion of Honor. Its purpose is to reward “distinguished merit” and encourage the lifeblood of the country.
It is rare for a non-citizen of France to receive the Order of Merit. Recent American honorees include poet Joseph Brodsky, composer Quincy Jones, writer Toni Morrison, technology magnate Bill Gates, and film directors Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Laurie R. Glenn will be the most recent addition to the American list of Honorees.
On June 2, 2022 in Paris, France, Army General Benoît Puga the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor Chancellor of the National Order of Merit will pin Glenn at a reception with diplomats, civic leaders and French nationals. Fabrice Rozie, the former Cultural Attaché in New York and Chicago nominated Glenn.
In addition, Ms. Glenn conducted workshops in 2017 and 2018 with the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle on using research as a tool for building power and influence on social policy issues.
As a result of her services with the US Embassy in Paris worked with the German Marshall Fund with leaders of inclusion for several years on leadership development in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
The job market in Illinois will continue to polarize, with most growth in high- and low-wage occupations, increasing the need for government and the private sector to support work with family-sustaining benefits, a bipartisan task force established by the state Legislature said Tuesday.
The 36-member panel said Illinois could “be a national leader in aligning business and worker needs through defining and enhancing job quality.” It said state government should realign its grants in workforce training and other programs to support jobs with benefits such as health insurance and family leave policies.
The panel’s report sidestepped the issue of mandates on the private sector but called on companies to implement such innovations as “portable” benefits that people can carry from one job to the next and paying workers a subsidy for commuting costs.
Summary of key findings and trends Work Challenges
1. Illinois continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic but recovery has been uneven. As of April, unemployment is down to 4.6 percent in Illinois, but that number is much higher for Black men and women (13.4 percent and 11.4 percent) compared to other groups, illustrating ongoing challenges with equity and job access. New business openings in Illinois continue to increase, with the rate sitting just below its pre- pandemic baseline.
2. Shifts in the Illinois economy away from manufacturing have translated to a loss of middle- wage jobs and a polarized labor market. Over 95 percent of Illinois workers live in urban areas, and although there are wide gaps in the unemployment rate across urban and rural counties, all areas of the state have experienced a hollowing out of middle- wage jobs.
3. Projections indicate growth in lower-wage and higher-wage jobs, further polarizing the labor market. The loss of middle-wage jobs is expected to continue over the next ten years. This highlights the need for policy innovation and business practices to improve the quality of low-wage jobs and create stronger on- ramps to high-wage jobs.
4. Illinois also continues to see gaps in postsecondary access and completion for Black, Latinx, low-income, and rural students. Bachelor’s degree attainment serves as a launch pad to higher-wage jobs, but equity gaps and the costs of accessing four-year colleges have grown prohibitive.
5. Unionization continues to decline, and non- traditional and gig work continues to increase. Nearly 14 percent of the Illinois workforce were part of a union, a number that has continued to decline. Although gig work is difficult to define and track, national estimates are that 16 percent of the workforce participates in some form of temporary work. […]
Summary of Task Force Policy Recommendations Job Quality, Benefits, and Labor Standards
1. Adopt a statewide job quality measurement.
2. Use a job quality measurement mechanism to award state funding.
3. Extend benefits to more people through models that: a. are not tied to any particular job b. support contributions from multiple employers or clients c. cover any worker, including independent contractors and other non-traditional workers.
4. Create paid leave benefit programs to improve economic security for workers when they need to care for themselves and their families.
5. Encourage employers to expand the scope of benefits to include as much employee support as possible, including defraying costs such as transportation.
6. Fund, pilot, and evaluate co-enforcement strategies in sectors with high instances of violations.
7. Consider enacting retaliation protections and stronger penalties for misclassifying employees.
The business community recognizes that the workforce is its primary asset and taking care of workers in a new post-pandemic environment is a top priority. Talent attraction and retention are essential to success and competing in an ultra-competitive global economy, which is why business groups including the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association are disappointed by the outcome of the Future of Work Task Force Report following a deeply flawed process that undermined efforts to have important conversations about improving work for future generations of Illinois residents.
Established in 2021 to assess the current realities of the state’s economy and labor market amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify future trends and practices to address the challenges business and workers face, the Task Force has a legal responsibility to operate within specific statutory guidelines allowing for transparency and public participation. However, since the Task Force began meeting last fall there have been numerous statutory violations, which have been brought to the attention of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which was supposed to provide administrative support, as well as Task Force Co-Chairs and members. These violations are particularly troublesome as this report will be sent to the General Assembly with the intent that recommendations will be implemented through potential legislation.
Many of the violations stemmed from a failure to meet specific requirements set forth by the authorizing legislation, including:
· Failure to appoint all Task Force members until after the legal deadlines to do so.
· Several meetings were held before all the required Task Force members were appointed.
· The Task Force routinely failed to provide public notice of meetings by omitting meeting locations and times.
Additionally, the final report to be voted upon was provided to the full Task Force at 6:45 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. vote on the very same day. While the vote only required a majority of the quorum present it should be pointed out that only 17 of the 35 stakeholders voted to approve the report. Further, while DCEO was required to provide administrative support to the Task Force under the statute, two of the Task Force managers charged with planning meetings, developing meeting subject matter, and deciding who could participate were contract lobbyists. This includes one lobbyist who was paid by the Economic Security Project, raising potential conflicts of interest if the group also provided recommendations for the report. DCEO did not respond to questions about these arrangements.
Most of the report’s recommendations were never discussed and none were approved by the entire committee prior to the compiling of the report itself. Disappointingly, many of the recommendations in the report would harm Illinois’ chances to win on the key future growth industries outlined in the state’s 5-year economic development plan. Despite best efforts for meaningful participation, the business community did not get an opportunity for a full and fair hearing of recommendations because of the process and the conflicts of interest of the task force managers. Because of this, the report is not a legitimate starting point to discuss future legislation.
The pandemic has led to fundamental shifts in business operations for many industries, new ways businesses interact with their customers and clients, and, most importantly, how businesses engage, operate, and build their workforces. While the outcome of this Task Force process was profoundly disappointing, the future of work is a critically important conversation that will continue long past the release of this report and the business community remains deeply committed to improving the future of work for generations of Illinois residents and to working with policymakers on these critical issues.
…Adding… DCEO referred me to a letter it sent to the groups back in February. Click here to read it.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association testified before a joint hearing of the House Public Utilities and Energy & Environment Committees today regarding the impact rising energy costs will have on manufacturers and to propose ideas to help ease the pressure.
Manufacturers use one-third of all energy consumed in the United States to produce vital products including food, medicine, furniture and electronics. It is estimated families in central and southern Illinois will soon be paying an extra $626 a year in electricity costs, while manufacturers will likely pay anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars more in higher electric costs. These added costs come amid rising inflation and a global supply chain crisis already challenging the state’s manufacturing industry. On top of higher costs, concerns about adequate energy supply have led to warnings of potential brownouts this summer, which may force manufacturers to close during peak demand times.
“While it may be too late to prevent higher costs and brownouts this summer, action must be taken now to mitigate ongoing pain for Illinois manufacturers and families already struggling to make ends meet due to rising inflation and economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois policy makers can no longer ignore warnings about rising energy costs and decreasing reliability as renewable energy resources fall short of making up for capacity lost as fossil fuel power plants are eliminated. As lawmakers were told today by electric grid operators, capacity pressures are expected to get worse before they get better.”
To address these issues, the IMA suggests the following:
· The General Assembly should require the Auditor General to conduct an immediate audit of Illinois’ Renewable Portfolio Standard to understand why the state has routinely failed to meet its goals. Created in 2007, the first goal was set at 20 percent renewables by 2020, and later amended in 2016 to 25 percent by 2025, and again was changed last year to 40 percent by 2030. As it stands, renewables make up less than 10 percent of the state’s energy supply. After spending billions of dollars, Illinois should be better positioned.
· The state should immediately task the Illinois Commerce Commission with the creation of a Resource Adequacy Plan to better understand where we stand and where we are headed. This commission should gather generators, utilities, the business community, and other stakeholders to explore our baseload capacity needs and supply. This is important because Illinois will have shed 6,910 MW of electricity between 2011 and the end of 2022. This capacity has not been replaced, and MISO grid operators have testified they expect to lose one-third of their baseload capacity in the next two years. Illinois cannot make informed energy policy decisions unless we have a clear vision of the issue.
· Some steps may be possible to ease the immediate pain. This includes amending the Clean Energy Jobs Act to redirect the $180 million in Energy Transition Funds to offer rebates to customers to offset these higher costs. These funds should be provided to all customers – residential, commercial, and industrial based on their pro-rated share of the higher costs.
· Illinois has four plants scheduled to close in 2022 – two in June and two in December. While MISO does not have the ability to require these plants to remain operational, Illinois should work with the operators, FERC, and others to encourage these plants to remain open and approve new gas plant operations such as the one proposed in Pawnee to help ease energy supply concerns.
Manufacturers are leading the way in finding innovative ways to harness energy, with pioneering companies developing new technologies that make energy more affordable, reliable, and cleaner with every passing year. Over the last decade, the nation’s manufacturing sector has reduced emissions by 21 percent while increasing economic output by 18 percent. But manufacturers, our communities and Illinois families need stability and certainty moving forward. The manufacturing industry stands ready to work with policy makers to find solutions.
* I asked a couple of groups for their responses. Here’s Jack Darren at the Sierra Club…
The unfortunate price spikes coming to Ameren customers this fall are the result of global market volatility caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, and national and regional trends away from aging, dirty coal plants. Thank goodness Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021 to put us on a path to independence from fossil fuels and these price spikes by ultimately building 100% of the power supply Illinois will need right here in Illinois, built by our workers earning good wages. Illinois is now better situated than most states for the long term because we have a funded, long-term plan in place to make us independent of and resilient to these spikes in fossil fuel prices.
To dismantle our nation-leading energy plan for the future now, just as Illinois is beginning to implement it and employers from around the world are beginning to invest in clean energy projects here, would be an historic mistake that would recommit us to the dependence on fossil fuels and future price shocks. Defunding CEJA’s equity, workforce development, and just transition programs for coal communities to make payments to large businesses would be a giant step backward to the days when our energy policies were dictated by lobbyists and communities and consumers paid the price.
