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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

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Supreme Court justices spar with lawyers during SAFE-T Act hearing

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Associated Press account of today’s Illinois Supreme Court hearing on the SAFE-T Act…

[Jim Rowe, the state’s attorney for Kankakee County] faced several questions about whether prosecutors and sheriffs have legal standing to bring the case.

* Please pardon all transcription errors, but here’s an excerpt of SA Rowe’s opening arguments…

Rowe: I’m the state’s attorney for Kankakee County and my oath in the interest of public safety compel me to contest the defendants’ Act in this regard.

Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis quickly interrupted to point out that a party only has standing to challenge the constitutionality of a statute “only insofar as it adversely impacts his or her own rights.” So, she asked, where’s your standing?…

Rowe: Your honor, with regard to standing, plaintiffs - sheriffs, state’s attorneys - are absolutely proper parties to this litigation. Each of us - your honors, the sheriffs as well - we have all raised our right hand and we have sworn a duty to uphold and defend the constitution of the state of Illinois.

Justice Theis then reminded Rowe about the actual oath that they both took…

I do solemnly swear (affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois…

Emphasis added, and this explains why…

Theis: Wasn’t the language prescribed in the statute that we support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois? And isn’t that the same oath that every lawyer, every person who comes to be admitted into the bar of Illinois under the Attorneys Act takes the same oath? So are you saying that everyone, every lawyer in the state of Illinois has standing to challenge a statute they don’t like?

Rowe: I’m not arguing that, your honor. I’m saying that state’s attorneys and sheriffs stand in a very unique position. For instance, state’s attorneys are the only ones that can go into a courtroom and file a petition under the Defendants Act to deny bail to someone.

Theis: Isn’t that true now?

Rowe: That is true, your honor. Except in this instance, we would be asked to enforce a rule that plaintiffs believe is unconstitutional. I think under Lujan, this court found that if we are regulated by the Act, we are a proper party to that litigation. And plaintiff state’s attorneys and sheriffs are certainly regulated under that Act.

Theis: There’s an adverse impact on your rights, is that it?

Rowe: There absolutely is. As the circuit court found, state’s attorneys, prosecutors have an inherent interest in ensuring that we can move cases through the court system, that we can secure a defendant’s appearance at trial, the sheriff has an inherent interest to…

Theis: Why don’t you continue to have that right? A constitutional right, I’m not sure what. You say you have a right to ensure that defendants appear or to continue to appear. Doesn’t that continue under this Act?

Rowe: Well, the Act abolishes the opportunity for a state’s attorney to even request a monetary bail as a sufficient surety. And for the sheriff, the sheriff has to ensure effectively the safety of every law enforcement officer under his charge. This Act requires them to serve, for instance, notice to appear and then a warrant and two occasions, we’ve now doubled the number of instances where law enforcement is going to come into contact with perhaps a fugitive or a very dangerous individual. So plaintiffs squarely believe that prosecutors and sheriffs have standing to pursue these matters. And we further believe that the Act is unconstitutional.

It goes on, but you get the drift.

* OK, back to the AP…

Other justices questioned how the SAFE-T Act changes to cash bail differ from lawmakers’ ability to set minimum criminal sentences or a list of factors that judges should consider when determining bail.

Alan Spellberg, a state’s attorney representing Will County, argued that the elimination of cash bail differs from those examples. In the case of cash bail, he argued that lawmakers have “mandated the outcome.”

“We know from history, monetary components are an important incentive for ensuring that a defendant appears for trial,” Spellberg said.

Chief Justice Theis quoted from a statute that has been around for many years, “In determining the amount of monetary bail or conditions of release, the court shall take into account” and noted that it then goes on to list 36 different factors that the court must consider…

Theis: Isn’t that statute unconstitutional, because it interferes with the court’s inherent authority to determine sufficient surety?

Spellberg: No, your honor, it’s not, because while the legislature has listed a series of factors to be considered…

Theis: Shall be considered. [Cross talk] Dictated. The court must take, shall take into consideration these factors. Isn’t that the legislature working with, or maybe interfering with the court’s…

Spellberg: Your honor, I respectfully disagree. And the reason why is because even though the legislature has mandated that certain factors should be considered, absolutely, it has not mandated the outcome, has not mandated the determination that should be made after the consideration of those factors.

