“Over the last few years, my office has become accustomed to facing a barrage of challenges to newly-enacted state statutes and executive orders. The Protect Illinois Communities Act is an important tool in our fight to protect Illinois residents from gun violence, and as with past matters, we recognize that the act’s constitutionality will ultimately be decided by a higher court. We are reviewing the circuit court’s decision and continue to review the 5th District’s decision. We will seek the Illinois Supreme Court’s review of challenges to the Protect Illinois Communities Act, and we will ask the court for an expedited schedule.”
* From End Citizens United…
Hi Rich,
Hope you’re doing well. Reaching out from End Citizens United. Saw your coverage of the letter we sent to Rep. Mary Miller calling on her to donate the money she received from George Santos. Wanted to flag for you that it appears Rep. Miller showed no sign of disbursing her Santos money in the most recent FEC filings she submitted this week.
All the best,
Arik Wolk
* Press release…
The Justice Department announced today that the village of Hinsdale, Illinois, has agreed to pay $800,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that the village violated the Fair Housing Act when it refused to allow the operation of a sober living home for persons in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction in a residential neighborhood.
The settlement, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, resolves a lawsuit that the Department filed in November 2020. This settlement also resolves a related suit brought by the sober living home’s owner and operator, Trinity Sober Living LLC.
“Individuals with disabilities – including those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction – should not be excluded from living in residential neighborhoods,” said John R. Lausch Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “Such discrimination by local governments is forbidden under the Fair Housing Act.”
“Local governments do not have the right to use zoning laws and restrictions as a vehicle to discriminate against people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to vigorous enforcement of federal law to ensure that individuals in recovery have access to the housing and support they need to maintain their sobriety and lead productive lives.”
The Department’s lawsuit alleged that the village of Hinsdale violated the Fair Housing Act after it denied a reasonable accommodation request by Trinity Sober Living LLC to operate a sober living home with ten residents and a house manager in a residential neighborhood. The complaint alleged that, one day after Trinity requested an accommodation, the village sued Trinity in state court for violations of the zoning code, including that the home was a “commercial use” and would have more than three unrelated adults.
Under the settlement, the village will amend its zoning ordinance to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws, including permitting homes for persons with disabilities in residential districts, with the same size limitations applied to families of similar size, and implementing a reasonable accommodation policy. The village will also pay $790,000 in monetary damages to Trinity as well as a civil penalty of $10,000 to the United States. The village also agreed to take a number of other actions to guard against housing discrimination, including training village officials and employees about their obligations under federal law, designating a fair housing compliance officer and reporting periodically to the Justice Department.
Neighbors of the city’s new abortion clinic at 611 Auburn St. have filed a lawsuit in Winnebago County Court claiming the clinic is improperly zoned and that the clinic’s operation is negatively impacting the neighborhood. […]
The suit says the Rockford Zoning Board of Appeals “abdicated their solemn duty to enforce the City of Rockford Zoning Ordinance” by allowing a medical clinic to operate as a home business and allowing the clinic’s operator to live elsewhere.
The lawsuit also claims that the controversial nature of the business has caused disruption to the neighborhood, attracting protesters, traffic and noise.
• Opening schools well into the evening, weekend and holidays to provide academic support, recreational activities and community-based services
• Creating paid High School Work Study programs in place of non-essential electives to build the competence, confidence and life skills
• Expanding the Alternative Schools network and opening Adult High Schools to reclaim the thousands of students who left during the pandemic.
• Empowering and trusting local communities through elected Local School Councils and redirecting funds there instead of the Central Administration
• Systematically identifying at-risk students and providing early intervention and support
• Expanding quality school options by converting failing or under-enrolled schools into magnet schools or other models directed by the local community
* Update on recent story…
Christian Mitchell, Illinois deputy governor, has been named the next vice president for civic engagement. In his new role, Mitchell will work to foster deep partnerships across the University and South Side communities. https://t.co/sDSXSIuWAE
* WCCU | Police recruits now required to take wrongful conviction course: Schlosser added the course in 2016 to the roster of available trainings for new police recruits in the Champaign facility. This year, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board embraced the concept and made the course mandatory as part of the training for all news police recruits in the state.
