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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Feb 10, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller Here you go!…
* Capitol News Illinois | On Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, advocates spotlight ongoing racial disparities: Simmons and other members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus were joined by members of the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Equity, or BLACHE, a coalition of Black-led organizations that work to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS in the Black community. The lawmakers and advocates called for the state to invest more money in organizations treating the disease in communities of color. * Herald-Whig | Former Adams County sheriff faces charges alleging he issued improper certification while at state agency: Former Adams Sheriff Brent Fischer faces multiple felonies in Macon County alleging he improperly provided a law enforcement officer certification while he served as executive director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Fischer faces three counts of forgery, a Class 3 felony, and one count of official misconduct, also a Class 3 felony. It was first reported by Isabel Miller of Capitol Fax. * CBS Chicago | Illinois hopes to increase Black and brown-owned recreational pot businesses: Since clearing legal hurdles from multiple lawsuits last summer, the state’s cannabis regulation oversight office assures this trickle of social equity ownership will soon turn into a waterfall. “This is the first (program) that’s in America,” said Erin Johnson, the state’s cannabis regulation oversight officer. “So we are proud of that, but with that comes the fact that we don’t have a blueprint.” * Capitol News Illinois | Advocacy groups push for expansive paid family, medical leave in Illinois: After a quick rebrand to the Illinois Time To Care Coalition, advocates are pushing for a more ambitious leave policy, which would make Illinois the 12th state with mandatory paid family and medical leave. The United States is the only industrialized nation without a national paid parental leave law, while dozens of developing countries also have such policies. * WCIA | Illinois state senators announce bipartisan Senate committees: Joining the Senate Higher Education Committee with Sen. Michael Halpin (D-Rock Island) is Sen. Dale Fowler (R- Harrisburg). Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) will also be the co-chair of the Senate State Government Committee along with Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Kankakee). * Center Square | Illinois lawmaker: Property taxes will ‘go to Mars’ if teacher pensions aren’t addressed: “If we wait until 100,000 of those 144,000 [retired teachers] are coming screaming at our doors saying, ‘hey, I want my money,’” Reick said. “If it all falls on local school districts, our property taxes are going to go straight to Mars.” * Sun-Times | Polluters like Southeast Side plant often get a pass on air-quality violations in Chicago: Fewer than half of all citations written by Chicago city health inspectors in recent years for air pollution end up sticking, records show. That’s left neighbors of polluters unhappy. * Sun-Times | City expands mental health services through private providers: A previously announced plan to partner with more community clinics and nonprofits is complete. Mental health services will be offered at some libraries and O’Hare. * Tribune | Pro-union ordinance aimed at Chicago nonprofits draws rebukes, including from the Archdiocese: First introduced in late 2019, the ordinance has popped up again before the Feb. 28 election. The original proposal was sponsored by 35 of the council’s 50 aldermen — some of whom have since left the City Council — and still has vocal support from the most labor-friendly aldermen. * Scott Holland | Pritzker agrees counties can’t set own limits on wind, solar projects: We believe in local control. Until we don’t. That’s the unspoken message from Gov. JB Pritzker’s Jan. 27 signature on House Bill 4412, which neutralizes existing and future county ordinances restricting wind and solar farms. Democrats passed the plan in lame duck session, forcing Pritzker to contradict a position established on the 2022 campaign trail. * WTAX | Fifteen years smoke free: It’s been fifteen years or more since any business in Illinois asked you, “Smoking or non-smoking?” Advocates who helped get Smoke Free Illinois passed fifteen years ago celebrated Wednesday at a reception in Springfield. * Tribune | Postal carriers ‘traumatized’ after recent armed robberies and other crimes, says head of union: “It’s a traumatizing experience to have a gun pulled at you in the performance of your duties while servicing the public,” said Elise M. Foster, the president of the union’s Branch 11, who says she represents the local carriers who recently have been victims of assaults. “They’re scared and some don’t even want to return back to work.” * Pantagraph | Illinois gambling revenues continue to rise as results of 2019 law come into focus: Much of that growth can be attributed to the meteoric rise in video gambling, which besides a COVID-induced reduction in 2020, has increased every year since the machines were introduced in bars, restaurants and truck stops across the state in 2013. * NPR | At least 9 GOP-led state legislatures want to restrict or criminalize drag shows: The Tennessee House’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee recently heard testimony on a proposed bill that would categorize drag shows, or “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest,” as “adult cabaret performance.” It would make it a criminal offense for a drag artist to perform on public property or in a location where the show could be seen by a minor. Further, it prevents local ordinances from superseding this if it were to become state law. * Tribune | Chicago Bulls stand pat at the NBA trade deadline, reaffirming faith in their Big Three: “There were so many buyers, so there were a lot of teams that didn’t want to take a step back, including us,” Karnišovas said. “We tried to improve our team, but at what cost? That price was not OK with us. The next stage for us now that we’ve passed the trade deadline is to evaluate this group over the next 28 games.” * Tribune | Devin Hester falls short in his Hall of Fame bid. Here’s why the record-setting Chicago Bears returner didn’t make the cut again.: Six years after Hester played his final NFL game — as a 34-year-old in the playoffs with the Seattle Seahawks — the argument has been made, and convincingly, too, that no player in league history has made as big of an impact as a returner as Hester did over 156 regular-season and seven postseason games. His 20 career regular-season return touchdowns established an NFL record that might never be touched.