We do need action this summer to help consumers deal with the rising costs of fossil fuels. Ameren can expand energy assistance programs to help more customers directly, and energy efficiency and demand response programs that are doubly effective, helping participants reduce use and lowering market prices by reducing peak demand. Ameren can speed approvals for the thousands of megawatts of solar projects ready for construction, and MISO can approve new transmission capacity to help get clean energy online faster. We’re ready to engage with stakeholders on these and other solutions that can expedite Illinois’ transition to a clean energy future, and the protections that will deliver for consumers and future generations.
* And here’s the Illinois Environmental Council…
The Illinois Manufacturers Association has put forth proposals that are designed to both exacerbate the impacts of climate change and expand the racial wealth gap. Neither of those is the right direction for Illinois. At the hearing Thursday, the regional grid operator testified that there are enough CEJA-enabled renewable energy projects waiting in the queue for approval to avoid any price increases driven by reliability concerns. Instead of going backward, we should be focused on getting those job-creating projects built in an equitable way.
…Adding…. Media advisory…
In partnership with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, several community organizations will be hosting a rally and press conference on Wednesday, June 1 to call on Ameren to take action to protect consumers and the power grid across Illinois. Communities in Central and Southern Illinois are facing rising electricity costs as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Ameren’s resistance to programs that save on energy, and efforts by fossil fuel companies to slow the transition to affordable, clean energy. Environmental, consumer, and community advocates with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition will rally together to demand that Ameren take meaningful action to empower consumers to utilize policies enshrined in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) to generate enough power to meet peak demand for electricity while also delivering power at a reasonable cost to consumers and small businesses.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM Central Time
WHO:
Scott Allen, Citizens Utility Board
Sangamon Valley Group of Sierra Club Illinois
Faith Coalition for the Common Good
WHAT: Rally and press conference calling on Ameren-Illinois to act swiftly to protect Illinois customers and our electric grid amidst rising electricity costs
WHERE: Ameren-Illinois Offices, 200 W Washington Street Springfield, Illinois 62701
* The Belleville News-Democrat asked gubernatorial candidates: “Who are your top three campaign contributors?” Here’s Richard Irvin’s response…
We have three main contributors to our campaign to take back our state: people who tell us we have their vote, people who volunteer to put up signs or make phone calls to get our message out, and people who contribute financially to help us fight back against the millions of dollars. J.B. Pritkzer and his Democratic allies are spending on false TV ads attacking us. I’m proud to count Troopers Lodge #41, the Illinois FOP Labor Council, the Chicago FOP, the Aurora police union, and countless law enforcement leaders around the state as supporters of our campaign. I’m also proud to be supported by former Congressman John Shimkus and many other conservative leaders around Illinois.
Apparently, Ken Griffin is the man who must not be named.
Two additional candidates round out the primary field, Gary Rabine, a highly successful owner of multiple businesses from McHenry, and state Sen. Darren Bailey, a farmer from downstate Xenia whose career in the legislature was most noted for his expulsion from the House floor when, then a state representative, he refused to abide by rules at the height of the pandemic requiring all members to wear face masks.
Be aware: We are not indifferent to the optics or the complications posed by Irvin’s well-publicized, well-financed backing by Illinois’ richest person, hedge fund manager Ken Griffin. Irvin still has far to go to prove that he is indeed his own person, willing to lead according to the dictates of his own conscience and insights and not those of a well-heeled financial backer.
But we hope he gets more opportunity in a broader campaign to show his full personal political profile.
…Adding… The Tribune endorsed Paul Schimpf (I did not make that up), used a quote from my publication to disqualify Bailey from consideration and had this to say about Griffin and Irvin…
As politically engaged Illinoisans, Griffin and Uihlein are entitled to spend their money as they see fit. But we see troubling issues with both of their preferred candidates. […]
But we’re troubled by what occurred when Irvin arrived on the scene while officers were arresting his then-girlfriend, accused of hitting a security guard at a marijuana store last year. According to a police report, he said that the charges would be “taken care of.” He’s insisted he meant that the woman would be afforded an attorney but we’ve heard phrases like “taken care of” a few too many times before in Illinois politics and we need a better explanation.
We’re similarly troubled by Irvin’s frequent reticence when it comes to being frank with the media (although he did show up for us and answered our queries), his sometimes prickly temperament in the face of fair questions, and by a lack of a consistent worldview that could appeal to moderate Democrats and Republicans looking for a common sense candidate they can trust to safeguard their economic futures and solve some of the state’s problems.
If Irvin is willing to separate from Trump and appeal to moderate, common sense voters, including centrist Democrats, he should find the courage to say so, clearly, without weaving and dodging, flip-flopping and hedging his bets.
Matteson, IL, May 31, 2022-Today, Rep. Robin Kelly announced she will run for re-election as Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
“Today, I am honored and excited to announce I will be running for re-election as Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois,” said DPI Chair Rep. Robin Kelly. “I couldn’t be prouder of the progress we’ve made together in the last fourteen months and with a full slate of fantastic Democratic candidates gearing up for this fall’s midterm election, now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to a party that is inclusive, transparent, and active in everything we do. I ask all State Central Committee candidates to join me as we continue to fight for Democratic values for all in Illinois.”
Chair Kelly was elected in March 2021 as the first woman chair and first Black chair in DPI history. Since her historic election, Chair Kelly has overhauled the party, reorganizing the party structure to bring in new voices while hiring a new team of staff and vendors as well as instituting a successful new fundraising structure.
“Before I was elected, party power in Illinois was concentrated in the hands of too few people,” said Chair Kelly. “Now, not only do diverse voices guide our work, but I am proud to show up for Democrats in every corner of Illinois. We need a party chair who listens to others, works collaboratively, and never forgets that it is the Democratic voters of this state who must ultimately guide our work for the benefit of all Democratic nominees. I humbly ask for a full term to continue our work together toward these goals.”
Under Chair Kelly’s leadership, the Democratic Party of Illinois has taken significant steps in modernizing the party and providing foundational services common among other state parties nationwide. Accomplishments include:
• Raised more than $1.9 million in federal and non-federal money under a new, diversified fundraising structure including a grassroots donor program, which bolsters the Party’s pre-Coordinated campaign budget to over $4.2 million cash on hand.
• Lowered Party administrative costs to save tens of thousands of dollars annually while bringing in more specific-to-state party expertise.
• Expanded data and technology trainings for candidates, staff, and activists every month, plus a brand-new candidate training program run in conjunction with the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association to focus on building the strongest bench of candidates statewide.
• Built out a traditional and social media outreach strategy to center the DPI as the standard-bearer of the Democratic message while holding Republicans accountable, including building an email list from scratch of more than 100,000 people (and growing) to reach Democratic voters where they are.
• Building out a statewide organizing team recruiting and connecting volunteers with local campaigns and party organizations.
• Re-engaged with the national Democratic Party, including the election of Chair Kelly as a representative of the Midwest Caucus to the Executive Committee of the DNC, support for the bid for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and an application for Illinois to be included as a 2024 early state primary.
The chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois is elected by a weighted vote of the Democratic State Central Committee, who are individually elected in the June 28 primary. The chair must be a sitting State Central Committeeperson. Chair Kelly has no opposition in her re-election campaign as State Central Committeeperson from Illinois’ Second Congressional District.
Kelly was elected party chair in 2021 after Michael Madigan stepped down from his 23-year reign. Kelly defeated Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris for the job, creating some intraparty tension that continues to bubble up. Kelly was backed by Sen. Dick Durbin, and Harris was endorsed by Gov. JB Pritzker.
For months there was buzz that the relationships between Kelly and Pritzker, and Durbin and Pritzker, were chilly — though all parties were publicly professional about it all (maybe through gritted teeth).
And now the top party job is up for grabs again.
Pritzker has enlisted former Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes to recruit allies to run for seats on the Democratic Central Committee. They will be elected during the June 28 primary. Winners will then pick the party chair. […]
Pritzker has given $20,000 to Liz Brown-Reeves, a former Madigan aide turned lobbyist, for her race to join the Democratic Central Committee in a contest against Katherine Daniels, the sitting chair of the Adams County Democrats. Daniels is endorsed by the Sangamon County Democratic Party, which is headed by longtime Durbin ally Bill Houlihan.
The Sangamon County party is meeting this week to try to overturn that endorsement of Adams County resident Katherine Daniels. Stay tuned.
* In the meantime, Brown-Reeves has reported raising more than $41K so far and is putting that money to work. She already sent out one mailer featuring the governor, and here’s her second piece…
* And she lined up Secretary White’s endorsement…
As early voting begins for the June 28th primary, Secretary of State Jesse White endorsed Liz Brown-Reeves (D-Springfield) for Democratic State Central Committee in the 15th Congressional District.
“I have known Liz since she was a college student at SIU Carbondale and have followed her professional career in Springfield for the last twenty-two years. It’s extremely important to have strong, experienced Democrats in our party that have a comprehensive knowledge of downstate politics,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “Liz is a go-getter and hard worker. Her enthusiasm is infectious and is much needed in our party, especially downstate. Liz has dedicated her life to helping elect Democrats and she will be a significant addition to the Democratic Party of Illinois,”
Secretary White joins the long list of supporters for Liz Brown-Reeves that includes Governor JB Pritzker, former Senator Andy Manar, Senator Doris Turner, former State Representative Julie Curry and House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman.
“Jesse White is a hero in Illinois politics. His groundbreaking, people-first approach has been the model in Illinois state government. To receive the endorsement of Secretary White is a tremendous honor and I vow to continue to his legacy in every part of Illinois - including the reddest ones in our State,” said Liz Brown-Reeves.
More information on Liz and her campaign can be found at https://www.facebook.com/LizBrownReevesforIL15.
A mailer featuring White is forthcoming.
Needless to say, this much time, energy and money going into a state central committeeperson race is extraordinarily rare. As an example, Gov. Pritzker has so far only given one committee, Friends of Chakena Perry, more money than Brown. Legislators with primaries received $5K.
The long Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and is perhaps best known in Chicago as the beginning of its long, hot season of gun violence. The morning-after news coverage typically notes the holiday “was the most violent weekend of the year so far,” or some such thing.
You’ve probably seen the polling that shows crime isn’t the super-hot political issue it’s often portrayed to be. But don’t kid yourself. It’s still high enough on voters’ lists to make a difference, usually coming in second behind economic issues.
That’s one reason why Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent out a press release last week touting his violence reduction efforts, including “surging” $18 million in new state funding for a thousand summer jobs in Chicago for kids in “high-risk” situations. He claimed in the release that $10 million has already been released to groups ahead of the summer.
