Afternoon news roundup
Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
…Adding… Get well soon!…
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after being diagnosed with COVID-19 today:
“At the guidance of the Attending Physician, I will be working in isolation through the end of this week after being diagnosed with COVID-19 today to keep my family, colleagues and staff as safe as possible. My symptoms remain mild and I am thankful that I’m fully vaccinated and double boosted, as I—and families of the more than one million Americans we’ve lost to this pandemic—know it could be much worse. I cannot encourage my fellow Americans more strongly to get vaccinated and continue getting your boosters as advised by medical professionals across the country and around the globe.”
* Crain’s…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker says cannabis delivery, which is currently illegal in Illinois but offered in other states, is an idea worth considering. […]
Delivery services are legal in states such as Michigan, Florida, California, Maryland, Nevada and others. Uber Eats recently began delivery in Toronto.
Full Pritzker quote when asked about the topic today during the governor’s visit to Ivy Hall Dispensary…
I think we’ve got to look into, you know, there are other locations across the country where this has become, you know, legally allowed and it’s something that I think we should just examine, what the impact has been there. But I don’t want, first blush and without the data in front of me, I think that as long as it is regulated, as long as we make sure that the person who’s ordering it, gets it and that they’re legally allowed to, then it would seem to me like the same as somebody coming into a store.
Ever wonder if he partakes?
* Our very own (but unrelated) US Rep. Mary Miller was one of the “No” votes…
* Putting things into perspective…
* WBBM Radio…
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) management has been accused by a candidate for president of one of the CTA workers’ unions of unfairly and illegally attempting to thwart his campaign.
Erek Slater said management has repeatedly ordered him to leave CTA property when he’s attempted to meet with workers to campaign or discuss issues. […]
Slater said CTA management opposed his campaign because of his promises to confront the transit agency on issues including service delays and worker safety.
The CTA declined to comment on Slater’s claims.
* Press release…
Today, Illinois Mentor workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Illinois delivered petitions to five company locations. The petition addresses grievances including poverty wages, scheduling difficulties, understaffing, insufficient benefits, and a lack of dignity and respect.
SEIU Healthcare Illinois is currently at the bargaining table with Illinois Mentor, working to secure the first contract for workers.
Illinois Mentor, which recently acquired Sevita, has programs throughout the state, including host homes, supported living and in-home support. Despite worker shortages and skyrocketing inflation, Illinois Mentor management is refusing to put forward the full rate increase they received from the State that could go directly to their staff that directly support individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Instead, the company only passed on a partial amount of the money, even though its parent companies paid out a total of $475 million shareholder dividends the last three years.
Illinois Mentor locations where petitions were delivered include Carbondale, Swansea, Springfield, Tinley Park and Rockford.
“It’s not right that Illinois Mentor workers, even those who get full-time schedules, are living in poverty. Our families are suffering while the company rakes in millions in profits,” says Savannah McCoy, an Illinois Mentor worker from Springfield and an SEIU Healthcare member. “Illinois Mentor receives money from the state to boost our wages but doesn’t give us the full amount we’re entitled to. It’s time for the company to invest in those of us who serve on the frontlines.”
“Our Illinois Mentor workplaces have such high turnover due to the low wages, unaffordable health benefits and restrictive schedules, resulting in hardship for both workers and our clients,” says Rayniesha Gines, a worker with Illinois Mentor from Swansea and an SEIU Healthcare member. “Illinois Mentor is losing experienced Direct Support Professionals, which makes our jobs more difficult and creates unnecessary disruption for the individuals we support.”
“Benefits at Illinois Mentor are almost non-existent. Our health insurance premiums are so expensive that only 15% of workers sign up,” says Octavia Wheeler, a worker with Illinois Mentor from Alton and an SEIU Healthcare member. We’re working hard at the bargaining table, demanding that Illinois Mentor respect us, protect us, staff us and pay us, but today we took our message beyond the bargaining table and we’re ready to continue this fight until our voices are heard.”
* Durbin press release…
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced a new requirement today to have extensive protective netting in place at all Professional Development League (PDL) ballparks. The fan safety initiative was adopted at the 2022 Winter Meetings after being unanimously approved by the MLB PDL Executive Board.
In June 2019, after repeated incidents of MLB fans being hit by foul balls, Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to MLB Commissioner Manfred urging him to have all 30 MLB teams extend protective netting to the right and left field corners at all ballparks. In December 2019, MLB announced that all 30 teams would extend protective netting during the next season. Durbin has continuously met with baseball safety advocates to discuss fan safety at MLB and Minor League Baseball games. […]
The requirements—which resulted from a comprehensive review of all 120 PDL ballparks that began several months ago—include the following:
• PDL Clubs are required to install netting from foul pole to foul pole unless the configuration of the ballpark makes such coverage unnecessary.
• The height requirement for the netting from behind home plate to the end of each dugout will be standardized across the PDL system.
• PDL Clubs are to work with their respective facilities to complete installation as soon as practicable but in no event later than 2025 Opening Day.
• Teams will be subject to discipline for non-compliance, including significant fines.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Sun-Times | Single-family lending drives neighborhood disparities, new report finds: The report released Wednesday by the Urban Institute — a Washington, D.C.-based think tank — examined the types of investments in Chicago from 2010 to 2020. Brett Theodos, a researcher at the institute, said analysts spent about a year looking at the different types of capital flowing into the city and seeing how it compared with investments in other U.S. cities.
* Crain’s | Who has final say over election rules? Illinois files a brief with Supreme Court.: The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments today in a major election-law case involving the “independent legislature theory,” which, if embraced by the justices, would keep state courts from oversight of federal election practices such as congressional remaps or laws on ballot access.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois Lawmakers Seek to Ban Assault Weapons with HB 5855. Here’s What It Does: Currently, seven states have laws on the books that ban assault weapons in at least some capacity, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Rep. Bob Morgan, who was an eyewitness to the tragic shooting at the Fourth of July parade in suburban Highland Park earlier this year, is the chief sponsor of the bill.
* WGN | Gov. Pritzker celebrates state’s first ‘social equity licensee’ dispensary in Illinois: Located at 1720 N Damen Ave., the business is named Ivy Hall and bills itself as a “sensory dispensary” on its website. Two more locations are in the works for Crystal Lake and Montgomery. During the event the governor noted all 192 of the state’s social equity licenses have been conditionally approved and he expects many of the related businesses to open in the coming months.
* Tribune | Chicago Ald. Leslie Hairston says she turned down Mayor Lightfoot’s request to serve as ethics chair: ‘I am not a product of the machine’: “I am not a product of the machine. I am the product of an independent, proud community that works, that has values, and that’s who I represent,” Hairston said at the monthly “First Tuesdays” political discussion forum. But, she added, “I was offered, recently, a committee, which I turned down.”
* NBC Chicago | Juul Settles Thousands of Lawsuits for Undisclosed Amount Amid Teen Vaping Concerns: Juul Labs has reached settlements covering more than 5,000 cases brought by about 10,000 plaintiffs over the e-cigarette company’s marketing practices that have been blamed for the teenage vaping crisis. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Juul said that it has secured an equity investment to fund it. The settlement resolves cases related to personal injury, consumer class action, government entity and Native American tribes’ claims.
* Crain’s | Absurd political hijinks abound in another Chicago election season: Electoral hijinks are nothing new in Chicago politics, and just as the ballot for next year’s election is coming together, a trio of feuds has emerged to remind us that time is a flat circle. In the mayor’s race, a simmering feud between candidate Ja’Mal Green and Willie Wilson adviser Ricky Hendon was reignited. In late 2018, Green and Hendon had a war of words after Hendon challenged Green’s petition for the 2019 election. Green eventually dropped out of the race, blaming the fight, while Wilson finished fourth.
* NPR | Annual art contest will help interpret Illinois students’ perception of home: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois State Board of Education come together each year to sponsor this themed student art contest. Christina Shutt is the executive director of the museum. She said the theme “Home is” pairs with the museum’s new exhibit “Here I Have Lived: Home in Illinois.”