* WBEZ | A Woodlawn migrant shelter sparks anger — and reflection — among Black and Latino residents: Asylum seekers are expected to move into the temporary Wadsworth shelter on 64th and University Thursday. And it’s turned into a heated conversation about resources, city transparency and Black-Latino relations in Chicago. Woodlawn resident Benji Hart said the shelter controversy shows how anti-Black and anti-immigrant racism reinforce one another.
* WICA | IL DCFS offering college scholarships to current, former youth: A minimum of 53 academic scholarships will be awarded to current and former youth in care for the upcoming school year. Scholarship recipients will receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers to use at participating Illinois state community colleges and public universities, a monthly grant of $1,506 and a medical card.
* WTTW | Englewood Rail Yard Expansion Back on Track With Ald. Taylor’s Support: A 15-year effort by the Norfolk Southern Railway to double the size of its storage yard in Englewood finally got the green light from the Chicago City Council on Wednesday, after Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward) dropped her opposition to a measure long sought by the railroad.
* Center Square | As rural areas lose population, some suggest ways to attract residents: Winchester said small communities in a region should come together and coordinate economic and community development plans to attract and retain residents to their region. The survey showed the top three reasons respondents would move to a rural area are to take advantage of a slower pace of life, to live closer to relatives and to find a less congested place to live.
* Tribune | Tom Girardi, disgraced former lawyer, indicted on fraud charges in Chicago: The charges are the latest legal blow to a once-powerful player who rubbed elbows with politicians and celebrities. As one of the nation’s most prominent plaintiff’s attorneys, Girardi was known for high-profile litigation such as the case that led to a $333 million settlement portrayed in the movie “Erin Brockovich.”
* Tribune | 50th Ward race: Offensive tweets, including about Israel, threaten challenger’s efforts: Mueze Bawany, 35, who’s backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and the local chapter for the Democratic Socialists of America in his bid to upset three-term incumbent Ald. Debra Silverstein in the 50th Ward, made the statements on Twitter three years ago on an account he subsequently deleted. The Tribune received copies of the deleted tweets and Bawany confirmed he wrote them.
* AP | Average long-term mortgage rate falls a fourth straight week: Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the benchmark 30-year rate fell to 6.09% from 6.13% last week. That’s the lowest level since September. The average rate a year ago was 3.55%.
* Chalkbeat | How to grade schools post-pandemic? States must decide: This debate — in essence, whether to ease up on academic expectations or double down — is flaring up across the country as school accountability systems creak back to life after a pandemic pause. Mandated by federal and state laws, the systems set goals for schools, rate their performance, and direct support to schools identified as struggling. But the pandemic has complicated every step of that process.
* Fortune | Once the ‘intellectual blood banks’ of the rich and powerful, can speechwriters be replaced with ChatGPT?: Speechwriter or not: Any good communicator understands that good writing demands good thinking. And everything that’s worth reading has evolved from an unformed interstellar cloud that was in the writer’s mind into something else altogether. I’ve sat down to write a poem and written an essay. I’ve sat down to articulate one opinion and wound up expressing its opposite. “I don’t know what I think until I write it down,” Joan Didion said. Many other writers have expressed a similar sentiment.
* FiveThirtEight | How Our 2022 Midterm Forecasts Performed: While some polling firms badly missed the mark, in the aggregate the polls had one of their most accurate cycles in recent history. As a result, FiveThirtyEight’s forecasts had a pretty good year, too. Media proclamations of a “red wave” occurred largely despite polls that showed a close race for the U.S. Senate and a close generic congressional ballot. It was the pundits who made the red wave narrative, not the data.
* Block Club | New York City Gets Its Own — Tinier — Version Of The Bean: A bite-sized version of The Bean was unveiled this week under a corner of Jenga Tower, 56 Leonard St., in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood. It was four years in the making. The baby Bean was also created by artist Anish Kapoor, the same sculpture artist behind Chicago’s Cloud Gate, which is more commonly known as the Bean. Kapoor has also snagged an apartment in Jenga Tower, according to Curbed.
