And the winners are…
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Use of Social Media goes to Tina Sfondeles…
I get both interesting political/government scoops and needed doses of humor from Tina Sfondeles’ Twitter account, at least while it lasts.
@ChicagoBars gets honorable mention, and his nomination of Tina is also worth noting…
Good to have her back in Chicago reporting. This nomination is contingent on Miss Sfondeles getting the Sun Times web site to quit asking me to log in every 2 days on my phone.
Yes, please.
* The Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter goes to walker…
He frequently notes insightful and often overlooked points to the critical issues facing Illinois. And his brevity in doing so is worthy of emulation by all, especially me.
From Oswego Willy’s walker nomination…
I mean, how often to do we read “walker is correct”?
Very often.
True.
* Congratulations to everyone who won this year…
Best Session Restaurant: Fritz’s
Best Session Tavern/Hangout: JP Kelly’s
Best Senate Democrat Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Ivan Gonzalez
Best Senate Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manage: Cathy Scaife
Best House Democrat Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Ricardo Montoya-Picazo
Best House Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Megan McGuire
Best House Democrat Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Ricardo Montoya-Picazo
Best House Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Megan McGuire
Best Non Political State Senate Staffer: Meredith O’Brien
Best Non Political State House Staffer: Kendra Piercy
Best Senate Democrat Campaign Staffer: Kevin Romo & Dana Stoerger
Best House Democrat Campaign Staffer: Craig Willert
Best Senate Republican Campaign Staffer: Brent Ellis & Matt Butcher
Best House Republican Campaign Staffer: Mark Revis
Best Government Spokesperson: Eleni Demertzis & Abdon Pallasch
Best Campaign Spokesperson: Natalie Edelstein
Best Democrat Illinois State Representative: Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside)
Best Republican Illinois State Representative: Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City)
Best Democrat Illinois State Senator: Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago)
Best Republican Illinois State Senator: Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove)
Best Contract Lobbyist: Heather Wier Vaught & Liz Brown
Best In-House Lobbyist: Khadine Bennett
Best Legislative Liaison: Andi VanderKolk
Best State Agency Director: Alexis Sturm
Best Statewide Staffer: Anne Caprara
Best Do-Gooder Lobbyist: John Amdor
Best US Representative: Adam Kinzinger
Best Statewide Officeholder: JB Pritzker
Lifetime Achievement: Secretary of State Jesse White
Best Association/Union Leader: Terry Cosgrove
Best Use of Social Media: Tina Sfondeles
Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter: walker
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Pritzker inauguration events announced
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton’s Inaugural Committee announced the schedule of events for Inauguration Day on Monday, January 9, 2023, in Springfield.
The inaugural ceremony to swear in Governor Pritzker, Lt. Governor Stratton, and other constitutional officers will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Bank of Springfield Center. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Interested parties may request up to two complimentary tickets on the inauguration website starting on Friday, December 16, 2022, at ilinauguration23.com.
The governor and lieutenant governor’s inauguration celebration will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Exposition Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Pre-sale tickets will be available by invitation only with general-sale tickets to be announced pending availability. Ticket sales will benefit charitable endeavors in Illinois and will be announced at a later date.
Additional details for media coverage will be forthcoming.
ABOUT THE JB INAUGURATION COMMITTEE 2023
The JB Inauguration Committee 2023 is collecting and voluntarily reporting the name, address, employer, and occupation of donors that contribute more than $1,000. We will not accept anonymous contributions or contributions in cash. JB Inauguration Committee 2023 is a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit organization.
Any guesses who the musical headliner will be this time?
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* From a Center Square story entitled “State commission offers uncertain forecast for Illinois’ economy”…
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability provided an update on the 2023 forecast to the Illinois State Board of Education Wednesday and said it is increasing its fiscal year 2023 revenue outlook to just over $51 billion. That is only $259 million above fiscal 2022 final levels.
“Only.”
What a crock.
* Here’s what CGFA actually reported…
Through the first five months of the fiscal year, overall general funds receipts are up an amazing $1.945 billion. […]
Even when excluding the $620 million growth in one-time revenues from Federal ARPA reimbursements, the general funds base growth of $1.325 billion is just as impressive - especially considering that these FY 2023 receipts are being compared to the record-breaking levels of FY 2022.
Personal income tax receipts through November are $1.019 billion above last year’s pace on a gross basis, or $860 million on a net basis. Corporate income tax receipts have risen $380 million in total or $311 million net. While the performance of sales tax receipts have been boosted by inflated prices, it still has resulted in year-to-date tax revenue growth of $407 million or $235 million net.
CGFA is usually reticent to use glowing phrases like “amazing” and “impressive,” but there you go.