The governor’s office told me the Illinois Department of Human Services has sent $83 million “out the door” this fiscal year to community providers for anti-violence efforts. It also says $27.2 million is “heading out in the next month, before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
That spending, the Pritzker administration says, is up from the $60 million spent by IDHS in all of last fiscal year. In addition, the administration points to $113 million in grants available to groups through the department’s notice of funding opportunity process.
Considering that the city of Chicago alone is directly spending $1.7 billion this fiscal year on law enforcement, these are relatively modest programs. But the state money is still a decent pile of cash.
And because the state largesse is being spent by individual grant recipients, there’s always the danger it could be misused or misdirected.
Just ask former Gov. Pat Quinn, who took an enormous amount of political heat for the way some of his $54 million anti-violence Neighborhood Funding Initiative Program money was spent in 2010, leading up to the election.
Quinn was slammed for various silly attempts to keep kids off the street, up to and including paying kids to march in a parade with the governor. Nothing much ever came of the various probes into the program, but, even if there was no criminal intent, its execution was a complete mess and ill-conceived. The last thing Pritzker needs is a re-run.
Some Democratic state legislators have been pushing news media outlets to write stories about how their favored anti-violence groups haven’t received more funding, but the governor’s office has resisted in certain instances where the groups would likely draw unfavorable attention from those very same media outlets.
The Pritzker people have taken a different approach than Quinn, and hopefully (for the governor’s own sake and for the state’s) they won’t be making the same sort of mistakes as the last Democratic governor.
Even so, it’s likely that somebody will screw up somewhere and wind up on the front page of a newspaper or the leading item during a TV newscast. Violence interruption and prevention programs rarely get the benefit of the doubt from the news media. From the coverage, it would be easy to conclude that Quinn’s program had far more downsides than upsides. Because of that, it took years and years before the state legislature was willing to give the concept another chance.
On the other hand, if there’s too much caution, then not enough grant money arrives in time for the summer, which would be a PR disaster. It’s also worth noting that it often takes a month or more for groups to complete the paperwork and navigate the various processes to actually receive grant monies after the cash has been awarded by the state.
So, even though the state can claim the money is “out the door,” the funds may not yet be available to spend.
But this should be more than just about the fact the state is spending money. It’s crucial these programs actually show some real, tangible results.
Chicago and most smaller cities in this state have been gut-punched by violent crime. Police officers and replacement recruits are in short supply here and throughout the country. Violence interruption and prevention needs to show tangible results, not only for the present, but for the future. Convincing the General Assembly to support more programs down the road could turn out to be nearly impossible if this fails.
* First, some news. As you may remember, the state’s prejudgment interest statute was pushed by the trial lawyers and initially opposed by the governor, who then struck a compromise, which business and medical groups still opposed. The law was declared unconstitutional today. Click here to read the order. Also, the governor signed several bills into law today. Click here to read the list.
* Jerry Garcia and David Grisman will play us out…
The tall dark man that rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there
There’s no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words her lover had said
Mom, you know, awaits the news
She’ll only know he’s dead
A gun raffle scheduled as part of the Lake Villa Township Republican Club’s annual fundraiser next month has been postponed indefinitely.
Club officials informally agreed via phone to hold off on the raffle for now, according to Dick Barr, vice chair of the Republican organization and a Lake County Board member.
The action comes in the wake of recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. The Uvalde shooting earlier this week claimed the lives of 19 elementary schoolchildren and two teachers.
“It was a unanimous sentiment, in light of the tragic events, out of respect for the families of all affected, that this is not the right time for the raffle,” Barr said Friday.
City Clerk Anna Valencia denied she used her position to help her lobbyist husband secure business opportunities — while former state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias defended his family’s failed bank on Thursday after the two squared off in a forum of Democratic candidates for Illinois secretary of state. […]
“I’m not the first woman running for office that has to say my husband doesn’t speak for me. I am my own person, my own woman. Period,” Valencia said. “And I decided that if my husband and I — if I win this race, my husband will have, and I, a strong firewall and will not do business with anyone in the state of Illinois.” […]
The secretary of state’s office oversees lobbyists, including statements of economic interest. And Giannoulias told reporters “people are sick and tired of lobbyists, the cozy relationship between lobbyists and elected officials.” But Giannoulias also insisted the campaign contributions he has accepted from lobbyists pose no conflict.
“Because, again, if you look at our ethics package — I’m not trying to be cute here. An elected official should not be allowed to lobby a different branch of government,” Giannoulias said. “I didn’t say they [elected officials] should not take money from lobbyists. I’m saying that they should not lobby other kinds of government.”
Weak answers from both.
* CD17…
Today, Jonathan Logemann, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, announced the endorsement of Rockford United Labor. RUL is the local labor council for the Illinois AFL-CIO, which has previously endorsed Jonathan’s campaign, and represents over 20,000 workers in the Greater Rockford area. With nearly 120,000 union members and their families residing in IL-17, Jonathan’s momentum with organized labor has far and away surpassed all other candidates, as the endorsement from RUL represents his 15th from organized labor.
…Adding… I forgot about this one. Sorry…
Jackie Grimshaw, one of former Mayor Harold Washington’s top legislative aides and the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Center for Neighborhood Technology, is endorsing State Senator Jacqueline Collins in her bid for Illinois’ 1st Congressional District.
“I’ve known Jacqui Collins since we worked together on Harold Washington’s mayoral campaign, and I believe she will continue his fight for progressive policies that serve families of every race, creed, and economic status,” Grimshaw said. “I urge everyone in the 1st District to support Jacqui in her bid.”
Both Jacqui Collins and Jackie Grimshaw got their first real taste of politics working on the revolutionary mayoral campaign of Harold Washington. The first Black mayor of Chicago, Washington pursued aggressive policies to help uplift the city’s minority residents and built bonds between Chicago’s Black and Latino communities. In a forward-thinking move, he created the city’s environmental affairs department.
“Before Harold Washington was elected mayor, he represented Illinois’ 1st District in Congress, and I would be overjoyed by the opportunity to continue his legacy,” Collins said. “Washington was a trailblazer who helped inspire me to run for elected office.”
* More…
* 13th Congressional District Democratic candidates face off in debate: “I think we need to go further and support red flag laws to support our law enforcement officers. Making sure those who shouldn’t have weapons, law enforcement has an ability to stop,” Democratic candidate Nikki Budzinski added.
* Three newcomers seek GOP nomination for state Senate District 49: Felicity Joy Solomon said she is tired of state legislators doing “whatever they wanted to do.” She belongs to a group called the Kingdom Conservative Party, which requires its candidates to sign a pledge to follow the group’s platform, she said. Solomon lives in Shorewood. Solomon is self-employed as a life coach. She is also the pastor of a Christian house church.
Gov. JB Prizker is expected to attend the Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May 30 at Lions Park Memorial Bandshell in Mount Prospect, the Journal has learned.
Following the parade leading to Lions Park, 411 S. Maple St., Pritzker is expected to make a few nonpolitical comments during the ceremony, which is expected to start at 10 a.m.
I hope you are well and that you have fun Memorial Day plans for once!… not that session isn’t fun.
I am hoping you can share something on the blog, as a favor. (Please do NOT name me).
Paul Phillips, who you may know, works under Senate Operations and is in charge of the mail room and handles all the supplies and paper for the Senate. If you don’t know Paul, he is the kindest human you will ever come across. He greets everyone with a warm smile and a hello whenever you run into him throughout the Capitol or the Stratton building. His warm soul, positive attitude, and kindness is so refreshing. He is truly a light. I recently learned that his young family has been going through an extremely hard time. His wife, Tiffany, was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension, and is in need of a double lung transplant. Paul and Tiffany have two young children. The fact that Paul and his family have been struggling with this terrifying reality is absolutely heartbreaking. The crazy thing is, you would never know it. Paul continues to have a smile on his face and the most positive of attitudes. It truly goes to show what kind of person Paul is.
Below is a link to a Go Fund Me page that was created to help Paul and Tiffany Phillips. As they have an uphill battle ahead of them, I would sincerely appreciate your help in sharing.
Would-be marijuana shop owners breathed a sigh of relief Friday morning as a Cook County judge lifted a stay that had delayed state officials from issuing nearly 200 licenses for cannabis dispensary operators. […]
Removing the stay will allow the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to begin issuing licenses to 185 candidates who had been awarded them in a 2021 lottery that was itself delayed months as the state struggled to implement rules for the drawing. Lawsuits, COVID-19-related delays and administrative gaffes ground the process to a near halt.
WAH Group LLC, which had disputed the results of the lottery, this week withdrew its opposition to releasing the licenses. WAH Group will continue to litigate the rules for the state to conduct “corrective lotteries” for another 50 or so licenses later this year, attorney Mazie Harris said Friday.
This stay was just so ridiculous. WAH Group won a license in a lottery last August, for crying out loud.
By law, the first 75 licenses were supposed to have been issued almost two years ago, but were delayed by problems with scoring the license applications.
“People are super excited to move forward,” said attorney Ryan Holz, who represents businesses in line to get new licenses, and some who were excluded from the license lotteries.
But, he cautioned, there’s also a real concern that businesses that were excluded may ask for a new court order to hold up the licenses again.
Circuit judges shouldn’t have this much power.
…Adding… IDFPR…
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced the Circuit Court of Cook County has lifted the stays that enjoined 185 Conditional Adult Use Cannabis Dispensing Organization Licenses to applicants selected in three lotteries in 2021.
In anticipation of receiving further guidance in a related federal case, IDFPR anticipates releasing detailed information on next steps for applicants as soon as that guidance is issued. The federal case concerns objections to the state’s residency requirements for dispensary owners.
“Today is a key development towards our ultimate goal of creating the most diverse, inclusive, and robust adult use cannabis industry of any state in the country,” said Mario Treto, Jr., Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “We stand ready to swiftly move forward in ensuring Illinois’ standing as a national leader in the advancement of cannabis equity.”
To ensure fairness for all applicants and correct any errors in the lottery process, IDFPR is also working on finalizing plans for three corrective lotteries to be held in June (one for each of the cannabis dispensary license lotteries held in 2021). Details on those lotteries will be announced by the Department when finalized. Those updates will be available on IDFPR’s Adult Use Cannabis Program webpage.
* Democratic congressional candidate Jonathan Jackson’s latest campaign mailer not only confuses his father with his brother, but it spells his famous father’s first name wrong…
* The Peoria Journal-Star asked candidates “What help do small businesses still need due to pandemic?” Here’s Richard Irvin’s response…
When J.B. Pritzker ordered our business to close their doors, we worked quickly in Aurora to provide local businesses with the support they needed. But local governments can only do so much when Springfield keeps trying to raise taxes on small businesses. Cutting income taxes and delivering property tax relief will be an enormous help to small businesses in Illinois – and give them the support they need to recover from the pandemic.