* Block Club Chicago | Irish Nobleman Owner Wonders If Santa’s Eviction From Bar’s Holiday Display Was La Spata’s Political Payback: Ald. Daniel La Spata said he sent inspectors to review the bar’s outdoor decorations because they were blocking the sidewalk. But the owner thinks it’s because the bar hosted fundraisers for two of his election rivals.
* Block Club Chicago | Bally’s Casino Plan Cuts Unpopular Outdoor Music Venue, Adds Riverfront Park Instead : In addition to more green space, updated plans now include more parking and a dog park. A traffic study on the area is set to be released soon.
* Tribune | Owner of ‘The Mix’ didn’t defame former assistant who accused host Eric Ferguson of misconduct, judge rules:A former assistant producer for Ferguson, Cynthia DeNicolo, had alleged the company defamed her last year by stating it found no evidence to corroborate her allegations that Ferguson engaged in illegal workplace conduct at WTMX-FM 101.9.
* WBBM | $2.6M goes to Lake County workers allegedly fired for supporting boss’ political opponent: A jury awarded more than $2.6 million to three former Lake County employees who claimed they were fired by Circuit Court Clerk Erin Cartwright Weinstein because they supported her opponent in the 2016 election.
* Sun-Times | From casino plans to building preservation, 2022 was a busy year in Chicago architecture: The year 2022 was a busy one on the Chicago architecture beat. The city grappled with trying to figure out the fate of a likely Bears-less Soldier Field, while the CTA took steps to secure funding for the planned $3.6 billion Red Line extension. And a lot of things happened in between. Here are some of the highlights:
* Crain’s | Jamie Dimon on crypto: ‘Why do we allow this stuff to take place?’: JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon likened crypto tokens to “pet rocks,” continuing his long history of skepticism about the digital assets.
* CBS | What to know about Moore v. Harper, the high-stakes elections case before the Supreme Court: “Incredibly disruptive.” Wreaking “havoc.” “Potentially damaging for American democracy.” Those are just some of the characterizations of a legal theory that is at the center of a case set to be argued before the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
* Medilite | Whoops! These Pollsters Told Fox News Viewers Republicans Would Win Every Tossup Senate Race: Democrats already secured control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections after they defended every seat they already held and also picked up a seat in Pennsylvania. The Georgia campaign was the only outstanding race left, as neither candidate notched a majority of votes last month, which necessitated Tuesday’s runoff per Georgia state law.
* Tribune | Editorial: Republicans, make Illinois safer. Support the proposed state assault weapons ban.: When a bullet from an assault rifle strikes someone’s body, the destruction usually is far worse than the damage a bullet from a handgun does. An AR-15 bullet wields so much speed and energy — three times more than a round from a handgun — that it damages tissue several inches on either side of the path it cuts. The bullet’s exit wound is gaping, at times the size of an orange.
* Washington Post | Items with classified markings found at Trump storage unit in Florida: The former president’s lawyers have told federal authorities no classified material was found in additional searches of Trump Tower in New York and his golf club in Bedminster, N.J.
* ABC | Trump hosts event featuring QAnon, ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy theorist at Mar-a-Lago: A prominent adherent of the QAnon and “Pizzagate” conspiracy theories posed for photos with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort Tuesday night after speaking at an event hosted at the club, according to photos and videos posted to social media.
* Herald and Review | Two Decatur mayoral candidates face petition challenges: Mayoral candidates Abeer Motan and Mary Williams had their petitions challenged by Phil Romano, chief operating officer of the construction company. Another challenge to Motan’s petitions was filed by Decatur resident Jacob Hamm. The objections will be heard before a three-member panel on Monday, Dec. 12.
* Daily Journal | End of vehicle sticker? Kankakee targets January vote: The Kankakee administration is expressing optimism the $35 vehicle sticker tax will be eliminated, which means there will be no need to acquire the windshield decal this summer. Alderman Mike O’Brien, D-2, who is chairman of the city’s council Budget Committee, said the matter will be up for discussion at Monday’s Budget Committee meeting.
* NBC Chicago | Cubs’ Pat Hughes Elected to Hall of Fame, Earns Ford C. Frick Award: Longtime Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes is headed to Cooperstown.Hughes was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday as the 2023 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award — which honors excellence in baseball broadcasting.
* Crain’s | Nutella ice cream? This deal might make it so.: Italian confectionary giant Ferrero Group is buying Blue Bunny ice cream maker Wells Enterprises, marking a merger of sweets companies that could add some flavor to the ice cream aisle. Ferrero Group is a major player in the global chocolate market, making such brands as Nutella, Kinder and Ferrero Rocher. Does this deal mean consumers should expect Nutella ice cream?
* Patch | How To See Moon Cover Mars In ‘Lunar Occultation’ In Illinois: A “lunar occultation” — a rare astronomical event in which the moon passes in front of a planet and obliterates it from view — will occur for about an hour on Wednesday evening. You’ll be able to see it with the naked eye, weather permitting in Illinois.
* CBS Sports | College basketball rankings: Illinois surges in Top 25 And 1 after thrilling overtime victory over Texas: Illinois trailed by double-digits with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation Tuesday night, wasn’t getting a good performance from Terrence Shannon Jr., and seemed on the verge of becoming the latest team to fall to Chris Beard’s Texas Longhorns. Then a switch flipped.
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* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson is a tie. Eleni Demertzis…
Its been said many times how Eleni is able to successfully to push the HGOP Caucus position on issues in the press. No brainer and she will be missed.
Yep and yep. For whatever reason, a few rank and file House Republicans think their press shop needs fixing. That opinion ignores all evidence.
And Abdon Pallasch…
Abdon Pallasch is the Comptroller’s secret superweapon. Yes, she’s great — but Abdon is brilliant at communicating that greatness.
He’s also quite persistent. lol
Jordan Abudayyeh is deserving of a special mention here. Nobody works harder. Nobody.
* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Campaign Spokesperson goes to Natalie Edelstein…
Natalie Edelstein hit the ground running in a state that doesn’t like nobody who nobody sent. She had to gain the trust of the reporters and the political class, and then deliver the earned media stories necessary to properly contextualize the Governor’s first term while cutting Richard Irvin (R-Ken Griffin) to the quick. After burying Mr. Irvin in the primary, she guided a communications strategy that kept JB’s positives at the forefront and executed a detailed “drip, drip” of Darren Bailey’s negatives at all the right moments in all the right ways. The margin speaks for itself, and earned communications was as much a part of it as great ads and a well-oiled operation.
I, too, wondered if an out-of-stater could thrive here. She surprised me.
Congratulations to all!
* On to today’s categories…
As always, do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or they won’t count. Thanks.
* And after you vote, please click here to help buy presents for foster kids who are in Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ programs. Senate President Don Harmon and his spouse both deserve a shout-out for their generous contributions today. Thanks! We’re now above $29,000. That’s a new, inflation-adjusted online record and is far, far more than we ever raised during those City Club events. Every little bit helps, and presents average about $25 each, so let’s keep this going, please.
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Your feel-good news for Wednesday
Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SIU’s women’s basketball team is playing Tennessee State today at the Banterra Center. This morning’s game is being played in front of thousands of elementary school students…
What a cool thing to do. Plus, it may be the first time that many of these kids have been on the campus. Not a bad recruiting idea. Also, a pal texted me this earlier…
I love the idea of universities being active parts of the regional community.
More like this, please.
You can watch the game here.
…Adding… The Salukis won the game, 100-72. Great experience for those kids!…
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* Illinois’ 2020 fertility rate dropped 19.2 percent from the 2001-2010 annual average, Pew reports…
In the coming years, the degree to which the fertility rate reshapes state budgets will hinge on multiple issues affecting the total population. Several states’ total populations were already declining prior to the pandemic, and a third of states lost residents last year.