* Here’s what happened. CGFA revised this fiscal year’s revenue outlook upward by $4.9 billion in November. The “strong overall performance” of financial numbers released since that decision, CGFA reported, “further solidify the Commission’s confidence in raising the FY 2023 general funds revenue estimate.”
The commission’s revised forecast was about $1.2 billion higher than the governor’s budget office revision. The governor used that GOMB forecast to justify paying off the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund debt, among other things.
* And here’s where the Center Square misinformation is important. The current FY23 state budget as originally drafted relied on total revenue projections of $46.43 billion, which was back then about $4.6 billion below FY22’s record-breaking $51.07 billion in revenues. So, if CGFA is right, then the recently revised forecast would result in total revenues almost $300 million higher than last year’s, or almost $4.9 billion higher than originally expected.
Not to mention the CGFA report advised that another upward revenue revision is possible next March, “if any semblance of the current pace of revenue growth continues.” Personal income tax receipts are currently running “well ahead” of last fiscal year’s pace, CGFA notes, but CGFA’s newly revised estimates still predict the revenue stream will decline by nearly $700 million this fiscal year.
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* Press release…
As the new year starts, a number of new laws take effect. Nearly 200 laws will officially be on the books Jan. 1 – from one that bans latex gloves during food preparation, to another that reduces vehicle registration fees for seniors.
The Senate Democratic Caucus outlined 10 of the most interesting laws that will affect Illinoisans in all corners of the state. Those include:
· SB 3120: Allows women who have a miscarriage, other diagnosis or event that impacts pregnancy or fertility, or death of a family member to take 10 days of unpaid leave.
· SB 3459: Requires next of kin to any Illinois resident who dies while on State Active Duty or Federal Active Duty, to be presented the Illinois state flag.
· SB 3609: Reduces the vehicle registration fees for cars and small trucks if it was manufactured in Illinois.
· SB 3616: Changes the Illinois Human Rights Act to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists, to combat hair discrimination in the workplace.
· SB 3667: Provides that a petition for a protective order may be filed at any time, in-person, by email, or online, and that a county with a population above 250,000 must offer the option of a remote hearing.
· SB 3932: Requires a coroner or medical examiner with custody of human remains that are not identified within 72 hours of discovery to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
· HB 209: Bans latex gloves for the use of handling and preparing food, as well as for EMA personnel.
· HB 3772: Provides people whose cars were stolen not be liable for violations, fees, fines or penalties when caught on red light cameras or speed cameras.
· HB 4271: Requires medically necessary breast reduction surgery to be covered by state-regulated private insurance.
· HB 5304: Reduces the vehicle registration fee for senior citizens from $24 to $10.
For more information on the laws above, click here.
Dozens of other laws will also take effect Jan. 1, 2023. A full list can be found at www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/2023NewLaws.
Thoughts?
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Some Pritzker folks receive promotions
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Some past Golden Horseshoe winners in here…
Gov. Pritzker Announces Staff Transitions
CHICAGO – Ahead of being sworn in to serve the state of Illinois for a second term, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following staff transitions.
Emily Miller will now oversee both of Governor Pritzker’s Policy and Legislative teams as Senior Advisor to the Governor for Policy and Legislative Affairs. Miller is an attorney who has previously served as Governor Pritzker’s deputy chief of staff for policy, and as a policy advisor to Governor Pritzker’s 2018 campaign. Prior to that, Miller directed policy and advocacy work at Illinois-based non-profit organizations where she specialized in issues related to economic mobility, early childhood education, fiscal policy, consumer protection, human services, and government accountability. Miller began her career in Illinois policy and politics after she graduated from the DePaul university college of law in 2006.
Chris Shallow returns to the Governor’s Office to serve as Legislative Director after serving as Political Director on the Governor’s 2022 reelection campaign. He previously served as Director of Public Engagement in the Office of Governor Pritzker. Before entering state government Shallow served as District Director for Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, and over the last decade has held management roles within numerous political and campaign organizations. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, a native Illinoisan, and a passionate White Sox fan.
Jordan Abudayyeh will begin a new role as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Strategic Media, overseeing the Governor’s Communications team. Abudayyeh previously served as Governor Pritzker’s Press Secretary for his first term. Abudayyeh also served the same role on Pritzker’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Before entering politics, Abudayyeh was an award-winning political reporter for Springfield’s ABC affiliate WICS-TV, an anchor and producer for Naperville’s NCTV17, and an associate producer for Milwaukee’s WISN-TV. She received a degree in broadcast journalism and sociology from Marquette University.
