SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Senate President Don Harmon tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Prior to attending session at the Capitol, Harmon home tested twice. Both were negative.
A SHIELD Illinois test administered Tuesday came back positive. A subsequent test at a health care office also came back positive.
Harmon will isolate and not attend legislative session and functions this week per CDC guidelines.
For anyone exposed to COVID-19, the CDC now recommends that instead of quarantining, you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day five.
* Lawyers are gonna say what lawyers are gonna say. Center Square…
Three federal lawsuits against Illinois’ gun ban made some movement Monday as a federal judge ordered a response from the state to show “each and every item banned.” […]
In three other cases, federal Judge Stephen McGlynn ordered state defendants to provide “illustrative examples of each and every item banned” under state law.
Thomas Maag, who brought the state level Crawford County case that was transferred to federal court, said the judge’s order will make it difficult for the state to comply.
“Because the ban is so all encompassing and uses a great many vague terms that I’m not even sure that exactly what is banned and that’s probably why judge McGlynn ordered the state to do that so that we could find out what exactly we are arguing about,” Maag told The Center Square on Monday.
We’ll see, but a list of banned weapons is in the law.
* It’s actually just one Democrat so far, and that’s not what she said, but whatevs, WCIA…
Pritzker has hinted that he will be focusing heavily on education in his second term, but some top Democrats are even advising against increasing spending this year.
They are worried about potential economic problems in the near future.
“What we don’t want to see is, you know, frivolous spending, right,” said Comptroller Susana Mendoza. “We don’t want to see spending for new programs that might not be proven or tested programs that end up being added to the budget year to year.”
Democratic comptroller Susana Mendoza, for example, said in a recent interview with Capitol News Illinois she’d be opposed to new ongoing spending initiatives. While she has no formal vote on the matter, her voice has proven an influential one at the Capitol.
It would, of course, be foolish to think Pritzker will hold the line on spending. That is counter to his personal preference and political desire to expand existing social programs and create new ones.
But he should bear in mind that until Illinois gets a real grip on its tawdry financial status, chaos in state budget programming will be a constant companion.
That’s why comptroller Mendoza’s sensible advice should be heeded by all those who are part of the budget-making process.
Despite what WCIA tells you, the comptroller is, in fact, calling for more spending on what she believes is a worthwhile program…
WATCH & SHARE!! Illinois gets a great return on investment when we fund scholarships for students whose families can't afford college, as I saw recently visiting @SIUC. Join me in voicing support for these students & increasing funding for the state’s MAP grants. #twillpic.twitter.com/z2jZGFOPig
Taxpayers who received state refunds from Colorado and 20 other states will not be required to report those payments on their 2022 federal Internal Revenue Service return.
“The IRS has determined that in the interest of sound tax administration and other factors, taxpayers in many states will not need to report these payments on their 2022 tax returns,” the organization stated in a news release.
In addition to Colorado, the IRS said people in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island don’t need to report state payments on their 2022 return. Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Virginia fall under the guidelines with some stipulations.
Battery-technology startup NanoGraf has raised $65 million to ramp up production at a West Side factory that will open later this year.
Warrenville-based Volta Energy Technologies and CC Industries, the Crown family’s holding company, led the investment. TechNexus and five other investors also joined the round, with existing backers, including Hyde Park Angels and Evergreen Climate Innovations.
NanoGraf, which spun out of Northwestern University 11 years ago, is in the final stages of proving out technology that increases the capacity of standard rechargeable lithium-ion batteries by about 20%.
Detroit city officials are weighing a radical change to the way the city taxes property, which proponents say will help revitalize the city and become a model for the Rust Belt.
Detroit would be the largest U.S. city to introduce a so-called land-value tax. Like most U.S. cities, Detroit calculates property taxes by estimating the value of a property’s land and buildings and charging a fixed percentage each year.
Under the proposed change, the city would replace some property levies with a single tax on the land value only, according to people familiar with the matter.
That means owners of vacant land would see their tax bills skyrocket, while the tax bill for many homeowners and commercial-property owners would fall. That in turn would push up home values and encourage more property owners to build, said Roderick Hardamon, a local real-estate developer who supports the change.
* Good news…
It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life for me. And I’m feeling good. I’m so happy to be back covering state politics as the new Capitol reporter for @wandtvnews. Thank you to everyone who supported me over the past month. Time to get to work! #twillpic.twitter.com/TSlxbbZXHb
* NYT | Bureau of Prisons Is Closing Troubled, Violent Detention Unit in Illinois: The [federal] Bureau of Prisons is shuttering a troubled special detention unit in Illinois that has been plagued by inmate deaths, suicides and the reported sexual harassment of guards. On Tuesday morning, staff members at the special management unit in the Thomson federal penitentiary in the rural northwest part of the state were told that the 350 prisoners under their supervision would be transferred to other prisons. They had been moved to the unit after committing disciplinary infractions in facilities around the country.
* The Telegraph | State police expanding deflection program: Deflection reduces the number of individuals who enter the criminal justice system by referring individuals who would be better served by the behavioral health system. By addressing the behavioral health issues that often underlie offenses, DPAD can reduce recidivism and strengthen communities.
* TPM | Three-Quarters of House GOPs Endorsed Social Security Cuts Last Year: The Blueprint to Save America proposed raising the eligibility age at first to 70 and then higher if and when life expectancy goes up; it proposed cutting (or in their words “modernizing”) the benefit formula for everyone currently 54 and under; means-testing Social Security benefits; including work requirements for some Social Security beneficiaries; and allowing people to divert payroll taxes into private investment accounts — aka “retirement freedom.” (See details on pages 81-82 of the Blueprint to Save America.)
* Tribune | Ted Beattie, led Shedd Aquarium through a period of growth, dies at age 77: He was really hardworking, but he got everything by building a consensus — that’s how he would do that,” said former Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner, a former Shedd Aquarium board chair. “That’s how he was able to build the Shedd to its size today.”
* Beacon-News | Aurora man hits right notes with his hand-made cigar box guitars: “People that want these already play guitar but there are some famous musicians that can really jam on a cigar box,” he said. “Some of the old blues players got their early start on these because back in the day they were poor and couldn’t afford one so they made one.” Martinez said just like the resurgence of the ukulele, “cigar box guitars are extremely popular right now.”
A pair of bills backed by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office aims to reduce the burden on taxpayers who have fallen behind on their property taxes and crack down on private investors who profit from the sale of delinquent taxes.
Legislation introduced Friday by state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, would reduce the amount of interest charged on late property tax payments and close a loophole in the state tax code that leads to local governments losing millions of dollars each year to private investors. […]
The “sale in error” process was created to reverse tax sales that should never have occurred, such as those in which the property owner already paid the taxes before the sale.