If there’s an X-factor in determining states’ future demographics, it’s migration. States can overcome reduced fertility levels by attracting residents from other states or abroad to boost their overall populations and add to their tax base. For instance, last year, deaths exceeded births in half of states, but migration easily offset the losses in states such as South Carolina and Tennessee. States are also contending with additional costs from increasing populations of older adults as well as Baby Boomers exiting the workforce. Although birth rates started falling around the beginning of the Great Recession, changes in the population of children since then pale in comparison to the rapidly growing number of Americans in their 60s and 70s. The aging of the population could further limit revenue growth and add to fiscal uncertainty, as discussed in a previous report commissioned by Pew. […]
Future trends in fertility are difficult for states to project. Oregon, for example, in 2020 estimated its deaths wouldn’t exceed births until after 2025, but now reports that the inversion already occurred as a result of the pandemic. There’s also much uncertainty around how, over the long term, low fertility rates will influence labor force productivity, women in the workforce, and other issues. […]
Today, most states find themselves in a relatively healthy fiscal position, with many enjoying robust budget surpluses. Fewer births in recent years have contributed appreciable cost savings. If low fertility persists, however, states will need to look more for other ways to grow their tax bases or they could face challenges over the long term.
* Fox 2…
March of Dimes, a national nonprofit that advocates for and educates on infant health, released its 2022 report card earlier this month. Missouri and Illinois both received “D” grades in that report over preterm birth rates.
According to the March of Dimes, Missouri received a “D-” score with an 11.3% preterm birth rate and an infant mortality rate of 5.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Illinois received a “D+” score with a 10.7% preterm birth rate and an infant mortality rate of 5.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Both individual report cards for Missouri and Illinois suggest the states should consider stronger policy measures regarding Medicaid expansion, midwifery, prenatal quality collaborative and maternal mortality review committees.
Nationally, March of Dimes reports that the U.S. preterm birth rate increased to 10.5% in 2021, a significant 4% increase in just one year and the highest recorded rate since 2007. The country’s overall grade was a “D+” over the crisis. Nine states received an “F” grade on their individual report cards.
* CBS Chicago…
Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman has spent years researching the problem at the University of California, San Diego. She said COVID did impact the way women access care – and there is also a big racial disparity here in Illinois.
A total of 14.9 percent of all babies born to Black women last year were pre-term – a rate significantly higher than other groups. The disparity widened in 2021. […]
So how do we fix it? [Kelly Hubbard, a Springfield-based policy analyst for the March of Dimes] says policy-wise, Illinois is actually doing everything it should be.
“But it comes down to making sure that we have hospitals and labor and delivery units available to all; that we aren’t prohibiting certain communities from getting the quality care that everyone deserves,” she said.
In another interesting finding, more moms had C-sections in 2021. It jumped nearly a full percentage point nationwide – meaning nearly one third of all babies were born via C-section.
* Last month Vox highlighted the shrinking future of higher education…
In four years, the number of students graduating from high schools across the country will begin a sudden and precipitous decline, due to a rolling demographic aftershock of the Great Recession. Traumatized by uncertainty and unemployment, people decided to stop having kids during that period. But even as we climbed out of the recession, the birth rate kept dropping, and we are now starting to see the consequences on campuses everywhere. Classes will shrink, year after year, for most of the next two decades. People in the higher education industry call it “the enrollment cliff.”
Among the small number of elite colleges and research universities — think the Princetons and the Penn States — the cliff will be no big deal. These institutions have their pick of applicants and can easily keep classes full.
For everyone else, the consequences could be dire. In some places, the crisis has already begun. College enrollment began slowly receding after the millennial enrollment wave peaked in 2010, particularly in regions that were already experiencing below-average birth rates while simultaneously losing population to out-migration. Starved of students and the tuition revenue they bring, small private colleges in New England have begun to blink off the map. Regional public universities like Ship are enduring painful layoffs and consolidation. […]
The future looks very different in some parts of the country than in others, and will also vary among national four-year universities, regional universities like Ship, and community colleges. [Nathan Grawe, an economist at Carleton College] projects that, despite the overall demographic decline, demand for national four-year universities on the West Coast will increase by more than 7.5 percent between now and the mid-2030s. But in states like New York, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Louisiana, it will decline by 15 percent or more.
* More…
* Today Show | Racial disparities in fertility care have persisted for years. Here’s why:The only reason she was able to cover the cost, she said, is that she lives in Illinois, one of few states that requires insurance companies to cover fertility treatments. She also received a grant from the Cade Foundation to cover additional costs. Townsend has since started her own advocacy organization, The Broken Brown Egg, which provides grants to people in similar situations.
* Fox Illinois | US among most dangerous high-income countries for childbirth, report says: Policy experts at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said the crisis disproportionately affects people of color, which accounted for nearly 60% of those deaths, along with undocumented and incarcerated women, people experiencing intimate partner violence and those in the LGBTQ+ community.
* Courthouse News | Researchers sound alarm on Illinois child care crisis: The studies, released in May and October, paint a grim picture of the current state of Illinois’ child care sector, finding parents face dwindling options and soaring prices for early child care services in the state while many workers in the industry live in poverty. It’s a trend, the studies conclude, that will not change without significant state intervention.
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The red wave that wasn’t
Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pollsters John Anzalone and Matt Hogan…
By all major political indicators, 2022 should have delivered the type of shellacking that the president’s party typically endures in midterm elections: Over 70% of voters believed the country was on the wrong track, 76% rated the economy negatively, and President Biden’s approval rating of 43% has historically resulted in a loss of about 40 House seats. Yet, despite these strong headwinds, Democrats and President Biden bucked history by holding the Senate and only narrowly losing the House of Representatives. So how did they do it?
* The topline answer…
Democrats made this election a choice rather than a referendum on President Biden. Midterm elections are typically a referendum on the president, but Democrats outperformed the negative political environment by managing to make this one a choice instead. A choice not only on the economy and inflation, but also on issues like abortion and the state of our democracy, and on the quality of Republican candidates, many of whom expressed extreme views that alienated voters. Instead of a referendum on President Biden, Democrats managed to make the midterms a referendum on extreme GOP candidates like Oz, Masters, Walker, and others across the country.
In past midterm elections, even those voters who only somewhat disapproved of the president have heavily favored the opposition party in their vote for Congress. This was the case in both 2018 and 2014, when those who somewhat disapproved of Trump and Obama voted against each president’s party by more than 20 points. However, 2022 represented a dramatic reversal of this trend, with those who somewhat disapproved of President Biden favoring Democratic congressional candidates by a 25-point margin. Despite these voters’ dissatisfaction with Biden, they still strongly preferred his party in their vote for Congress.
* I excerpted some analysis highlights, which is supported by their polling data…
Democrats won by winning over Independents, not by turning out their base.
Democrats were able to make this election a choice due to abortion and threats to democracy being as important to voters as inflation and the economy.
Abortion and threats to democracy resonated most strongly with different age groups, making them a potent combo for Democrats.
Democrats performed well among seniors thanks to these voters focus on threats to democracy and Social Security.
Late deciders did not heavily break towards Republicans. In midterms, those who don’t decide whom to vote for until late in the campaign typically break heavily against the president’s party. But this year, Republicans won those who decided whom to vote for in the last week by only 3 points, which was not nearly a big enough margin to create a red wave.
Voters, and especially Independents, expressed a clear desire for more bipartisanship. A key factor in Democrats’ ability to win over Independents was that these voters wanted more bipartisanship and felt Democratic candidates were more likely to deliver it.
The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act allowed Democrats to cut into the GOP advantage on the economy and reduce frustration over a lack of legislative accomplishments.
Democrats overperformed because voters disliked Republican candidates more, not because voters liked Democrats more than we thought.
Click here to read the full analysis.
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* Crain’s…
Fixing up abandoned homes can help reduce the gun violence plaguing U.S. cities, including Chicago, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The authors found that areas with full remediation, which includes installing functioning doors and windows and clearing away trash and weeds, showed significant reductions in gun assaults (down 13%), weapons violations (down 8.4%) and shootings (down 7%). […]
In long-disinvested neighborhoods where abandoned houses are numerous, “the neighbors know that nobody cares about this place and all your illicit things can go down in there,” said Kanoya Ali, housing coordinator for Chicago CRED, the gun violence-reduction program co-founded by former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
“In today’s lingo, they’re called trap houses,” Ali said. “You hide your guns in there. You do drugs in there, prostitution. Runaways think they can survive in an abandoned house.”
The study is here.
* Sobering news from Rockford…
The number of domestic violence cases continues to rise annually in Rockford.