Jason Rubin will begin a new role as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Agency Strategy, overseeing the Governor’s Communications team. Rubin previously served as Governor Pritzker’s Deputy Communications Director, a role he has held since the governor’s inauguration. Prior to that, Rubin served as Deputy Communications Director on the governor’s 2018 campaign and held communications roles with New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Rep. Patrick Murphy’s 2016 U.S. Senate campaign in Florida. Rubin began his career in politics as the Director of Scheduling for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. He is a graduate of Vassar College with a degree in political science.
Emily Bittner will begin serving as Senior Advisor to the Governor, overseeing a new portfolio including the Department of Innovation and Technology, the Illinois Tollway, the Illinois Racing Board, the Illinois Gaming Board, along with the Illinois Lottery. Previously, Bittner served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications. She also served as Chief of Strategy for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a role she began in 2017 after serving for three years at Chicago Public Schools, where she led the district’s communications and strategic efforts during the push for historic education funding reform. Bittner served as an adviser for Mayor Emanuel’s 2015 re-election campaign. Bittner previously led communications strategy serving as the chief spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, and the Democratic Governors Association. She began her career as a reporter at The Arizona Republic covering public safety. Bittner is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned degrees in journalism and political science.
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Afternoon news roundup
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Far-right Republicans regularly demand a single flavor of Republicanism. But while a large chunk of the party’s members side with those folks, majorities and pluralities appear to support a big tent philosophy on most individual hot-button issues, according to a Monmouth University poll of party members…
However…
A majority (55%) of Republican voters continue to say that Biden’s 2020 victory was due only to voter fraud. Just 28% say the current president won fair and square.
*Heavy sigh*
I don’t know how anyone can be taken seriously if they believe that nonsense.
* From the Illinois Supreme Court…
The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force (Task Force) has updated its resource documents, including draft flowcharts, considerations documents and sample orders, to reflect the latest Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) amendments as of December 15, 2022.
The updated resources and other Task Force information can be found here.
* “Voters overwhelmingly rejected my candidate, so they are all doomed to ignominious death”…
Merry Christmas to you, too, Dan.
…Adding… Amnesty International…
Amnesty International USA’s Campaign Manager for Ending Gun Violence, Ernest Coverson, issued the following statement in support of the Protect Illinois Communities Act (HB5855).
“It’s imperative that the Illinois legislature pass the Protect Illinois Communities Act ahead of the January session. This bill, which would ban assault weapons, among other provisions, is a step toward keeping the communities of Illinois safer and free of gun violence. Gun violence continues to tear apart our communities nationwide and has a disproportionate impact on people of color; for example, nationally, Black people are 10 times more likely to be victims of firearm-related homicides and 18 times more likely to suffer firearm-related injuries than white people. Illinois was ravaged by gun violence this year with more than 50 mass shooting incidents, some of which could have been prevented with stricter gun control measures such as what is contained in HB 5855.”
“Legislation like the Protect Illinois Communities Act puts necessary safeguards in place such as banning large capacity magazines, rapid-fire mechanisms, increasing the Firearm Owners Identification eligibility age to 21 with limited, specific exceptions, and dedicating law enforcement to counter the trafficking of illegal firearms from out of state. All of these measures will help address the plague of gun violence in both urban and rural communities across the state. Amnesty International urges state leaders and local communities to come together to support the Protect Illinois Communities Act and move one step closer to a safer Illinois.”
* Oops…
Federal prosecutors say recent FBI surveillance of Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) undermined her claim that she is medically unfit to stand trial on public corruption charges.
In asking last month for U.S. District Judge John Kness to find her unfit, Austin’s lawyers said her deteriorating health issues have brought her to a point where she could not pass a six-minute walking test in September, and that she struggles even with the help of a portable oxygen concentrator.
But while being surveilled on Nov. 19, the feds say Austin was seen walking in and out of a salon unassisted. After spending three hours at the salon, she was allegedly seen visiting a beauty store — “again, unassisted.”
“FBI agents did not observe her using oxygen at any time during the surveillance,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Didwania wrote.
* Press release…
Memorial services for State Senator Scott Bennett will be held on Monday, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana.
Senator Bennett passed away on Friday, Dec. 9 surrounded by his wife, family and loved ones from complications of a large brain tumor.
He had served in the Senate since 2015 and has served as chair of the Senate’s Higher Education and Agriculture committees.
Senator Bennett, a fifth-generation Central Illinoisan, was a tireless advocate and champion for measures to protect and improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable in our state: children, families, older adults, and individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health issues.
