* Illinois is apparently last in the nation for opportunity zones…
First, IRS data confirms the geographic reach of OZs is enormous. Nearly half of all OZs–roughly 3,800 communities–had received investment through 2020, less than three years after the policy took effect. For comparison, it took NMTC investment 18 years to achieve the same reach. pic.twitter.com/BwydW6Y3s5
Tillamook Creamery plans to expand its operations in 2024 by opening a new ice cream manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois, the Tillamook County Creamery Association announced on Tuesday. […]
The proposed Decatur plant was previously owned and operated by Prairie Farms, which used the location for ice cream production prior to closing the facility in 2022. TCCA said that it will spend the next 18 to 24 months upgrading the facility and bringing it up to its manufacturing quality standards.
State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, said while he never felt intimidated by Madigan, he’s glad he’s not been asked to testify. He said the “ComEd Four” trial is on the top of mind of all legislators at the Illinois statehouse.
“And it’s a real life experience being played out to teach all of us a lesson,” Ford told WMAY.
Ford contends things have changed under new Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.
“Speaker Welch is a collaborator. He works with his caucus and he does everything to get input and consensus on issues,” Ford said. “Madigan, he worked for consensus too, but … there were some things where he probably just persuaded and wanted it to happen because it was in his estimation time for it to happen.”
State Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, R-Litchfield, who is back in the legislature after eight years away, remembers Madigan always having somebody else being the messenger. He hopes the revelations from released tapes and the criminal cases bring changes to how the people’s business is handled in Springfield.
“When people look at that and they know that that gets highlighted, then maybe it changes their way of doing business,” Rosenthal told The Center Square. “We won’t know for sure for a while, but I think it’s got the opportunity to do that.”
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas reported another big fundraising haul above $1 million just a few days after reporting a similarly big haul, extending his contribution domination in the runoff.
According to the latest A-1 report filed by Vallas For Mayor this morning, the campaign reported over $1.4 million in contributions from a long list of investors, unions, political action committees and individual contributors. It also further solidified Vallas as the choice of Chicago’s business leaders.
Dude can’t walk down the street without people throwing money at him these days.
Brandon Johnson, the real Democrat for mayor, today released a new TV ad –– “The Difference” –– highlighting the stark choice for Chicagoans this election. In the new spot, Johnson touts his public safety plan and how he will invest in a stronger Chicago without raising property taxes by making wealthy corporations pay their fair share.
I’m Brandon Johnson, the real Democrat for mayor, and here’s the difference.
I’m the only candidate for mayor with a plan to make Chicago safer by finally going after the root causes of crime.
And I’m the only candidate for mayor who won’t raise your property taxes.
My plan invests in our neighborhoods by making wealthy corporations pay their fair share.
The difference is real.
I’m Brandon Johnson, asking you to vote for a better Chicago.
* Sierra Club Illinois…
Today, Sierra Club Illinois announced a lawsuit against Prairie State Generating Co. (PSGC) for operating the Prairie State Energy Campus (PSEC) without a permit. Sierra Club’s lawsuit urges PSGC to cease operations until it obtains a lawful CAAPP (also known as a Title V) permit required by the Clean Air Act. The Prairie State coal plant is one of the dirtiest and deadliest plants in the United States.
“No plant is above the law, especially one that is among the most polluting coal plants in the country,” said Christine Nannicelli, Senior Campaign Representative for the Beyond Coal Campaign of Sierra Club Illinois. “PSEC’s owners, like the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) and the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency (NIMPA), are actively pursuing federal taxpayer subsidies and investors to install carbon capture technology at the plant. Prairie State should instead be focused on complying with basic environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, not pushing for more taxpayer subsidies for risky, expensive technologies.”
In 2021, Prairie State exceeded federal limits on mercury emissions for a month, prompting a Violation Notice from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), which was issued in January 2022. In 2022, Prairie State emitted almost twice as much carbon dioxide as the next biggest greenhouse gas polluter in the state, and has been the number one contributor in Illinois to ozone-forming nitrogen oxide pollution for the last six years. Soot pollution from the plant contributes to 76 premature deaths each year, making it one of the deadliest coal plants in the country, according to a recently released study on soot pollution from coal plants by the Sierra Club, which used triennial emissions inventory data.
“Prairie State is now on notice that it can no longer operate in violation of the Clean Air Act,” said Megan Wachspress, Staff Attorney with the Sierra Club Environmental Law Program. “A Title V permit is a fundamental operating requirement for major stationary sources under the Clean Air Act. These permits include limits on how much mercury, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide a plant is permitted to emit and impose monitoring and reporting requirements. The people of Illinois must also have the opportunity to comment on the terms of the Title V permit to ensure the IEPA protects their health from Prairie State. By filing this lawsuit, Sierra Club aims to protect Illinoisans and our environment from the Prairie State coal plant’s egregious, decade-long mismanagement and deadly pollution.”
The Prairie State coal plant is owned by nine utilities that serve 277 municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives across eight states. The plant owners signed contracts directly or indirectly committing themselves to paying off the $5 billion price tag to build PSEC.
…Adding… From Prairie State…
The statement below should be attributed to Alyssa Harre, Vice President of External Affairs & Organizational Strategy for Prairie State Generating Company:
“Prairie State, a not-for-profit owned energy campus, is operating legally under a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). To comply with this permit, Prairie State installed and has maintained more than $1 billion in state-of-the-art emissions control technology and continuous emissions monitoring system.
This action by the Sierra Club’s California-based Environmental Law Program is a politically motivated attempt to circumvent the Illinois regulatory process, the consequences of which will bring instability to our electric grid to the detriment of the consumers we serve.
Prairie State remains committed to working with the IEPA to maintain compliance with environmental regulations and will not let this lawsuit distract from our mission of providing value to the communities served through the continued production of reliable and affordable power, all while providing jobs and maintaining economic prosperity for hardworking men and women across downstate Illinois.