In summary, the state’s lawyer, Deputy Solicitor General Alex Hemmer, said he believed Chief Justice Theis’ question was “exactly right”…

Plaintiffs’ argument, if accepted, would bring down not only the pretrial release provisions enacted by the SAFE-T Act, but also the entire scaffolding of legislative regulation of pretrial release in Illinois that’s existed for 60 years before the SAFE-T Act’s enactment. Plaintiffs have no effective response to that.

* One other point. Justice Lisa Holder White pointed out that in a “facial challenge,” the plaintiffs must “demonstrate that there is no set of circumstances that this would be constitutional.” She then asked if they’d done that. Spellberg’s answer was no yes, but then went on to say that the court had never before applied that demand to a separation of powers case.

Hemmer, the state’s lawyer, argued that “plaintiffs have not come anywhere close to meeting their burden”…

They admit that none of those cases establishes the exception that they are seeking. And in most of these cases, the issue simply wasn’t raised. And so there’s no reason to read these cases’ silence as kind of a precedent that establishes a separation of powers exception to the ordinary rule.

Discuss.

…Adding… Capitol News Illinois…

But opponents argued the constitution’s mentions of “bail” essentially serve as a requirement that the state maintains a system of monetary bail.

In particular, the prosecutors argued that the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights was brought to voters as a constitutional amendment in 2014, which was the proper avenue for such a change.

Kankakee County State’s Attorney James Rowe argued that lawmakers put amendments to the voters in the 1980s when looking to expand the list of nonbailable offenses in the constitution. He contrasted that effort with the January 2021 passage of the SAFE-T Act which moved quickly through the legislature and came for a vote in the middle of the night.

Hemmer countered that the constitution has multiple references to institutions that no longer exist.

“The bail clause itself refers to capital offenses, but there are no more capital offenses in Illinois,” he said. “No one would argue, I think, that the bail clause requires the state to maintain capital offenses simply by referring to it and the same is true here.”

  29 Comments      


Another day, another credit upgrade

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker today hailed Moody’s Investor Service upgrade of Illinois bonds to A3, the second major rating agency to return Illinois’ credit to the ‘A’ category. The action also represents the eighth upgrade in less than two years under Governor Pritzker following eight downgrades under the previous administration.

The continued fiscal progress by the state of Illinois was achieved due to continued strong fiscal leadership by Governor Pritzker and Democrats in the General Assembly.

Moody’s said Illinois’ improving governance was a key consideration in the action. “We consider improving governance to be a key consideration in this action.” Illinois, it said, is “displaying improved management of its budget by making conservative revenue assumptions and applying surplus revenue towards the payment of debt and growth in reserves.”

“This credit upgrade, our second one this year, is the result of the steps we’ve taken in Illinois to put ourselves on firm fiscal footing. We have balanced our budget, paid our bills on time, cleared out decades of debt, made extra pension payments, and saved billions for a rainy day,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “There’s more work to be done, but it’s clear we have undone decades of damage and ushered a new era of fiscal responsibility in Illinois. I look forward to building on this record by working with the General Assembly to pass the state’s fifth straight balanced budget later this spring.”

Moody’s Investor Service announced a ratings upgrade to A3 (stable outlook) from Baa1 for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds, its third upgrade of Illinois’ bonds since June 2021. The last time Illinois had an A3 rating from Moody’s was prior to September 2015. Moody’s also upgraded Build Illinois sales tax bonds to A3 (stable outlook) from Baa3 (stable outlook).

S&P Global Ratings announced a ratings upgrade to A- for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds last month, its third upgrade of Illinois’ bonds since July 2021. Fitch Ratings upgraded Illinois’ bonds by two notches last spring, the first Fitch upgrade for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds since June 2000. Illinois received two upgrades from Moody’s Investor Service in two separate actions in April 2022 and June 2021.

The upgrades follow the unveiling of the Governor Pritzker’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget which builds on four years of historic progress with balanced budgets, a Budget Stabilization Fund on track to hit $2.3 billion, elimination of the state’s bill backlog and reaching $1 trillion GDP. The proposed spending plan maintains the Governor’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while growing Illinois into an economic powerhouse and making transformative, generational investments in education and efforts to fight poverty.

The rating of a state’s bonds is a measure of their credit quality. A higher bond rating generally means the state can borrow at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

Between 2015 and 2017, the State of Illinois suffered eight credit rating downgrades and sat at the top of many analysts’ lists of the worst managed states in the nation. At its worst, Illinois’ bill backlog hit nearly $17 billion.