During his tenure, he fought to secure MAP grant funding and make college more affordable for Illinois families, instituted protections to keep the drinking water in the Mahomet Aquifer safe, promoted compassionate courtrooms by authorizing the use of “comfort dogs,” and teamed up with Treasurer Michael Frerichs to create the Illinois Achieving a Better Life Expectancy Act, better known as the ABLE Act.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations in Senator Bennett’s memory to CU Able or Champaign-Urbana Autism Network, as his priority for the upcoming legislative session was going to center around assistance for people with disabilities.
The Bennett family has asked that their privacy is respected as they navigate this difficult time.
WHO: Governor JB Pritzker, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones, State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe, Senate President Don Harmon, Former State Senator Pat McGuire, State Representative Tom Bennett, Champaign County States Attorney Julia Rietz and Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen
WHEN: Doors open at 9 a.m. and the Memorial will start 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 19, 2022
WHERE: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL) and live on BlueRoomStream.com
* From Navy Pier…
CHICAGO— Reyes Coca-Cola is bringing in the classic Coca-Cola Caravan Saturday, December 17 from 4 pm – 9 pm. This Coca-Cola semi-truck is decked out in holiday lights! Guests are invited to take a free photo with the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bear and enjoy a free sample of Coca-Cola products. Reyes Coca-Cola is the new beverage partner across the Pier.
On Friday, December 16, Ozinga’s Merry Mixer is coming to Navy Pier. Ozinga’s signature red-and-white striped mixer is decked out with more than 32,000 programmed lights. This dazzling display features animated light sequences and toe-tapping renditions of favorite holiday tunes. Guests can experience this free display from 4 pm – 10 pm.
The Holidays are coming alive all-around Navy Pier! Visit our Winter Artisan Market to find a one-of-a-kind, locally-made gift. Guests can join one of our free workshops led by Chicago artists and learn how to make a gift for your special someone. Stay into the evening to celebrate the season at our night markets while enjoying some tunes from local musicians or sipping on a holiday cocktail from one of our restaurants.
On Saturday, December 17 from 1 pm – 3 pm, there will be cookie decorating. Guests will choose different holiday-themed cookies and learn from a master cookie decorator how to paint and decorate edible holiday scenes. Then, from 4 pm – 6 pm, local Chicago artist, Cookie Kwan, will guide guests in the creation of traditional Filipino ‘Parol Lanterns’ which are displayed throughout the holiday season.
From 7 pm – 9 pm, guests will begin the Gift of Music workshop by selecting a song that reminds them of someone. The first part of this workshop is creating a detailed card in the shape of a record with a note attached to it as well as an envelope to insert the card into. The second part of the workshop will include printing out a QR code to the song selected that will then be attached to the card. When the QR code is scanned, the song will play on the person’s phone.
There will be live art with Natalia Virafuentes from 2 pm – 5 pm. Virafuentes is a Mexican-American multimedia artist born and raised in the city of Chicago. Her works go from 2D to 3D but primarily consist of drawing and painting. She has been working hard as a muralist since 2019. Guests can also enjoy live holiday music by JoLin & the Cousins from 6 pm – 8 pm.
* Thanks, but the real thanks go to the people who stepped up and more than doubled our previous online fundraising record set in 2021…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* FOX 32 | New poll shows Lightfoot trailing Garcia, Vallas: A new voter opinion survey suggests Mayor Lori Lightfoot would come in third if the Feb. 28 election were held today. That would eliminate the first-term incumbent from competing in any April runoff election.
* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County’s first Latino and openly gay countywide official begins term; ‘Government works better when it reflects the community’: The 30-year-old is believed to be the both the first Latino and first openly gay person to hold an elected, countywide office in Lake County. “A few cycles ago, Avon Township in Lake County made history by electing Krystal Larson the first openly transgender township clerk,” Vega said. “It’s 2022, the county is a quarter Latino, we have thousands of folks that are proudly LGBTQ and I’ve always said government works better when it reflects the community they represent.
* FOX 32 | Staffing woes hamper CPD reform efforts, new report warns: The Chicago Police Department’s deep staffing and personnel issues continue to hinder its court-ordered reform efforts, according to a progress report released Thursday. By the end of the most recent reporting period, covering the first half of the year, the police department had earned some form of compliance with 78% of the reviewable sections in the sweeping federal consent decree, which the city entered into after the police killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014.
* Crain’s | Inflation is eroding the power of basic income checks in America: A group of low-income residents of Cook County, Illinois is getting their first $500 checks this week from the $42 million two-year program, which organizers say is the largest-ever such initiative in the US. The idea is to give families a government-funded guaranteed payment every month to help pay for the basics like food, shelter and other living expenses. Lightfoot’s budget doesn’t include funding to extend Chicago’s basic income program beyond one year. But with soaring prices for everything from food to fuel, more than 3,000 recipients will find that money won’t stretch nearly as far as when the grants were announced in May.