As the lawsuit was filed today, March 22, Prairie State is currently reviewing the Sierra Club’s complaint and will respond through the appropriate channels.”
* Illinois State Board of Education press release…
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has highlighted Illinois as a national leader in advancing students’ mental health using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds set aside for state use. The national education organization featured the Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing (REACH) Statewide Initiative, which is a collaboration between the Illinois State Board of Education and the Center for Childhood Resilience at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and other key partners, at its legislative conference in Washington, D.C., on March 21. The annual conference convenes state education agency leaders from all 50 states and additional U.S. territories to highlight best practices.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced $175 million in available grant funding through the Back to Business (B2B) program. Following state recovery for businesses totaling nearly $1.5 billion, the latest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) -funded opportunity is designed to provide additional support for the hardest-hit sectors, including restaurants (B2B Restaurants), hotels (B2B Hotels), and businesses or organizations in the creative arts sector (B2B Arts). To provide hands-on support and raise awareness about the program, the State has mobilized a network of more than 100 community navigators across Illinois.
“In the three years since COVID-19 brought our state, our nation, and our world to a standstill, Illinois businesses have come back swinging—in part thanks to our Back to Business program,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “My administration is committed to helping small business owners move past survival and onto long-term success—and this latest investment of $175 million in B2B grants does exactly that.”
As outlined in statute, B2B Arts and B2B Restaurants grant award amounts will be determined by revenue declines, as reflected on tax returns, and funding for hotels will be allocated by number of rooms. Applications are open from April 5 through May 10, 2023 and awards are expected to be made several weeks after the deadline date. All eligible applicants will receive a grant as long as the business meets eligibility requirements and submits proper documentation and attestations.
The program design is based on legislation establishing the Restaurant Employment and Stabilization Grant Program ($50 million), Hotel Jobs Recovery Grant Program ($75 million) and the Illinois Creative Recovery Grant program ($50 million). The funding is designed to offset losses and support job retention in the hardest-hit industries. […]
DCEO has enlisted a robust network of more than 100 community navigators to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance in the hardest hit communities. Community Navigators will be conducting outreach, hosting webinars, and supporting prospective applicants to prepare before the application opens on April 5, 2023. This is in addition to available small business support available through Illinois’ network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs).
In order to manage a high volume of applications in a timely manner, DCEO has enlisted a program administrator – the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Community Development Fund (NCRC CDF) – to support with application review, provide technical portal support for applicants, manage the development of the application portal and provide support in processing payments.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Fox 2 | Illinois strengthens regulations on health insurance companies following Blue Cross Blue Shield investigation: Under the new rules, health insurance companies will need to clarify the distance a doctor is from a patient in their directory in two ways. One listing includes the distance between the patients address and the provider if a straight line was drawn between the two. The other is the distance and time it takes to drive to the provider’s office from the patients house. Before these new rules, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois was only including the former on their directories.
* Fox 2 | 2nd Illinois prison guard sentenced: According to the release, the government presented further evidence that Sheffler, as the lieutenant and senior officer to co-defendants Hedden and Banta, not only participated in the assault but had a duty to intervene to prevent it. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Earvin, including multiple broken ribs, a punctured mesentery (tissue in the abdomen), and other serious internal injuries, and resulted in Earvin’s death in June 2018.
* HuffPost | Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Takes Swipe At Chicago Mayoral Candidate Paul Vallas: Pritzker campaign spokesperson Natalie Edelstein replied with a statement that both defended Pritzker’s conduct and took a subtle jab at Vallas, homing in on his affinity for right-wing talk radio. “Throughout the pandemic, Governor Pritzker spent every day fighting to save people’s lives and livelihoods,” Edelstein said. “He did it by following the advice of the nation’s best virologists and epidemiologists, many of whom are at Illinois’s world-class research institutions and hospitals.” “Leadership requires making tough choices and not pandering to the loudest voices driven by politics,” she added. “The next mayor of Chicago may be called upon to lead in a similar type of emergency and residents deserve to know if their next Mayor will listen to experts or instead to right wing talk show hosts when making decisions about people’s lives.”
* Tribune | Naperville stopped ticketing students at school. But it’s still pushing a 3-year-old case about AirPods to trial.: Her attorneys asked the judge at the end of February to dismiss the case, noting that the original ticket accused her only of having the classmate’s AirPods, not of intentionally taking them, which is required to prove theft. In response, prosecutor Joseph Solon Jr. updated Naperville’s allegation to state that Harris had “knowingly” taken the classmate’s AirPods. Judge Monique O’Toole set a hearing for next month to give Harris’ attorneys time to formally respond.
* Crain’s | State Farm nearly matches last year’s record pay for CEO despite deep losses: Unlike most companies its size, State Farm doesn’t pay its executives in stock as well as cash. As a mutual insurer, it’s technically owned by its policyholders and doesn’t have publicly traded shares to distribute to execs. So in recent years, State Farm has dramatically increased cash payouts to execs. In 2019 Tipsord’s total compensation was $10 million. That soared to about $20 million in 2020 and then $24.5 million in 2021, a record-setting payday for a State Farm CEO.
* Bob Seidenberg | ‘Neither solicited, nor requested,’ candidate says, turning back two large donations: Second Ward City Council member Krissie Harris said earlier today she has already taken steps to return a pair of $6,000 donations — the most allowed individuals under election law— that critics have maintained were being used to buy influence in Northwestern University’s stadium project. … Harris said the donations came in at a time when she had gone to the hospital for medical treatment, with members of her campaign team holding off notifying her about the money.
* AP | Federal Reserve raises its key rate by a quarter-point: At the same time, the Fed warned that the financial upheaval stemming from the collapse of two major banks is “likely to result in tighter credit conditions” and “weigh on economic activity, hiring and inflation.”