Local property tax collections are about equal to state revenues. By far the biggest property tax driver is education spending. The state already picks up most of the tab on K-12 pension costs. So, unless you have a magic plan to drastically reduce the state’s teacher pension costs (which Irvin doesn’t, as far as I can tell), the only meaningful relief at the local school level is to provide more state investments. And that costs money, which you won’t have if you cut state income taxes.
This whole “The taxes are too high and the spending is too low” argument is very common, but quite tiresome.
I believe that protecting the health of our citizens is the most important thing I can do as Governor, while also doing everything possible to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on our economy. I have worked to save lives AND livelihoods and have always followed the science to ensure our economy would reopen when we had the proper tools to mitigate the spread, like masks and vaccines. We created the nation’s largest state program of its kind, providing grants and other support to over 12,000 small businesses. We led with equity and prioritized hard-hit industries in awarding state funding, including businesses that didn’t qualify for federal funds and businesses in disproportionately impacted areas of the state. While Republicans ignored science, encouraged people to inject bleach, lied about the dangers of COVID, and promoted conspiracy theories, I was assisting small businesses and helping workers and their families weather the health and financial impacts of the pandemic.
Yeah, OK, but the question was about what small businesses still need. No answer. At all.
The biggest thing small businesses need is leaders who represent them, rather than the corrupt virtue-signaling insiders in Springfield. Government is too often focused on making sure the insiders get their cut. We saw that in the past two years, and we’ve seen it for the entirety of J.B. Pritzker’s term.
I’ve been an entrepreneur and job creator, helping small-business owners all over the world create the jobs of the future. I know what it takes to foster a business-friendly environment, from lower taxes to regulatory certainty, and I will bring that commitment to growth here to Illinois.
Small businesses deserve the right to earn a living, without fear that they could be shut down again at any moment. I will deliver that for Illinois – as the first step of making our state the best in the nation to hold a job, raise a family, or run a business.
The question was about what small business still need because of the pandemic, Jesse.
Sullivan claimed he could save $10 billion in the state budget, citing only a planned hiring freeze, planned pension reforms and local government consolidation.
Griffin, who has feuded politically with the first-term Democratic governor, has given Irvin $45 million in his bid to win the GOP nomination for governor and the right to face Pritzker on June 28.
In an invective-filled statement Thursday, Griffin said the TV attacks show Pritzker fears facing Irvin in the fall.
“I don’t care about the governor’s pathetic attacks against me. I started one of the most important businesses in the world at the age of 21 right here in Chicago. And unlike J.B. Pritzker, I’ve endured real challenges and made real sacrifices in writing the success story of Citadel,” Griffin said.
“J.B. Pritzker was gifted a life of tremendous wealth. It’s disappointing that a man born with a silver spoon has accomplished so little, especially as governor. Pritzker’s policies have driven the largest crime wave in the history of Illinois,” Griffin said. “Richard is the exact opposite of J.B. and has already done more for the people of Illinois than silver spooned billionaire J.B. Pritzker ever will.”
…Adding… In case you’d rather not click on that account to read the full statement…
- Bailey Campaign Statement on Richard Irvin, the hand-picked candidate for Governor of hedge fund mogul Ken Griffin, just telling the girls and parents of Illinois that he is fine with allowing boys and men to invade female sports competitions.
During Tuesday night’s undercard debate, NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern asked, “Should [men] be banned from being able to participate in women’s sports.” Irvin tried to squirm and equivocate, just as he does whenever asked whether or not he voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. But Ahern pressed him, thankfully, and his answer was shocking. He declared, “the governor should not have a say.”
Next door to Illinois, the solid General Assembly of Indiana just voted to override the veto of a squish Governor Eric Holcomb. Richard Irvin openly promises to be just that kind of sellout. In reality, we should not be surprised at Irvin’s extremist stance. He wants to permit boys and men to ruin female sports because he subscribes to the far left, liberal agenda of the Democrat Party he has supported for years, voting as a Democrat in 7 of the last 8 elections in Illinois. Richard Irvin reveals his true, radical self, from supporting militant BLM to lavishing praise on J.B. Pritzker to sacrificing our girls at the altar of woke, politically correct madness Illinoisans deserve better than a career Democrat who plays tough on TV. Darren Bailey is the true conservative champion in this race who will stand up to keep our communities safe and protect our children from a radical political agenda.
Huh. I thought Sen. Bailey was all about local control. I mean, he said this that very same evening…
Government needs to be pulled out of our schools. Get the unfunded mandates out of the way and let local school boards and parents come together and decide how they want to educate their children in their schools.
* The Irvin campaign sent me to the debate video. This starts at the 42:40 mark…
Mary Ann: Should transgender girl athletes be banned from participating in women’s sports? Mr. Irvin?
Irvin: Each sport agency has to determine what’s best for the competition and fairness in their particular agency.
Mary Ann: Should, again, the question is, should transgender girl athletes be barred?
Irvin: It’s about fairness. It’s about making sure these competitions are fair for everyone. Each organization, whether it be basketball, whether it be football or whether it be swimming has to determine what is fair and who should compete. It should be totally local and the governor should not have a say. This shouldn’t be something we should legislate from the governor’s office. It should be something we determine that parents and local school districts are allowed to make for themselves.
And Irvin’s position would do nothing to protect those athletes’ interests at the state level.
* Click here to look up your county. Sangamon is currently at the Medium level. IDPH…
The CDC reported late today that 15 Illinois counties are now rated at High Community Level for COVID-19, an area that includes Chicago, Cook County and surrounding counties in northeastern Illinois as well as counties around Peoria. An additional 30 counties in Illinois are now rated at Medium Community Level, according to the CDC.
The counties listed at High Community Level are Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will, Grundy, Boone, Lee and Winnebago in Northern Illinois and Fulton, Knox, Henderson, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell in Central Illinois.
“With 15 counties in Illinois now rated at a High Community Level, everyone in the state should be paying close attention to the guidance from public health authorities and taking action to protect themselves, their loved ones, and friends,” said IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars. “Everyone should make sure they are up-to-date with vaccinations and booster shots. Wearing a mask in indoor public places and avoiding crowded indoor spaces as much as possible will also make a difference. If you are at risk of severe outcomes, you should also consider avoiding indoor activities in public places. And if you test positive, promptly contact a healthcare provider to discuss which treatment is right for you. The treatments are much more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early in the course of the illness.”
The CDC recommends the following measures for people in areas that are rated at High Community Level for COID-19 transmission:
• Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status (including in K-12 schools and other indoor community settings)
• If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease
o Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection
o Consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed
o Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to take other precautions
o Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or access to testing)
o IF YOU TEST POSITIVE: Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies
• If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for severe disease
o consider self-testing to detect infection before contact
o consider wearing a mask when indoors with them
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
• Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible
• Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19
At the Medium Community Level, persons who are elderly or immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to wear a mask in indoor public places. In addition, they should make sure to get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines or get their 2nd booster, if eligible.
IDPH has been supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers in efforts to increase their inventories of the various FDA-authorized treatments. There are over 1,200 treatment locations in Illinois - including all the major retail pharmacies. More than 96.7% of the state’s population is within a 10-mile radius of one of these locations.
A total of 22,293,645 vaccines have been administered in Illinois. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 15,443 doses. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 69% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 52% of the vaccinated population has an initial booster according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data indicates that the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from COVID-19 is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those who are up to date on their vaccinations.
All data are provisional and are subject to change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
The federal government has established a new website that provides an all-purpose toolkit with information on how to obtain masks, treatment, vaccines and testing resources for all areas of the country at: https://www.covid.gov/.
Plaintiffs Congressman Michael J. Bost, Laura Pollastrini, and Susan Sweeney (“Plaintiffs”), by and through counsel, file this Complaint against the Illinois State Board of Elections and its Executive Director Bernadette Matthews, and allege as follows:
1. Plaintiffs are former and prospective federal candidates and registered Illinois voters, all of whom seek declaratory and injunctive relief to enjoin parts of the Illinois election code.
2. The United States Congress is authorized under Art. I, § 4 cl. 1 and Art. II, § 1 cl. 4 to establish the Time for conducting federal elections. Congress exercised this authority in 1845 when it enacted the first of a trio of statutes that established a uniform national election day for all federal elections.
3. Under federal law, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year is election day (“Election Day”) for federal elections. See 2 U.S.C. § 1; 2 U.S.C. § 7; and 3 U.S.C. § 1.
4. Despite Congress’ clear statement regarding a single national Election Day, Illinois has expanded Election Day by extending by 14 days the date for receipt and counting of vote-by- mail ballots. See 10 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. §§ 5/18A-15(a) & 5/19-8(c).
5. Plaintiffs allege that Illinois’ extension of Election Day violates federal law and their rights.
6. Plaintiffs seek a judgment declaring Illinois’ extension of Election Day to be unlawful and seek an injunction enjoining the extension. […]
20. In its December 4, 2020, press release announcing certified results from the November 3, 2020 election, the State Board announced that there had been a total of 6,098,729 votes in the 2020 election, of which 2,025,662 were vote-by-mail ballots.
21. Read together, the November 2nd and December 4th press releases indicate that Illinois received 266,417 vote-by-mail ballots statewide during the period from November 3rd through November 17th.
22. Upon information and belief, most of the 266,417 vote-by-mail ballots were received after Election Day, which would mean that as many as 4.4% of votes cast in 2020 were received after Election Day.
23. Illinois is not allowed to hold open voting for congressional and presidential beyond the single Election Day. […]
25. The next federal election in Illinois will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at which time Illinois will elect a new Congressional delegation. Under Illinois law’s extended ballot receipt deadline, vote-by-mail ballots shall be counted if received on or before November 22, 2022.
26. Accordingly, Illinois will illegally hold voting open beyond Election Day on November 8, 2022.
For example, if you’re serving your country overseas and the notoriously slow APO doesn’t deliver your ballot by election day, Congressman Bost doesn’t want your votes counted.
There is a lot of political chatter stemming from allies of Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., that ex-President Donald Trump might be headlining a rally in Quincy for Miller, locked in a GOP primary battle with Rep. Rodney Davis in the 15th District. Miller is the only Illinois candidate Trump has endorsed, and she was in Mar-A-Largo for a fundraiser with Trump last month. Davis was a 2020 co-chair of Trump’s Illinois campaign.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin took organizers of the Aurora Pride Parade to task Wednesday for their decision to ban uniformed police officers from marching in the parade next month.