* Crain’s | Unionized Starbucks workers kick off three-day strike: Employees of unionized Starbucks locations are participating in a nationwide demonstration starting today. Workers are demanding an end to store closures in a three-day unfair labor practice strike through the weekend. Six locations across Illinois, four of them in Chicago, are taking part in the action, which begins at 7 a.m. today. The demonstration includes 100 locations across the country.
* WTTW | 14-Year-Old Charged With Bringing Firearm Into Chicago Elementary School: Chicago police announced the student has been charged with felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon and threat to a school building. He was also cited for possessing a high-capacity magazine and metal piercing bullets. According to police, the student — whose name was not released because he is a minor — was arrested Wednesday at Mary E. Courtenay Language Arts Center, 4420 N. Beacon St., after he was reported to staff in the building.
* Semafor | Democratic lawmakers are looking for the exits in case Twitter implodes: A number of Democrats have publicly criticized Musk’s recent decisions to suspend journalists, his conspiratorial tweets, and his abandonment of the prior management’s approach to hate speech and harassment. While no members are quitting just yet, several offices say they’re checking out new options and may change up their social media diet.
* Daily Herald | Botched police raids lead to change in state’s attorney’s warrants policy: “The intrusion that search warrants legally authorize justifies greater disclosure and transparency to ensure that a search warrant is carried out on the correct individual and location,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said in announcing changes. “Going forward to receive our signoff, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office will require law enforcement to submit to increased checks of the information provided to request search warrants and then disclose the outcome of the warrant.
* Tribune | Chicago police officer tied to disgraced unit fired 18 years after scandal: The Police Board decided to dismiss Officer Thomas Sherry in a 5 to 1 decision for his alleged actions in the disgraced Special Operations Section, a specialized unit that was disbanded when some of its officers committed home invasions and robberies in the 2000s.
* Crain’s | Kinzinger delivers a scathing farewell speech that singes the GOP—and Dems, too: The Channahon Republican, who along with now-ousted Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney was one of only two GOP members to serve on the House’s Jan. 6 investigative committee, criticized his party for embracing “lies and deceit” while buying in to conspiracy theories and slavishly supporting former President Donald Trump.
* The Hill | Trump’s digital cards sell out within a day: As of Friday morning, the site selling the non-fungible tokens (NFTs) says they are sold out, and links to purchase the digital cards are no longer available. OpenSea Data, which tracks the sales and markets for NFTs, indicated there were 45,000 of the Trump cards initially made available for purchase for $99 each. The Trump digital cards were the top trending item on the site as of Friday morning.
* Crain’s | NASCAR’s image overhaul starts in Chicago: NASCAR has to change something to rebuild its audience. Its average national TV viewership has shrunk to just over 3 million people per race, barely half of its size 10 years ago, though that drop may be partly a product of fewer people subscribing to pay-TV or streaming services. Stock car racing has been gradually reverting to its roots as a regional Southern sport, a far cry from its glory days two decades ago, when its popularity exploded nationally. Ratings for the Daytona 500 topped the World Series for four years in the mid-2000s.
* WTTW | Chuck Swirsky, Radio Voice of Chicago Bulls, Reflects on 50 Years in Broadcasting: His broadcasting career spans 50 years and many sports, but basketball was always his first love and this is now his 25th season in his dream role as an NBA broadcaster. A pioneer of Chicago sports talk radio, Swirsky has also covered many iconic moments in sports history – including L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
* The Southern | A Murphysboro woman has been battling against a sinkhole in her driveway for over 2 years : For about two and a half years, Wilson has been dealing with the sinkhole. Her son, Johnnie Sims, said nearly 40 tons of gravel has been put into the hole. Each time it is repaired with gravel, the sinkhole opens back up again. In mid-November, nine tons of gravel was placed in the hole in an attempt to stop it from reopening. By the first of December, it was open again.
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Do better
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* More info is here if you need it. From Crain’s…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is swinging for the fences when it comes to Stellantis.
As he works with the Legislature for additional tools to lure and retain automotive jobs, including a new “deal closing” fund and tax credits, Pritzker hinted he’s trying to land an auto-assembly plant and a battery factory in Belvidere. […]
Stellantis is the largest property tax payer in Boone County, near Rockford, where its plant is located. It paid $1.9 million in property taxes this year and owns about 249 acres under and around its factory. EV plants with battery factories nearby can be 10 times that size. Hyundai’s new vehicle and battery plants in Georgia are on a 2,900-acre site. Rivian’s planned vehicle and battery plants are on nearly 2,000 acres However, the Stellantis facility sits across Interstate 90 from a vast swath of farmland.