* Speaker Chris Welch…

In four years, Bruce Rauner brought Illinois to the brink of junk status with eight credit downgrades; our service providers were gutted, and our hardworking families suffered. Today, as we earn our eighth credit rating upgrade in less than two years, we can celebrate a real turnaround. Democrats have proven that Illinois doesn’t have to choose between being a responsible state and being a compassionate state; we can be both. I want to thank Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, and the rest of my colleagues in the legislature for their commitment to ensuring a strong Illinois for all.

  34 Comments      


That toddlin’ town roundup

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Personal PAC goes for Brandon Johnson…

Today, Personal PAC, one of Illinois’ leading organizations dedicated to protecting reproductive rights, endorsed Brandon Johnson for mayor.

“Personal PAC is proud to stand with Brandon Johnson for mayor and to support his vision to ensure abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible to all in Chicago,” said Sarah Garza Resnick, CEO of Personal PAC. “In a post-Roe world, this race is too important. After meeting with both Mr. Vallas and Commissioner Johnson, it is clear to us that Brandon Johnson is the only candidate who will protect and champion reproductive rights in Chicago.”

“We were troubled by Paul Vallas’ failure to comment at all for months following the leaked Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade,” said Garza Resnick. “Further, we take him at his word—based on his own statement that he fundamentally opposes abortion—that we cannot trust him to protect our reproductive rights.”

Commissioner Johnson has committed publicly to maintaining and increasing, as needed, the current level of funding in the City budget for reproductive healthcare support and is committed to continuing to use City resources to ensure the security of abortion clinics.

* Paul Vallas brings out the receipts…

Brandon Johnson has carefully avoided discussing his radical political past during the campaign for Mayor, often dodging questions about his public support for defunding the police. But today he took it a step too far and was caught in a blatant lie. Johnson told ABC 7 that he “never said defund the police,” despite the clear fact that he has openly discussed his support for defunding numerous times.

“There’s nothing Brandon Johnson can do to change the fact that he has publicly embraced the radical “defund the police” movement that would put Chicago at risk of even higher crime,” said Vallas spokesperson Phil Swibinski. “Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas’ visions for public safety could not be any more different, and every Chicagoan who is concerned about rising crime should be aware of one thing — Brandon Johnson will defund the police, Paul Vallas will put crime reduction and public safety first.”

Johnson’s support for defunding the police is clear and absolute:

    • In July 2020, Johnson was the Chief Sponsor of a Resolution calling for the Cook County Board of Commissioners to “Redirect Funds From Policing and Incarceration to Public Services Not Administered By Law Enforcement.”
    • In July 2020, Johnson signed onto a statement with other elected officials that stated the officials were ready to “Work To Defund The Chicago Police Department Immediately”
    • On WCPT Radio 780 in July 2020, Johnson said: “there are some folks who are offended by this idea of defunding the police. There are folks who are afraid of that terminology…we’re shipping money away from police and incarceration. What do people not understand about this demand? (Sunday Mornings, WCPT 780, 7/26/20, 38:10)
    • On WCPT Radio 780 in December 2020, Johnson said that he viewed Defund the Police “not as a slogan, but as a real political goal” and that it was “not just an admirable effort, but a necessary one.” (Santita Jackson Show, WCPT 780, 12/4/20, 16:50 and 59:18)

* More from Vallas…

The Vallas for Mayor campaign will announce major endorsements from three City Council members, who will lend their support to the Vallas public safety plan as well as Paul’s commitment to equity for all Chicago communities.

WHO: Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, Alderwoman Silvana Tabares (23rd), Alderman Felix Cardona, Jr. (31st), and Alderman Ariel Reboyras (30th)

* A little bit of history from political consultant Delmarie Cobb…

Nearly 40 years ago, mayor Harold Washington was elected Chicago’s first Black mayor. His grassroots campaign mobilized more than 100,000 new registered voters for the mayoral election in 1983, defeating Republican candidate Bernard Epton by a slim 51.7 percent to 48 percent majority. Washington’s win dealt a stunning blow to Chicago’s machine politics.

Though we’re 40 years removed from that moment, Cobb said this election is reminiscent of the 1983 election.

“When Harold Washington ran, you had Black elected officials who came out for him, but then you had an equal number of Black elected officials who came out for Jane Byrne and Richard M. Daley. So this is exactly a mirror of the same thing that happened 40 years ago,” Cobb said.

