Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go!…
* Tribune | Out-of-state PAC backing conservative school board candidates hasn’t disclosed spending: While the 1776 Project is registered with the Federal Election Commission, Illinois campaign finance law requires independent expenditure committees that spend money on races in the state to register with the state. * Bears owe it to their fans to consider Arlington Park stadium : Exploring the construction of a stadium in Arlington Heights is something the Bears “owe to their fans,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the conclusion of the league’s annual meetings. The Bears closed on the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property last month and will decide whether to pursue building a stadium — in addition to hotels, shops and restaurants — on the property. * Crain’s | Chicago parks look for outside help to put sex abuse scandal and maybe the Bears in the rearview: In a somewhat unusual step, the Chicago Park District announced that it’s seeking one or more consultants to help it “develop and support a new strategic plan.”"Chicago parks are critical to the overall health and vitality of our city and millions of families, residents and visitors (and) look to provide vital services and experiences that improve their quality of life,” parks CEO Rosa Escareño said in a statement. “This strategic plan will ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of our patrons well into the future.” * Beverly Review | Gill selected as new state representative: Mary Gill, the current executive director of the Mt. Greenwood Community and Business Association (MGCBA), has been appointed as the new state representative She will succeed Fran Hurley, who resigned Feb. 28 to take a position with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. * Illinois Newsroom | Danville could soon have an abortion provider, but opponents are pushing back: Abortion rights opponents said the clinic’s location in an Illinois city bordering Indiana could be used to provide abortions to people in both states. “She’s interested in drawing women from Indiana,” Mary Kate Zander, the executive director of Illinois Right to Life, said of the abortion provider planning to open in Danville. “She is disinterested in serving the people of this area.” * WBEZ | Illinois Democratic lawmakers want to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’: Megan Jeyifo says she often works with patients coming from CPCs. She is the executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, a nonprofit that connects individuals seeking abortion care with resources like travel and lodging accommodations. She recalled one mother from Wisconsin who was looking for an abortion clinic for her 15-year-old daughter, when they walked into a CPC instead. “When her child was in the room, they showed her pictures of the ultrasound that she didn’t want to see. They told her information about the pregnancy that she didn’t want,” Jeyifo said. “They prayed over her, they got her phone number, her email address and they were harassing the family for weeks after this happened.” * Tim Drea | Training ex-offenders for green jobs is essential for economic equity: Under the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, work force hubs will work with local nonprofits to identify and train candidates, including returning residents, for training in clean energy jobs. * Capitol News Illinois | Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses: To receive one, the individual must provide their U.S. immigration documentation or, if they don’t have that, a passport or consular card. They must also prove they have automobile insurance. According to the secretary of state’s office, more than 300,000 people currently have a TVDL. Under the bill, these would remain valid driver’s licenses but the secretary of state would no longer issue new ones. * Sun-Times | Young people in Chicago aren’t voting. Here’s why: “Without knowing Chicago, it’s obvious to me that young people in that city don’t feel empowered by their governance,” said Della Volpe, whose book, “Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America,” came out last year. To turn out young voters, Della Volpe said the first part of the equation is “they need to have trust or faith in the political system, that their vote could actually make a difference, changing their lives and changing the lives of those who they care about.”
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- Techie - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 7:48 am:
“…they need to have trust or faith in the political system, that their vote could actually make a difference.”
This attitude still kind of blows my mind. I understand that our political system overall isn’t delivering on the issues on which there is widespread support (e.g. background checks, taxing the wealthy), and in that sense it can seem like it doesn’t matter who is in office.
On the other hand, people in power clearly do things which have dramatic effects on our lives (the ACA, raising the minimum wage in IL, legalizing cannabis, etc).
And one of the things I say to remind those who are somewhat apathetic about politics and voting is that, if your vote didn’t matter, why are rich people spending millions of dollars to influence you to vote for their preferred candidate?
- OneMan - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 8:18 am:
I have gotten mail and texts from the 1776 folks. I now get stuff from my pct committeeman about the non-partisan elections, which seems different.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 8:24 am:
The article on young people not voting leaves a lot to be desired. It seems more like a promo for the book written by the guy being interviewed. Do better, Sun-Times.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 8:30 am:
Not a big lottery fan but it would seem to me to be either illegal, immoral or at least false advertising to sell a product that you know can’t win. I wonder if it could be a class action lawsuit
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 8:37 am:
“had a zero chance of winning”
Which is down considerably from the .000000001 chance they had before.
- H-W - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 8:41 am:
@ Flying Elvis
Too funny!
- Jibba - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 8:46 am:
I have a hard time mustering outrage about the lottery. The odds are exactly the same as printed on the ticket even though the prizes are won. You just have prior knowledge of the outcome…
- Chambananon - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 9:07 am:
I’m old enough to remember the Lottery (or the vendor running it) getting in trouble for ending scratch-off contests *early*–i.e., before the big payouts happened.
Poor guys can’t win coming or going–end the fleecing early, get in trouble; keep fleecing too long, get in trouble. /s
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 9:21 am:
Instant lottery games have lots of prizes beyond the grand prize. You might win a free ticket for example, or $2, or even $50. But you have to play to win.
- H-W - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 9:23 am:
@ DuPage Saint
“Paging Tom DeVore.” (sorry about the play on your moniker)
- Teacher Lady - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 9:49 am:
“Without knowing Chicago, it’s obvious to me…”
Admitting upfront that you don’t know what you’re talking about seems weird.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 10:18 am:
Instead of 1 chance in a million of winning, you get ZERO chance of winning. Wow, that sure adds to the image of Illinois government being crooked. What would happen if one of the casinos did something like that with their one-armed bandits, setting them to NEVER win?
At the very least, the state should offer a deal to give 2 valid tickets for the price of one for a limited period of time to make up for the mistake.
- Joe - Wednesday, Mar 29, 23 @ 12:35 pm:
Camelot is a corrupt company now owned by the Czechs. They are using state revenue provide for in their contract to build their business in the U.S. Someone needs to audit how those taxpayer dollars are actually spent.