The Rivian and Hyundai projects are valued at about $5.5 billion each and promise to create about 7,500 manufacturing jobs apiece. But they’ve also garnered huge incentives, totaling about $1.5 billion for each project.
* And this map posted by the White House Director of the National Economic Council clearly shows why the governor feels the need to kick it into gear…
Not quite “all over America.”
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* Background is here if you need it. Peter Hancock…
A legislative committee on Thursday heard more witnesses call for a ban on high-power, semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, but some experts said that alone won’t solve the problem of violent crime in Illinois.
During its second hearing on a proposed assault weapon ban, an Illinois House committee, meeting in Chicago, heard from several officials who said public investment in marginalized communities and community-based programs that aim to stop cycles of violence also are needed. […]
Adams spoke during a House Judiciary-Criminal Committee hearing on House Bill 5855, sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield. It would ban the sale and possession of “assault weapons,” .50 caliber rifles, .50 caliber cartridges and high-capacity magazines. The bill provides a long list of firearms, both rifles and pistols, that would fall under the definition of “assault weapons.”
And starting 300 days after the bill takes effect, it would make it illegal to possess such a weapon or ammunition unless it is registered with the Illinois State Police.
* AP…
“The goal is to make sure we’re keeping dangerous weapons from those who shouldn’t have them,” said the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from the Chicago suburb of Deerfield who attended the Highland Park parade. […]
People under age 21 currently can obtain a Firearm Owners Identification card with the consent of a parent or guardian, but the measure would prohibit those under 21 who are not in the military from getting the card. They could hunt under the supervision of a guardian who has a gun owner ID.
A court-ordered Firearm Restraining Order could be issued for a year, instead of six months. The bill would also bolster the power of the Illinois State Police to target trafficking of illegal guns from outside state lines, working with federal authorities.
Rep. Tony McCombie, a Republican from the western Illinois city of Savannah, said rather than protect communities, the plan would jeopardize safety.
“This will leave communities, women unprotected,” said McCombie, who will be the House Minority Leader when a new Legislature is seated next month. “They’ll be unprotected and ultimately victimized. This is ineffective and unconstitutional.”
* The Center Square…
While supporting the measure, Joseph Saunders with Brave Youth Group said at the crux of the issue is the hearts of bad actors.
“They gonna go with bats, they’re gonna go with knives, anything that they can pick up, screwdrivers, like they do in the penitentiary,” Saunders said. “I’m talking about a heart and a mind change.” […]
Alongside other opponents speaking as individuals, Andrew Guadarrama laid out recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent that he said would block any kind of widespread gun and magazine ban.
“Most handguns are 10-plus [bullets in a magazine],” Guadarrama told the committee. “This severely restricts access to firearms, which has already been ruled unconstitutional.”
* WMBD…
Despite the name, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, some critics said it doesn’t provide much protection. […]
But a majority of those who testified, including advocacy groups, researchers, grassroots organizations, community outreach workers, parents and gun violence survivors, all embraced this proposal for possible change.
Maria Pike, a member of Moms Demand Action, lost her son to gun violence and said the contents of House Bill 5855 could have made a difference in recent mass shootings. […]
Supporters also said this bill is a step in the right direction, but it’s not an overall solution to the problem.
They said more resources and funding for community outreach groups and violence prevention are needed throughout the state.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly is expected to testify during next Tuesday’s hearing.
* More…
* Patch | Duckworth Holds Video Call With Highland Park High School Students: The Illinois Democrat and combat veteran has long been a supporter of a ban on assault-style weapons like the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic rifles. “From their portability, accuracy, rate of fire ability to penetrate certain body armor and ease of reloading, both the military-issued M4 Carbine and the civilian AR-15, and its variants, are functionally similar and they are designed for combat. The lack of a three-round burst or full-auto mechanism does not meaningfully reduce the AR-15’s lethality compared to the M4,” Duckworth testified at a Senate hearing following the Highland Park massacre.
* St Louis Dispatch | To combat gun violence, East St. Louis artist turns ammunition into art: Each year since he was 17, Ash has lost at least one friend or relative to gun violence. That includes his cousin Dashaun “Bookie” Gage, 28, who died in 2018 in a shooting in front of a gas station across the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Ash and Gage were close. Losing Gage left Ash so traumatized that he stopped going to that gas station. He turned to his art after the shooting, creating a portrait of Gage the same year. “My art saved my life,” Ash said. “There’s so much other stuff that I could have gotten off into.”