A group at Court Street United Methodist Church, 215 N Court St., is responding to the mayor’s public call to action, trying to let people know that there are resources out there if they are in need of help. […]
The solution is something that Rockford leaders are focusing on right now. Nearly 40% of the city’s violent crime comes from domestic violence. Counselors said that the number should actually be higher, considering that survivors will endure six to eight incidents of abuse on average before seeking help.
But…
Rockford leaders partner with several area organizations on programs to reduce crime across the area and make the forest city a better place to live.
The city of Rockford shared a list of programs it’s launched that are geared towards reducing violent crime. I spoke with leaders behind those initiatives to find out how they plan to make Rockford a better place to live.
“It’s for individuals who’ve been released from parole or probation and are deemed as high risk by evidence of a risk that needs assessment,” said Mirlana Dokken, the chairman’s office criminal justice initiative director.
Between October 2021 and October 2022, violent crimes in Rockford dropped 4% - the number of shots fired calls fell 11%. Dokken credits that reduction to programs like Project Safe Neighborhood.
* Peoria…
The Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service is reviving a program to help divert young people with misdemeanors away from violence.
The Peoria Peacekeepers Network is a restorative justice program bringing together young offenders with victims, family and community stakeholders to develop a plan to change their path.
“It’s important because, most of the time, they just get a slap on the wrist and this starts a file, it starts a caseload of things they actually have occurred or been involved in,” said Marcellus Sommerville, CEO of the Friendship House. “Usually, when they turn 18 they have a long list, a laundry list of minor offenses but it gets all reviewed and calculated. It’s in the judge’s hands, whereas this program is going to help erase some of those wrongs.”
Somerville says the program is a volunteer program, which means the youth participating have to admit fault. After the admission, they can be referred to the program by the Peoria Police Department or Peoria Public Schools. There is a limited number of offenses that apply for the program, like theft, property damage, disorderly conduct and drug possession.
“We could take on more in terms of higher level offenses,” said Sommerville. “But we’re currently in the state where we want to have minor offenses.”
After the referral, Sommerville says the victim and offender, as well as family and community representatives, are brought together at a meeting called the “peace circle.”
“It’s more like peer pressure, positive peer pressure on the person that’s offended,” said Sommerville. “Helping them better understand mentally what occurred during that process and how can we support both parties and help them come through the situation.”
* Carbondale…
A needs assessment report produced by researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has been completed and will assist city leaders as they determine how to direct resources to areas in the city most impacted by gun violence and employ evidence-based solutions.
The report provided an analysis of the nature of gun violence in Carbondale and offers recommendations for prevention and intervention initiatives.
Key findings include rising police calls, gun violence being concentrated in small areas and that a significant amount of gun-related incidents in Carbondale stem from a small number of repeat offenders involved in ongoing mutual conflicts.
“The findings didn’t catch us completely by surprise but did give us the data to create immediate and long-term strategies while also reinforcing strategies already in place,” Carbondale City Manager Gary Williams said.
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* Greg Hinz…
By 2026, when federal COVID-relief funds that keep transit running at near-normal levels is set to expire, the operating agencies will be short $730 million a year, roughly 20% of total operating costs, the RTA says.
“If no action is taken, the (operating) agencies and their boards will be faced with difficult choices to cut service, raise fares, or both,” the report continues. “Actions to dramatically cut operating costs could include instituting major layoffs, route or line eliminations, service cuts, station closures, cancellation of capital improvement projects, and other drastic measures that will further damage our transit system and cause massive disruptions to the region’s economy, workforce, and communities.”
Rather than do that, the region should look to increased aid, possibly from the federal government but more likely from sources the state would have to approve. Among them: higher taxes on sales, motor fuels or both; extending the existing RTA sales tax to cover more services; a 5% boost in tolls on the Illinois Tollway; and, more long term, a congestion tax or tax on miles driven.
Such proposals likely will face stiff resistance, even from an Illinois General Assembly in which Democrats have a supermajority of seats in both the House and Senate. Past efforts to impose and expand the current RTA sales tax took years of hard politicking by advocates, and were enacted only with strong support from downtown Chicago businesses whose employees now work from home far more than they did prior to the pandemic.
How did this happen?
* Yvette Shields…
The RTA’s service boards received a $3.5 billion federal pandemic lifeline that has plugged budget gaps since 2020. Relief will help balance budgets through 2025 with $1.4 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act; $500 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act known as CRRSAA; and more than $1.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The projected $730 million budget gap that results in 2026 if service levels are held steady is projected under 10-year financial planning estimates reviewed by agency officials who worked with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
The full report is here.
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Morning briefing
Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What do you guys think of this takeaway from a Republican legislator?…
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs amendment to criminal justice overhaul weeks before cash bail set to end: Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law changes to a controversial criminal justice overhaul that will eliminate cash bail beginning Jan. 1, making good on assurances he gave during his successful reelection campaign that the measure would be tweaked.
* WGEM | Illinois saw fourth lowest midterm turnout in past 40 years: e Illinois State Board of Elections certified the 2022 Midterm Election results Monday. State officials said 4.1 million ballots were cast, even though Illinois has 8.1 million registered voters. ISBE noted that it was the fourth lowest turnout for a midterm election in the last 40 years.
* Tribune | Nearly 4 in 10 ballots were cast in Illinois before Election Day: Nearly 4 in 10 Illinois voters cast their Nov. 8 general election ballots before Election Day last month, reflecting an increasing trend toward voting by mail and early voting, the Illinois State Board of Elections said.
* Triibe | Voting by mail is becoming increasingly popular in Chicago: “The feedback that we’ve gotten indicates that people prefer voting by mail because there’s a paper ballot, they’ve got all the time to research the candidates and offices, and there’s a tracking process that comes with it,” Chicago Board of Elections (CBOE) Director of Public Information Max Bever told The TRiiBE. “And even if their vote-by-mail ballots are rejected for some reason, they can still vote in person.”
* Shaw Local | Will County Board Republicans elect board leader when Democrat leaves meeting: The board is now evenly split 11-11 between the parties. But County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat, has a tie-breaking vote. That small advantage was not available to Democrats when Board Member Denise Winfrey, D-Joliet, left before the leadership vote. Republicans were able to make Ogalla the board chair in a 11-10 vote.
* Daily Herald | Holiday displays — including the Satanic Temple’s — return to Illinois Capitol: On Tuesday “Minister Adam” of the Satanic Temple of Illinois, who declined to share his last name for security purposes, was joined by about 15 Temple members to dedicate this year’s display. It consists of a crocheted snake sitting on a book and a pile of apples crocheted by Temple members. “Every year, we do a holiday display and a show of unity and religious pluralism within the state Capitol rotunda,” Adam said. “And this year, we wanted to focus on the book bans that people have been trying to do all over the country.”
* Tribune | Decades later, after the Navy solved identification mysteries, Illinois veterans’ remains come home from Pearl Harbor: With his burial in November, Tipsword is among dozens of Pearl Harbor veterans who have been identified and brought home to be reburied with loved ones. Through new DNA techniques, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has been able to sort through remains that were long considered unidentifiable.
* Rep. Maura Hirschauer | Illinois lawmakers have a moral obligation to pass gun safety bill: Before I was a state representative, I was a volunteer and community leader with Moms Demand Action. My work with that organization informs my daily commitment to making sure that no parent drops their children off at school and fears they might not see them alive again, and that no person looks for active shooters in the grocery aisle, church pew or parade route.
* Crain’s | How liberal is Illinois’ Legislature? A conservative PAC grades lawmakers.: CPAC’s Center for Legislative Accountability, working with the American Conservative Union Foundation, released its annual list of how members of the 50 state legislatures voted on issues for 2021. And while Illinois is not going to be mixed up with Alabama anytime soon, the list suggests Illinois isn’t as blue as you’d think.
* Crain’s | Here’s the ballot order for the mayoral race: Community activist and entrepreneur Ja’Mal Green will be the first name Chicago voters see on the ballot in the crowded race for mayor—if he survives a petition challenge that could knock him off entirely. The Chicago Board of Elections held a lottery Tuesday to determine the coveted top position. All candidates who filed their nominating petitions before 9 a.m. on the first day of filing were eligible.
* Sun-Times | Single-family lending drives neighborhood disparities, new report finds: A report from the Urban Institute finds that the more Black residents who live in a Chicago neighborhood, the less investment the area saw compared with predominantly white neighborhoods.