* Tribune | Why can’t the Chicago Sky attract — and then keep — top talent?: Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Azurá Stevens have all now chosen to take their talents elsewhere. Parker will be joining the defending champions Las Vegas Aces. Vandersloot hasn’t announced her new team, but did say her goodbye and thank you to the Sky and their fans in an Instagram post. Stevens, who saw her minutes decline in favor of Emma Meesseman, is reportedly signing with the Los Angeles Sparks. And Allie Quigley, a hometown basketball legend, has decided to take the year off from basketball entirely.
* Daily Herald | Introducing a new and improved way to engage with our content: As our new commenting tool rolls out, you can expect more lively, yet civil discussions and better ways to interact with fellow commenters. You will have the ability to upload content, like, reply, follow or share right in the comments.
* SJ-R | ‘View comments’ button removed from online articles: While we continue to believe in the importance of comments, we had to make the hard choice to move away from the space due to changes in staffing and the time investment necessary to bring you a safe, moderated and productive discussion space. We’re not willing to risk discussions veering off track or people being verbally attacked. With this change, we’ll continue to focus on exclusive, local reporting and finding new and exciting ways to tell your stories.
* Bloomberg | The Race to Waterproof Your Outdoor Gear — Without Toxic Chemicals: But really: How much of the volume of corporate communication is a sincere attempt to communicate strategies, build culture and create a human connection between an organization’s leaders and its stakeholders? And how much of it is just filling the vacuum with corporate noise, in what Maggioncalda describes as, “a friendly, upbeat, authoritative tone with mixed cadence?” I’ve wondered that for a long time. And it looks like we’re all about to find out.
* Sun-Times | After 30 years, ‘Groundhog Day’ holds up, and you can say that again: Yet of all the painful, unimaginable, horrific experiences Phil endures time and again in Harold Ramis’ classic “Groundhog Day,” was there anything more brutal than having to drink a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist, over and over and over?
* Fox Sports | Iowa sniffs out Illinois student prank ahead of Saturday’s game: The Illinois student spirit group “Orange Krush” had its order for 200 tickets to the men’s basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday canceled Wednesday after Iowa discovered the person who made the purchase falsely claimed the tickets were for a Boys and Girls Club in Champaign.
Announcer: It’s happening across the country. Republicans pushing to ban all abortions. Here in Chicago, we have to protect our rights. But Paul Vallas won’t. Because Vallas is a Republican.
Vallas: I’m more of a Republican than a Democrat. Fundamentally, I oppose abortion.
Announcer: Chicago deserves someone they can count on. Chuy Garcia will keep fighting to expand access to reproductive health care because women’s rights should be protected, not taken away. We can trust Chuy Garcia to protect our rights.
In 2020, local governments across the United States collected just under $9 billion in fines and fees. Local governments in three states—New York ($1.4 billion), California ($1.26 billion), and Texas ($1.17 billion)—collected well over a third of the $9 billion in fines and fees in 2020.
Local governments in New York, California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, New Jersey, Washington, and Pennsylvania collected the most fines and fees in 2020. In all, 20 states saw their local governments bring in more than $100 million in fines and fees in 2020.
On a per capita basis, local governments in New York, Illinois, Texas, and Georgia collected more than $35 per resident in fines and fees in 2020. In contrast, local governments in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Nebraska, and Kentucky collected less than $3 in fines and fees revenue per resident in 2020. […]
At least 482 local governments derived 10% or more of their general revenue from fines and fees in 2017.
Illinois ranked second at $50 per capita. Locals imposed $641.6 million in fines and fees overall.
Sangamon County derived 15.8 percent of its revenue from fines and and forfeits in 2020, according to the study. That’s $14 million, or $70 per capita. Menard County was the worst offender, at 30 percent of revenues and $422 per capita.
Ten Illinois counties received at least ten percent of their revenue from fines and fees in 2020: Ogle, Mercer, Ford, Fulton, DeWitt, Menard, Sangamon, Cumberland, Richland and Massac.