But according to the treasurer’s office, investors have used the provision to argue that sales should be void because of discrepancies in the county assessor’s description of the property, such as saying a home had no air conditioning when it did, or a house had stucco when it was made of brick. […]
The other bill crafted by the treasurer’s office, Senate Bill 2395, aims to help residents who are behind on their property taxes by cutting interest rates on the payments from 1.5% to 0.75% per month starting this year.
* Chicago FOP…
This week, Senate bill 1631 was introduced to give @FOP7Chicago members a pension benefit comparable to members of @CFDLocal2.
— Fraternal Order of Police - Chicago Lodge #7 (@FOP7Chicago) February 11, 2023
* Rep. Scherer…
Rep. Sue Scherer has introduced legislation that would expand access to food assistance for foster families. This bill would make all foster families eligible for SNAP benefits. Currently, foster children cannot qualify for any SNAP benefits. #BuildingBackBetterpic.twitter.com/p7HFRFOtmf
— Democrats for the Illinois House (@DemsforILHouse) February 10, 2023
Proposed measures at the Illinois statehouse could require electric vehicle charging stations in the garage of new homes, a change one builder says would increase costs.
House Bill 2206 and Senate Bill 40 require a new single-family residence or a small multifamily residence to have at least one electric vehicle charging station for each residential unit with dedicated parking.
Dean Graven of the Home Builders Association of Illinois said neither measure considers the added costs.
“This is a mandate with no funding behind it, a mandate that every new house, single-family duplex, then it gets into the multi-family, would have to have electric car charging stations,” Graven told WMAY. “For every $1,000 price increase on a home, you knock out 6,000 buyers.”
* Illinois Family Institute…
With the beginning of a new Illinois General Assembly, it is imperative that each of us reach out to our state lawmakers to let them know that we are paying attention to their votes and actions.
Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) has introduced HB 1591 in an attempt to make Illinois a destination for same-sex couples to get a government “marriage” certificate. She and her like-minded friends are fearful that the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodgesdecision which struck down state bans on same-sex “marriage.” In that case, many states could opt to ban same-sex “marriage” in their state.
That is why Cassidy is repealing three specific statutes in the Illinois Marriage Act. These sections are the obstacles for same-sex couples residing in another state who want to “marry” and then go back to their state with a valid marriage license.
The reason Rep. Cassidy wants to repeal 750 ILCS 5/217 is because if a gay couple wants to get “married” here but live in another state that no longer recognizes same-sex “marriage,” their “marriage” would be null and void.
The reason Rep. Cassidy wants to repeal 750 ILCS 5/218 is because currently a judge or pastor has to ask the gay couple residing in another state to provide papers that their state does not ban same-sex marriage.
The reason Rep. Cassidy wants to repeal 750 ILCS 5/219 is because if a judge or pastor marries a same-sex couple knowing they are not supposed to be marrying them, liability for the judge or pastor exists. The repeal of Sec. 219 removes liability for a judge or pastor.
They may have just passed that bill /s
* SGOPs…
Several downstate Republican legislators joined together at the Capitol Tuesday calling for action to address the rising cost of energy impacting Illinois families and businesses.
“Do we pay our power bills or buy food to eat? That’s the question that far too many families are asking themselves,” said State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “This is an emergency situation, the Legislature needs to act quickly, and the Governor needs to step up.”
Gathering a day before the Governor’s 2023 Budget and State of the State Address, the legislators said providing long-term relief for Illinois families should be one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s top budget priorities, and have introduced a number of proposals for short-term relief.
Citing energy rate increases that have almost doubled some families’ power bills since May 2022, lawmakers discussed Senate Bill 2200, filed by freshman State Sen. Erica Harriss, which would allocate $200 million in rebates to affected consumers. The Legislature approved an Ameren rate relief package during last month’s lame-duck session that would provide the average household with $170 in rate relief. The rate relief would be broken up into monthly bill credits likely occurring from April through October. The program is subject to appropriation, and it has not been funded.
“There are far too many families in our community being forced to choose between paying for utilities and paying for groceries,” said State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon). “This is a choice our people should never have to make. While I recognize this rebate won’t be enough to conquer the long-term energy increases, it’s something we can do right now, today, to bring immediate relief. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in supporting this legislation and working for more comprehensive solutions to solving this energy crisis.
State Senator Jil Tracy said she hopes the Governor’s budget proposal on Wednesday will include long-term solutions, but she is taking matters into her own hands now by sponsoring a pair of bills to address the need for greater energy capacity and supply.
Senate Bill 1548 would cut burdensome regulatory “red tape” at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which has prevented new power plants from coming online in a timely manner. And Senate Bill 1547 would create the Power Grid Task Force, which requires the General Assembly to look at the impacts that energy policies are having on Illinois’ ability to produce the required amount of energy to meet Illinois’ needs.
“We have to start addressing this issue right now,” said State Senator Jil Tracy (R-Quincy). “We need more energy investments in the Governor’s budget, and we also need to look at ways we can fill the demand of the grid so that consumer prices naturally go down.”
State Representative Dave Severin, who serves as the House Energy & Environment Committee Minority Spokesperson, is filing similar legislation in the House of Representatives and said it’s imperative that Illinois utilizes all forms of energy to adequately fulfill the state’s needs.
“State and national policies on energy production have shifted from independence to dependence, from using our vast reserves of clean, cheap, reliable, and efficient resources to prioritizing renewable technologies that just aren’t ready to fulfill our needs,” said State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton). “Make no mistake, I am for an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach on energy production, but an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach is not what we have.”
While Illinoisans await action on legislative measures to address energy costs and grid supply, legislators will be sending a letter to Gov. Pritzker requesting the filing of emergency rulemaking procedures to dump more power into the grid markets and revised permit procedures to fast-track the development of natural gas plants.
“We have more than 2,000 megawatts of clean, gas-generated power that Gov. Pritzker can instantly infuse onto the grid with one decision to increase capacity and help lower costs for families and businesses,” said State Senator and Senate Energy Minority Spokesperson Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro). “Adjusting these energy caps is something we can do right now to ease the financial burden crippling our downstate communities. It is vital that we take these actions to set us up for success while we continue to build our diversified energy portfolio.”
* Media advisory…
Date and Time:
Thursday, February 16, 2023, 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location:
Blue Room (room 010), Illinois State Capitol Building, 401 S. 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62706 | BlueRoomStream.com will also be providing video coverage.
Who:
Eric Larson, Illinois State Dental Society Executive Director
State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
State Senator Laura Fine
Dr. Lawrence White
Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry
Dr. Maggie Schaefer Gilpin
What:
Legislative package seeks to protect patients by increasing transparency and accountability for dental insurers while ensuring more patient dollars go to patient care.