* KFVS | Marion Jr. High students learn importance of mental health with help from ‘Pawfficer Gary’: A southern Illinois police department is using man’s best friend to help teach 7th graders the importance of understanding mental health and knowing that many of us sometimes have the blues. Marion Police Officer Jason Plichta and his four legged partner, Gary, are regular visitors at Marion Jr. High.
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* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Association/Union Leader goes to Personal PAC’s Terry Cosgrove…
He’s one of those organizers who makes difficult wins seem inevitable in retrospect. Even as recently as a few years ago, a sizable number of Democratic legislators were wary of any expansions of abortion rights, including the House Speaker. Now the anti-abortion wing of the Democratic party has dwindled without sacrificing any of their majority, and Illinois is a beacon of abortion rights in the Midwest. He helped build a movement and a state that’s ready for the post-Roe world.
Runner-up is Local 150’s Jim Sweeney with a special shoutout to the IMA’s Mark Denzler, who was elected Speaker of the Third House this week and received a strong nomination yesterday.
* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement was a no-brainer. Secretary of State Jesse White…
For lifetime achievement, who else could it be but Jesse White? There will be people more qualified than I to talk about his record as Secretary of State, so I’ll instead dwell on his political accomplishments. He was an old-school city politician, some might even say a ward heeler. But through hard work, competent governing, and boundless charm, he appealed across party lines like maybe no other politician in the country. I can’t tell you how many doors I’ve knocked on where a voter said “I will never vote for Democrats,” and then remembered, “Oh except for Jesse White of course.” His popularity is worthy not just of praise, but academic study. Political scientists should be flocking to red Illinois counties to see how he did it. I’ve often wondered if anyone, up to and including Barack Obama, could beat Jesse White in an Illinois election. It’s laughably insufficient to say “they don’t make em like Jesse White anymore,” but they really don’t make em like Jesse White anymore.
I think only one other person received a nomination in this category (Cosgrove).
Congratulations!
* On to our final categories…
As always, do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your answers. Also, keep in mind that these awards are for actions this year, not previous years. Thanks!
* One more thing: I want to thank you again for your generosity this year. LSSI sent me a box of tasty cookies today, and I wish I could share them with everyone who helped buy presents for foster kids. As Oprah might say, “You get a cookie! You get a cookie! You get a cookie!”
Seriously, thanks. We’ve so far raised $45,760. I truly do have the best job in Illinois.
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Canceler complains after cancellation
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune in September…
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten said he won’t hold back from criticizing Awake Illinois, which espouses anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and rallied its supporters against a drag-themed library event in Downers Grove, after the group last week threatened to take legal action against him.
The Downers Grove Public Library on Monday said it was canceling the Drag Queen Bingo event for teens scheduled for Oct. 11 “due to threats that are under active investigation by law enforcement.”
Casten, a two-term Democrat from Downers Grove, has been an outspoken supporter of the event, while his Republican opponent in the Nov. 8 general election, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, joined Awake Illinois in calling for its cancellation. […]
“Let’s be clear. This event was canceled because, after my Republican opponent and his far-right allies at Awake Illinois publicly issued a call-to-action to their supporters, the library received severe threats that endangered our community,” the congressman said.
* Proft paper this week…
Shannon Adcock, founder and president of parents rights group Awake Illinois, is disappointed the Hilton Oak Brook capitulated to phoned in threats of a planned protest against of an event sponsored by the organization.
Adcock, who is also chairwoman of the DuPage chapter of Mothers for Liberty, said the Hilton manager returned the group’s deposit and canceled the contract after facing threats of protests.
“(The manager) basically said that although he agrees with our free speech and advocacy, unfortunately, cancel culture is a real thing in they are looking out for their assets and property in case somebody should show up and try and protest us,” Adcock told DuPage Policy Journal.
“I posed the question, ‘what message does that send to the anti free speech free marketplace mob?’ And he didn’t have an answer.”
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Morning briefing
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* STAT | These 8 states are doing the worst job of treating hepatitis C in prisons: Illinois agreed in 2019 to revamp its entire prison medical program, as part of a civil rights settlement. But it’s still falling woefully short — and the Department of Corrections’ own documents indicate that people are still unnecessarily dying of hepatitis C. An independent review of one such death found that a 56-year-old man had been referred for hepatitis C treatment in 2017 but was never formally considered for the treatment until a few months before his death in November 2021.