* Tribune | Chicago’s runoff election: Everything you need to know about races for mayor and aldermen: April 4 is the date of the runoff election and the deadline for a mail-in ballot to be postmarked in order for it to be counted. April 18 is the last day that mail-in ballots (postmarked by April 4) may arrive at the offices of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners to be included in the count.
* Tribune | Emergency injunction filed Tuesday to prevent imminent vendor lockout at Little Village Discount Mall: But for merchants, there’s a glimmer of hope, however temporary: They are now waiting on the Cook County Circuit Court to schedule an emergency hearing on their motion for a temporary restraining order. If vendors are locked out of the mall, the complaint filed Tuesday states, they would potentially face irreparable harm and suffer the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise and goods, given that they operate on small margins and day-to-day sales.
* AP | 119K people hurt by riot-control weapons since 2015: The vast majority of the data comes from cases in which a person came to an emergency room with injuries from crowd control weapons and the attending doctor or hospital staff made the effort to document it, said the report’s lead author, Rohini Haar, an emergency room physician and researcher at the University of California School of Public Health in Berkeley.
* WSJ | Job Listings Abound, but Many Are Fake: Hiring managers acknowledge as much. In a survey of more than 1,000 hiring managers last summer, 27% reported having job postings up for more than four months. Among those who said they advertised job postings that they weren’t actively trying to fill, close to half said they kept the ads up to give the impression the company was growing, according to Clarify Capital, a small-business-loan provider behind the study. One-third of the managers who said they advertised jobs they weren’t trying to fill said they kept the listings up to placate overworked employees.
* Tribune | Fast-food giant McDonald’s named founding promotional partner of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race: The televised Cup Series event on July 2 will feature a 12-turn, 2.2-mile racecourse, with top NASCAR drivers navigating Grant Park on closed-off streets lined with temporary fences, grandstands and hospitality suites. McDonald’s will have branding on a section of the course, at the start/finish line in front of Buckingham Fountain and additional locations throughout the event’s footprint.
* Sun-Times | Dare I say it? The White Sox get more media attention in town than the Cubs do.: The Sox have been much more interesting than the Cubs for several years. Now, my definition of interesting and your definition of interesting might be completely different, especially if you fall heavily on the Cubs side of the Cubs-Sox demarcation in Chicago. Many Chicagoans do. But from a newspaper writer’s perspective, it’s not even close. The Sox are compelling. The Cubs aren’t.
The mayoral race in Chicago is going to really be interesting, I believe, for the future of Illinois. I’ve said it before, Brandon Johnson has the capability to be as bad if not worse than Lori Lightfoot. And interestingly enough, just yesterday, Pritzker kind of took a swing at Paul Vallas, the other gentleman. Basically, Paul Vallas is being supported by the police unions and Brandon Johnson is being supported by the teachers unions. And the teachers unions have spent, I think, upwards of $2 million supporting him. I want you to think about that, Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Education Association is doing the same thing supporting the same caliber of candidates across the state. So think about that. […]
So anyway, those are the things that I kind of wanted to mention be watching for the election coming up for the Chicago mayor’s race because that will be a tale that we will be able to tell if Chicago is remotely ready for change. If they elect Brandon Johnson, it’s going to be a dark day for not only Chicago, but Illinois I believe.
* Bailey didn’t actually “endorse” Vallas, but it was close enough for the Johnson campaign…
“I am proud to support a campaign that is opposed by Republican Darren Bailey. I was proud to support Governor Pritzker when Darren Bailey attacked our governor. And I am proud to support Brandon Johnson when Darren Bailey attacks our next mayor,” said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “The choice is clear Chicago. Vote for the real Democrat, Brandon Johnson.”
“Paul Vallas followed up insulting Governor Pritzker with an endorsement from Trump Republican Darren Bailey. It is yet another example of why Paul Vallas is wrong for Chicago,” said State Sen. Omar Aquino. “Both Darren Bailey and Paul Vallas have said they think Chicago is a ‘hellhole.’ Enough. Paul Vallas must disavow all extremist right-wing support or admit he is unfit to represent Chicago’s diverse communities.”
“Darren Bailey compared abortion to the Holocaust and Paul Vallas said he is fundamentally opposed to abortion,” said State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. “Paul Vallas and Darren Bailey are two peas in a pod. This is just more proof that Paul Vallas is wrong for Chicago.”
“Both Paul Vallas and Darren Bailey have called our city a ‘hellhole’ and we all know that’s a dog whistle attack on our Black and Brown communities,” said Ald. Pat Dowell, Chair of City Council Budget Committee. “If you don’t love the people of Chicago, then you shouldn’t run for mayor or governor.”
Bailey’s endorsement was made this morning in a Facebook live post, where Bailey also commented that the Chicago mayoral race would be “interesting for the future of Illinois” before directly and repeatedly attacking Brandon Johnson. Bailey said if Brandon Johnson is elected “it’s going to be a dark day for not only Chicago but Illinois” while lifting up Paul Vallas and his backers.
* His spouse, Cindy, is also still stumping. This event was in GOP Sen. Jason Plummer’s district, which the Bailey’s live in. Maybe there’s something to the rumors about her state Senate campaign? I dunno, but stay tuned…
Thank you Marion County, for your continued pursuit of Freedom! I am grateful to my wonderful wife Cindy for speaking on my behalf! My granddaughter Claire accompanied her for the first time! God bless!!!
* This argument, particularly the last excerpted paragraph in Hannah Meisel’s report, is basically the heart of the government’s bribery case. ComEd had to do what Madigan wanted or it could “provoke a reaction”…
On Oct. 26, 2011, the General Assembly overrode then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto on the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act, also known as “Smart Grid.”
The override vote came one day after O’Neill agreed to execute a contract with the law firm Reyes Kurson, headed by Democratic operative and bigtime Madigan fundraiser Victor Reyes.