Irvin said he was “extremely distressed and disappointed to learn that you have chosen to ban uniformed law enforcement from participating in the annual Pride Parade this year.”
This year, to further this goal, after much discussion, we made the decision that while we would continue to allow and encourage participation in the Aurora Pride Parade by law enforcement officers, we would ask that they participate without service weapons (our rules forbid all weapons), out of uniform, and without the presence of any official vehicles.
Why did we do that?
In short, many members of the community feel uneasy in the presence of official law enforcement vehicles, as well as uniformed officers, due to negative experiences they themselves or someone they know have had. Some of these experiences may be with the Aurora Police Department, some may be with other departments. APD is absolutely ahead of many other departments, but there’s still work to be done. There will already be uniformed officers and vehicles present outside the parade route, and we want the parade route to feel as welcoming as possible for everyone.
* The Peoria Journal-Star asked the gubernatorial candidates how they would bring down health care, prescription and drug costs. Here’s part of Jesse Sullivan’s answer…
Healthcare workers have labored tirelessly over the past few years. Now they are being faced with mandates that put the government between them and their patients. We should be thanking these frontline workers, not punishing them. I will end these vaccine mandates.
I support initiatives to expand healthcare access and lower costs. During the pandemic, we saw a massive acceleration in telemedicine and at-home testing. We must look for ways to modernize our healthcare system, which will give people more options and drive down costs. We need to identify where state regulations may be stifling innovation and work with the General Assembly to cut the red tape. The state should absolutely use its market buying power to negotiate lower costs for prescription drugs in Medicaid and state employee group health. While state governments have limited ability to impact national and global drug pricing, I would join with other governors in urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to take a closer look at so-called ‘pay-for-delay’ agreements between brand-name and generic drug manufacturers where pharmaceutical companies pay generic manufacturers not to market generic drugs past the expiration of a drug’s patent.
On policy, Irvin suggested that the FOID system in Illinois needs reform in order to function.
“The system is broken and it definitely needs fixed,” said Irvin. “But we need background checks to ensure that guns don’t get in the hands of criminals and folks with mental illnesses.” […]
For Sullivan, he cited the importance of renewing Illinoisans faith in God and supporting people in the role of fatherhood.
“When you remove God from our society, these are the types of things that happen,” said Sullivan, referring to the shooting in Texas.
Maybe, but the government can’t force people to believe in God, Jesse.
* I shared a story with you yesterday about how GOP secretary of state candidate Rep. Dan Brady said he wants to offload the Motor Voter program to local election authorities. Here’s a fundraising email from Democratic SoS candidate Alexi Giannoulias in response…
At a forum earlier today, I called out Republican Dan Brady for his plan to “offload” the hugely popular and successful Motor Voter program. Motor Voter has given Illinoisans an easy, convenient option to register to vote or update their registration, so why is Dan Brady trying to get rid of it?
Republicans across the country are systematically limiting access to registration and voting, and now Dan Brady is pushing the same anti-democracy agenda here in Illinois. Brady is walking in lockstep with the Trump wing of the Republican Party and trying to make every aspect of voting — including registration — harder.
Motor Voter is a federal law that has helped millions register to vote, and one of the success stories of the office. I’ll build on that success, expand voter registration, and, if elected, will do everything I can to protect and expand voting rights.
* Meanwhile, from Rep. Brady…
Key education, public safety and GOP organizations have endorsed Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, for Illinois Secretary of State.
“I am honored and humbled to have the support of those who teach our children and protect our citizens in Illinois,” Brady said. “I am also pleased to receive the latest in a growing number of endorsements from area Republican organizations.”
The Illinois Education Association (IEA), comprised of more than 135,000 members including elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, and retired educators has endorsed Brady for Secretary of State. In their endorsement, the IEA cited Brady’s pledge to modernize services at the department of motor vehicles, making it even easier to register to vote, and Brady’s pledge to upgrade libraries, especially those in rural areas, with more technology and internet.
So, in that press release, Brady is touting his support for Motor Voter. Maybe pick a lane?
…Adding… From Rep. Brady…
The Secretary of State office is bound to motor voter, because of federal law. I can not change that. I think local election authorities are best prepared to register voters. However, the Secretary of State office could share a digital photo from a license or ID card, which is done now with your signature on your voter ID card from your license. This would further help to protect the voting process and help election Judges.
* CD6…
Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten released his second TV ad of the cycle to highlight his 100% pro-choice record. The ad is part of the campaign’s nearly 7-figure television ad buy & will be seen on both broadcast and cable channels.
With the pending decision from the Supreme Court to strike down abortion rights, voters across the 6th District will be reminded of Congressman Casten’s 100% pro-choice record in Congress and his commitment to protecting a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. He is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Marcie Love (the founder of Personal PAC), and numerous other pro-choice leaders across Illinois.
* Apparently, Mary Miller is now a fake Republican…
Friend,
Biden and the Radical Left’s America-LAST agenda has left our Southern Border WIDE OPEN. To make matters worse, Conservative Congressman Rodney Davis’s FAKE Republican opponent stands with Radical Democrats like Pelosi on illegal immigration!
Rodney’s opponent even said, “If there’s an illegal alien - or illegal immigrants that lives next door and they need something, it is our responsibility as individuals to help those people.” This is why we need to support a REAL Republican like Rodney who will STOP Open Borders.
STOP THIS FAKE REPUBLICAN
Instead of this radical Pelosi-backed plan Rodney Davis proposes we finish President Trump’s Border Wall, ban Sanctuary Cities, and STOP illegal immigrants from voting in our elections.
Help Rodney Davis get tough on immigration and STOP his FAKE Republican opponent from gaining power before it’s too late.
SUPPORT RODNEY FOR CONGRESS
Thank you,
Team Rodney
* DPI…
In the aftermath of this week’s horrific massacre at a Texas elementary school, the usual pattern continued as major gun-related stocks surged in price. For Ken Griffin, Richard Irvin’s biggest donor, that means big returns on his investments in Smith & Wesson, Vista Outdoor, and Sturm Ruger.
Just last week, newly-filed records showed that Citadel and Citadel Securities — of which Ken Griffin is founder and CEO — expanded their holdings in gun and ammunition manufacturers by 62% during the first quarter of 2022, totaling $139 million.
Citadel’s holdings in Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. and Sturm, Ruger and Co. Inc., two of the nation’s largest gun manufacturers, are valued at nearly $23 million combined, and the new filing showed a more than three-fold increase in holdings for ammunition manufacturer Vista Outdoor.
A report released earlier this year revealed that guns manufactured by Citadel-linked companies were responsible for one in four recovered firearms from Chicago homicides in the past five years.
Griffin is profiting off of one of the most violent and deadly massacres in American history and what does Richard Irvin have to say about it? Nothing.
When will Richard Irvin stand up to his megadonor and say enough is enough?
* CD17…
Today, Jonathan Logemann, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, announced the endorsement of the Painters District Council No. 30. PDC 30 comprises nine locals throughout 29 counties in Northwest and Central Illinois, and represents the 14th local labor endorsement Jonathan has received during his campaign.
* Taxes are too high and spending is too low, says this Democrat…
The “change” she backs is a property tax cap, which won’t do much to increase services.
State Farm’s jingle is unmistakable: “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Yet when it came to State Farm’s support of a program providing LGBTQ-themed children’s books to teachers and libraries, conservative groups and right-leaning media outlets derided the insurance company as “a creepy neighbor” and accused it of “targeting” children with books about gender identity. […]
Hours after a report about the partnership prompted an online uproar from conservatives, State Farm announced that it was dropping its support of the GenderCool Project, aimed at helping raise awareness around what it means to be transgender, inclusive and nonbinary.
State Farm spokesman Roszell Gadson confirmed to The Washington Post on Tuesday that the insurance company had ended its support of GenderCool after it had “been the subject of news and customer inquiries.”
“Conversations about gender and identity should happen at home with parents,” Gadson said in a statement. “We don’t support required curriculum in schools on this topic. We support organizations providing resources for parents to have these conversations. We no longer support the program allowing for distribution of books in schools.”
* Nothing about this program was “required,” which is the point of Illinois LGBTQ legislators, who criticized the Illinois-based company today…
Statement from Illinois General Assembly LGBTQ Caucus & Equality Illinois:
This week in response to an outcry from a hateful few, Illinois-based insurer State Farm dropped their support for The GenderCool Project, which provides LGBTQ-affirming books to schools across the country on a voluntary basis. We are disappointed State Farm chose to make a knee- jerk concession to bigotry rather than stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ community and our allies who support inclusion. Given the rise of hate crimes and discrimination, decisions like this embolden those peddling hatred and make our society a more dangerous place.
While other states push intolerance and try to roll back the clock on our hard-fought rights, Illinois has been a champion in affirming the dignity our LGBTQ community. We have taken active steps to ensure Illinois schools teach students about the struggles and history of the LGBTQ community, as well as Black history and the history of communities of color broadly. In fact, Illinois recently became the first state to mandate teaching Asian American history.
State Farm promotes itself as ’standing in collaboration with LGBTQ organizations’ to ‘ensure all communities are valued and treated with respect and dignity.’ This latest action to rescind support for GenderCool and the teaching of gender identity to families that want it is in direct contradiction to State Farm’s purported values. Unless State Farm reverses its course of action, we will be compelled to call out State Farm’s hypocrisy, including, but not limited to, any LGBTQ marketing State Farm plans on doing during Pride month.
Senator Mike Simmons
Majority Leader Greg Harris
Representative Kelly Cassidy
Representative Lamont Robinson
Representative Sam Yingling
Brian Johnson, CEO, Equality Illinois
Building on the administration’s record $250 million funding for violence prevention through the Reimagine Public Safety program, today Governor JB Pritzker and other lawmakers announced additional funding for summer jobs and mental health for youth, as well as enacting several laws that are designed to combat carjackings.
These changes come as Illinois becomes the first state in the Midwest to ban untraceable, privately made firearms known as “ghost guns” and cracks down on organized retail crime rings.
“There is nothing more important than keeping our communities safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It’s why we’ve poured record funding into violence prevention and are surging additional resources to Chicago ahead of the summer. In order to help provide Illinoisans the security they deserve, we are also equipping law enforcement officers with the tools and protection they need to address rising crime rates. With these bills, we take another step towards dismantling cycles of violence that have plagued our neighborhoods for far too long.”