* Tribune | CPS officials defend firing of Lincoln Park High ex-principal in federal trial stemming from ousted official’s lawsuit: Nearly three years after a scandal erupted at Lincoln Park High School that led to the ouster of the principal and other leaders, top Chicago Public Schools officials are having to defend their handling of the situation from the witness stand of a federal courtroom.
* WTTW | CTA Works to Tackle Huge Staffing Shortfall, Improve Service and Draw Back Riders Before Stimulus Funding Runs Out: “Our constituents depend on CTA like their life depends on it,” Ald. Jeanette Taylor said at a recent City Council hearing on CTA service. “There’s a domino effect when CTA is not at its best.”
* ABC 7 | CTA bus schedule disruptions are more common on South Side routes, data shows: The CTA blames the service disruptions on a staffing shortage and absenteeism. The CTA has roughly 1,000 vacancies across various frontline positions, but the majority of open positions are bus operators. The agency said that routes that come out of garages with higher rates of unplanned absenteeism are seeing the most service disruptions. Bus operator unplanned absenteeism system-wide is 14.5%, according to CTA data.
* Chicago Block Club | Fake DoorDash Accounts Are Scamming Local Eateries And Customers: For weeks, customers would come to the Chatham bakery at 328 E. 75th St. with a receipt from the online food delivery platform, saying they’d paid for orders, owner Stephanie Hart said. Her employees would serve the desserts, not thinking anything of a receipt from a “legit company” such as DoorDash, she said.
* Sun-Times | Online petition calls for School of the Art Institute to rescind Ye’s honorary degree: An online petition calls on the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to rescind the honorary doctorate it awarded the artist Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Pritzker signs SAFE-T Act trailer
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Governor Pritzker today signed HB1095, a series of amendments and clarifications to the landmark SAFE-T Act, originally passed in 2021. The bill addresses misinformation related to the Act, including clarifying the detention net, expanding processes for transitioning to cashless bail on January 1st, and specifying definitions of willful flight and dangerousness, among other changes.
“I’m pleased that the General Assembly has passed clarifications that uphold the principle we fought to protect: to bring an end to a system where wealthy violent offenders can buy their way out of jail, while less fortunate nonviolent offenders wait in jail for trial,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Advocates and lawmakers came together and put in hours of work to strengthen and clarify this law, uphold our commitment to equity, and keep people safe.”
The bill clarifies multiple aspects of the SAFE-T Act, which ends the cash bail system in Illinois effective January 1st, 2023 and creates a more equitable system where pre-trial detention is based on community risk rather than financial means. The clarifications to the SAFE-T Act are the result of the work of a bi-cameral legislative group who collaborated with advocates, public defenders, state’s attorneys, victim advocates, and law enforcement officials.
Changes to the Act clarify court authority in controlling electronic monitoring and escape, outline specific guidelines for trespassing violations, and create a grant program to aid public defenders with increased caseloads. The amendments strengthen and clarify the main principle of the SAFE-T Act- to ensure that individuals who pose a risk to the community aren’t released from jail just because they are able to pay bail while people without financial means sit in jail regardless of whether they pose a risk at all.
“The SAFE-T Act, including these important clarifications, will help right the wrongs of policies that have disproportionately harmed low-income, marginalized communities while helping to keep Illinoisans safe,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “I commend members of the General Assembly for coming together to make these changes and provide us a clear path to ensure both accountability and justice. We must stop criminalizing poverty, and that is our goal as we end cash bail in Illinois and uphold human rights for all in our legal system.”
“We understand that public safety is not a static issue,” said Deputy Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria). “This legislation strengthens the underlying SAFE-T Act with valuable feedback from survivors, law enforcement, prosecutors and other public safety advocates. If we want to make our communities safer, we have to work together. This update is a step in the right direction.”
“It’s vital the pretrial system in Illinois remains equitable and that all individuals are treated fairly, regardless of financial status,” said State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign). “After collaboration between a diverse group, we were able to create a measure that ensures public safety and maintains the intent of the Pretrial Fairness Act. I am proud of everyone’s collaborative effort and their commitment to make Illinois safe.”
“The SAFE-T Act was the result of hours of testimony and negotiations with domestic violence advocates, proponents of reform, law enforcement and states attorneys at the table working to create a pathway to a better and more equitable criminal legal system,” said State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago). “However, due to the misinformation campaign led by opponents of the measure, we spent countless hours dispelling falsehoods and working to ensure that the law was not taken out of context. I thank the governor and my colleagues in both chambers for prioritizing a measure that clarifies the language of this transformational law while preserving the protections for crime survivors and ensures we stop criminalizing poverty in this state.”
“To say that I’m proud of all the work and advocacy that went into the passage of this act would be an understatement,” said State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). “My colleagues and I, with input from the Coalition to End Money Bond, the States Attorneys Association, the Sheriff’s Association and survivor advocates, were able to create something that will change lives and reform the criminal justice system for the better. This is our generation carrying the torch for civil and human rights, and Illinois will only become safer and more equitable because of it.”
“This legislation builds on the foundation we set in the SAFE-T Act by making certain that provisions are clearer, more effective, and less difficult to implement,” Representative Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) said. “Institutional barriers within the criminal justice system have disproportionately affect people in the communities that I represent and this legislation addresses that disparity. I am so proud of the work that my colleagues, stakeholders and I did to engage and collaborate to bring forth this bill.”
“This measure is part of a continued effort to address misconceptions and sincere concerns brought forward by law enforcement, survivors and advocates,” said Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford). “It’s a reminder of the need to work together, and of our shared mission to make every community safer for families across our state.”
“This is the result of hundreds of hours and a collaboration of all stakeholders to clarify and strengthen the language from the previous legislation. It’s been an honor to serve my constituents as part of the Public Safety Working Group and create common sense policy solutions that will improve the safety of our communities and the integrity of our justice system,” said Assistant Majority Leader Natalie Manley (D-Joliet). “This is a tremendous step toward a safer, fairer Illinois for all.”
“By strengthening the SAFE-T Act, we are continuing the vital work of keeping Illinoisans safe,” said Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago). “Maintaining a robust justice system will always be an ongoing task, one that we prioritize. Hundreds of hours of consultation with stakeholders from across the ideological spectrum went into producing this bill, which maintains the historic reforms of the SAFE-T Act while ensuring a successful implementation of new policy.”
“The SAFE-T Act was carefully crafted to promote a more equitable criminal justice system while simultaneously keeping our communities safe across Illinois. This legislation takes steps to ensure the SAFE-T reforms are carried out successfully,” said Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview). “Our goal was to reinforce the principles we were proud to pass with the SAFE-T Act, which replaces a wealth-based pretrial detention system with one based on a person’s threat to the community. This legislation protects those goals.”
“When we passed the original SAFE-T Act, we did so with the understanding that more work would need to be done to implement these historic reforms. This legislation keeps that promise,” said Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago). “This legislation clarifies and strengthens the law, reflecting the input and agreement of law enforcement, survivor advocates, and reformers. The work of building a fairer justice system continues, and I am grateful for the partnership of my colleagues in the House Public Safety Working Group, our Senate colleagues, and Governor Pritzker.”
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Caption contest!
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
The Satanic Temple of Illinois debuted a new display in the Illinois Capitol rotunda Tuesday, taking its place next to the annual Christmas and Hanukkah displays. […]
On Tuesday “Minister Adam” of the Satanic Temple of Illinois, who declined to share his last name for security purposes, was joined by about 15 Temple members to dedicate this year’s display. It consists of a crocheted snake sitting on a book and a pile of apples crocheted by Temple members.
“Every year, we do a holiday display and a show of unity and religious pluralism within the state Capitol rotunda,” Adam said. “And this year, we wanted to focus on the book bans that people have been trying to do all over the country.”
A pal of mine took a pic earlier today…
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Lunchtime briefing
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
The final margin of victory for Gov. JB Pritzker over Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey was a resounding one, about 12.54 percentage points. Pritzker notched more than 2.25 million votes to Bailey’s 1.74 million.