Grundy was one of 15 counties which received at least 5 percent of revenues from that source ($1.9 million at $37 per capita).
* And a ton of suburban and exurban towns also received at least 5 percent of their revenues from fines and fees…
Develop standardized tools to determine the ability to pay and scale fines accordingly
Determination of a defendant’s ability to pay fines should not be left solely to the subjective assessment of an individual judge. This can result in wildly different outcomes for otherwise comparable defendants. Establishing standard practices would ensure that individuals are treated equally under the law. Scaling fines according to an individual’s ability to pay would also reduce the administrative costs associated with pursuing uncollectable debts.
Affidavits, bench cards, or ability-to-pay calculators may be used to standardize ability-to-pay determinations. Income-based fines, or day fines, could also be used to scale penalties according to an individual’s financial status. There is room for experimentation among the states in this area. Still, state law should clarify the factors that are considered when determining an individual’s ability to pay. Defendants should be made aware of these factors and what documentation they will be expected to provide.
Provide alternatives to monetary sanctions
Indigent defendants should be able to receive alternatives to monetary sanctions. Community service is one possible alternative to fines but it may prove overly burdensome for some. For example, community service may conflict with work schedules or family obligations. Such conflicts should be avoided, as maintaining employment and social ties are critical to reducing the risk of recidivism. Courts should be able to consider a range of alternatives, including waivers, job training, and drug or mental health treatment. Incarceration should never be considered an alternative to monetary sanctions, and fees should never be charged for alternatives to monetary sanctions.
Discuss.
…Adding… From comments…
As soon as the secret was out that duplicating state laws as local ordinances was something that could be done by municipalities to increase the percentage of fines they would keep from writing tickets, all bets were off with this.
Almost nobody looks at their ticket to see if it was written under a state law violation, or an identical local ordinance violation. More people should though. An example would be a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. When that state law is duplicated into a local ordinance, the tickets written locally are then written under the ordinance instead of the state law. That allows the locality to keep almost all of the fines, instead of those fines being paid to the state.
I don’t see that mentioned anywhere in the analysis.
The incentive to generate revenue through fines would go away quickly if that revenue from writing tickets was being primarily being generated for the state instead of the locality.
But I won’t be holding my breath any municipality will willingly change this practice, without legislation forcing them to.
Following an Illinois appellate court’s decision that a one-year limitations period applies to certain sections of the [Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act] while a five-year period applies to other sections, the sole issue on appeal for the Supreme Court is to identify the proper statute of limitations for claims under the BIPA. […]
This case originated in March 2019, when plaintiffs Jerome Tims and Isaac Watson filed a class action lawsuit against their employer, logistics company Black Horse Carriers, Inc. Plaintiffs alleged that the company unlawfully collected, possessed, and disclosed their fingerprints in violation of BIPA when the employees clocked in and out of work using a finger scanning timeclock. The company moved to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims as untimely, arguing that, because the BIPA does not contain its own statute of limitations, the court should apply the one-year limitations period for privacy actions set forth in § 5/13-201. The plaintiffs countered that the five-year “catch-all” limitations period contained in § 5/13-205 was more appropriate for actions under the BIPA.