* Crain’s…

A new independent super PAC has been created in support of former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas that will likely allow a new wave of dark money to flow into the April 4 mayoral runoff campaign. […]

[Greg Goldner, founder and manager of Resolute Public Affairs] registered a not-for-profit, likely for that purpose, on March 7 named Priorities Chicago, according to a filing with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. […]

In recent days ahead of the creation of Goldner’s super PAC, the Vallas campaign fine-tuned the “media” portion of its campaign website, a process known as “redboxing” that campaigns use to publicly signal to outside groups how to spend money without crossing the loose legal definition of coordination.

On Monday, the Vallas campaign media page says “Frequent Chicago municipal voters urgently need to learn NOW that Brandon Johnson wants to defund the police and raise taxes, including a new city income tax on broadcast television and digital.”

Priorities Chicago has now also created an independent expenditure committee.

* Um…

If you are Bruce Rauner, Playbook would like to know your tips for working with Chicago’s mayor.

Do you then do the exact opposite?

* Press release…

Around 9 p.m. on Friday night, Chicago Police responded to an attempted burglary in the Mid-North district of Lincoln Park. While police were still gathering the facts, Brian Comer was sharing unverified, inaccurate information in a video he shared on his political campaign page.

“Several residents and police officers have expressed grave concern in my opponent’s behavior at a critical time for our community,” said Alderman Timmy Knudsen. “As always, I am in constant communication with CPD leadership in the ward, and when I heard about this incident, I offered my full support while allowing them to do their jobs. My focus will always be supporting our police and spreading facts, not fear.”

“Brian Comer touts his experience as a beat facilitator, but his decision to campaign at a crime scene clearly demonstrates that he lacks the sound judgment that residents expect from their alderman,” said Alex Hanns, Knudsen’s campaign manager. “Comer should know better than to rush to a crime scene and share misinformation while police are still conducting their investigation. Especially when residents are rightfully concerned about their safety, the last thing we need is for an uninformed civilian to stoke fears while police are trying to do their jobs.”

WATCH HERE

In his campaign video, Comer wears his campaign button while saying “an officer was shot” and was “in stable condition” on Friday night, despite the fact that no one was shot nor injured in the incident, according to vetted communications by the Chicago Police Department. “We just buried an officer who was killed in the line of duty earlier this week,” continued Comer, deepening the sense of fear that residents have since voiced.

As his campaign video concludes, Comer shifts to his campaign platform. “I have a plan to help public safety,” he says while the lights of three police vehicles illuminate the area and an officer walks behind him. The Chicago Board of Ethics has warned candidates of the “prohibited use of Chicago Police Department personnel and logo in electioneering communications.” Despite Comer’s claim, his website only lists five half-sentences of his “priorities” and is completely devoid of any plan on public safety that he references.

Comer’s inaccurate campaign video is still on his Facebook page five days after the incident despite several claims being debunked by police. The Knudsen campaign put Comer’s statements side by side with the facts in a new ad so residents can hear it for themselves.

* Isabel’s roundup…

  36 Comments      


Credit Unions: Better For Illinois Consumers

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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It’s just a bill

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* HB2431 is on Second Reading. WGN…

Illinois drivers may have to steer clear of Zoom calls while behind the wheel if a new state proposal becomes law.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannulias says House Bill 2431, sponsored by Illinois Rep. Marcus Evans (D-33) and Illinois Sen. Javier Cervantes (D-1) would make the roads safer as the popularity of video conference calls while driving rises. […]

Under the proposal, motorists would still be allowed to participate in video conference calls via a hands-free device or if the video is turned off.

Fines would range, depending on the number of offenses, from $75-$150:

    -First offense – $75
    -Second offense – $100
    -Third offense – $125
    -Four or more – $150

Three violations in a year will result in a license suspension.

* HR16 sponsored by Rep. Thaddeus Jones will be heard in committee today…

Calls on the U.S. Congress to authorize a policy change to allow existing interstates built with federal funding to become state tollways, enabling Illinois to convert the Dan Ryan Expressway I-57 into a toll road for the safety of its citizens.