* NYT | How a Sprawling Hospital Chain Ignited Its Own Staffing Crisis: At a hospital in a Chicago suburb last winter, there were so few nurses that psychiatric patients with Covid were left waiting a full day for beds, and a single aide was on hand to assist with 32 infected patients. Nurses were so distraught about the inadequate staffing that they banded together to file formal complaints every day for more than a month.
* Crain’s | Working parents are overwhelmed as kids get sick again and again: Parents are facing a triple avalanche of influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), valiantly meeting work deadlines while struggling to fulfill return-to-office requirements. All three viruses are expected to keep doctor’s offices hopping for the coming months, alongside the spread of old standbys like strep throat and common colds.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker, unions herald adoption of Workers’ Rights Amendment: The celebration with union leaders included several references, veiled or explicit, to former Gov. Bruce Rauner, who tried to roll back union power by encouraging right-to-work laws. Right-to-work refers to allowing people to skip paying union dues as a condition of employment.
* Tribune | Secretary of State re-appoints Umair Qadeer to Niles Library Board: Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has reappointed Umair Qadeer as the seventh, tie-breaking trustee on the Niles-Maine District Library Board after a protracted legislative and legal process.
* WGLT | Bloomington’s new state Rep. Dan Caulkins talks about gun control, SAFE-T Act, and post-election resignations: Caulkins is part of the conservative Illinois Freedom Caucus, which touts itself as advocates for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government. And after the election, Caulkins is now part of an even smaller Republican super-minority in Democrat-controlled Springfield. In this interview with WGLT, Caulkins talks about a range of policy issues, including recent tweaks to the SAFE-T Act, a proposed assault-style weapons ban, and ethics reform.
* WTTW | García Backs Proposal to Use $10M in Federal COVID-19 Relief to Help Homeowners Struggling With Property Tax Hikes: Officials should use $10 million in federal relief funds designed to help Chicagoans struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic to aid residents dealing with significant increases in their property tax bills, according to a proposal backed by mayoral candidate U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García.
* STL Today | Former Metro East power broker Tom Lakin dies at 82: Tom Lakin, a once-prominent Metro East trial lawyer and Democratic Party power broker later sentenced to prison on federal drug charges, died Monday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was 82. Lakin, who headed the influential Lakin Law Firm in Wood River, established himself by the 1990s as one of the top attorneys in the metro area, winning millions of dollars in class action and personal injury claims. … In 2011, he pleaded no contest to a state charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse related to the earlier case but was given no additional prison time beyond his six-year federal sentence.
* WBEZ | Chicago’s NASCAR deal: Fast, furious and full of unanswered questions: Critics want to know who will pay for security and physical damage to downtown. But the bigger question is: Is anyone clamoring for this?
* Vox | The most successful strategy for ending homelessness is under attack: Advocates and researchers have never had stronger evidence about the best way to most effectively house people who need it: a model known as “housing first.” As the name suggests, its focus is getting people into permanent housing and offering them support services, rather than requiring them to address mental health conditions, substance abuse, or job training first.
* Fortune | Sen. Tammy Duckworth introduces a bill to protect IVF in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade’s reversal: Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s journey to parenthood took a decade. After she returned wounded from her service in Iraq, she spoke to her OB/GYN at her Veterans Affairs hospital about trying to have a child. She was referred to a fertility specialist, who came to the waiting room rather than meet with then-39-year-old Duckworth for an appointment. “She told me, ‘You’re too old. There’s no way you could ever get pregnant through reproductive medicine. You just need to go home and enjoy your husband,’” Duckworth remembers.
* WTTW | Callery Pear on List of Species Illinois Assessing as Invasive. Here’s What That Means: Illinois is now conducting assessments of 10 plants to determine whether to recommend the addition of any or all of them to the state’s lists of “noxious” and/or “exotic” weeds, decisions that would make the purchase or sale of the plant illegal.
* Sun-Times | Chicago police officer faces dismissal in alleged beating, wrongful arrest of woman at George Floyd protest: The recommendation from Police Supt. David Brown comes four years after the officer, James Hunt, was suspended for yelling, “I kill motherf——,” an apparent reference to a 17-year-old boy Hunt fatally shot while on duty.
* Crain’s | Farmers say Deere’s repair restrictions violate Clean Air Act: Nonprofit organizations in the “right to repair” movement, including Illinois PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), Repair.org and iFixit, want the EPA to sanction Moline-based Deere for limiting repairs of its machines to authorized Deere dealerships. Farmers want access to software so they can diagnose and handle their own repairs or use an independent mechanic, thereby avoiding high costs and service delays at dealers.
11 Comments
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Open thread
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* An eventful day on the bird app yesterday…
Anyway, what’s going on in your part of Illinois today?
16 Comments
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Live coverage
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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