[Former ComEd general counsel Tom O’Neill] described himself as having “relented” after months of inquiries from McClain about whether ComEd’s legal department was going to retain Reyes Kurson, even in the middle of working “around the clock” on the Smart Grid veto override effort. […]
O’Neill was pushed to renew Reyes Kurson’s agreement in the coming months, he told the jury, noting McClain was “engaged, active, relentless at a point” in making the push. […]
Prosecutors sought to firm up O’Neill’s perception by next showing the jury an email McClain wrote to [then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore] two days later. In the email, McClain admonished Pramaggiore that she had to get involved with the Reyes Kurson contract renewal, or else “provoke a reaction from our Friend” – a nickname McClain used often when speaking of Madigan.
So, I am trying to get my arms around it if you would allow me.
In 2011,we agreed to a contract with them for 850 billable hours of work for each year for three years. I am going through my notes so please forgive me. I may not be exactly accurate.
So, in 2011, because the contract began in the Fall there were no billable hours.
In 2012, we hired them for only 280 hours.
After you learned that we were terribly short on the hours in 2012, you may a concerted effort to use them more and they billed 910 hours in the calendar year, 2013.
In 2014, again with your efforts they billed 1,130 hours. In 2015, they billed 690 hours.
So, forget the exact three year contract for a minute. Three years at 850 hours would be approximately 2,550 hours. 2,550. If you add up the billable hours that my notes reflect, again, you probably have exact numbers they have billed 3,010. 3,010.
I think you said you liked their work.
So, I know you are concerned about how many hours to “guarantee” them. Do you intend to offer something less than 850 per year or could you give me some idea? I know I will hear about it no matter what.
So, I am not displeased. There is no doubt that the company has kept the spirit of their word with this Law Firm. They love working for the company. I think you are professionally okay with their work.
I just would like to get up to speed when you are ready.
I am sure your people may have different numbers or maybe I have done a better job than I thought.
Please advise when it is convenient. I know that Victor is nervous about keeping this relationship. He often talks to me about how great it is to work with your people.
McClain attorney Patrick Cotter promised jurors last week they would “hear no words” linking job recommendations from Madigan with any piece of legislation. The explicit connection has yet to be made, but prosecutors have seemed to work methodically to link the hiring pressure described by O’Neill to key bills.
“Well, I hate to bring this to your attention but I must,” McClain wrote [to Pramaggiore]. “Sorry. I am sure you know how valuable Victor is to our Friend.”
McClain added, “I know the drill and so do you. If you do not get involve [sic] and resolve this issue of 850 hours for his law firm per year then he will go to our Friend. Our Friend will call me and then I will call you. Is this a drill we must go through?”
Pramaggiore wound up forwarding McClain’s email to O’Neill without comment. O’Neill said he also wound up forwarding a separate email to Pramaggiore, without comment, that discussed ComEd’s consulting contract with Roosevelt Group, Reyes’ separate lobbying firm.
“Because I felt he was double-dipping,” O’Neill said.
Pramaggiore’s mantra, according to O’Neill, was essentially, “What’s important to the speaker is important to ComEd.” […]
The defendants’ attorneys contend that the so-called scheme was nothing more than legal lobbying, part of the state’s high-stakes, often-messy politics where myriad interest groups and stakeholders compete for access to lawmakers. […]
Though the contract was unusual because it guaranteed an amount of hours, O’Neill was careful to say that Reyes Kurson did perform for ComEd and that the utility was generally happy with their output.
* As an aside, check out this email. ComEd briefed Moody’s and S&P about their 2011 “formula rates” bill. One of the top items the ratings agencies asked about was “Madigan’s view.”
* Isabel’s coverage roundup…
* Sun-Times | Quinn endorses Vallas over Johnson in April 4 mayoral runoff: Quinn endorsed Vallas for mayor after extracting a promise to renegotiate the proposed franchise agreement with Commonwealth Edison that Lightfoot tried and failed to ram through the City Council in the waning weeks of her administration. Quinn called the ComEd bribery scandal surrounding Madigan — showcased by the ongoing federal corruption trial of the so-called “ComEd four” — the “biggest utility scandal in American history.” “People in Chicago and all over the ComEd service territory were bilked out of millions of dollars by a bribery scheme that went on for nearly a decade. We need a mayor of Chicago who’s gonna be tough on that kind of corporate crime just like street crime. Paul is the best person to do that. I know Paul 40 years. He’s not a shrinking violet,” Quinn, driving force behind the Citizens Utility Board, told the Sun-Times Wednesday. “We should call in the ComEd executives for hearings at City Hall to get to the bottom of what they were doing for almost ten years and specifically ask them why, in light of what they just testified the other day — that they were making record profits in 2022 — why they are not giving refunds to consumers and businesses from their ill-gotten profits,” Quinn said. “They made those profits through illegal conduct and bribery. That franchise agreement should be held up until it’s re-done … so consumers are treated fairly and the company doesn’t get away with highway robbery.”
* Capitol News Illinois | ComEd’s former top lawyer paints Madigan confidant as ‘double agent’ in testimony: O’Neill knew McClain had other corporate clients aside from ComEd as a contract lobbyist, but he also got the impression that Madigan was one of McClain’s clients. “By the way he conducted himself…he represented the speaker’s position on matters, to the point where it seemed like the speaker was his primary client,” O’Neill told the jury Tuesday.
* Center Square | In bribery case, prosecutors shift focus to former utility leader: Prosecutors spent several hours with O’Neill on the stand going through the passage of energy legislation in Illinois as they worked to establish a foundation for their case against former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty and former lobbyist and state lawmaker Michael McClain. All four have pleaded “not guilty” to conspiracy, bribery, and willfully falsifying ComEd books and records. ComEd is the state’s largest electric utility.