In a somewhat unique ruling on interlocutory appeal, the Illinois First District Appellate Court effectively “split the baby” by holding that both the one-year and five-year limitations periods applied to different sections of the Act. Specifically, the Appellate Court reasoned that the one-year period from § 201 applies to BIPA Sections 15(c) and 15(d) because these sections involve “publication” of biometric data, which is a term explicitly used in § 201. Conversely, since the Appellate Court found that Sections 15(a), (b), and (e) of the BIPA do not involve publication of an individual’s biometric data, it applied the five-year limitations period from § 205 to these sections. The defendant subsequently appealed this decision to the Illinois Supreme Court. […]
Given the flood of BIPA class action lawsuits filed against Illinois businesses after the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision in Rosenbach v. Six Flags Ent. Corp., 129 N.E.3d 1197 (Ill. 2019), employers should pay special attention to the decision in Tims. The Illinois Supreme Court Justices did not suggest that they would rule in a certain way during oral arguments, but one takeaway was evident: the Supreme Court may not uphold the Appellate Court’s decision in its entirety. Nevertheless, while a decision in Black Horse’s favor would not fully curtail this recent wave of BIPA filings, it would certainly help limit the number of plaintiffs eligible to sue under the BIPA, as well as the potential amount of damages owed to these plaintiffs. [Emphasis added]
(W)e find that, because the Act does not have its own limitations period; because the subsections are causes of action “not otherwise provided for”; and because we must ensure certainty, predictability, and uniformity as to when the limitations period expires in each subsection, the Act is subject to the default five-year limitations period found in section 13-205 of the Code. […]
In light of the extensive consideration the General Assembly gave to the fears of and risks to the public surrounding the disclosure of highly sensitive biometric information, it would thwart legislative intent to (1) shorten the amount of time an aggrieved party would have to seek redress for a private entity’s noncompliance with the Act and (2) shorten the amount of time a private entity would be held liable for noncompliance with the Act. […]
(T)he full ramifications of the harms associated with biometric technology is unknown, and absent the Act’s protections, it is unclear when or if an individual would discover evidence of the disclosure of his or her biometrics in violation of the Act. Moreover, a shorter limitations period would prejudice those whom the Act is intended to protect. Therefore, we find that a longer limitations period would comport with the public welfare and safety aims of the General Assembly by allowing an aggrieved party sufficient time to discover the violation and take action.
For the aforementioned reasons, we find that the five-year limitations period contained in section 13-205 of the Code controls claims under the Act. Therefore, we affirm in part and reverse in part the judgment of the appellate court and remand the cause to the circuit court for further proceedings.
…Adding… ATRA…
The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) is disappointed in today’s decision out of the Illinois Supreme Court to expand the statute of limitations to five years for Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) claims, reversing an intermediate appellate court that put a one-year limit on claims.
This decision will have far-reaching consequences for businesses in Illinois and across the country, and will only exacerbate Cook County’s status as a “Judicial Hellhole®.”
“This decision is a setback for any businesses that operate in Illinois,” ATRA President Tiger Joyce said. “Expanding the statute of limitations for BIPA claims will only encourage more lawsuits and create an environment of legal uncertainty for businesses which will be exposed to an undue risk of litigation for an extended period of time.”
Trial lawyers have cashed in on the existing ambiguity in BIPA by targeting businesses that use this technology. They’ll often find a business that didn’t follow a small, technical portion of the law, then use that as a basis for a class action lawsuit, even though their clients didn’t suffer any harm or injury.
The large monetary penalties associated with BIPA have led to a surge in lawsuit filings under BIPA in recent years, and the expansion of the statute of limitations will only add fuel to the fire.
The climate for lawsuit abuse in Illinois is already bad, as demonstrated by the $228 million verdict delivered in the first-ever BIPA case that went to trial last year. The case was originally filed in Cook County and ended with a federal jury delivering the massive verdict, even though the plaintiffs didn’t claim any actual injury.
“The decision by the Illinois Supreme Court to expand the statute of limitations for BIPA claims will only increase the number of frivolous lawsuits and make it even harder for businesses to defend themselves,” Joyce said. “It’s time for the state to rein in these excessive penalties and put a stop to the endless cycle of lawsuit abuse that is driving up costs for consumers and businesses alike.”
In the recent annual report from the American Tort Reform Foundation, Cook County, Illinois was named the fifth-worst “Judicial Hellhole®” in the nation. The report cites the prevalence of no-injury lawsuits filed under BIPA.
Every morning before sending her two kids off to second and third grade, Sadiya Zackria checks the school’s breakfast and lunch menu to see whether she’ll have to send along a brown bag. […]
According to the Halal Food Standards Alliance of America, zabiha refers to meat that comes from an animal that was hand-slaughtered instead of machine-cut in a way that aims to ensure the animal does not suffer and is treated humanely. Also, the Muslim individual who cuts the meat must recite tasmiya, or the name of God, when doing so. Halal is an Arabic word that means “permissible” and refers to foods and other things that are allowed in Islam. […]
But a new Illinois bill, slated to be voted on in the spring legislative session, would be a game changer for students and parents, and any individual who requires food from a state-operated facility, said Maaria Mozaffar, director of advocacy and policy at the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition.