Summer Funding For CPS’ Project ‘Back to Our Future’
Governor Pritzker, in partnership with Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools, announced an $18M investment for project “Back to Our Future,” a youth development designed to address the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce violence. The program is expected to support 1,000 young people in high risk situations this summer, and is in addition to the significant investments in Chicago and around the state in summer jobs for youth.
“Now, more than ever, we must deepen investments in our young people—many of whom have been disconnected from safe, enriching environments that nurture their socioemotional and academic development,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “This bold effort will help us greatly in our efforts to create more of these environments, engage with every single child and ensure they have access to as many opportunities to thrive and succeed as possible.”
“Over the past 10 years, CPS has made significant progress in improving the academic and safety outcomes for students, resulting in record high graduation rates and record low exclusionary practices,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez. “Unfortunately, the closing of in-person learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has set back these efforts. The level of disconnection can be associated with higher levels of young people becoming victims of violence, experiencing mental health issues, and further economic disparities.”
Youth participants named the project: “Back to Our Future.” The program will deliver services that encompass a comprehensive community outreach, mental and behavioral health assessment, clinical therapy, intervention services, personalized goal setting/achievement, guided transition to educational re-connection, and job readiness - including soft skills training, transitional work, and permanent employment options. The goal is to meet disconnected youth “where they are” in their homes and communities. Program providers will help to keep youth safe while reconnecting them to a CPS school or an education completion program in order to build long-term stability.
Through the RPSA, organizations across the state already approved by IDHS with the capacity to expand programming have already received $10 million in “summer expansion” funding to increase services before the summer begins, in addition to this $18M allocation to Chicago Public Schools announced today.
The Reimagine Public Safety Program is investing hundreds of millions in community-based programs across Illinois through a three-year, multi-pronged approach to violence prevention. RPSA funds programs like summer job training, afterschool programming, high-risk intervention services, violence interrupters, case management, affordable mental health care treatment, and more in targeted communities with higher incidences of gun violence. Governor Pritzker recently opened applications for the next phase of funding, with $113 million in available to organizations that apply on a rolling basis.
“We are at a critical moment and this unique approach has the potential to reengage youth who have struggled profoundly during the pandemic. When we support people holistically, they are much more likely to succeed,” said Grace B. Hou, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services.
“We’re proud to be a part of this partnership that is laser focused on intervening with those most at risk of involvement in community violence. This partnership allows for access to education, employment and mental health resources that enable youth to thrive,” said Chris Patterson, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.
Reducing Vehicle Hijacking
The Governor is signing three bills that will help support carjacking victims and crack down on vehicle thefts. A number of lawmakers spearheaded the efforts in the General Assembly to put the legislation on the Governor’s desk.
“Car thefts are becoming more frequent and sophisticated with advances in technology,” said State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “We must provide the legal remedies that law enforcement need to take down these increasingly organized rings of car thieves.”
“The rise in carjackings is disturbing and yet, arrests are almost never made in these crimes denying these victims justice,” said State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago). “We need to do all we can to ensure that law enforcement agencies are working together to try new ideas to address this issue.”
“Burglars are using new technology to break into and steal cars, including devices that duplicate a signal from a key fob,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jaime Andrade Jr. (D-Chicago). “This is a needed update to our laws that will help prosecutors and ensure that we are effectively holding car thieves accountable for their actions.”
“We’ve seen a significant increase in violent carjackings in recent years that have recklessly endangered too many lives,” said State Representative Eva Dina Delgado (D-Chicago). “This measure provides needed investment to help law enforcement and prosecutors in the identification, apprehension and prosecution of carjackers. Long-term, it will also help us develop new strategies to combat vehicle hijackings and respond to additional challenges as we deal with this issue comprehensively.”
“When someone has their vehicle stolen, the last thing that should be on their mind is having to deal with red light tickets and other vehicle fines,” said State Representative Eva Dina Delgado (D-Chicago). “This commonsense measure makes it clear that vehicle owners are not liable for these penalties while their vehicle is stolen or hijacked.”
“Our job is to protect victims of violence in all its forms, and we are moving forward to tackle the roots of crime,” said Senate Majority Caucus Whip Omar Aquino (D-Chicago). “To that end, this measure ensures we are not traumatizing victims a second time with fines accumulated after suffering a carjacking. Carjacking victims must not be responsible for penalties and administrative fees imposed on a vehicle while it was not in their possession.”
Supporting Law Enforcement Efforts
Under House Bill 3699, the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council is responsible for allocating nearly $6.5 million in grant funding to support law enforcement in their efforts to prevent carjackings and motor vehicle theft. These funds are intended to assist in the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of hijackers while also implementing strategies to reduce carjackings and recover stolen vehicles. This legislation is effective January 1, 2023.
Many modern cars are equipped with key fobs used to open the car remotely and start the engine without turning a key in the ignition, allowing perpetrators to take advantage of convenient systems that can be easily compromised by using relay vehicle theft devices that mimic the car’s key. Under House Bill 601, possession of these devices with the intent to commit a felony or theft is made illegal. This legislation is effective January 1, 2023.
Protection for Victims
Under House Bill 3772, if a victim of a carjacking receives red light or speed camera violations after their vehicle has been hijacked, the court or hearing officer would be able to consider whether the vehicle was hijacked before the violation occurred or not under the control or possession of the vehicle owner or lessee at the time of violation. Expenses incurred for the towing and storage of a victim’s vehicle in connection with a crime of violence are reimbursable, to a maximum of $1,000. Administrative fees for a stolen car that was impounded would also be waived if an owner submits proof demonstrating the vehicle was hijacked.
Earlier this month, Governor Pritzker also signed laws reinvigorating the Violent Crime Witness Protection Act and launching a victim-centered co-responder pilot program to pair victims and witnesses with trauma-informed social workers. Last year, Illinois enacted the most comprehensive reform to our state firearms laws in over a generation, including universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.
* And one from Sen. Martwick…
A measure designed to provide law enforcement with additional resources to combat carjackings was signed into law thanks to the efforts of State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago).
“The rise in carjackings is disturbing and yet, arrests are almost never made in these crimes denying these victims justice,” Martwick said. “We need to do all we can to ensure that law enforcement agencies are working together to try new ideas to address this issue.”
The new law, formerly known as House Bill 3699, expands the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Act to include vehicle hijacking. Under the legislation, the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council – made up of representatives from law enforcement, state’s attorneys and the insurance industry – will be tasked with working together to reduce carjackings, a step that law enforcement say is needed.
A recent study from the Civic Federation found that in 2021 only 4% of the reported carjackings in Chicago resulted in arrest.
“I am pleased that we have taken this step to equip our law enforcement officers with the resources needed to protect our communities,” Martwick said. “This law puts us one step closer toward addressing this critical public safety issue across our state.”
The measure was signed into law Thursday and takes effect immediately.
We witnessed the recent public discussion of anti-semitism on your spouse’s talk show. While we were heartened to see that apologies were issued, we feel compelled to raise similar and related concerns about Mr. Jackson’s history of making offensive comments about the Latino community on his show, and fomenting harmful anti-Latino and anti-immigrant sentiments.
As you know, there is a long and painful history of tension cultivated between African American and Latino communities in Chicago. Following in the legacy of the Harold Washington era, we have worked hard to build solidarity between our communities, which face so many common challenges. That is why Mr. Jackson’s consistent sowing of animosity against the Latino community is so deeply troubling.
Furthermore, our immigrant community and particularly the undocumented population came under attack in recent years under Donald Trump and ICE. Now more than ever, we need leaders of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to stand together to defend undocumented immigrants against the threat of violent attacks and oppression.
Our struggles are inherently bound together. But instead, amid this crisis, Mr. Jackson has offered his show as a platform from which to lob attacks on the vulnerable Latino immigrant population. And all along, disappointingly, you have remained silent.
For example, just recently, on 4/27/2022, Mr. Jackson made several troubling comments in response to a recent report from the Great Cities Institute. “The person leading, who has the data ain’t us,” Mr. Jackson says [42:00], a reference to Teresa Cordova of the Great Cities Institute, who is Latina. He goes on to say he is “coming to the realization that [Latinos] are going to take our stuff.”
“They [Latinos] are hijacking our birthright by using the people of color analogy,” said Mr. Jackson. Later [1:07], Mr. Jackson says he “went to the Black gym at the Blackest church in Chicago, and it’s all Latino. They playing basketball right on Jackson.”
In the same episode, which took place during your campaign for Assessor, President Steele, Mr. Jackson discusses your campaign, and your logo is visible throughout the show on screen.
In another episode, this time from summer 2021, Mr. Jackson stated: “We gotta get these people in control, they’re destroying our city: Latinos! I think Latinos have taken the premise of ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ and when I say ‘beat them,’ you can’t beat the white boys so [you] join them in beating and villainizing the Black people.”
Those are just two recent examples of many such troubling comments Mr. Jackson has made without apparent response from you. Now, after years of silence, you are asking for our votes, and in some cases, our campaign contributions.
As you run for office countywide in a county with a significant Latino voting age population, we hope you will consider addressing this problematic history with the same urgency that you did when the Jewish community sounded their alarm.
Now more than ever, our communities should be uniting across the racial and ethnic lines that traditionally divided us. We hope you agree.
Sincerely,
Former Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez Ald. Sue Sadlowski Garza (10)
Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22)
Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25)
Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33)
Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa (35)
Ald. Andre Vasquez (40)
State Sen. Celina Villanueva
State Rep. Delia Ramirez
State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez
Commissioner Alma Anaya
The Latino Leadership Council
Equality Illinois Deputy Director Mony Ruiz-Velasco
Date: 5/11/2021
Link: https://youtu.be/rLtPONSsL6I Timestamp: 01:48:59
Transcript:
“So again my question becomes, who are we putting in these positions like who’s gonna be the new head of the streets, and saying ‘will we allow it to be somebody Latino?’”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:40:00
Transcript:
“I am going to remain in the position that the Black and Brown coalition is a mythical creation that white folks use.”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:40:19
Transcript:
“I don’t believe that there is a true Black and Brown coalition and I don’t necessarily believe that there should be.”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:42:38
Transcript:
“When is the last time you heard somebody Brown say ‘what about the Black people?’”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:42:15
Transcript:
“I was offended—I am offended—that once again we are marrying our issues to the Brown community.”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:43:50
Transcript:
“I think that Rep. Welch is ignoring the history of the ‘Black-Brown relationship’ in Chicago and Cook County, particularly because when the Latinos got into power their plan was not to coalesce with us, it was to make us bend the knee.”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:44:58
Transcript:
“I’m also tell you that until we until we reconcile the the latest offenses of the Latino community, the latest assaults of the Latino community, against Black folks, ain’t no Black Brown coalition [going to exist].”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:46:24
Transcript:
“What I want you all to do is to put your third eye out and recognize that all this Black-Brown coalition is usually talked about by people who represent mixed districts and are more concerned about the Latinos than the Black folks.”