Today in unexpected Illinois "It's just a bill" news…On St Patrick's Day State Rep Cabello (R-Freeport) filed legislation to return the State's legal drinking age to 18? https://t.co/j1du4zkFYI
Today, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation to require the other party or intended parent to a pregnancy to pay at least 50% of the pregnant person’s expenses passed the Illinois House. The bill would require at least 50% of a pregnant person’s health insurance premiums not covered by an employer or government program and any medical costs incurred after conception until, and including, costs related to delivery to be covered by the other intended party. […]
The legislation, called the Pregnancy Expenses Act, would be incorporated into the Parentage Act of 2015, which currently allows for a parent to recover “reasonable expenses” incurred during the pregnancy if an action is brought within two years of a child’s birth. The bill is modeled after a similar piece of legislation passed in Utah last year.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz.
* Illinois PIRG, Friends of the Chicago River…
Legislation to phase out the use of single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware starting in 2024 advanced out of the Illinois House Thursday afternoon on an 67-43 vote.
The EPA estimates that Americans throw away almost 70 million plastic foam cups every day. Twenty-two million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year and just over half of that ends up in Lake Michigan alone. Already, eight states and roughly 200 cities and municipalities have enacted bans on polystyrene foam containers.
HB2376, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, is a priority for the Coalition for Plastic Reduction, a coalition of more than 35 organizations across Illinois.
In response to the favorable vote, Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, a partner organization in the Coalition for Plastic Reduction, said:
“Illinois’ lakes and rivers are among its greatest assets. But plastic pollution puts our waterways at risk, polluting our drinking water and harming wildlife. We can’t recycle our way out of our plastic pollution problem. We need to stop it at its source. Phasing out single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware is an important step toward addressing single use plastic pollution. We thank Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz for championing HB2376 and call on the Senate to follow the House’s lead in passing this critical legislation.”
The Illinois legislation, HB 1616, amends a previous bill passed in 2019 to extend the deadline for permitting and construction of a pilot pyrolysis or gasification facility in a locally zoned and approved site in either Will County or Grundy County by two years, from 2025 to 2027.
On March 14 the Illinois legislation was set for a third reading in the House. If it passes the House vote, it will move to the Senate. The deadline for it to move forward is March 31.
However, environmental groups are raising the alarm that the push to ease the path for certain kinds of chemical recycling processes could have serious public health and environmental consequences.
“The petrochemical industry is lobbying hard across the country to build chemical recycling plants, which they claim turn hard-to-recycle plastics back into monomers – the basic building blocks of plastics,” three environmental NGOs noted in a statement released March 15. “However, the reality is that pyrolysis, gasification and similar chemical recycling technologies are much closer to incineration in that they all result in burning plastics to create energy.”
* HB2791 was most recently referred to the Health Care Availability and AccessibilityCommittee….
Proud to carry a bill that will help alleviate medical debt.
“The CFPB estimates that Illinois residents owed about $2.5 billion of the $88 billion in medical debt that was on the credit records of 43 million Americans in 2022.”https://t.co/nzk2Fkh5Jx
The Illinois House Tuesday approved State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dietrich)-sponsored legislation creating a pathway for victims under 13 years of age to avoid appearing in open court when providing testimony in abuse cases.
House Bill 2607 passed without any opposition. The measure establishes a presumption that the testimony of a victim who is a child under 13 years of age shall testify outside the courtroom and the child’s testimony shall be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed-circuit television. The presumption could only be removed if the defendant proves the child will not suffer emotional distress by providing testimony in the courtroom.
“Protecting our kids should be our highest priority,” Niemerg said. “Kids should not have to be placed in the same room as their abusers when they give their testimony. We currently make allowances for kids to testify remotely in certain circumstances, but this legislation would make this practice the norm. It is a good idea that is long overdue. The safety and mental well-being of our kids are paramount. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support this legislation has received. I will continue to build support for it in the Senate.”
House Bill 2607 moves to the Illinois Senate for further consideration.
* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Education Foundation is pushing for passage of several bills designed to build a workforce of the future by increasing education opportunities and removing barriers that prevent students from exploring jobs in the manufacturing industry.
Nationally, there are nearly 800,000 open jobs in the manufacturing industry, including tens of thousands of available jobs in Illinois. The IMA Education Foundation is dedicated to working with employers, educators, and lawmakers to enact policies that help attract, retain, and grow a skilled workforce. These efforts are vital to ensuring Illinois can continue to experience strong economic growth in the coming decade, as more and more baby boomers are expected to exit the job market and companies will seek to fill the resulting knowledge and experience gaps. […]
2023 IMA Education Foundation Legislative Agenda Items:
- HB 3590: Establishes an advisory committee under the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make recommendations on removing barriers preventing students from participating in career development experiences. The advisory committee will include representation of several key agencies including the State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Insurance and the Illinois Community College Board. The recommendations must include ways the state can establish a system of providing liability insurance for high school and community college students who are working with employers, including on manufacturing floors, during career development experiences.
- HB 3307: Allows students to take two years of career training education in place of two years of a foreign language that is currently part of the State’s high school graduation requirements.
- HB 3308/SB1450: Creates the Manufacturer Child Care Center Incentive Pilot Program. This pilot program will allow 10 manufacturers to open on-site, employee-only childcare centers at no cost to their employees. The employer is required to follow staffing, medication, background check and liability insurance requirements, but provides an expedited approval process.
- HB 3287/SB991: Creates stipends for manufacturing employees who also serve as teachers by providing financial incentives through stipends from ISBE, subject to appropriation, for a manufacturing employee, in the amount of one-half of the salary of the employee that is employed by a manufacturing company and working within a school district as a licensed career and technical education teacher.
- HB 3286/SB992: Creates state stipends for teacher externships. Requires ISBE, subject to appropriation, to provide stipends for teachers who participate in externships with a manufacturing company in this State. The externships experience is designed to give teachers the opportunity to spend time outside of the classroom and in manufacturing facilities.