The lead vote-getter for Democrats was Comptroller Susana Mendoza in her third successful statewide election. Her 2.33 million votes to nearly 1.68 million votes for Republican candidate Shannon Teresi represented a win of just over 16 percentage points, down from her near 23-point victory total in 2018.
She assumes the mantle of most successful statewide Democrat that has for over two decades been claimed by Secretary of State Jesse White. The 88-year-old who has held that office since 1998 didn’t run again this year, paving the way for Democrat Alexi Giannoulias to win a contentious Democratic primary.
Giannoulias, the former state treasurer, received about 2.2 million votes to just under 1.8 million for state Rep. Dan Brady, of Bloomington, the Republican nominee. Last week, Giannoulias and Brady announced that the vanquished Republican would join the winner’s transition team. The margin of victory was about 10.69 percentage points.
From Comptroller Mendoza…
After the Illinois State Board of Elections certified its election results on Monday, December 5, the final stamp on Illinois’ 2022 General Election Results shows that Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza received more votes than any other candidate on the ballot throughout the state.
“The State Board of Elections’ newly certified vote totals confirm what we had set out to do and hoped for from the beginning of the campaign. Illinois voters have given me the highest vote total for any statewide candidate on the ticket in Illinois: 2,331,714,” Mendoza stated, “I am honored and humbled that you have once again placed your trust in me.”
SJ-R…
Democrats maintained their super-majority in the Illinois Senate and built on its existing advantage in the Illinois House but had several close calls. The results from ISBE showed Democrats won 78 of the 118 seats in the House and 40 of the 59 seats in the Senate.
In the local Illinois Senate District 48 race featuring state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, and state Rep. Sandy Hamilton, R-Springfield, the final 50.9% to 49.1% tally favored the Democrat.
Turner distanced herself from Hamilton primarily in Sangamon County by 1,375 votes but also won in Macon County by 945 votes. Hamilton won Christian County by 913 votes although the county only had 2,667 votes of the nearly 77,000 cast in the race.
State Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frankfort, overcame Republican challenger Patrick Sheehan in the Illinois Senate District 19 race by less than 1,000 votes. The race caught the attention of many as Pritzker called on Hastings to resign from the Senate in September due to allegations of domestic violence from his estranged wife.
* Apparently, Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) had some issues in Shelby County this year, even though he was unopposed…
Another one found its way to Reddit.
* WLS Radio’s John Howell…
Retired Chief from Riverside Illinois, Tom Weitzel, is our go-to guy for things law enforcement. We’d like to get his take. He’s had, as they say, boots in the sand. He’s had a lot of years of dealing with law enforcement. He regularly lets people in Springfield know what they should be doing and maybe what they shouldn’t be doing. Chief, welcome back, sir, and happy holidays to you.
Weitzel was then asked about the SAFE-T Act revisions…
Well, there’s some good points in there. And there’s some really bad points that are still left in. And I’m fed up by saying that, you know, it’s a 308-page trailer bill that was adopted on the very last date. I don’t think anybody really read through that in the time that they had. It’s almost you remember when the law was passed to begin with? It was over 700 pages at 5am. It seems to be a pattern here. I don’t know how you can thoroughly go through that. At least the law enforcement people that were supposedly involved in these negotiations to really see what’s in there,
Has this person ever been involved in legislative negotiations? Law enforcement representatives were at the table for weeks.
* Back to Weitzel…
But there are some good things to it. They did add a good amount of felony crimes that at least have to have a bail hearing. I found it kind of interesting, though, that they added aggravated battery to a public official as one of the new pieces of legislation that you have to be at least clear in front of the judge and get a bond set or be released. But they didn’t add aggravated battery to police officer. So you can continue to seriously injure police officers and they didn’t add that to that list.
They didn’t add it to the list because it was already in the original bill…
Upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release only if: […]
(7) the person has a high likelihood of willful flight to avoid prosecution and is charged with:
(A) Any felony described in Sections (a)(1) through (a)(5) of this Section; or
(B) A felony offense other than a Class 4 offense.
That charge qualifies. They also revised the willful flight language to make it more acceptable to law enforcement.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | Supreme Court readies to weigh in on ‘most important case’ on democracy: The court is set to hear arguments Wednesday in a case from North Carolina, where Republican efforts to draw congressional districts heavily in their favor were blocked by a Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court because the GOP map violated the state constitution.
* Washington Post | As fatal police shootings increase, more go unreported: Even though federal records indicate that fatal shootings by police have been declining nationwide since 2015, The Washington Post’s Fatal Force database shows the opposite is true: Officers have shot and killed more people every year, reaching a record high in 2021 with 1,047 deaths. The FBI database contains only about one third of the 7,000 fatal police shootings during this time — down from half when The Post first started tracking.
* CBS Chicago | PepsiCo to cut hundreds of jobs, affecting workers in Illinois, New York and Texas: PepsiCo is reportedly planning to eliminate hundreds of corporate jobs in North America, mostly affecting its beverage unit. The company’s Gatorade, Quaker and Tropicana brands are headquartered in Chicago. According to the Wall Street Journal, along with Illinois, the cuts will affect workers in Texas and New York. Employees were sent a memo saying the company is streamlining to run more efficiently.
* Fox32 | Pritzker joins Gold Star families for Christmas tree lighting in Chicago: Gold Star families in attendance of today’s lighting were able to place a memorial ornament honoring their fallen loved one on the tree. Governor Pritzker is also encouraging families to think of those serving overseas during this holiday season.
* CBS Chicago | Volunteers for rival candidate say Ald. James Gardiner ‘accosted’ them and got in their face on sidewalk: As shown on Ring doorbell camera, three Tomic volunteers were just walking down a Northwest Side street on Saturday, Nov. 26 – collecting a petition signature from a woman on the sidewalk. It was all routine, until a blue truck pulled up out of nowhere. “The gentleman came out of the car and crossing the street, yelling, ‘What are you doing signing their petitions?’ Like, you know, ‘They’re lying about me?’” said Tomic volunteer Andrij Skyba.
* CBS Chicago | James Suh, who says Ald. James Gardiner tried to silence him, plans to run for alderman himself: The feud started more than a year ago. The claims against the alderman that resulted got him in trouble with the city’s Board of Ethics – and the matter is now in court. While that case between Suh and Gardiner is still pending, Suh is planning to file his petition to run for Gardiner’s seat next week.
* Tribune | ‘Chuy’ García gets $1 million from labor union as race for Chicago mayor enters ballot-challenge phase: Powerful labor union IUOE Local 150 is giving U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s campaign a $1 million donation in his bid to unseat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 announced its support for García late last month, giving his candidacy a boost after some of his key backers in his 2015 race against Mayor Rahm Emanuel declared their support for Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.
* Center Square | Two Illinois state lawmakers set to retire after winning new terms: State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, announced Monday he will retire from the position at the end of the term on Jan. 10. He just won an uncontested race in his district. Barickman said in a statement he looks forward to spending time with family and not being taken away by phone calls…Last month, state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, announced he’ll be stepping down to become the president of the Illinois Railroad Association. He said the opportunity arose only a few weeks before he made the decision.
* Tribune | Gary LaPaille, former state Democratic chair, state senator and Madigan chief of staff, dies at 68: During his tenure as state party chairman, LaPaille played a major role in diversifying party leadership. Also a vice chair in the Democratic National Committee, LaPaille was influential in bringing the 1996 Democratic National Convention to Chicago for the renomination of President Bill Clinton. Four years later, Al Gore, who had become the Democratic presidential nominee, asked LaPaille to serve as DNC national chairman, but he turned down the offer to launch his career as a lobbyist.
* SJ-R | UIS Innovation Center officially has a new home in downtown Springfield, plans 2025 opening: The center will take over the three-story, 24,600-square-foot Illinois Sheriffs’ Association building at 401 E. Washington St. University of Illinois trustees approved $950,000 for the building purchase earlier this summer…Scheduled to open in 2025, the UIS Innovation Center will serve central Illinois as part of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) to drive innovation, economic growth, and workforce development across the state.
* Tribune | Chicago casino won’t be a ‘glitzy Las Vegas strip joint’ but a ‘series of experiences,’ developers say: As outlined Monday, the design now includes more greenspace and an additional road connections into the riverfront district to address traffic concerns. That followed an earlier decision to nix a proposed pedestrian bridge over the river following community pushback.