Why:
Legislation responds to patient calls for more accessible and transparent dental care and has demonstrated wide-spread public support. As much as 40-percent of dental patient premiums go toward administrative costs like bonuses, profits and marketing instead of being directed toward patient care. Meanwhile, More than 1 in 2 Americans report delaying care or avoiding it altogether because of costs, and the most frequently skipped form is dental work. This legislation will mean more Illinois families will be empowered to seek the dental care they need.
Illinois is one of the top sports betting states in the country, and a gambling insider says online casino gambling would be even bigger.
A bill has been introduced at the statehouse that would legalize internet gaming. State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, filed Senate Bill 1656, which proposes the initial cost of an internet gaming license would be $250,000 with applications limited to Illinois casinos and racetracks. Licensed operators would be taxed at 15% of adjusted gross gaming revenue that would be directed to the State Gaming Fund.
Amends the General Assembly Organization Act. Provides that, beginning in 2023, each member of the General Assembly shall, during each term of office, complete a training program and examination on the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the Commission may contract with the Illinois Community College Board to use the Illinois Constitution Module for this purpose. Provides that, upon completion of the training program and successful passage of the examination, each member of the General Assembly must certify in writing that the member has completed the training program and examination. Provides that each member of the General Assembly must provide to his or her ethics officer a signed copy of the certification. Requires the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability to develop and administer the training program and examination. Effective July 1, 2023.
From a pal in my favorite group chat…
If you’re gonna file this bill, why not have some fun with it? Require the test to be taken publicly. Or make everyone play a Jeopardy game!
State Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) on Tuesday filed new legislation that would reinstate the death penalty in Illinois.
If passed, the death penalty would be allowed if a police officer or fireman are killed in the line of duty; a person is convicted of murdering two or more people; the victim of a murder is under the age of 12; or if the murder takes place at a religious institution.
The death penalty was abolished in Illinois in 2011, by Gov. Pat Quinn.
Twelve people were executed by the state between 1976 and 2011.
Cabello’s public safety package of bills would also repeal the SAFE-T Act, which eliminates cash bail.
Also included in the legislation are provisions for municipalities to provide health insurance to police and fire personnel after their retirement.
House Bill 268, effective immediately, creates a framework for local governments to increase funding for local tourism projects in collaboration with hotels by creating local tourism districts.
Hotels can qualify for these tourism districts if they can shoulder half of the proposed costs. If petitioning hotels are approved, they can charge up to a 5 percent rate per-room per-night that will go toward a fund overseen by a state-certified local tourism bureau. […]
House Bill 1064, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, changes parole requirements for individuals convicted before they are 21 years old.
Under the new law, if those individuals are sentenced to a term of life in prison, they are eligible for a parole review after serving 40 or more years of their sentence
* More on HB1064 from Restore Justice…
Governor JB Pritzker signed Public Act 102-1128 (House Bill 1064) into law on Friday, February 10, abolishing life without the possibility of parole sentences for children in Illinois. This makes Illinois the 26th state (plus Washington D.C.) to end the use of these sentences for people younger than 18. Illinois’ law also makes our state a leader in sentencing reform by recognizing young people’s brain development and ensuring most people 18-20 are parole-eligible. Governor Pritzker signed the measure the same week legislators introduced a bill to make youthful parole retroactive.
“This has to be my proudest professional moment. Being a former ‘juvenile lifer’ and being part of an amazing team that pushed this legislation, it is so rewarding to know that legislators understand children can change and become productive members of society,” Restore Justice Program Director Wendell Robinson said.
Public Act 102-1128 builds on the 2019 Youthful Parole Law, which created the first new parole opportunities in Illinois since our state abolished parole in 1978. The most recent law extends parole review to young people sentenced to natural life in prison; this ensures no children 17 and younger can receive a life without parole sentence.
“Today, I am proud to be an Illinoisan. In Illinois, we care about our children. Recognizing that young people can grow and change recognizes their humanity; it is an act of mercy and kindness. Thank you Governor Pritzker and the Illinois legislators on both sides of the aisle that supported it,” said Julie Anderson, Restore Justice’s Outreach Director. Anderson’s son originally received a life without parole sentence for a youthful conviction.
Public Act 102-1128 passed with bipartisan support. In the House, Representatives Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) and Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) sponsored the measure. “Even when a crime is particularly severe, it should be recognized that a legal minor with their whole life still ahead has the potential to be reformed,” Representative Mayfield said. “That’s why granting eligibility for a parole hearing after 40 years for those who are sentenced to life imprisonment before the age of 21 is the right thing to do. I recognize that victims and their families may have concerns, and I don’t blame them. However, in a nation like ours, prison should be a place where people have the opportunity to transform themselves and become better people and productive members of society. I believe that giving everyone a chance at redemption is a moral duty.”
Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) moved the measure through his chamber and also sponsored the 2019 Youthful Parole Law. “It’s a sliver of hope for an otherwise condemned person under 21 who maybe, just maybe, might redeem themself decades down the road and warrant consideration for a second chance at society,” President Harmon said after the bill passed through the Senate.
On the Senate floor, Senator Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) spoke forcefully in favor of redemption. “I consider myself a law-and-order Republican, but I also believe in rehabilitation. I believe there are some people who make extremely poor decisions in the very early portions of their lives who deserve consideration once they have met benchmarks and shown they are prepared to become contributing citizens after they have served their debt to society. For these people, we need to offer them hope and let them know we recognize that people can redeem themselves,” Senator DeWitte said.
“This new law builds on the national momentum to ensure no children or young adults are sentenced to die in prison without the opportunity to return home. Everyone deserves the opportunity for grace and redemption. No child should spend their life in prison,” Restore Justice Policy Director Rev. Lindsey Hammond said.
Also last week, now-Senator Seth Lewis introduced Senate Bill 2073. This bill would make the 2019 and 2023 youthful parole laws retroactive. If signed into law, SB 2073 would allow 523 people who are currently incarcerated the opportunity to immediately seek parole consideration. In total, 3,253 people (including the above 523) currently incarcerated people would be eligible for parole consideration at some future point in time.
* From the governor’s press release…
Bill Number: HB 0045
Description: Amends the Election Code surrounding Judicial Subcircuits.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 0268
Description: Creates the Tourism Preservation and Sustainability District Act.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 1064
Description: Abolishes life without parole for people under 21 years of age.
Action: Signed
Effective: January 1, 2024
Bill Number: HB 1563
Description: Amends the CMS Services Law of the Civil Administration Code to remove the preference for location of jobs in Sangamon County.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 1688
Description: Allows cars, vans, and other first division vehicles to operate as school buses under a Secretary of State permit.
Action: Signed
Effective: July 1, 2023.