The Illinois House sent 41 bills to the state Senate on Tuesday ahead of a scheduled Friday deadline.
The measures, among others, included a ban on polystyrene food containers, bills focusing on gender inclusivity in state law and a requirement that expectant parents have a “duty” to split pregnancy-related costs, including for abortions. […]
The long-debated idea of building a cargo-oriented airport and shipment center in Chicago’s south suburbs could get another look under one bill that passed the House.
House Bill 2531, by Rep. Will Davis, a Homewood Democrat, calls on the Illinois Department of Transportation to establish a process for prequalifying entities that could offer a public-private agreement to develop such a project.
* SEIU Healthcare…
Illinois home care workers are raising the alarm on a looming workforce shortage that is creating a crisis for Illinois seniors who depend on home care to remain living safely at home. On Thursday, March 23, hundreds of home care workers and seniors will rally in the Statehouse rotunda calling for passage of an $18 per hour minimum wage and a revamped paid training program for home care workers serving seniors through the Community Care Program (CCP). […]
Program speakers will call on the General Assembly to create lasting industry change by supporting legislation this session that would lift pay to $18 per hour (SB 1980/HB 2718) and create standards for paid training for home care workers serving seniors through the Community Care Program (SB 2004/HB 3021).
EVENT DETAILS
WHO: SEIU Healthcare home care workers from across Illinois
A Springfield lawmaker wants to make it easier for agriculture students to skip class – as long as they are learning and getting experience in their fields.
The bill would allow students at a 4-H or FFA competitions or exhibitions to be marked at school as “in attendance” instead of absent.
Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is the sponsor of the bill. She said it’s important to let students learn through experience without being penalized for missing class, as events can often conflict with school days. […]
The bill is also co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City). The bill passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.
* Sen. Mike Simmons…
To expand coverage of preventative screenings for liver disease, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced legislation from the Senate Insurance Committee on Tuesday.
“The best chance at fighting any disease is early detection,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This bill will provide liver disease screenings to people who need them, regardless of their health insurer status. Identifying liver disease early improves long-term health outcomes, especially for those most at-risk.”
Senate Bill 1282 requires Medicaid, private insurance plans and government employee insurance plans to cover preventative screenings for liver disease for individuals who are at high risk for liver disease. These screenings may occur every six months, and plans will be prohibited from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, co-payment or any other cost-sharing requirement.
According to the CDC, in 2021, 56,585 adults in the U.S. died from liver disease, making it the ninth leading cause of death. […]i
Senate Bill 1282 passed out of the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday and awaits further consideration.
The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (TIRC) was formed by the Illinois General Assembly in 2009 to investigate claims of torture by former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge or officers under his supervision. TIRC examines claims of tortured confessions and determines whether sufficient evidence of torture exists to merit judicial review. Convicts whom the Commission refers to court then receive a new hearing on whether their confessions were the product of torture and whether they deserve a new trial.
* The last paragraph in this excerpt of a recent Tribune story caught my eye…
A Cook County judge last year moved cases involving allegations of torture by a former Chicago police detective to Will County, because the detective was married to another sitting Cook County judge. […]
But in a surprise move nearly a year later, the special prosecutors assigned to cases connected to former CPD Detective Kriston Kato are taking aim at a 15-year-old statute enacted in the wake of allegations surrounding notorious ex-CPD Detective Jon Burge that created a torture commission to investigate claims of police abuse. […]
The defense attorneys have filed a motion to disqualify Fabio Valentini and Maria McCarthy, former prosecutors now in private practice, from serving as special prosecutors on the case. […]
“They’ve charged the taxpayers about half a million dollars for work on this case already to try to strike down (the) statute,” said Jennifer Bonjean, a defense attorney representing a man who has accused Kato of coercing a confession by torture. “They’re trying to invalidate the crown jewel legislation that responded to our terrible history of police brutality led by Jon Burge.” […]
Among other arguments in their motion, the special prosecutors contend that the commission’s ability to refer cases to judges for a hearing violates the Illinois constitution’s separation of powers clause by infringing on judicial authority. They make a similar argument to that made by prosecutors challenging the elimination of cash bail by the Illinois legislature.
This is a puzzler for sure. Special prosecutors who’ve already allegedly billed half a million bucks for their work now want the whole process dissolved?
Consequently, and for the following four reasons, this Court should dismiss the [Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission’s] referral of the Kevin Murray matter:
• The [Administrative Review Law], which the TIRC Act specifically incorporates, prohibits evidentiary hearings during judicial review;
• the ARL does not authorize the remedies [granting a new trial or vacating a sentence] that Murray seeks in connection with the TIRC referral;
• because TIRC determinations are not “final decisions” and because the TIRC referrals are not “justiciable matters” (i.e., matters where parties with concrete and adverse legal interests have litigated those interests in a civil forum) the circuit court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to conduct any review of those determinations under the TIRC Act; and
• because the TIRC Act requires the circuit court to hold an evidentiary hearing on a TIRC referral, the TIRC Act is unconstitutional where it violates the separation of powers provision in the Illinois Constitution, Ill. Const. 1970. art. II, § 1, because it abrogates the inherent authority of the judiciary to dismiss a TIRC Act claim prior to an evidentiary hearing.
We asked if you’ve ever called your state legislator.
Randy Bukas, Freeport city manager: “Called my state legislators on a number of issues. What’s really nice is when they call me about a municipal issue that’s pending and how it would impact the community.”
Graham Grady: “Called legislators who represent Cook County asking them to support a funding campaign for Brookfield Zoo and the Botanical Gardens.”
Christine Walker: “Called then-state Rep. Julie Hamos when insurance repeatedly denied speech therapy to my son when he was diagnosed with autism. Turns out it was happening throughout Illinois.”
Chris White: “Called my state for help when a health system denied Paxlovid to my kid who was eligible due to their disability.”