* Buffalo Grove | Father grew volatile, erratic leading up to Buffalo Grove family’s deaths: ‘So many red flags’: The five people found dead in a Buffalo Grove home Wednesday were likely killed in a murder-suicide carried out by Andrei Kisliak, police said Monday, as court records showed Kisliak growing more volatile and erratic in the weeks leading up to his family’s deaths.
* AP | Farmers of color sue government for promised federal aid: The federal government has illegally broken a promise to pay off the debts of a group of Black farmers, according to a class-action lawsuit. The group hopes to put pressure on officials to keep their word and to restore funding that was dropped after a group of white farmers filed legal challenges arguing their exclusion was a violation of their constitutional rights. The lawsuit filed in October remains active even as the U.S. Department of Agriculture moves forward with another effort to help farmers in financial distress in addition to paying farmers who the agency discriminated against.
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* Some background is here if you need it. I gave subscribers a brief heads up about this today…
Protect Illinois Communities launched today in support of efforts to pass much needed gun reform in Illinois that will make our communities safer. The newly formed organization will provide resources to engage voters across the state as well as members of the state legislature as they consider the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which was introduced last week by Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield).
The Protect Illinois Communities Act includes common sense measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands, starting with an assault weapons ban. Additionally, the bill would raise the minimum age to obtain a FOID card to 21, and increase resources to enforce red-flag laws and stop the influx of illegal weapons into Illinois. Illinoisans are too familiar with the devastating toll of gun violence, and voters across zip codes and political affiliations know that now is the time to take action.
“Complacency and inaction leave the door open for bad actors to obtain weapons with only one purpose: to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Communities across our state can’t afford to wait any longer to act on gun reform,” said Becky Carroll, Chair and President of Protect Illinois Communities. “Protect Illinois Communities is proud to join the efforts of lawmakers around our state as they work on passing this lifesaving legislation, and we will provide significant resources to communicate with communities across Illinois to ensure a successful outcome in January.”
Statistics and data overwhelmingly support a need for passing the Protect Illinois Communities Act immediately. Mass shootings using assault weapons result in nearly 22 times as many people wounded per incident on average. These excessively lethal weapons are capable of firing 30 rounds in 10 seconds and can hit bystanders one-quarter mile away. 18 to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 years or older, and current gun laws make it too easy for disturbed young people to access guns. The strength of our gun laws are undermined by weak laws in neighboring states, and we must empower the Illinois State Police to combat the influx of illegal guns into Illinois. Restricting who can access deadly weapons is crucial to protecting our communities.
Protect Illinois Communities is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation operating as a 501(c)(4) organization. To learn more or receive updates from the organization please visit www.protectillinoiscommunities.com.
The phrase “significant resources” jumps out.
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* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Campaign Staffer - Illinois Senate Republicans is a tie. Brent Ellis…
The Beast of the Metro East, Brent Ellis. As someone who has observed and worked in IL politics for quite some time, his experience there has paid off. He got Erica Conway Harriss elected in a district that hasn’t elected a Republican in decades. As the ONLY SRO operative with a flip this cycle, Brent Ellis has more than earned the Golden Horseshoe award.
Brent has now won this award two cycles in a row.
* And Matt Butcher…
Matt Butcher - a great operative who was outspent by a large margin and still came very close. Always runs a great operation and is always willing to help everyone out. Matt also does a fantastic job of mentoring younger people who want to get involved and is always willing to show them how to do things. He is a team player and the senate is lucky to have him.
* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Campaign Staffer - Illinois House Republicans goes to Mark Revis…
He ran and won a county board seat in Will County while managing several races for HRM. Was in the fight himself and did a solid job for the organization.
Zach Emberton wins runner-up based on this outstanding nomination…
(W)hat can I say…anyone who can sit in the clerk’s basement for three weeks with Rep. Mazzochi and watch ballots being opened…well…he deserves something more than a Golden Horseshoe.
Zach is a mechanic turned attorney. He knows what makes DuPage tick and he is one of the last guys who can run a race…nothing is below him. Putting up signs, taking midnight candidate calls, or rallying volunteers to phones…Zach is Golden.
Congrats!
* OK, let’s move on to today’s categories…
Spokespersons can be for federal, state and local offices/campaigns, but keep the nominations Illinois-centric, of course. Please do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or your votes won’t count.
* And after you’ve voted, please consider clicking here and donating to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois to help them purchase presents for foster children. Here are some of those very kids making Christmas crafts…
We are just a few hundred dollars below matching last year’s online record, without factoring in inflation (I factored that amount into our newly stated goal). So, please, click here and give if you can. Thanks!
…Adding… That was quick. Thanks!…
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* Cook County Record…
A pair of longtime government reform advocates are pushing back against an attempt by Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to force them to pay the state $1.5 million, alleging they are being punished for opposing Pritzker’s bid to end decades of federal court oversight of corrupt state government hiring practices.
On Dec. 1, attorneys Michael Shakman and Paul Lurie filed a motion in Chicago federal court, opposing Pritzker’s efforts to force them to repay fees the court awarded them from the state as Pritzker argued in court that continued federal oversight of state hiring practices was no longer warranted.
“Granting the Governor’s request … would unjustly punish two civil rights champions who achieved massive reforms,” Shakman and Lurie wrote.
“It would set a dangerous precedent chilling civil rights plaintiffs from seeking appointment of masters to bring governmental bodies into compliance with the requirements of the Constitution.” […]
They noted Pritzker’s fee demand is essentially an ambush, as neither Pritzker nor Raoul gave any indication in the past two years of their intention to demand such a fee award from their opponents.
Shakman and Lurie said they reasonably opposed Pritzker’s attempt to vacate the decree, as they only backed the position of the special master, using information from her reports.
Shakman lost his appeal in August.
* From the state’s filing…
(U)nder black letter law and binding Seventh Circuit precedent, Plaintiffs no longer are prevailing parties with respect to the competing termination and expansion motions, and must shoulder their own fees for opposing the State’s termination motion and requesting expansion of the special master’s duties.
Similarly, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53 requires the court to allocate payment for a special master’s services based on the “extent to which any party is more responsible than other parties for the reference to a master,” and allows reassessment of the allocation of special master payments between the parties “to reflect a decision on the merits.” The costs of the special master’s expanded duties and monitoring after Rule 60(b) was satisfied should be borne by Plaintiffs who sought the now-reversed order expanding her responsibilities over the State’s objection. In the wake of the Seventh Circuit’s repudiation of Plaintiffs’ arguments, there is no reason in law or equity that the State as opposed to the Plaintiffs should bear the cost of Plaintiffs advancing them and continuing special master monitoring and litigation past when it should have ended.
Thoughts?
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The two sides of Rep. Tarver
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Block Club Chicago…
Activist Will Calloway spent months securing state funding for a violence prevention program in South Shore — but now it’s taking so long to access the money, he’s worried it will come too late for the group to effectively do anything with it.
The Passports for Peace violence prevention program, announced in May, will offer out-of-town trips, job training, mentorship and social media monitoring to people at risk of being victimized by or perpetrating gun violence.
Usually, area legislators are quoted in stories like this one criticizing the state agency or governor and siding with their local groups. Or you’ll see reporters gloss over eye-popping things like in this unrelated story by the BGA’s Illinois Answers Project…
The future of a program aimed at helping formerly incarcerated Chicago residents hangs in the balance after the company that was supposed to pay for it, cryptocurrency giant FTX, has imploded amid accusations of fraud before paying most of its promised $1 million grant. […]
The nonprofit, also known as EAT, got the first installment of the grant — just over $393,000 — to support administrative costs. But, without the second payment — more than $600,000 — the program can’t be launched, according to Richard Wallace, EAT’s co-founder and executive director.
A 40 percent administrative overhead? Whoa. Are you kidding me?
* Anyway, let’s get back to the Block Club Chicago story and our original point…
Rep. Curtis Tarver, who represents the area, shares Calloway’s frustration with the process, as “funds aren’t hitting our communities as quickly as we want them to,” he said.