Bill Number: HB 1859
Description: Amends the Cook County Forest Preserve Article of the Illinois Pension Code.
Action: Signed
Effective: June 1, 2023
Bill Number: HB 2369
Description: Amends the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Act regarding Veterans Assistance Commissions.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 2542
Description: Allows qualifying individuals who previously had a felony conviction to legally change their name.
Action: Signed
Effective: January 1, 2024
Bill Number: HB 2870
Description: Amends the Regional Water Commissions Division of the Illinois Municipal Code.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 3878
Description: Makes changes to the Rental Housing Support Program.
Action: Signed
Effective: July 1, 2023
Bill Number: HB 4228
Description: Amends the Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency Act.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 4245
Description: Amends the Illinois Plumbing License Law to ensure that lawn irrigation and lawn sprinkler system installation is well regulated in perpetuity past the current sunset date of January 1, 2024.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 5107
Description: Allows school principals to be eligible for collective bargaining exclusively in Chicago.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 5285
Description: Creates transparency in the process of hiring school principals in an effort to ensure schools have the necessary information to hire the most qualified candidate exclusively in Chicago.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 5542
Description: Makes various changes regarding the operations of the Illinois Joint Forces Foundation Fund.
Action: Signed
Effective: January 1, 2024
* More on HB2542 from Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director at the ACLU of Illinois…
The bill moves Illinois closer to a fair, modern system regarding the ability of transgender and gender expansive individuals, as well as survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence to change their names. Survivors of human trafficking and transgender people too often are at risk simply because they do not have identity documents that align with their authentic selves. This is corrected under the new law.
Threats posed by daily interactions now will be relieved. This is good policy that increases safety for those who have been on the receiving end of these unnecessary and harmful laws. We thank the Governor for taking this important action.
While opponents have argued the measure would allow felons to escape scrutiny and potentially commit more crimes, supporters maintained the legislation would protect transgender individuals who face discrimination, as well as victims of human trafficking who face danger from their abusers.
Under the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, there is no longer a lifetime ban on name changes for people who have been convicted of identity theft, as well as for those on state registries for convictions on offenses that include murder, arson and various sex crimes. For all other felonies, the law lifts a 10-year waiting period from the completion of a sentence for people to change their names.
Judges will have the final word over approving name changes for people convicted of felonies that had been subject to the lifetime ban, and the measure would allow county prosecutors to object to those name-change petitions. In those cases, the petitioners would have to convince judges that they want to change their name because they’re transgender, were victims of human trafficking, for religious reasons or because they got married.
* More on HB5285 From Sen. Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas…
To provide more transparency and due process in the current hiring process for principals in the Chicago Public School system, State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas, in collaboration with Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, introduced a new initiative to grant Local School Councils (LSC) access to the universe of qualified applicants for these vital positions—ensuring viable candidates are not overlooked, and underqualified applicants are not chosen over their peers.
“Current policies have caused some schools to hire administrators who did not meet the roles and expectations set, and this legislation will help address those issues,” said Senator Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “Administrators lead and determine how schools operate, so by ensuring that each school can see the full scope of applicants, we are providing greater access to select those best qualified for the position.”
Currently, aspiring principals face rigorous standards to be licensed by the state and must go through a second eligibility determination process when applying to Chicago Public Schools. After passing this unclear vetting process, candidates interested in a particular school must submit their credentials to the entire CPS system for the first round of vetting, not the school they are interested in.
Additionally, LCSs do not get to look over the entire candidate pool, and only have access to the group CPS advances, even if other candidates were also eligible. This has led to issues in many schools in the CPS system, including a principal being hired who was not fluent in a language of instruction at a two-way bilingual school which compromised the principal’s primary function of evaluating teachers in the language of instruction. The lack of transparency in the current CPS hiring process did not grant the LSC full view of other potential candidates who may have been fluent in the languages of instruction.
To address this and other oversights, this legislation increases transparency for principal eligibility applicants by making public the rubric and scoring threshold for passing each step in the process, allows for due process when candidates do not advance to the next stage of evaluation, and gives Local School Councils access to the entire eligible pool of candidates. These protections give LSCs a more diverse pool of candidates to select from—some of whom may be more qualified to be leaders in schools than the narrower pool that CPS may have advanced. Further, it allows greater opportunity for equity by informing candidates of deficiencies and resources for professional improvement. Senator Pacione-Zayas is confident this change will make the hiring process work better not just for aspiring principals, but also for students, educators, and the wider school community.
“Students and school communities lose out when great leaders are arbitrarily excluded from eligibility,” Troy LaRaviere, President of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, said. “On behalf of the 1100 men and women who lead Chicago’s public schools, I thank all of the General Assembly members for passing HB 5285, which will bring more transparency to the hiring process.”
“Principals and administrators play a meaningful role in the success of our schools and students and are arguably the primary driver of positive school outcomes and success,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Our students and faculty deserve to know the process applicants undergo, and Local School Councils should have access to the full list of eligible candidates to review as they pick who is best fit for the job as principal.”
With less than two weeks left until Election Day, the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy (CSDD) at Northwestern University and a coalition of Black and Latino nonprofits released a nonpartisan poll showing common ground among Black and Latino voters in the Chicago mayoral race. Results from the survey showcase the need for candidates to address safety, cost of living and jobs, among other priority issues for Chicagoans.
The poll also shows a tight race between Paul Vallas (19%), U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (17%), Mayor Lori Lightfoot (14%) and Willie Wilson (12%). Broken down by demographics, 40% of Latino voters are leaning toward Rep. Garcia, 23% of Black voters are leaning toward Mayor Lightfoot, and 25% of white voters are leaning toward Vallas. More than 20% of voters still remain undecided.
The poll was conducted by BSP Research. Northwestern and a coalition of Black and Latino nonprofits funded and developed this poll to better understand the issues mobilizing Black and Latino Chicago voters. The coalition includes Hispanic Federation, Illinois Black Advocacy Initiative, Latino Policy Forum and Latino Victory Project.
The poll found that crime (57%), inflation/cost of living (44%), and wages/jobs (25%) dominate as the most important issues for all Chicago voters. A majority of Black (54%) and white (64%) respondents as well as a plurality of Latino voters (46%) identified crime as the most important issue. Equally important, 46% of all voters strongly support decreasing police funding and investing in addressing root causes of crime. […]
The poll also found that Chicago voters agree on an active and effective government, with overwhelming support across racial groups to:
• Create more affordable housing (56% of Latinos, 63% of Blacks, 47% of whites )
• Make childcare accessible to all parents (55% of Latinos, 57% of Blacks, 41% of whites)
• Increase the number of police on the force (48% of Latinos, 38% of Blacks, 47% of whites)
• Tax multi-million-dollar properties to help pay for services (54% of Latinos, 44% of Blacks, 39% of whites)
• Create a humane and orderly way to allow immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers to live and contribute to Chicago (88% of Latinos, 78% of Blacks, and 76% of whites)
[…] In terms of commonality among racial groups to work together on issues, 85% of Latino voters and 75% of Black voters think that both communities have more in common when it comes to government and politics in Chicago. Additionally, over 70% of Black and Latino voters think Chicago would be better if Black and Latino communities work together on issues.