I think most people don’t realize how varied the job of a state legislator can be.
* The Question: Have you ever called your state legislator? Explain.
Kane County Republicans are rallying to block a $2 million grant they believe is a Trojan horse that will introduce Democratic influence into how local elections are run.
Just so we’re clear here, this grant was received by the Republican county clerk.
Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham today proudly announced that the Kane County Clerk’s Office was named as a Center for Election Excellence by the nonpartisan U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, a recognition that the Clerk’s Office is committed to leadership in election administration and looking to develop even more resilient, trustworthy, and voter-centric election administration practices.
Clerk Cunningham said, “I am honored that our office was selected as a Center for Election Excellence. We are one of only ten election authorities in the country to receive this honor. Our office has been a model for other election authorities in Illinois and across the country, and our recognition as a Center for Election Excellence reiterates that. […]
The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence is a nonpartisan program that brings together election officials, designers, technologists, and other experts to envision, support, and celebrate excellence in U.S. election administration.
Cunningham added, “As a former president of the National Association of County Recorders and Clerks, I built a network of hundreds of election authorities across the country. I understand the value of collaboration, sharing best practices, and discussing innovation and automation. Kane County was the first election authority in Illinois to have a Votemobile and more recently automated Vote by Mail processing equipment. We are proud to be trendsetters in Illinois and across the nation. We look forward to working with the other Centers of Election Excellence to develop new and innovative ways to improve elections for the voters and to help other jurisdictions across the country raise the bar of election administration.”
* Which brings us to the Kane County GOP’s response…
Friends of you haven’t heard, our clerk, Jack Cunningham was awarded a $2 million dollar grant from the US Alliance….
The term has become a catch-all to describe private entities donating millions of dollars to fund the official government vote-counts in the 2020 elections. Chief among them was Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose non-profit, the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), gave $350 million to 2,500 election departments across 47 states.
Election officials mainly used the money to buy masks, plexiglass dividers, and other resources to mitigate risks related to the Covid-19 pandemic during the 2020 election.
Following former President Donald Trump’s failed reelection bid, some Republicans pointed to the Zuckerberg donations as influencing the outcome. As a result, several GOP-led states, like Florida, have banned such donations.
Of course Florida banned them. It’s the state where wild conspiracy theories go to be stopped by statutes.
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), co-chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, today reintroduced the “End Zuckerbucks Act” in the 118th Congress. This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations from directly funding official election organizations through donations or donated services.
[Deputy Kane County Clerk John Duggan] said the $2 million grant likely would go toward the replacement of aging voting machines. […]
David Young, who won his seat on the county board in November as an “America first conservative,” said he sees a lot of red flags about the grant. He’s concerned, for instance, that the center may push the clerk’s office to purchase election equipment from specific vendors.
Former Illinois Governor and Taxpayer Advocate Pat Quinn will announce his endorsement of Paul Vallas for Mayor of Chicago on Wednesday. Quinn and Vallas will also discuss the effects of increasing taxes in gentrifying Chicago communities, as well as the current Com Ed corruption scheme and its impact on the city’s utility consumers.
* From Toni Preckwinkle…
Cook County Board of Commissioners President and Cook County Democratic Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle today called on Paul Vallas to directly address his statements attacking Democratic leaders, including Governor Pritzker, President Biden and President Obama.
“Paul Vallas’ right-wing attacks on Democratic leaders like President Biden and Gov. Pritzker are shameful,” said Preckwinkle. “Chicagoans deserve to know if their next Mayor will listen to the experts or right-wing talk show hosts. Paul Vallas must make it clear today: Why does Paul Vallas frequently attack Democrats? Does Paul Vallas side with his Trump Republican donors or does he stand with Democrats across Illinois?”
In recent weeks, news outlets have reported on Vallas’ criticism of top Democrats like Joe Biden and Barack Obama and his far-right social media activity. Now, newly unearthed comments show Vallas on right-wing talk radio, podcasts, and social media calling Gov. JB Pritzker a “dictator” who was “trying to fool voters” by providing tax relief and followed the “political science” when lifting mask mandates.
At last night’s WGN Mayoral Debate, moderator Tahman Bradley asked the candidates how they would hold repeat gun offenders accountable for their crimes. While Paul Vallas described in detail how he would utilize federal charging statutes to take repeat gun offenders off the streets, Brandon Johnson refused to provide any answer at all, raising questions on whether or not he would prioritize prosecuting dangerous criminals to the full extent of the law.
Below is a transcript of the exchange:
Bradley: Mr. Johnson, same question, 60 seconds, what should be the consequences for people repeatedly arrested and charged with gun crimes?
Johnson: Look, here’s the problem. Someone like Paul Vallas that wants to continue to give someone like me a lecture about what I know vs. what he knows is ridiculous, but I’m familiar with that.
As the Chicago Tribune reported: “At one point, Johnson was asked what consequences individuals who are repeatedly charged with gun crimes should face but he did not answer the question.”
Johnson went on to once again wrongly state that it takes two years to become a Chicago police officer, which has been thoroughly debunked by Vallas and the press. He did not address the serious issue of repeat gun offenders being let off on misdemeanors, which Vallas believes is contributing to the city’s crime problem.
“We already know that Brandon Johnson wants to defund the police, but now he won’t even say whether he would push prosecutors to pursue all possible criminal charges against the repeat gun offenders who are terrorizing many of our communities,” said Vallas. “As Mayor I will work with the city, county, state and federal prosecutors to ensure that we are doing everything possible to put repeat violent offenders in jail and get them off our streets and away from our residents. If Brandon Johnson doesn’t agree with that, then that’s absolutely disqualifying.”