Date: 5/8/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/Q9xFQTYNf7g Timestamp: 01:47:45
Transcript:
“Can you point to me in Illinois when the Latino caucus or the Latino community has stood up for Black people? The only person I can tell you who has done that I could think of is Senator Martin Sandoval. Besides him, I can’t think of any Latino elected official that went out upfront and said ‘as a Latino I am concerned about the interests of what happened to my brothers.’ Not even your boy Chuy Garcia, who talks about Harold Washington all the time! Not even Luis Gutierrez [in an mocking accent].”
Date: 4/16/2019
Link: https://youtu.be/bcobyWodYc0 Timestamp: 00:53:15
Transcript:
“I’m saying that Black people are being diluted to the point where they’re gonna be like, it’s just gonna be this murky pool, and we’re going to have nothing”
Again, as we’ve already discussed, Maze Jackson has advocated for and acted as a surrogate for his spouse’s campaigns. That makes this relevant.
Despite being outspent by over $5 million, with $4 million coming from the Democratic Governors Association in the last two weeks alone, a new poll shows Richard Irvin pulling ahead as a terrified J.B. Pritzker now personally involves himself in the GOP Primary.
“This poll confirms what Pritzker knows to be reality, that he will be defeated by Richard Irvin this November,” said Irvin for Illinois spokesperson Eleni Demertzis. “Pritzker’s attempt to hijack the Republican primary has been an utter failure, just like his tenure as governor of Illinois.”
According to a poll from Irvin Pollster, 1892, Irvin now leads the GOP primary field by 6 points despite being outspent 2 to 1.
The Irvin campaign team is usually very tight-lipped about their own polling.
To: Interested Parties
From: Irvin for Illinois
Date: May 26, 2022
Re: Illinois Governor Primary Poll
Methodology
1892 polling conducted a poll for the 2022 Illinois Gubernatorial Republican primary election on May 24th-25th. The poll was taken of N=700 likely voters. Respondents were contacted via a combination of cell phones and landlines, and the margin-of-error is ±3.7 percent.
Key Findings
Despite being outspent by millions, Irvin continues to lead the field: Illinois’ governor’s race has become the battleground location for the most expensive primary election in state history. The spend is being driven by a historic alliance between JB Pritzker and the Democrats along with some factions of the Republican Party to try and defeat Richard Irvin.
Pritzker is attempting to hijack the primary election: JB Pritzker knows that Richard Irvin is a threat to his corrupt political system. In the month of May, Irvin’s campaign has been outspent by over $5 million. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA), alone, has spent over $4 million in the last 2 weeks.
Bailey Outside Group $2,723,917
Bailey Campaign $3,756,501
Pritzker/DGA $9,544,369
About 1892
1892 has polled in every corner of the country, at every level of politics – from races for President, Governor, Senate, and Congress. Past clients include the Republican Governors Association, National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
* The BGA’s Rachel Hinton and David Jackson have a long report on DCFS today. I’ve broken it down into four sections. First, one of the big, well-known problems…
In 2021, 343 foster children — some as young as seven — were housed in psychiatric hospitals after doctors cleared them for release, records show.
That is up from the 309 cases from 2019, the BGA found.
“This is a true crisis,” University of Illinois at Chicago psychiatry professor Dr. Michael Naylor wrote in an October 2021 letter to state officials about the improper placements of foster children with mental health needs. […]
He was among 73 foster children locked for weeks or months in the Cook County juvenile temporary detention center without pending charges during 2021, according to a BGA analysis of court and DCFS records.
That is an increase from the 49 similar cases in 2019, the BGA found. […]
He was also among 167 foster children forced to sleep on air mattresses and cots in shelters, government offices or emergency rooms in 2021 as DCFS searched for placements, records show.
That is up from 154 cases the year before, according to the BGA analysis.
[DCFS Director Marc Smith] said his agency currently is forced to hold youth in juvenile jails, psychiatric hospitals and shelters because the department lacks safe alternatives.
“Safety is the number one concern of the Department of Children and Family Services,” Smith said. “We do not want to step a child out of a safe environment into a chaotic environment, or into an environment that’s not appropriate. It is better than putting them some place where they’re unsafe.”
Under then-Gov. Rauner, Illinois in 2015 embarked on a deliberate mission to decrease the number of youth in large institutions after a Chicago Tribune investigation showed some facilities were riddled by violence, runaways and sex-trafficking.
Illinois lost an estimated 460 beds in private residential treatment centers for youth since then, and DCFS has struggled to create the hundreds of promised therapeutic foster homes.
As of November, there were only 26 therapeutic foster homes — all run by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. Data provided by LSSI suggests those foster homes are effective in keeping their wards on track.
DCFS is currently negotiating to add 30 new shelter beds, 28 new residential beds for youth with autism or intellectual disabilities, and 43 new emergency foster beds “in the next few months,” according to a recent department plan.
Since 2015, some 500 child protection staff have left the department, DCFS said in one court filing from late March. The COVID-19 pandemic created “a nationwide hiring crisis that has impacted the child welfare sector acutely.”
In that court filing DCFS acknowledged it wasn’t hiring new workers fast enough to keep up with investigations and rising numbers of children in state care.
Statewide, the agency’s job vacancy rate soared to over 21% this March from less than 9% in March of last year, court records show. In 2021, the agency employed nearly 3,000.
Of those who remain, nearly 35% are managing caseloads that exceed limits set by a 1991 federal consent decree, according to April figures from the union that represents agency employees. […]
DCFS also raised its recruitment staff from two to seven people, and cut the time to onboard new recruits from six months to two. It added recruitment efforts at the Chicago Auto Show and the Illinois State Fair, and brought on retired workers under 75-day contracts.
And the department has been conducting “blitzes” at field offices, in which volunteer staff from other sites sweep in to complete investigations and paperwork, according to court records filed by DCFS.
Bill McCaffrey, a DCFS spokesman, said agency workers have endured only 20 threats or assaults in the five years ending in January, during which they made 2.5 million home visits.
Not true, says the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents about 2,800 agency employees. The union reports 20 incidents of threat or assault against DCFS workers in the first quarter of 2021 alone, and 29 more throughout the rest of the year.
McCaffrey said the union’s figures reflect a broader range of threats and violence outside of home visits, including at hospitals, offices, residential facilities or through email or text. Not all warrant notifying law enforcement, McCaffrey said.
The threats may not all warrant calling the cops, but they’re still an issue for the folks on the receiving end. That’s a truly unfortunate dismissal by McCaffrey.
(i) make statements that commit or appear to commit the candidate with respect to cases, controversies or issues within cases that are likely to come before the court
* With that in mind, notice the Supreme Court candidate’s use of a #ProChoice hashtag…
* And Rotering isn’t the only Supreme Court candidate who’s trying to get the message out on this particular topic. This example from the 3rd District a few weeks ago doesn’t appear to be an obvious violation of the canon, but it’s why Personal PAC and other groups are so anxious about the court’s balance…
Yesterday’s sentencing of Luis Arroyo is just the latest example of Kwame Raoul’s failure to keep his campaign promises. In 2018, Raoul promised that he would tackle corruption, and yet he has taken the backseat and shown no initiative to take on his corrupt cronies like Mike Madigan.
Attorney General candidate Steve Kim released the following statement following the sentencing:
Kwame Raoul has proven that his ‘promises’ are just empty words. What has he done to tackle corruption in this state? He stood idly by while federal investigators took action. There is a reason Illinois remains the most corrupt state in the country: career politicians protecting their cronies time and time again. I’ve attacked corruption throughout my legal career, and I will tackle it as Attorney General. Unlike Kwame Raoul, when I make a promise, I intend to deliver.
* From an insider at Comptroller Mendoza’s operation…
If you’re doing a round-up of stories on Luis Arroyo’s well-deserved sentence, feel free to note that his final, sleazy act as state rep, post-dating his resignation to take effect the following day so he could get an extra month’s salary, prompted a law banning the practice. Comptroller Mendoza was not happy to learn she’d have to pay him & Marty Sandoval an extra month’s salary and championed a bill to end the “exit bonus”:
Luis Arroyo was sentenced to 57 months in prison yesterday for his role in attempting to bribe public officials to help with gambling machine legislation. Arroyo’s conduct is indicative of the corruption that has destroyed the public’s trust in our state government.
It shows exactly why we need John Milhiser, a corruption busting career prosecutor, as our next Secretary of State in the office that touches more lives than any other in state government. Illinois can’t afford to go backward with more career politicians.
John Milhiser released the following statement following the Arroyo sentencing:
From 1970 to 2010, there were more than 1500 corruption convictions in the state of Illinois. Obviously that trend is continuing with the indictment of powerful politicians like Ed Burke and Mike Madigan, and further illustrated by the sentencing of Luis Arroyo. Our state can’t go backwards with more career politicians. The Democrats in this race are pointing fingers at one another, each accusing the other of being more corrupt. We need a Secretary of State who knows what it takes to root out corruption from the inside. I’m the only candidate in this race who can get the job done.
They’re all missing an obvious angle here.
* One thing that could be done right now is for Chicago and/or the state to actually get serious about eliminating those ubiquitous and shady sweepstakes machines. Illegal or even kinda-illegal gambling breeds corruption. Period. The city and state turns a blind eye to the sweepstakes machines, but the city won’t opt-in to legal video gaming so that small businesses can make legitimate money off of something people are gonna do anyway. It says more about city leaders than they may believe. WTTW…
Former Illinois state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who last year pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme in which he offered a member of the Illinois Senate monthly payments to support a bill that sought to legalize sweepstakes machines, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison
U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger issued the sentence during an in-person hearing Wednesday afternoon in the Dirksen Federal Building downtown, nearly seven months after Arroyo pleaded guilty.
“You took bribes, you corrupted yourself, you corrupted the political process,” the judge said. “You tried to corrupt the law itself. You tried to change Illinois for a corrupt reason. … What you did was a frontal assault on the very idea of representative government. The public did not get what they deserve.” […]
On top of the prison time, Arroyo must also forfeit $32,500, the amount Seeger determined he had received in bribes from Weiss’ company. Arroyo must turn himself in by Aug. 31 to begin serving his sentence.