Finally, Latino voters show the lowest rates of being 100% certain to vote at 69%, followed by 78% of Black voters and 83% of white voters.
The poll includes 643 registered voters in Chicago who were randomly contacted by cell phone, email or through other online panels and carries a margin of error of +/- 3.9%. The poll was in the field Feb 5-10, 2023 and available in English or Spanish. Respondents who said they were not planning to vote were excluded. Final data were weighted to match the known U.S. Census Bureau estimates for voters in Chicago.
After pressing likely voters who initially said they were undecided to pick a candidate they were leaning toward…
Vallas 23%
Garcia 16%
Lightfoot 15%
Wilson 12%
Johnson 8%
Green 5%
King 4%
Buckner 3%
Sawyer 3%
Undecided 10%
By the way, President Biden was rated favorably by 74 percent of likely voters, while Gov. Pritzker was rated favorably by 71 percent.
Vallas 13%
Lightfoot 15%
Wilson 12%
Garcia 10%
Johnson 7%
Green 7%
King 5%
Buckner 4.5%
Sawyer 1%
Write in/Other 3%
Undecided 22%
* The Get Stuff Done PAC is spending money in aldermanic races, both against progressives and for more moderate candidates. They just reported another $250,000 contribution from Michael Sacks. He’s now up to $750K.
A group that represents the real estate industry has quietly become a major player in this month’s Chicago aldermanic elections, spending funds in nearly a dozen races that will determine control of the City Council.
According to disclosures filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Illinois Realtors has spent money via an independent expenditure affiliate in at least 11 wards scattered around the city. Included are vacant seats in the Lincoln Park 43rd Ward, south lakefront 4th Ward, West Side 30th Ward and north lakefront 46th and 48th Wards, as well as embattled incumbents in the 11th, 12th, 23rd and 50th wards. […]
Illinois Realtors’ spending comes on top of donations from another group backed by business interests, the Get Stuff Done PAC. Former by allies of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, it has reported raising about $1.5 million so far, with some spending in the same wards as the real estate group.
* Press release…
Fresh off of a series of polls showing him continuing to lead in the race for Mayor and a major endorsement from Alderman Brendan Reilly, mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is releasing a new television ad that starts running on broadcast and cable today. Titled “Great City,” the ad showcases the support Vallas is receiving from a broad, diverse coalition of Chicagoans who are backing the candidate and his vision of putting crime reduction and public safety first.
“I could not be more proud of the movement our campaign is building of Chicagoans from all different backgrounds who agree that we need a Mayor who believes that public safety is a human right, and who will deliver on the promise to make our city safer,” said Vallas. “With just two weeks remaining until Election Day our team will continue working hard to earn the support of every Chicago voter by staying focused on what matters most to them, which is making our city safer.”
The Vallas ad features genuine supporters from neighborhoods across the city including Southside, Little Village, Bridgeport, Loop/Downtown, Hyde Park, and Lakefront/Lakeview.
…Adding… Garcia campaign…
Today, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, candidate for Mayor of Chicago, released the following statement in response to the story regarding the cover up of the Inspector General’s report on Hilco.
“I live near the old Crawford plant – this is my neighborhood and those harmed were my friends. That Lori Lightfoot would cover up a preventable disaster is unconscionable. Her administration’s cover up, bad decision-making, and lack of accountability is emblematic of the incompetent and corrupt decision making that we have come to expect from Lori Lightfoot,” said Congressman García.
“Chicagoans have long deserved to see the Inspector General’s report but rather than being open and honest with Chicagoans, Lori Lightfoot decided to cover it up, stick by the failed leadership that was responsible, and lie to all those that were harmed by this disaster. If Lori Lightfoot is willing to cover up something of this magnitude then we know she is willing to do anything to avoid accountability.”
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WTTW | City Officials Could Have Prevented Botched Little Village Smokestack Implosion, According to Full Watchdog Report: The report determined that city officials put Little Village residents at risk when they allowed the smokestack demolition to proceed based on a permit issued in July 2018 that did not mention the use of explosives. At the same time, other officials did not do enough to ensure the implosion did not cause a massive dust storm while others brushed off or downplayed concerns about whether the demolition should take place a month after the COVID-19 pandemic swept Chicago, according to the full report.
* Tribune | Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas insists he’s a lifelong Democrat. But he’s backed by conservative donors and the FOP: The encounter highlights a thorny campaign issue for Vallas: As he makes his second bid for Chicago mayor and proclaims himself a “lifelong Democrat,” he’s pivoted to run on law-and-order and other themes that have drawn support from conservatives in the city and state. While Vallas doesn’t want to lose conservative supporters — many on the Northwest and Southwest sides who could propel him past the Feb. 28 election into a runoff — he also can’t alienate the rest of the city if he wants to win on April 4.
* Block Club | Search Every Political Donation Made To Chicago Aldermanic Candidates: You can use the database to find out who’s donated to the alderpeople or challengers in your ward — as well as how much they’ve given, who else they’ve given to and how that compares to other wards across the city. Where candidates get their campaign money often reveals a lot about their connections and priorities: It pays to follow the money.
* Tribune | Lori Lightfoot takes aim at Brandon Johnson as mayoral race enters final two weeks: The mayor’s appearance highlighted a subtle shift in her campaign strategy as the candidates enter the last two weeks before the Feb. 28 election. While Lightfoot has worked to build a base of support among Black voters on the South and West sides since announcing her reelection campaign last summer, she has largely ignored Johnson and aimed her fire at business owner Willie Wilson.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago Mayoral Forum focuses on issues impacting African-American community: Monday night’s forum focused on issues impacting the African-American community. Some of the sharpest exchanges occurred between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Brandon Johnson. “If Commissioner Johnson is not planning to impose a tax on people earning a $100,000 or more, he should say right here and right now that he will never support such a plan,” Lightfoot said.
* NBC Chicago | Here’s What Chicago Mayoral Candidates Have to Say About Ending Cash Bail: All nine candidates running for mayor of Chicago were asked about a bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly that would eliminate cash bail, a piece of legislation that is currently on hold as court challenges to the bill move their way through the court system.