At the same time, a thorough vetting process is needed when spending state funds, Tarver said. […]
“There is a process” to vetting grant funding, Tarver wrote to Calloway in an email obtained by Block Club. “It seems to be being followed, and I do not want any suggestion otherwise by my email being included.” […]
Tarver’s support of the violence prevention program doesn’t mean the state has to “speed up the process, or do anything outside of what the normal process is,” he said. “I want to let the process play itself out.”
That’s really a model for how legislators should react. The state obviously needs to reexamine its contracting laws, but, if the agency is following the rules and nothing is untoward, then legislators shouldn’t pile on to score cheap news media points.
* On to Part 2. Rep. Tarver also wrote an op-ed this week in the Hyde Park Herald about why he didn’t vote on the SAFE-T Act trailer bill after having voted for the original bill in 2021…
On December 1, 2022 only after ensuring that there were enough votes in the Illinois House of Representatives to pass the latest purported “trailer bill” to the SAFE-T Act, I decided not to vote in favor or against the bill.
OK, right off the bat there’s a contradiction. He’s basically saying he would’ve voted for the bill if it was short. Not to mention that it was other people who were out there making sure the bill had enough votes. Rep. Tarver wasn’t even in the building last Thursday during the roll call.
And then he threw his colleagues under the bus…
To have voted in favor of the bill would have been to support those individuals who profess to care about the rights and needs of Black and Brown Illinoisans but at the first site of political pressure are willing to fold. The rights and needs of Black and Brown Illinoisans cannot only be important when wooing us for votes but then discarding us a few weeks later.
Ouch.
…Adding… From Rep. Tarver…
I did not throw my colleagues under the bus. My statement was more general than about this specific vote. It certainly was not to suggest that every colleague that voted in favor of the bill feigns concern about Black and Brown communities. Some people are genuine - others are not. That transcends the Illinois House of Representatives.
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Morning briefing
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Some interesting data…
* Here’s the roundup…
* Capitol News Illinois | State elections board certifies 2022 results: The Illinois State Board of Elections certified its election results Monday, putting the final stamp on another Democratic sweep of statewide offices. The board reported that 4,142,642 out of 8,115,751 registered voters cast ballots in the election, a turnout of roughly 51 percent. That’s down from a turnout of more than 57 percent in 2018, but up from a 49 percent turnout in 2014, according to ISBE.
* Center Square | Hearing on challenge to ending cash bail in Illinois delayed after amendments: Sources tell The Center Square the lawsuit dozens of state’s attorneys and sheriffs from both political parties have filed against the measure’s implementation continues. It’s now expected to be heard Dec. 20 in Kankakee County, instead of Wednesday as was previously scheduled. Amended briefs are due at the end of the week. A ruling is expected Dec. 28, just three days before no cash bail goes into effect.
* WGN | Rep. Bob Morgan addresses the assault weapon problem: Illinois State Rep. (58th) Bob Morgan joins Lisa Dent to comment on the new bill that aims to address ease of access to assault weapons, the urgency to ban them and raise the buying age of all weapons to 21.
* CBS Chicago | Illinois Supreme Court swears in new justice: Elizabeth Rochford was sworn in Monday morning to represent the second district. Rochford will serve the court for 10 years, representing DeKalb, Kendall, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties.
* WILL100 | Rep.-Elect Nabeela Syed talks identity, generational change, and more: In the 2022 midterms, not only did 18-to-29-year-olds turn out at a rate only outpaced by 2018’s midterms, many members of Gen Z also won seats in political offices across the country. 23-year-old Nabeela Syed is among them. She joined The 21st to discuss the intersection of politics and her identities as a member of Gen Z and an Indian-American, plus what it was like to win her seat and flip her district in the Illinois House of Representatives.
* Axios | Worst flu outbreak in more than a decade spikes hospitalizations: The worst flu outbreak in more than a decade has left nearly every state with high or very high levels of flu activity, underscoring how pandemic precautions may have left us more vulnerable to seasonal respiratory diseases.
* Tribune | 5 candidates for Chicago mayor — but not Lightfoot — face challenges that could knock them off the February ballot: Sawyer released a statement in response, saying in part: “Willie Wilson talks about being denied access to voting in his life, but now that he’s a wealthy man, he’s doing the exact same thing — denying people their choice of candidate by means of his wealth. That’s the height of hypocrisy.” Sawyer called it a “real insult” to the thousands who signed his petitions and to his volunteers.
* Sun-Times | Petition challenges could narrow field of Black candidates for Chicago mayor: Millionaire businessman Willie Wilson is trying to knock retiring Ald. Roderick Sawyer off the ballot. Community activist Ja’Mal Green is challenging Wilson. And former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, a top Wilson adviser, is challenging Green.
* WTTW | CTA Overtime Spikes as Agency Hit By Departures; Dozens of Bus and Train Operators Paid for Average Weeks of 80 Hours or More: A WTTW News analysis of CTA bus and train operator work records from 2015 to 2021 shows a growing number of employees paid for long average workweeks, which experts say raises questions about worker and passenger safety and the agency’s bottom line
* Crain’s | Warning of a looming ‘fiscal cliff,’ the RTA seeks more tax aid: A draft of the five-year regional strategic plan includes all sorts of things, from a call to its operating agencies—Metra, CTA and Pace—to work together to boost rider security, proposals to improve communication with passengers and to begin a pilot program of free or expanded reduced fares for low-income commuters. The RTA distributes tax subsidies to those operating agencies.
* Daily Southtown | Amtrak resumes full service on line that includes Homewood stop: Amtrak said Monday it has restored all services at its Homewood station, including on-site ticketing and the resumption of two daily round-trip trains on the Illini and Saluki line.
* Block Club Chicago | Howard Brown Health Workers, Protesters Blast Planned Layoffs: ‘I’m Fighting For My Job Because I Love This Work’: The health care center’s leaders say they must cut jobs to help reduce costs, but union members say they want proof layoffs are financially necessary.
* Daily Herald | Conroy sworn in, securing her place in DuPage County history and presiding over diverse board: Deb Conroy was sworn in as county board chair, a feat accomplished by no other woman before her. Conroy acknowledged the milestone in her inauguration speech but pledged to make history on multiple fronts, not just because she happens “to be the first woman elected to lead the county board.”
* WGLT | Inspector General slams Pontiac prison workplace culture: A scathing report from the State Executive Inspector General show a climate of hazing and sexual discrimination created a hostile work environment at the state prison in Pontiac, including stating there is reason for disciplinary action against 10 employees for discriminating against a guard who was perceived to be gay.
* Tribune | Sexual harassment allegations led to leadership shake-up at Pontiac prison, inspector general report shows: After the employee, who no longer works for the department, reported the incident to Corrections Department officials, he continued to be harassed based on his “perceived sexual orientation,” and higher-ups at the prison, including the warden, two assistant wardens and the department’s Office of Affirmative Action, failed to responded adequately, according to the inspector general’s report.
* WMBD | Bloomington Sen. Barickman announces retirement: Barickman won reelection in the Nov. 8 general election. Now, the next person to fill the seat will be appointed by the McLean County GOP.
* WGLT | ‘Timing is right’: Barickman leaving Illinois Senate in January: “Your kids develop so quickly. One year is quite different than another. I have really struggled with this for the better part of a couple of years, thinking when the timing is right,” said Barickman. He said his other work obligations have increased. He is a practicing attorney and a partner in a real estate development and management firm.
* ABC7 | ‘My time had come’: IL Secretary of State Jesse White hopes to help young people during retirement: “I felt as though my time had come. So, I’m going to devote the rest of my life to helping young people,” White said. The name on his door is going to change very soon, but White plans to meet with incoming Secretary Alexi Giannoulias next week to help with his transition into the office.
* Tribune | Uber to pay millions to Chicago restaurants in settlement agreement with city: Uber must pay millions in cash and provide free services to Chicago restaurants as part of a $10 million settlement with the city resolving claims the ride-share company listed restaurants on its UberEats and Postmates platforms without their consent and charged excess commission fees.
* Sun-Times | The Field’s Sue lends a hand to paleontologists studying why T. Rex arms are so short: Sue’s right arm was removed Monday so it can be CT scanned at the University of Chicago and used to create computer models that will give scientists a better understanding of Sue’s muscles and joints.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A little off-topic, but fun…
What’s up by you?
39 Comments
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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