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- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 8:22 am:
One can calculate to the penny what a participants lifetime benefit will be, unfortunately when the investment returns or actuarial liabilities are problematic - the fingers start getting pointed as to how is on the hook for the costs …
“Andrew Bodewes, a spokesman with TRS…We have sort of a weird bifurcated definition of an employer where it is sometimes kind of the state and sometimes the school district when we are talking about employment security,” Bodewes said. “That’s why I do not want to give you an ironclad promise on that.”
- H-W - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 8:29 am:
The NPR story is nutty. Outlawing “entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest.” I suppose we could outlaw Country concerts and Hip Hop. Perhaps we should also outlaw High School sports, especially football and volleyball.
And then there is the whole “bar scene” thingy. I suppose most movie theaters will need to shut down, as well as internet television (since people are constantly watching their phones in public).
I cannot wait for Victoria Secret ads to disappear, as well as almost all advertising, generally.
Thank God for Illinois.
- Torco Sign - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 8:39 am:
“Pritzker, a billionaire, said as part of promoting the city’s bid, he was among those making upfront guarantees to the DNC that the party would lose no money if Chicago snagged the convention.”
There are other ways to phrase this but why get on the bad side of a billionaire governor, right?
- JoanP - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 8:46 am:
= He introduced a bill in his state that defines a drag performance as when “a performer exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth.” =
Well, there goes Shakespeare.
- Nuke The Whales - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 9:09 am:
== It was first reported by [Isabel] Miller of Capitol Fax.==
Congrats Isabel!
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 9:29 am:
=”If we wait until 100,000 of those 144,000 [retired teachers] are coming screaming at our doors saying, ‘hey, I want my money,’” Reick said. “If it all falls on local school districts, our property taxes are going to go straight to Mars.”=
Simple simon saying the sky is falling. How long have we been hearing that?
=unfortunately when the investment returns or actuarial liabilities are problematic=
And yet, the pension system is funded at a higher percentage (assets to liabilities) than it was in 1970.
It has been clear that, by statute, the “employer” share falls to the state as it has since at least 1970.
- Back to the Future - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 9:32 am:
Well there goes the Chicago Bar Association’s Christmas Spirit’s Show.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 9:47 am:
The Freedom Party is at it again, with pushes to ban drag shows in multiple state legislatures. Abortion bans, book bans, teaching bans. So much freedom. This is what certain political interests want Illinois to become. Never has there been less incentive to be like a GOP-led state.
- ddp76 - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 9:59 am:
This showed up in my inbox yesterday. What is it with shortcuts on weapons with the Police Training Board?
https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/no-badge-no-problem/Content?oid=16402124>
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 9:59 am:
@GOM, as always just plain old spot on.
So much freedom, and government out of your life from the right.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 10:18 am:
It looks like the Tenn statute targets the actual performers. So I guess it is still cool to show films like The Crying Game or Boys Don’t Cry on the big screen, just don’t provide any live performances of those on stage.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 10:33 am:
If a kicker and a punter can be elected to the NFL Hall of Fame, then Hester belongs there as well.
- Steve Reick - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:06 am:
@JS Mill: My “100,000″ comment was specifically to the point that as it now stands, Tier 2 benefits fall short of what the retiree would receive from Social Security had the retiree been enrolled there instead of Tier 2. That being the case, that shortfall will have to be made up by someone, and both Andrew and I are of the opinion that this shortfall could fall upon the local district rather than the State, though we’ve never seen a definitive answer. This was not made plain in the Center Square article. I hope this clarifies the matter. Very truly yours, S. Simon
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:11 am:
If you are a ridiculous person still wanting a pension crisis to diminish what the ILSC has said can’t be diminished… or a phony want to say the fiscal math is “all but ready to implode”…
You are not a serious person to the situation now, to looking for answers to better things, and for sure likely dishonest to the fact that no payment to retirees has been missed… and that governments can’t go bankrupt.
You’re as phony as bond rating agencies that refuse to look at constitutional language as it applies to debt.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:15 am:
Oh…
Any single legislator that bemoans the pension/benefit issues to funding or the collapse of any part of either…
… and supports Gillespie’s Bears Bailout Bill…
Then that legislator is wholly dishonest to any aspect of looking for “fiscal responsibility”
I’ll keep a list
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:20 am:
@Steve Reick
Those pensions are guaranteed. So what would you like to do? They can’t be cut. That’s where I’m lost with you. What do you want done?
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:23 am:
== At least 9 GOP-led state legislatures want to restrict or criminalize drag shows:==
Brought to you by the party who is constantly saying that the government needs to stay out of everyone’s business . . . except when they want it to be in our business. It amazes me how far into our personal lives Republicans want to go. If you don’t like drag shows then don’t go. Problem solved. Get out of everyone’s personal lives Republcans.