* The deadline was not extended for HB3447 and HB3923. Streetsblog Chicago…

Illinois state rep Kam Bucker (D-26th), who recently ran for mayor but didn’t make the runoff, has been working on a new proposed e-bike rebate bill, HB3447, for the past two months. The legislation would would provide a point-of-sale discount to residents who buy an electric bicycle, which can help reduce congestion and pollution by encouraging more people to replace car trips with bike commutes. […]

Buckner filed the bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-62nd), on February 17. On February 28 it was assigned to the Revenue & Finance Committee, which hasn’t voted on it yet. […]

Along with state reps Theresa Mah (D-2nd) and Kelly Cassidy (D-14th), Buckner also sponsored HB 3530, which would lower the default speed limit in urban areas from 30 mph to 20. Last week at a House transportation committee meeting, members asked for amendments to the bill. Once the legislation is amended, it will return to the committee, probably next week. […]

Yet another livable street bill Kam Buckner cosponsored with state rep Janet Yang Rohr (D-41st) is HB 3923, which would partially legalize the “Idaho Stop” by allowing cyclists treating stop signs like yield sign. It would require bike riders to check for cross traffic and pedestrians before proceeding through the intersection. It did not come up for a vote at the House transportation committee meeting last week.

* Shaw Local…

Bills introduced by [Freshman state Rep. Brad] Fritts have passed through committees and are scheduled to be read and debated on the House floor. […]

HB 2582 removes a duplicate test in place for motorcycle license applicants younger than 18. Both tests are identical and incur a fee. […]

HB 3588 creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program, which may provide funding for the medical care of retired K-9s. […]

HB 2962 calls for a set of standards and requirements for substance abuse recovery homes, which would be adopted by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

* Press release…

A bill introduced by Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Mary E. Flowers, D-Chicago, which recently advanced out of committee, would reform compensation for Illinoisans who are wrongfully convicted and then exonerated, as well as remove a great deal of uncertainty from the process.

“More and more, we see people being exonerated after shoddy police work, prosecutorial misconduct, judicial failures or even outright prejudice and systemic inequality left them unjustly convicted of crimes they didn’t commit,” Flowers said. “It’s clear that more needs to be done for those whose lives have been turned upside down by this type of flagrant injustice. That’s why I’m working to increase compensation and eliminate limits for those impacted by failures of justice.”

Currently, there is no minimum compensation for those exonerated after a wrongful conviction, and the amount—if any—a person can be awarded is mostly at the discretion of the Court of Claims. There are, however, statutory maximums of $85,350 for five years or less of imprisonment, $170,000 for five to fourteen years and $199,150 for more than fourteen years.

Flowers’ House Bill 1016 would remove entirely these statutory maximums and replace arbitrary awards with guaranteed and fixed award amounts of $50,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment, including pretrial incarceration or detention while awaiting trial; along with $25,000 per year wrongfully spent not incarcerated but on parole, on probation, or on a sex offender registry. These amounts would be prorated for partial years and the Court of Claims would retain the ability to raise them by up to 5% per year to account for increases in the consumer price index. The bill contains other measures as well.

* Farm Week…

“There were a lot of bills that Illinois Farm Bureau had positions on, and they were spread throughout all the committees,” said Kevin Semlow, IFB director of state legislation. “One of the biggest issues we focused on this week was our opposition to HB 1568, sponsored by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, that grants unconstitutional public access to waterways. We communicated with members of the committee that the bill undoes close to 200 years of law and violates landowners’ private property rights. At the end of the committee, the bill was not presented for a vote and remained in the committee.” […]

Two separate committees approved an IFB legislative priority to allow townships to elect or appoint a clerk or road commissioner from outside the township to fill vacancies.

“This was established in IFB policy that was raised because of challenges in some areas of the state,” said Emily Perone Hall, IFB assistant director of state legislation. “We gained the passage of the Senate and House committees to move SB 1443, sponsored by Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Waukegan, and HB 2040, sponsored by Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, to their respective chambers.”

In the House Labor Committee, HB 3395, sponsored by Rep. Lilian Jimenez, D-Chicago, would have eliminated the minimum wage exemption for many agricultural employees, while also eliminating the exemption from overtime requirements for all agricultural employees.

“IFB opposed HB 3395 and conveyed to the committee the impacts this legislation would have on farmers. In the end, the sponsor chose not to present the bill and held the bill in committee,” said Mark Raney, associate director of state legislation.