If passed, the Faith By Plate Act would ensure that any state-owned or state-operated facilities such as hospitals, schools and prisons that provide food services or cafeteria services also offer zabiha-halal and kosher food options upon request when provided with notice. […]
The bill was co-sponsored by State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, who said that a piece of legislation that was passed last year — the plant-based lunch bill that will go into effect in August — gave them a few pointers.
* Brenden Moore picked out a baker’s dozen of new bills to glance at. Here are some…
* Senate Bill 43, introduced by state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would remove the 2024 sunset date on the state law permitting bars and restaurants to sell to-go cocktails. Lawmakers approved the measure on a temporary basis in 2020 as a means of helping the state’s hospitality industry survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The law, initially in effect for one year, was extended for another three years in 2021. […]
* Senate Bill 95, introduced by state Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Park Ridge, would prohibit a legislator from engaging in paid lobbying of a municipality, county, township or the executive branch of state government.
* Senate Bill 100, introduced by state Sen. Laura Fine, D-Evanston, states that starting in 2025, a retail establishment may not use a disposable food service container that is composed of polystyrene foam. […]
* House Bill 1110, introduced by state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, would give people the option to carry a digital driver’s license. A person would not be issued a citation for driving without a physical driver’s license if they present a digitized driver’s license. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has also expressed support for the concept.
* The time may have finally come for another bill on that list: HB1113…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, beginning with the next registration year after the effective date, the Secretary of State shall issue one registration plate (instead of 2) for newly registered motor vehicles and the registration plate shall be attached to the rear (instead of front and rear) of the motor vehicle.
Secretary of State Jesse always resisted efforts to make this change. The Tollway has also expressed concern because of their plate reading technology, but Florida has rear-only plates and they have a large toll system.
The Illinois Freedom Caucus today is issuing the following statement on the adoption (largely along partisan lines) of the new House Rules that will determine how the Illinois House of Representatives will be governed in the 103rd General Assembly.
“Illinois Freedom Caucus member Adam Niemerg negotiated some rule changes to no longer allow votes to be cast via Zoom. Committees will be able to operate via Zoom if technology allows, but floor votes will have to be made in person, which is something the Freedom Caucus has been pushing for a long time.
Niemerg also negotiated the end of the consent calendar that allowed large number of bills to be voted on with one roll call. Consent Calendar bills often included ceremonial legislation such as measures to change the name of roads to honor members of the community, but the list also included substantive legislation. Substantive bills deserve individual roll calls so that members are completely aware of the full implication of their votes, and thanks to Freedom Caucus member Adam Niemerg we secured an important victory for the people of Illinois.
But unfortunately, the House rules as a whole give the majority party total control of the process. There is nothing in the rules to drop major pieces of legislation at the last minute without giving individual members adequate time to review what is in the legislation being considered. The new rules also give the House leadership and Committee chairs total power over what bills are voted on in House Committees. The rules essentially are the same rules that former disgraced House Speaker Michael Madigan used to exercise complete control of the process. While there are elements in the rules we can support, given the lack of transparency and lack of accountability built into these rules, we voted against them. The people we represent have a right to have their voice and their concerns heard. Under these rules, their voice is being silenced.”