- Steve Reick - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:28 am:
@OW: At yesterday’s meeting, it was pointed out that the Tier 2 normal cost allocation is pretty much paying for itself, and that the “ramp” is to make up for prior underfunding. I get that. However, it doesn’t solve the problem of such a large percentage of general revenue being diverted to pay for that underfunding and will continue to grow until 2045. You can hide behind the Constitution all you want, but that problem isn’t going to go away. Had you watched the committee hearing, you’d have heard me say that I’m ready to talk about a grand bargain for enhancing revenue in exchange for substantive pension reform. What form that bargain takes I don’t know, but your implication that I’m a “ridiculous person”, a “phony” or “not a serious person” does not advance the conversation.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:32 am:
==You can hide behind the Constitution ==
And you can try all you want to get around the Constitution but you are going to fail.
==substantive pension reform==
And what is your constitutional solution? You must have some idea. You brought it up after all.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:33 am:
===However, it doesn’t solve the problem of such a large percentage of general revenue being diverted to pay for that underfunding and will continue to grow until 2045.===
The thing is, the state can’t and won’t go bankrupt, there would need to be a raising of taxes or revenues and/or a refinancing of the debt or have legislators use that pesky constitution to “explain” to bond agencies their interpretation of how debt is managed isn’t at all real to the constitutionality of Illinois.
===your implication that I’m a “ridiculous person”, a “phony” or “not a serious person” does not advance the conversation.===
I don’t recall saying your name, sir.
I stand by my comment, every sentence, word, syllable.
If you take it as an affront on you, where do you stand on the Gillespie Bears Bailout Bill?
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:34 am:
==not a serious person==
And, by the way, anyone still talking about “pension reform” isn’t a serious person because you just can’t accept what the Supreme Court has said. Tier II was the reform. But that’s not good enough for you. You and those like you won’t be happy until you take something away from those currently in the Tier I system. Go ahead and try but you are going to lose.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:35 am:
===in exchange for substantive pension reform===
Representative, not even the Civic Committee is on board with that any longer.
- Steve Reick - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:46 am:
@Demoralized & @OW: A grand bargain might not necessarily entail a constitutional change. I do take your comment for what it implied, and as to Gillespie’s bill, the Bears’ balance sheet is a lot stronger than the State’s. If Kronke can privately finance SoFi Stadium, so can the McCaskeys or whoever buys the team in the future.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:50 am:
==A grand bargain might not necessarily entail a constitutional change==
What? So you want to work on a change that you know will be unconstitutional? The court has laid out your options. You can give employees something in exchange for making changes or you can fund the pensions. Those are your options. We already have some programs in place that offer employees something if they will give up something. You’re wasting your time if you continue to talk about “pension reform” unless you want to follow the court’s guidance. Accept it instead of wasting everyone’s time.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 11:53 am:
Representative, I appreciate your No on the Bears Bailout Bill, and as you take my comment as an affront towards you, individually, I’ve looked at any thought of a “pension reform” discussion as its intended to be discussed, a diminishing or trying to put what the ILSC says can’t be “put”
Others, and other groups have backed away from a pension reform prong for any of a number of reasons, likely too because of 60/30, 71/36… as Rauner himself learned holding a state hostage for his own unpopular reforms.
If there were even 60/71 and 30/36, any reform trying to skirt the constitution and the ILSC is phony to the honest discussion and a real discussion to solutions.
Appreciate your responses, Representative, I hope you understand mine.
OW
- Steve Reick - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 12:07 pm:
I’ll throw this out for consideration and then go do other things: 1) An agreement among all stakeholders for a buyout of the 3% compounded COLA; 2) A revenue stream or tax increase limited to funding that buyout with a non-negotiable sunset once that’s paid for; and 3) A Constitutional amendment of whatever form necessary to accomplish the above. Have a nice weekend.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 12:09 pm:
==An agreement among all stakeholders for a buyout of the 3% compounded COLA==
That would have to be an individual offer made to each employee. Pensions are an individual contract so you couldn’t do a blanket change.
And changing the constitution still isn’t going to get you around the limitations placed on making changes for current members of the system. It will help you for the future by current members would still be covered under the contracts clause in the constitution.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 12:13 pm:
Have a good weekend, Representative, I also concur with - Demoralized - on the assessment
- Jibba - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 12:24 pm:
Representative Reick: I appreciate hearing ideas, although I am skeptical about the specific ones you mention. In addition to Demoralized’s critique, offering buyouts to individual members probably will not save as much as planned. The most likely to take such a bad deal (other than those who are math-challenged) are those whose life expectancy will be lower than average, and those are folks you want to stay in the system.
- Amalia - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 12:53 pm:
agree with Nuke the Whales, go Isabel (oops, almost typed the banned…..)
- Stuck in Celliniland - Friday, Feb 10, 23 @ 12:56 pm:
Meanwhile, in Urbana and from the “Yea, You Called Attention to it All Right” department:
==https://www.news-gazette.com/news/man-allegedly-started-fire-at-a-house-to-bring-attention-to-the-homeless/article_ba553ab0-a644-5c4a-b480-4b317ae07b85.html==