* Tribune | Ghost buses, CTA budget woes, shared streets: Transportation challenges ahead for Chicago’s next mayor: The problems facing Chicago residents go far beyond long wait times for public transit and sometimes dirty train cars. Whoever becomes the city’s next mayor will contend with a CTA that is facing steep staffing shortages and a looming financial shortfall, and is struggling to address complaints about violent crime and nuisance behavior such as smokers on the “L.” There are also increasingly vocal concerns about pedestrian and cyclist safety and a steep decline in ridership.
* WBEZ | Mayor Lightfoot offers few details on fixing registries for sex, drug and violence crimes: The failure leaves people convicted of some crimes subject to arrest for failure to register, despite their efforts to follow the law. Advocates for survivors of sexual assault have expressed concern that the overburdened office is indicative of a department that isn’t prioritizing their safety concerns.
* WGN | Candidates for Chicago mayor square off in hotly contested forum: Brandon Johnson was under fire as his rivals in the race for mayor turned the spotlight on him. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot threw the first punch by raising Johnson’s “tax-the-rich economic plan,” to pay for massive new spending.
* Last month, the Illinois Answers Project reported on a lawsuit against Illinois for holding foster children in detention due to lack of housing…
The Cook County public guardian is suing Illinois child welfare officials for allowing foster children to remain locked up in juvenile detention even after they’ve been ordered released — a problem that has only gotten worse, an Illinois Answers Project investigation found last year.
At issue is the inability of the state’s Department of Children and Family Services’ to find appropriate placements for children with behavioral health and emotional problems that often stem from their histories of serious abuse and neglect.
The federal lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status, alleges that “children incarcerated in juvenile jail are confined to their cells for the majority of the day, have limited opportunities to exercise and are exposed to unnecessary violence and dangers. Moreover, DCFS is unable to provide them the clinically appropriate mental health treatment and educational services that they need — critical resources for children who have suffered trauma and instability.” […]
The Illinois Answers investigation showed a steady increase in the number of Illinois foster children held for weeks or months after a judge ordered their release from detention centers. A total of 73 foster children were locked up for weeks or months in the Cook County juvenile temporary detention center without pending charges during 2021, according to an analysis of court and DCFS records.
* Illinois is hardly the only state lacking resources to house foster children. Let’s start in North Carolina. Youth Today…
Late last year, the Disability Rights North Carolina and the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP filed a class action suit against North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley, seeking to end discrimination regarding children with disabilities who are placed in foster care (as wards of the state), and who are then unnecessarily segregated from their home communities.
As a result, they are often isolated in heavily restrictive and clinically inappropriate institutional placements called psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs). This is not the first such class action. Ad litem attorneys (and others standing as “next friends”) to children with disabilities relegated to PTRFs all over the country are seeking similar relief. As noted in the North Carolina complaint:
“PRTFs are designed to provide intensive, short-term, residential psychiatric treatment for temporary stabilization. They are generally unsuitable as a long-term ‘place to live,’ but that does not stop DHHS from allowing children to languish there for extended periods of time. Unsurprisingly, research shows that children with disabilities confined to PRTFs suffer much worse outcomes than non-institutionalized children. These outcomes include spending longer periods of time in child welfare custody without a permanent home; losing critical family connections with parents, siblings, and extended family due to their confinement; and experiencing higher rates of maltreatment while in child welfare custody.”
The State Department of Social Services is admitting it’s in an emergency situation when it comes to housing children in the foster care system, especially those with mental health challenges.
FOX8 has confirmed dozens of children are living in hospital emergency rooms because there isn’t a family to care for them.
Cone Health has eight kids living in their ER. officials tell us this is common, and the kids stay for a while. […]
“It’s gotten so bad that at one point a few weeks ago, there was not even space in our local hospitals,” said North Carolina Senator Michael Garret.
When U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack declared in 2015 that Texas foster kids were leaving state care more damaged than when they entered, it forced the state to confront decades of missteps.
After a yearlong trial for the lawsuit, which was filed in 2011, the Corpus Christi judge found Texas was violating the constitutional rights of foster children by exposing them to an “unreasonable risk of harm.” Caseworkers were carrying more than double the standard for caseload limits, children were being placed far from their home counties, and the state was not enforcing residential facilities’ compliance with licensing standards. […]
Much of her ire over the years has been focused on how DFPS has tried to handle a capacity crisis. There is a high number of children with severe mental health and behavioral needs, but not enough licensed facilities or foster families trained to properly care for them.
“I’m sure you have multiple excuses, but I guess I don’t want to hear them right now,” Jack said at a 2021 hearing, berating state officials about children sleeping in offices and motels.
* Texas’ family and child welfare commissioner plans to outsource case management. Texas Tribune…
Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Stephanie Muth, who began her tenure about a month ago, told lawmakers writing a new two-year state budget that the agency will have different needs as it moves into the new system of outsourcing case management services to nonprofits.
Implementation of the new approach, called community-based care, began about six years ago but is still not fully in place. It was adopted in 2017 and is meant to keep foster children closer to home while they’re in state care. It is currently used only in parts of three of the agency’s 11 regional service areas, and there are plans to introduce it to more areas during the next two-year state budget cycle, according to a map shared during Friday’s meeting. […]
The change will likely require fewer in-house case workers. It will also require a different agency mindset, Muth said at Friday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing.
“We’re in two worlds,” Muth said. “We have the legacy world, we have the CBC world. We know how to operate the legacy world — that’s our comfort zone. But as you look at moving to community-based care, it’s very different skillsets that we need as an agency.”
Muth said that means thinking more about managing contracts with third parties and less about staffers managing cases.
The state of Georgia shelled out $28 million last year to the Department of Children and Family Services to put foster children up in hotels, sometimes for months at a time, Channel 2 Action News has learned. […]
Julie and Jeff Selander said that a 12-year-old boy they were attempting to foster was kept in a series of hotels from Canton to Waycross for months.
“So a 12-year-old can move from hotel to hotel with no education,” Julie Selander said. “He’s not received any education. Two days later, I get a text message saying that they’re just going to keep him at the hotel.” […]
Lincoln found that at $1,500 a night, it costs more money to place a foster child in a hotel than it does for the average person to book a night at the Four Seasons.
The state has spent roughly $250,000 in taxpayer funds to house the 12-year-old alone.
A young Kansas girl suffered a severe head injury after being placed in a foster home by KVC Behavioral Healthcare Inc., according to a lawsuit filed last year in Shawnee County.
The lawsuit alleges that the child suffered severe head trauma after KVC, a state contracted foster care provider, placed the child in a “dangerously overcrowded” foster home and failed to ensure safety planning services were provided to the foster parents. […]
The lawsuit says the number of foster children living in the home “exceeded capacity”, though it is unclear in court documents how many children were in the home. They were also “inappropriate age-mates” to the incoming baby girl, the lawsuit said.