* Here’s some of what Rep. Niemerg said during debate yesterday…
A lot of this is just going back to business as usual. I mean, there were 19 of you who stood against Mike Madigan and called for change. I expect 19 of you to vote ‘No’ on this because this goes back to the same Madigan-era politics. Our bills will be stuck in Rules, the’ll never see the light of day. We’re going to be passing bills again at 2, 3, 4, 5 in the morning. You’re going to move to motion for the previous question when a bill comes over from the Senate and it’s dropping 11:55, kill off debate from our side of the aisle, deprive so many thousands of folks in the state of Illinois of their right to have us represent them. So honestly, I don’t believe that you tell me that you believe in government transparency. I just don’t believe it. And to the bill, folks, we call for change in this legislature all so often. We call for bipartisanship, right? And Representative, Leader Keicher and Leader Davidsmeyer and I, we proposed an idea for rules. We propose changes. But we look at the rules now, folks are still going to be asleep, sound asleep at their homes are going to have the radical bills they’re going to be pushed through the important bills. are going to be pushed through. They’re not going to know anything about it and it’s business as usual. So if we want change, I think the 19 folks over there who wanted change and wanted Mike Madigan gone, vote ‘No.’ Thank you.
* Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) rose later in response. Excerpt…
I also want to thank members of both sides of the aisle that made comments that I think reflect good ideas and ways in which we can always make this chamber operate better. I think a number of colleagues on the other side of the aisle appropriately referenced, the proof is in the pudding. It’s about how committee chairs and how Speaker and how the Rules Committee and how we treat each other and how we demand greater respect from one another. So, I think the implementation of these rules are just as important as the the plain language of the rules. Specifically I want to point out now as we are in the endemic times, endemic. COVID-19 is leaving us and we’re returning to normal. It’s important that this chamber also returns to normal. So I think it’s very important that we go back to in-person voting. I think we all know the the unintended consequences of having remote voting, so I strongly support that.
And lastly, to those who want to reference the 19: As a member of the 19, I would encourage everyone to know that we’ve never been shy about speaking up when we feel strongly about an issue. We haven’t in the past, we will not in the future. So anybody who wants to invoke the 19, I would encourage you to keep our names out of your mouth. Because when we have something to say you’re going to know about it. I urge a ‘Yes’ vote.
The sweet smell of green chile roasting on an open flame permeates New Mexico every fall, wafting from roadside stands and grocery store parking lots and inducing mouth-watering visions of culinary wonders.
Now one state lawmaker says it’s time for everyone to wake up and smell the chile.
Senator Bill Soules’ visit with fifth grade students in his southern district sparked a conversation about the savory hot peppers and the potential for New Mexico to become the first state in the nation to proudly have an official state aroma, a proposal now being considered by lawmakers.
“It’s very unique to our state,” the Las Cruces Democrat said of roasting chile. “I have tried to think of any other state that has a smell or aroma that is that distinctive statewide, and I can’t think of any.”
For New Mexico, chile is more than a key ingredient for every meal. It’s life. It’s at the center of the official state question – “red or green?” – and is one of the state’s official vegetables.
I hesitate to do this, but…
* The Question: Your Illinois nomination(s) for official state aroma? Make sure to explain yourself. Also, keep it clean, people. Thanks.
…Adding… A buddy ran a version of this question through ChatGPT twice today…
Suggest an official state smell for the state of Illinois and write 25 words defending the choice
“The official state smell of Illinois should be corn. Corn is an integral part of Illinois’ history and economy, as it is one of the largest producers of corn in the United States. It represents the state’s commitment to agriculture and its important role in feeding the nation. The sweet, distinct smell of corn symbolizes the abundance and prosperity of Illinois.”
Suggest an official odor for the state of Illinois and defend the choice in 25 words
“The official odor of Illinois should be the scent of blooming lilacs. Lilacs symbolize the arrival of spring and bring feelings of renewal and rejuvenation to the residents of Illinois. Their sweet fragrance represents the state’s natural beauty and the hope that comes with each new season. The scent of blooming lilacs is a reminder of the state’s rich history and enduring spirit.”
* Cor Strategies | 2022 IL General Election Final Analysis: The Illinois Republicans’ failure in 2022 wasn’t due to just one factor. A monumental failure like this is rarely caused by just one thing, especially since our party has been failing in Illinois for well over a decade.
* Donald DeWitte | Legislators should ask why so many sheriffs refuse to enforce assault weapons law: Law enforcement officers have felt the brunt of these new extreme laws. Whether they are seeing a diminishment in their ability to do their jobs effectively and safely when approaching and apprehending suspected criminals, or knowing the Democrat majority in Springfield sees nothing wrong with providing an avenue for anonymous complaints and civil suits against them — as in the SAFE-T Act, which provides for both — law enforcement personnel recognize they are presumed by a growing number of majority party lawmakers as the bad guys.