  11 Comments      


State schools superintendent asked about school board “culture wars”

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Newly appointed State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders was interviewed this week on the 21st Show…

Q: As you no doubt know, the schools have become a sort of, what would you say, a flashpoint in the culture wars? Every week there are these stories where school administrators and teachers are being protested, people yelling at school board meetings. We’re actually having a conversation on the program later this week about school board candidates across the state espousing right-wing rhetoric. How do you address that? Or has it been ever thus? Right? How do you think about the idea that the schools have become this flashpoint in the so called culture wars in America?

Supt. Sanders: It saddens me actually, schools are apolitical. Schools are places where students go to learn critical thinking skills. This debate over CRT, which some think is critical race theory, and others say CRT is culturally responsive teaching, two entirely different things. But unfortunately, they get confused by the general public. And we do want culturally responsive teaching practices within our schools. At the same time, critical race theory is not something that’s introduced to students until they are working either on a master’s or a doctorate. And so I think it’s unfortunate that the general public makes the schools the center politics when it should not be.

Q: On that note, Illinois has implemented a number of new teaching requirements. There’s Black history, Asian history. Some say, particularly in the Republican Party in Illinois, that it’s too much, it’s too much meddling from the state in what is happening in individual classrooms. What do you think about that?

Supt. Sanders: So I think that our curriculum should uplift every child in the state of Illinois before these other bills that you just referenced, that were enacted into legislation to teach about African-American history or Asian American history. For decades, we’ve had a state law that says that we have to teach about the Irish famine. We’ve had laws that talk about Mexican deportation. So in terms of curricular mandates, there’s about 40 to 50 curricular mandates that have been on the books for years that are appropriate, and the right things for kids to be learning. I see no difference with adding these latest curriculum requirements. And I don’t even think they should be requirements. I think it’s just something that school districts need to do as part of their work, is to make sure that we’re uplifting everybody’s culture within our curriculum. Who among us doesn’t want to see their culture representative the curriculum?

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* WBEZ had a recent story centered on a Barrington school board slate…

Their plan to raise scores, the candidates said, is to scrutinize what is taught in schools. They contend that certain lessons, such as Illinois’ social-emotional learning and sex ed standards, are based on harmful ideologies and are distracting students from academics.

“Education isn’t political,” said one candidate, Leonard Munson. “We’ve got to get back to Christian values.”

Munson and the two other Action PAC-endorsed candidates, Katey Baldassano and Matt Sheriff, also said they worry about local tax dollars, noting that between 50% and 60% of property taxes go to schools. They want to look for opportunities to maximize efficiency and cut the budget. […]

In several Chicago suburbs, slates of candidates have been telling a similar narrative about their districts: wasteful spending, plus lower test scores caused by distracting ideological lessons on sex, gender, mental health and diversity. In Barrington and a few other suburban districts, they also have the support of well-funded political action committees with multiple contributions of over $1,000.

Awake Illinois, a statewide conservative parent group, is leading the charge on many of these issues, opposing Illinois’ sex ed standards to prevent students from becoming what it calls “sexualized illiterate radicals.” This fall and winter, it hosted candidate training sessions led by the Leadership Institute, a Virginia-based organization that trains conservative candidates around the country. Awake Illinois says it has identified over 75 candidates for potential endorsements.

Illinois Families for Public Schools has compiled a list of a lot of groups that are pushing school board candidates. Click here if you’re interested.

* From the Richard Uihlein-funded 1776 Project PAC…


* Daily Herald…

Pritzker’s effort to influence school board races has drawn criticism from Republican leaders, including Lake County Republican Party Chair Keith Brin.

“Our school boards shouldn’t be partisan, and our schools shouldn’t be political,” Brin said. “Gov. Pritzker is forcing partisan politics onto our local schools while trying to force his ideology onto local communities who ought to be able to set their own priorities for their schools.”

The Lake County Republican Party held a candidate training session for prospective school board members earlier this year. Back to the Daily Herald…

Mark Cramer, running for reelection to the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board, is one of four candidates endorsed by the local conservative group Citizens for Kids Education (C4KE). He also received a $6,000 donation from Richard Uihlein last year, and another $6,000 this year from Palatine Township GOP leader David Prichard. […]

“Pritzker is trying to define any Republican as a radical right-winger,” Cramer said. “He wants to drive the wedge. He wants this culture war to continue.”

Discuss.