According to the 15-page indictment, Weiss paid bribes to Arroyo beginning in November 2018 in exchange for Arroyo’s promotion of legislation beneficial to Weiss’ company, Collage LLC, which specialized in the sweepstakes machines.
Weiss was also in business with another sweepstakes machine company, V.S.S. Inc., run by an ex-Chicago cop who was fired for consorting with a drug trafficker, the Tribune has previously reported.
The bribes were paid via off-the-books lobbying payments to Arroyo’s consulting firm, Spartacus 3 LLC, which Arroyo failed to report to state regulators, according to the charges.
Both Weiss and Arroyo also conspired in 2019 to pay then-state Sen. Terry Link $2,500 a month in kickbacks in exchange for the senator’s support on the proposed sweepstakes game legislation.
Arroyo and Weiss allegedly tried to enlist Link in the scheme, and Arroyo gave Link a $2,500 bribe payment in August 2019. But Link turned out to be cooperating with investigators in hopes of leniency at his own sentencing hearing. He has since pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return.
“You betrayed the public, you betrayed the people that you promised to serve, you sold out your office, you sold out your constituents, you sold out yourself,” Seeger told Arroyo.
The judge said, “You can’t read the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Times for very long without coming across a story about public corruption. The federal courthouse in Chicago is a beehive of activity when it comes to public corruption.”
But Gillespie wrote in one brief that Arroyo was undeterred from his crime by such news reports. Seeger didn’t like that comment, either.
…Adding… Delia Ramirez…
Below is a statement by 3rd Congressional District candidate Delia Ramirez on the sentencing of former State Representative and 36th Ward Alderman Gil Villegas’ mentor, Luis Arroyo.
“The sentencing of former State Rep. Luis Arroyo is the latest example of an elected official going to jail for betraying the public trust. While former Rep. Luis Arroyo bribed elected officials in Springfield over sweepstakes legislation, his protége Alderman Gil Villegas introduced similar sweepstakes legislation in the City of Chicago. Villegas did this at the request of James T. Weiss, the same individual who has been charged as the source of the bribes in the Arroyo corruption scandal.
“Although these charges have been public for over two years, Alderman Gil Villegas has never denounced the corrupt behavior of his political mentor, Luis Arroyo. Villegas has unapologetically taken more than $40,000 in campaign contributions from Arroyo. Voters deserve an explanation for these connections. Villegas’ silence speaks volumes.
“Our families can not afford to be represented by elected officials who are beholden to corporate interests and corrupt politicians. If Alderman Villegas can’t even condemn his personal mentor who has been convicted and sentenced for corruption, why should 3rd district voters trust him to stand up for them in Washington?
“The voters of the 3rd Congressional District deserve to be represented by an accountable and ethical leader in Washington. I am that leader and I have the proven track record of getting results for working families.”
The real Richard Irvin is a lifelong liberal Democrat. Need more proof? In text messages, Richard Irvin called President Trump an idiot and a bigoted racist. ‘I hate Trump,’ wrote Irvin. These are Richard Irvin’s actual text messages. So see for yourself. Richard Irvin thinks JB Pritzker is a great leader. But Irvin hates President Trump and thinks he’s an idiot. Richard Irvin, a lifelong liberal Democrat you just can’t trust.
* The second is a positive Bailey spot. He actually speaks to the camera in this one…
I’m Darren Bailey and it’s time for some straight talk. I’m a lifelong Republican and I voted for President Trump every time. In Springfield, I’ve never voted for a tax increase. And I’m the only candidate who’s taken on JB Pritzker and won. As governor, I’ll fight the liberals at every turn. We’ll ban Critical Race Theory from our schools. We won’t let boys compete in girls’ sports. And our police will always be funded. If you’re ready to take back Illinois, I’d appreciate your support.
* Amanda Vinicky at WTTW had the best story about the Texas school shooting as it relates to Illinois and the national level that I’ve seen so far this week. Have a look…
* I’m told the pro-choice groups will endorse Nancy Rotering, who was rated “Not Recommended” by the Illinois State Bar Association…
PRO-CHOICE GROUPS GATHER TO ANNOUNCE ENDORSEMENT IN ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT 2nd DISTRICT RACE
WHEN: Thursday, May 26
TIME: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Planned Parenthood Illinois Action Administrative offices, 17 N. State, Chicago 5th Floor
SPEAKER LIST:
Kelley Foxx, Board Chair, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
Terry Cosgrove, President & CEO of Personal PAC
Representative Anna Moeller, Representative Dan Didech, Representative Joyce Mason, Representative Sam Yingling
DETAILS:
In light of the leaked SCOTUS draft opinion on Roe V. Wade, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Personal PAC are gathering to publicly announce their endorsement for the Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd District race.
With Illinois remaining as the last line of defense to ensure people in the midwest have access to safe abortion, it’s more important than ever before to support pro-choice candidates for the Illinois State Supreme Court.
Maybe this means she will finally have the cash to compete. We’ll see.
* Meanwhile, from one of her Democratic primary opponents…
Today, the Judge Rochford for Illinois Supreme Court campaign released the first digital ad in the Second District race. The ad highlights Judge Rochford’s deep credentials and decades-long experience in the courts, which include more than 35 years practicing law and serving as a judge for the last decade. It also highlights Judge Rochford’s recent “highly recommended” rating by the Illinois State Bar Association, the only Democratic candidate in the race to receive it.
“This first ad represents the launch of an aggressive paid media campaign to engage voters across the Second District about Judge Elizabeth Rochford’s unparalleled depth of experience in the race for Illinois Supreme Court,” said Steven Campbell, campaign manager for the Rochford campaign. “As the only Democratic candidate in this race to be rated highly recommended by the Illinois State Bar Association, it is more clear than ever that Judge Rochford is the Democratic candidate who is best positioned to win this seat in November. There is too much at stake in this race to risk nominating a candidate who does not have the qualifications necessary to serve on our state’s highest court and make that case to voters this Fall against a very well funded Republican nominee.”
The ad spotlights the strong coalition of support Judge Rochford has built from leading labor organizations, elected officials, and pro-choice legislative leaders. She has been endorsed by nearly every major union, including the Illinois State AFL-CIO, Local 881 UFCW, Plumbers Local Union 130 United Association (UA), Teamsters Joint Council 25, and the Lake County and McHenry County Building & Construction Trades Councils and their affiliates, which together include 44 local affiliate trade unions.
In addition to labor support, Judge Rochford has been endorsed by Secretary of State Jesse White and Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Iris Martinez, as well as current and former state legislators that include Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz, Senator Melinda Bush, Senator Sara Feigenholtz, Senator Elgie Sims, Assistant House Majority Leader Marcus Evans, former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, former State Senator and State Representative Susan Garrett, and former State Senator Heather Steans.
I cannot see how that ad will possibly stand out in the growing ambient noise. But, maybe you think differently.
…Adding… From Rochford’s campaign…
Today, the Judge Rochford for Illinois Supreme Court campaign released the following statement on behalf of both current and former Illinois State Senators who endorse Judge Rochford’s candidacy and have served as vocal advocates in protecting and expanding access to women’s reproductive healthcare here in Illinois. Those lending their name to the statement include State Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, State Senator Melinda Bush, State Senator Sara Feigenholtz, former State Senator and Cook County Clerk Iris Martinez and former State Senator Heather Steans. Their statement is as follows:
“For years, we have been on the frontlines of the fight to protect women’s reproductive rights here in Illinois, work that has become more important than ever as we witness our freedoms coming under attack across the country. To ensure Illinois stays strong when it comes to protecting the rights of women across the state, we need proven and experienced leaders at every level of government. That includes the Illinois Supreme Court. We support Judge Elizabeth Rochford in the Second District, whose qualifications are unmatched by any of her opponents, which is underscored by the fact that she is the only Democratic candidate in this race rated ‘Highly Recommended’ by the Illinois State Bar Association. Judge Rochford is not just the best candidate to serve on the highest court in the state, but our best chance at winning this seat in November.”
Personal PAC has been on the opposite side of influential pro-choice women legislators on more than one race this year. It’s an interesting development.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum…
Illinois is drawing nearer to the most important election in years. With life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on the line, voters have the power to make historical change with office-holders. Pro-life, pro-family, and pro-liberty David E. Smith, Director of Illinois Family Institute, announced his full endorsement of Republican Judge John Noverini for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District in the June 28th Republican Primary.
“John Noverini is a man of integrity, a family man who has a strong Christian faith, and unwavering principles. We need jurists like him on the bench in Illinois because we know that he will defend the Constitutions of Illinois and the United States,” stated Smith. “I have every reason to believe that Justice Noverini will uphold our civil rights of life, liberty, and the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession will have no better guardian.” David E. Smith is the executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, an independent 501c(3) non-profit ministry dedicated to upholding and re-affirming marriage, family, life, and liberty in Illinois since 1992. David is a Republican precinct committeeman and the Crete Township Republican Organization chairman.
“Receiving the personal endorsement from David Smith, the head of one of the most influential and important organizations to voters, is received with sincere appreciation. Dave, and those who work with and for IFI, are regularly bombarded with hostility from those opposed to their firmly held religious beliefs, yet they stand firm in their cause and never give up on God’s calling for them. I have tremendous respect for David.”
Judge Noverini was elected in 2008 as a Circuit Court Trial Judge and retained in 2014 and then again retained in 2020. Judge Noverini has experience in Family, Criminal and Civil courtrooms. During his judicial tenure, he has served as the Presiding Judge of the Family Law Division, Criminal Division, where he has presided over close to 100 criminal jury trials, Probate Court, Guardianship Court, Traffic and Mental Health Courts. He and his wife, Saray Rodriguez Noverini, are long-time residents in Kane County. Judge Noverini is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds a Master’s degree in History from Northeastern Illinois University and a Juris Doctorate from IIT Chicago Kent College of Law.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Personal PAC just sent a blast email to supporters. Here’s the only reasoning the group pointed to for why they’re backing Rotering to be an Illinois Supreme Court Justice and not anyone else in the district…
Nancy served on the Planned Parenthood Illinois board from 2016 until declaring her candidacy, demonstrating her deep commitment to reproductive rights.
…Adding… Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign when asked for a statement…
Richard Irvin has repeatedly urged the public to examine his record, which is exactly what this ad does. The more we learn about him, the worse it gets.
…Adding… Eleni Demertzis at the Irvin campaign…
This ad is nothing more than proof that JB Pritzker is running scared because he knows Richard Irvin will beat him in November.