Some of the foster children were suspected of being “mentally unstable and aggressive” according to the lawsuit. But a KVC employee allegedly failed to give the foster parents safety planning services and ensure they understood the behavioral and psychological problems of the other foster children.
The Tennessee agency that has faced heightened scrutiny for failures in oversight of the state’s most vulnerable children is requesting a quick influx of $26.6 million, aimed at keeping youth from having to sleep in administrative state offices or in transitional housing, among other pressing problems.
Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Commissioner Margie Quin unveiled the request to a state House panel Monday.
It includes $20.4 million allocated to increase the rates for care providers, which is expected to add 118 beds for kids. There’s also a request for $4.1 million to add 48 clinical assessment beds that help identify the next placement for a child, while providing medical and mental health treatment; and $2.1 million to incentivize more foster care placements for teenagers and groups of siblings.
The request for funding follows a sweeping audit that identified a host of problems at the agency. It underscored reports of high employee turnover over the past two years and challenges to find proper temporary housing. It also stressed that the state’s failure to investigate abuse and neglect allegations contributed to putting children’s health, safety and wellbeing at risk. Democratic lawmakers have long deemed the agency’s woes as a crisis that demands immediate changes to protect vulnerable youth.
* $225 million and there will be less office space in the Statehouse and the asbestos-filled Stratton Office Building will remain untouched. But, hey, we get a new parking garage…
“Somebody [years ago] thought it would be a great idea to get additional square footage within (the) Capitol proper and essentially bisect a room, put an additional floor in there and we’ve completely destroyed the fabric (and) the historic context of those rooms,” [Capitol Architect Andrea Aggertt, who oversees the Capitol renovations] said. “While it reduces the square footage in that north wing, we’ll be removing those mezzanines.” […]
“It’s our response to get more and more green space on the Capitol complex,” Aggertt said. “If we can move parking underground, then someday when the Stratton Building comes down, then we will have entirely green space here. This is the first step.”
The age and condition of the Stratton Building have been subjects of debate over several decades and while there are no set plans to demolish the building, Aggertt said, there likely will come a time when the building is no longer needed.
“We have a good plan as to what’s going to happen on this complex in the next five all the way up to 50 years,” Aggertt said. “I can state that the Stratton Building’s not here for long, but it will be here until additional funding is given to build a replacement.”
Preserving history is important. But that additional workspace was added for good reason. It’s just not the same state government it was in the 1860s. And not having a replacement for the Stratton in the works is just so frustrating.
* The Question: Am I being too grumpy about this? Explain.
The Illinois Lottery Grandstand will be rocking when REO Speedwagon returns to the Illinois State Fair on Tuesday, August 15. The group, which was loosely formed in the late 1960’s at the University of Illinois, has been a constant in the rock world over the last five decades.
From their chart-topping rock love ballads “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore” and “Keep On Loving You” to rock classics like “Ridin’ the Storm Out” and “Keep Pushin,” REO will bring a catalog of songs that span generations.
“REO Speedwagon always bring everything they have to the stage,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “In the over 50 years they have been together, there has not been a year where REO Speedwagon didn’t perform live. This will be one of those performances where we will be able to hear the crowd singing along throughout the whole fairgrounds.”
Their 2023 stop will mark the groups seventh time headlining at the Illinois State Fair, the last coming in 2013. Ticket sales for announced shows will go on sale at a date that is yet to be determined.
Tuesday, August 15: REO Speedwagon with TBD
Tier 3 - $33 / Tier 2 - $38 / Tier 1 - $45 / SRO Track - $45 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $100
Saturday, August 19: Maren Morris with TBD
Tier 3 - $50 / Tier 2 - $58 / Tier 1 - $68 / SRO Track - $68 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $123
*A $30 Stage Side Party ticket is offered as an additional upgrade for all paid concerts.
Mr. Tom Newman
Director, Campaign Disclosure Division
Illinois State Board of Elections
2329 S. MacArthur Blvd.
Springfield, Illinois 62704
Dear Mr. Newman:
We are writing in response to the Illinois State Board of Elections’ (the “Board’s”) letter directing JB for Governor (the “Committee”) to amend its Statement of Organization to identify Governor Pritzker as a sponsoring entity of the Committee on the basis that he “provided at least 33% of [its] total funding.”
As you know, in 2017, the Committee requested guidance from the Board asking whether candidates are required to list themselves in the sponsoring entity field on their own committee’s Statement of Organization if they meet the 33% threshold. The Board’s staff advised that the Board does not require self-funding candidates to list themselves in the sponsoring entity field. The Board staff reasoned that 10 ILCS 5/9-3(b)(5) merely requires a political committee to disclose the name and address of any sponsoring entity on the committee’s Statement of Organization. The statute does not state “the person has to be identified as the sponsoring entity, only that their information has to be reported on the D-1. Since a candidate’s name and address already appear on their committee’s Statement of Organization, the Board reasoned that a candidate’s completed D-1 automatically fulfills the statutory obligation under 10 ILCS 5/9- 3(b)(5).
For the past six years, the Committee has relied on this guidance as it properly complied with its disclosure obligations. It is our understanding that the Board has recently changed its position on this question and is now requiring candidates to specifically list themselves in the sponsoring entity field when they meet the 33% threshold. Accordingly, the Committee has amended its Statement of Organization to reflect this change.
Sincerely,
Jonathan S. Berkon
Dulon D. Busser
Counsel to JB for Governor
For purposes of this Section, a “sponsoring entity” is (i) any person, organization, corporation, or association that contributes at least 33% of the total funding of the political committee or (ii) any person or other entity that is registered or is required to register under the Lobbyist Registration Act and contributes at least 33% of the total funding of the political committee.
As we’ve discussed, the statute has been mostly ignored by candidates and the State Board of Elections for years. The board has since notified committees suspected of being in non-compliance.
Anyway, discuss.
As an aside, I’ve noticed recently that the governor has cut way back on his over-use of the phrase “As you know,” but he has apparently passed the bug to his attorney.
The Illinois Legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability released its latest monthly fiscal report last week. The report claimed the state is still on track to match the commission’s revised November estimate of a $4.1 billion revenue increase for the current fiscal year.
Revenue had originally been projected to fall from the previous fiscal year. And much of the recently projected increase is believed to be a one-time event and has so far been treated as such.
But revenue projections have become so unreliably squirrelly that groups which rely on state funding are starting to push to get their fair share of what they see as a fast-growing pie.
Take a look at Medicaid, an always complicated and expensive topic that will become much more so in the coming months.
More than 300,000 Illinoisans risk losing Medicaid coverage at the end of March. There are those who believe that many of those folks are already back on employer health care coverage (or should be). States haven’t been required to conduct redeterminations on Medicaid recipients during the pandemic, and that process will restart soon.