  69 Comments      


Question of the day

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the synopsis of SB2152. The Senate extended its committee passage deadline to March 24th after it wasn’t approved by the Executive Committee before last Friday’s deadline…

Amends the State Universities, Downstate Teachers, and Board of Investment Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the State Treasurer shall manage the System’s or Investment Board’s domestic and international proxy voting activity and execute required ballots on behalf of the System or Investment Board.

An amendment would repeal the law on January 1, 2027, near the end of Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ current term.

* From the State Universities Retirement System…

SURS Board Votes to Oppose SB 2152

Legislation would transfer proxy voting authority to state treasurer, compromising the ability of SURS board to protect assets from undue political influence and to fulfill fiduciary obligations to SURS membership

Champaign, IL – The State Universities Retirement System (SURS) today voted unanimously to oppose Senate Bill 2152, legislation that would transfer all proxy voting authority for SURS assets from the SURS Board of Trustees to the state treasurer.

“Funds in the SURS trust come from employee contributions, employer contributions, state contributions and investment income, noted SURS Chair John Atkinson. “Once funds are deposited into that trust, they belong to SURS members. The SURS Board of Trustees has a legal responsibility to vote proxies due to their role as fiduciaries for SURS members. The state treasurer does not serve on the SURS board and is not a fiduciary to SURS members.”

Proxy voting allows fiduciaries to analyze risk and sets principles for the way asset managers vote on their behalf at shareholder meetings. Those decisions protect the long-term value of the assets.

“Under this legislation, SURS does not have control over how the state treasurer votes SURS proxies,” added Atkinson. “We cannot tell the treasurer how to vote and we cannot hold them accountable for how they vote. It gives one statewide elected official unilateral control over the long-term value of SURS assets.”

SURS has a proxy voting policy in accordance with fiduciary duties and utilizes a provider, Glass Lewis, to execute proxy votes in accordance with that policy.

Reports of proxy votes are provided to the SURS board on a quarterly basis, posted on SURS website on a summary-level, and are available on a detailed-level under FOIA.

* I reached out to Treasurer Frerichs’ office for comment…

Voting corporate proxies sounds like the dry stuff of legal filings. But proxy voting is about ensuring that corporations create long-term value for the working families whose pensions depend on wise investments. It is too important to be left in the hands of Wall Street insiders.

Every working day, the Illinois Treasurer’s Office works with other institutional investors – union pension funds, diverse fund managers, and treasurers from other states – to hold corporate boards and managers accountable. Actions speak louder than words. The actions that my office has taken and the proxy votes we have cast are all listed on our website.

The legislation I proposed is about changing how the State of Illinois – including the state’s pension systems – vote their proxies and engage with the corporations in which we invest. At the end of the day, this bill fights for worker security and can bring about efficiency and transparency. I am an optimist, and that is why I know this is the start of a conversation, not an end.

We are off to a good start. I look forward to sharing ideas, improving transparency, and continuing our collective fight to make it easier to pay the rent, send our children to school, and secure a dignified retirement.

Frerichs has joined efforts to force Facebook to separate its CEO and board chair positions, voted against two directors at Duke Energy “for corporate governance failures related to climate change” and has joined efforts to pressure companies to “disclose the race, ethnicity and gender of their corporate board directors.” More here.

* The Question: Do you support Treasurer Frerichs’ move? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

online polls


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*** ComEd 4 trial live coverage ***

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Today’s must-read

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mitch Dudek’s obituary about Amanda Vinicky’s dad…

When Jim Vinicky attended a traditional Swedish Christmas Eve dinner at his high school girlfriend’s house in Hinsdale, he brought a jar of giardiniera.

It was an audacious move. The spiced and brined vegetables clashed with the family’s admittedly bland homemade sausage, pickled herring and hunks of cheese.

It was tolerated by her parents. And secretly heralded by the rest of his future in-laws.

Mr. Vinicky, who grew up in neighboring LaGrange and was under the impression that everyone in Hinsdale was rich, mistook his girlfriend’s mother for the family maid the first time he went to their house, the family recalled.

“We were Cubs and Chicago Tribune people, and he came into the family and was a White Sox guy who read the Sun-Times,” said Brenda Lundstrom, Mr. Vinicky’s sister-in-law.

The Sun-Times lost its great obit writer Maureen O’Donnell when she stepped away from the job last year. Dudek has some big shoes to fill, but he’s really stepping up. And Jim Vinicky sounds like he was one heckuva guy.

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Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

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Live coverage

Tuesday, Mar 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive…


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