* Tribune | State Farm, Wells Fargo plan to lay off hundreds in Illinois: Insurance giant State Farm, which is headquartered in Bloomington, told the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity it would eliminate 451 positions at the end of March. Wells Fargo reported the layoff of 140 workers in Springfield.
* Center Square | Illinois House passes rules removing pandemic-era remote voting: Removed from the House rules are the pandemic-era provisions that allowed for remote voting. State Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, explained some other changes. “It updates the COVID decorum rules, it renames the rule to replace COVID with the more generic term pestilence or public danger,” Gabel said.
* Pantagraph | 13 bills Illinois lawmakers have introduced in 2023: So far, 1,646 House bills have been introduced while 280 Senate bills have been put forward. The number is inflated as hundreds of them contain no substance. Known as “shell bills,” these are used as “gut and replace” vehicles at the end of the legislative session for larger items like the budget. It’s a trick for legislators to get around constitutional requirements for bills, such as they be read three separate days in each legislative chamber.
* Tribune | First cannabis store with a bar and a bakery under the same roof opens in Illinois: The majority owner is Charles Mayfield, who is interim chief operating officer for Chicago Public Schools, while Chicago 47th Ward Ald. Ameya Pawar and others are minority owners. They formed a partnership with West Town Bakery to include a cafe and an event space that can be rented out for birthday parties or other occasions.
* Illinois Newsroom | A new Champaign clinic will focus on equity in abortion care: [Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle, the founder of Equity Clinic] said the Champaign Clinic will offer financial and travel assistance to some patients and will be open on weekends to allow for more flexible scheduling. Reisinger-Kindle said the clinic is committed to addressing disparities in reproductive healthcare.
* Vox | Insulin is way too expensive. California has a solution: Make its own.: Their premise: Take away the private market’s profit motive and maybe states can deliver affordable insulin as a wholly public enterprise, run by civil workers, that does not need to make money. Because these states buy a lot of drugs too, through their Medicaid programs and the health plans for government workers, they would also reap the rewards if those drugs are cheaper.
* Crain’s | Mike Quigley denied a spot on House Intel—and he’s not happy about it: U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago began getting texts from his U.S. House colleagues on Wednesday saying, “Sorry.” He was briefly mystified before he realized that they had seen a news release from House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York about final committee assignments. Quigley had lost his seat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he has served for eight years.
* WSJ | Dangerous Fungi Are Spreading Across U.S. as Temperatures Rise: Dangerous fungal infections are on the rise, and a growing body of research suggests warmer temperatures might be a culprit. The human body’s average temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit has long been too hot for most fungi to thrive, infectious-disease specialists say. But as temperatures have risen globally, some fungi might be adapting to endure more heat stress, including conditions within the human body, research suggests.
* The Wrap | Marjorie Taylor Greene Dragged for Saying Grade School Got $5 Billion to Teach Critical Race Theory: This time, during a congressional hearing, she claimed that an Illinois elementary school (which she, of course, didn’t name or offer anymore identifying characteristics for) was awarded $5.1 billion to teach critical race theory, which she called “a racist curriculum used to teach children that somehow their white skin aren’t equal to Black skin.” (It’s actually the study of how the social conceptions of race are shaped by media, politics and preexisting laws.)
* WMBD | FACT CHECK: Did one Illinois school really get $5 billion for CRT?: It is true that Illinois received over $5 billion in education funding during the second round of COVID-19 relief funding in 2021. This was part of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Relief program (ARP ESSER) which distributed over $81 billion to all 50 states. It is not true that all of this funding went to a single elementary school. The money was split between 851 school districts in Illinois.
* Today at 10 the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association will launch their “Makers Madness” contest, a bracket-style tournament in which the public will decide which product earns the 2023 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. What’s your favorite product made in the Land of Lincoln?…