While the state could save money with fewer Medicaid recipients, states are also losing part of their federal Medicaid matching dollars that had been increased during the pandemic. The federal government has increased matching rates during past economic downturns, but it’s never easy to adjust to a decrease, particularly when states have received so much extra for so long.
Hospitals were hit hard by the pandemic. They lost the ability to offer revenue-producing services during the closures, and the deadly viral waves that followed decimated their workforce, with illness, deaths and burnout.
When that federal Medicaid match falls, hospitals will undoubtedly feel an even greater pinch. Hospital closures are already a national problem, and it could get even worse as the financial pressure increases.
In the past, hospitals were pushed to increase their self-assessments, which injected more money into the Medicaid system and produced more matching federal funds. But hospitals say the state is cash-flush enough to provide more money on its own.
And, like I noted above, there’s very little trust in budget projections. If the projection is flat or less, it’ll be met with widespread skepticism. And many are now eyeing the state’s new $1 billion rainy day fund.
But the problems don’t end there. The state has allowed out-of-state and retired nurses to practice here during the pandemic, and those emergency rules will disappear in May, when the governor’s pandemic executive orders expire.
The Illinois Hospital Association estimates 15,000 of those nurses are working here right now, many of whom are well-paid traveling nurses. While the travel nurses are straining hospital budgets, the workforce situation is such that the sudden loss of that many nurses could shock the entire system and create huge additional costs.
The hospitals have been trying for years to enroll the state in an interstate nursing compact to allow non-Illinois nurses to practice here, but that has always been thwarted by unions.
The governor has already said he wants to greatly expand preschool and child care programs and make college tuition “free for every working-class family.” All of that will cost money, and hospitals are just one group that will be pounding at the door.
Hospitals are the largest employers in most downstate and even some suburban legislative districts. And even if they aren’t the largest employers, their boards are usually populated with the most influential business leaders in the region. It’s very hard to ignore them.
Meanwhile, after forcefully opposing a graduated income tax in 2020, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago is now proposing a 10-year, personal and corporate state income tax “surcharge” of 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively, regardless of income.
None of the $2.9 billion raised by the tax hike could be spent on social services or other budget priorities. Instead, all the money would be sent to the pension funds and the rainy day fund.
The group also says the state should implement mostly unspecified “cost disciplines” to help pay for the plan. It suggests an example of slicing agency spending by 2-3% as a start. It also suggests eliminating the estate tax on assets above $4 million, the current state trigger. They should’ve left that one out because it’s a bad look, to say the least.
Widening the revenue base while narrowing the spending base makes fiscal sense on paper. But the report ignores the decades of all-too-real state underfunding of services for people with dire needs.
* Tribune | Shortage of in-home nurses leaves kids waiting in hospital beds. ‘The entire system is feeling the pressure.’: Across the Chicago area, children with complex, chronic conditions are finding themselves stuck in hospitals longer than they should be because it’s so difficult to find in-home pediatric nurses. That, in turn, can mean fewer available hospital beds for all kids, something that became a serious problem in the fall as respiratory illnesses in children surged.
* Capitol Cast | Budget Address Preview: Capitol News Illinois Bureau Chief Jerry Nowicki takes a look at the state budgeting process and what to expect when Gov. JB Pritzker gives his fifth state budget address on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
* Tribune | Suspected spy balloons trigger UFO watch over Chicago skies: The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that it temporarily shut down airspace over Lake Michigan Sunday “to support Department of Defense activities.” The incident occurred around 1:42 p.m. Sunday when a Minnesota Air National Guard fighter pilot flying an F-16 fighter jet shot down the object over Lake Huron after it hovered around 20,000 feet, according to published reports. Authorities have not said what the object was.
* Illinois Newsroom | What does the start of Missouri recreational marijuana sales mean for the Metro East?: Collinsville City Manager Mitch Bair has managed a budget that’s seen between $1.5 million and $2 million in extra sales tax revenue since 2020 from the addition of recreational marijuana. But the sales tax generated from Illinois dispensaries is expected to drop now that Missouri approved its first shops to sell recreational marijuana this month.
* WaPo | Hopeful freshman lawmakers run up against the reality of a divided House: In between new member orientation meetings late last year, incoming Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) met with Rep. Mary E. Miller (R-Ill.) to seek common ground on issues affecting their neighboring districts. Their differences could not be more stark.
* Crain’s | A city-owned bank draws skepticism — not just from usual suspects: Paul Vallas put the prospect of a city-owned bank on the upcoming ballot with his economic plan for the city issued late last month. Vallas — who is leading some polls in the nine-candidate mayoral race and positioning himself as the business-friendly pick — surprised many by endorsing an idea traditionally championed by the far left, most recently progressive rival Ja’Mal Green. Vallas said the bank would allow City Hall to earmark funds from the new casino, among other sources, for redevelopment and investment in the city’s neglected South and West sides.
* Herald and Review | Union hands out info as talks with ADM set to resume: The 40-strong members of Teamsters Local 916 have been out for almost two weeks seeking better pay. Union leaders said their negotiators are scheduled to sit down with ADM on Tuesday for a new round of face-to-face negotiations.
* Crain’s | Evanston mandate would make businesses accept cash: A cash mandate proposed in Evanston would abolish cashless establishments in the city as a step toward protecting the “unbanked” population. The ordinance was introduced last week by Ald. Devon Reid, 8th, who said he proposed it because he wants people who lack a bank account to be able to participate in the economy.
* Crain’s | On Chicago’s path to a casino, a major stumbling block emerges: Still at issue — and becoming a bigger problem, multiple sources tell Crain’s — is a negotiation between Bally’s and Alden Global Capital, the New York-based parent of the Chicago Tribune that recently extended its lease for 10 years at the Tribune’s Freedom Center printing plant in the River West neighborhood. A Bally’s venture paid $200 million late last year for the massive printing facility and the 30-acre riverfront site on which it sits with a plan to redevelop the property into a 1 million-square-foot casino and hotel complex.
* Tribune | Investment program puts Latino and Black youths from the South and West sides on a path to job security: Though higher education is important and resources are needed to encourage and help get Latino and Black youths on a path to a college degree, for many, entering the trades or finding a different avenue to secure a good job is imperative and an “equal path to success,” said Quabeeny Daniels, a community organizer with the Southwest Organizing Project, a nonprofit that aims to advance racial equity and economic justice.
* Tribune | What’s new at Chicago White Sox camp? : The Sox will turn to Andrew Vaughn, who was drafted as a first baseman in 2019 but spent most of his first two seasons in the majors in the outfield. When it comes to overcoming the loss of Abreu’s production, the Sox know it’s not on only one person or position.