* If you want a comparison of how much better Vallas’ 2023 campaign is than his 2019 mayoral campaign, just check out this Tribune story from September of 2018…
Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas has come under fire for the failure of his administration to launch an investigation into how a pedophile became a trusted mentor at a West Side elementary school after sex abuse crimes committed by the school employee and volunteer came to light 18 years ago while Vallas was the city’s top schools official. […]
The statement from Vallas’ campaign also said, “It seems if these community members’ allegations that the principal of Johnson School was aware of — and covering up for — Lovett’s criminal activities were earnestly believed, they would have endeavored to do more than simply send faxes.”
[Vallas] argued that CPS test scores have “plummeted” with only 6% of Black students meeting state standards in math and 11% measuring up in reading.
“It’s abysmal. They’ve lost ten years of gain, in large part because the schools were shut down for 15 consecutive months despite the fierce opposition by Janice Jackson, the CEO who ultimately left in frustration.
Vallas continues to use the pointy wires spin. We’ve discussed this topic before, but let’s look at it yet again. From the governor’s office last month…
Illinois evaluates schools based on multiple measures of performance, including growth, student attendance, climate and culture surveys, and graduation rates. Illinois has among the most rigorous proficiency standards in the nation. Evaluating schools based on growth in addition to proficiency gives us a more holistic understanding of school quality because even if a student starts school below grade level due to living in poverty, a good school can still help that student achieve significant growth. […]
• Illinois has some of the most rigorous learning standards in the nation: ranking fourth most rigorous for 4th grade reading and fifth most rigorous for 8th grade reading. In Illinois, a student needs to earn a level of 4 or 5 to be considered proficient. In comparison, the rigor of Florida’s standards ranks 39th and 42nd, respectively, and a student only needs to earn a level 3 on the state assessment to be considered proficient.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Sun-Times | Mayoral debate: Vallas and Johnson ‘lecture’ one another on the CTU, Donald Trump and ‘working class’ roots: Paul Vallas on Tuesday branded his runoff opponent Brandon Johnson a “wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chicago Teachers Union” that “wreaked havoc” on the city and students by keeping schools closed for 15 months during the pandemic. Johnson countered that Vallas was linked to members of the “extreme Republican Party who did not believe the pandemic was real” and was backed by donors “who also financially supported Donald Trump.”
* WBEZ | Vallas and Johnson ‘lecture’ one another on the CTU, Donald Trump and ‘working class’ roots: Johnson pressed the attack on Vallas as a closet Republican who “fundamentally opposes abortion” and is “supported financially by people who also financially supported Donald Trump.” He argued that Chicago “deserves someone who comes from the working class” and “understands the value of working class people.”
* WTTW | City’s 2022 Overtime Bill Stands at $441M, With $210M Going to Police — Resulting in Sharp Increase Over Last Year: The Chicago Police Department spent at least $210.5 million on overtime, 56% more than in 2021 and more than double the $100 million earmarked for police overtime set by the Chicago City Council as part of the city’s 2022 budget, according to data obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request and confirmed by the department as accurate on Friday.
* WBEZ | Nicole Lee and Anthony Ciaravino face off in Chicago’s first Asian-majority ward: For decades, Chicago’s Chinatown leaders and residents worked to consolidate their political voice under one ward instead of being split into two or three wards for so long. They finally got their wish last year when the ward maps were redrawn — with support from the Black and Latino caucuses — to create the city’s first Asian-majority ward. The 2020 Census showed that Chicago’s Asian population had grown 31% between 2010 and 2020, especially in the greater Chinatown area that includes neighborhoods like Bridgeport and McKinley Park.
* Crain’s | Investors sue Lightfoot administration over scuttled deal next to Michael Reese site: The complaint spotlights the conflict between city’s role in determining the fate of real estate projects and its long-running effort to inject new life into the vacant 50-acre site just south of McCormick Place. It also comes as the outgoing mayor and the team behind the Michael Reese redevelopment project — now dubbed Bronzeville Lakefront — are set to begin infrastructure work on the Michael Reese site, key steps toward construction of a mixed-use campus meant to help revitalize a dormant swath of land near the lakefront.
* Press release | U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley endorses Brandon Johnson for mayor: “On April 4, the people of Chicago have the opportunity to elect a mayor committed to pursuing bold policies that will make real, positive change for everyone in Chicago. Brandon Johnson will be that Mayor, and I am proud to endorse him,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.
* NYT | In Chicago Mayor’s Race, a Former Teacher Rises With Union Support: Loved and loathed, the teachers’ union has emerged over the last dozen years as a defining voice on Chicago’s political left, putting forth a progressive vision for the city that extends well beyond its classrooms. After highly public fights with the last two mayors that led to work stoppages, union leaders see in Mr. Johnson a chance to elect one of their own, a former teacher who shares a goal of rebuilding Chicago by spending more on schools and social programs.
* Sun-Times | Medical debt is devastating Illinois families, a new report shows: The report from the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Legal Council for Health Justice and Community Catalyst describes multiple instances in which patients racked up big bills and the emotional toll that takes because they didn’t know hospitals could have offered them financial assistance. Mandating the screening of patients and identifying those who could benefit from financial help could help alleviate the problem, the authors found.
* The Southern | Abortion opponents from across Illinois protest in Springfield: Organizers of the state’s March for Life said that’s one reason why abortion opponents from around the state gathered Tuesday in Springfield, rather than Chicago, where past events have been held. They hoped to meet with lawmakers and in particular to lobby against legislation aimed at anti-abortion pregnancy centers.
* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights mayor calls accusations of coziness with Bears ‘offensive’: The latest criticism came Monday night during the public comment portion of a village board meeting, when resident Debbie Fisher suggested Mayor Tom Hayes and others would personally benefit from the Bears’ proposed $5 billion makeover of the 326-acre racetrack property.
* WTTW | South Suburban Officials, State Lawmakers Renew Calls for Peotone Airport: An Illinois House committee this month easily passed a measure (HB2531) that would require the state transportation department to proactively seek out developers with the interest and potential of building out the state’s land into a cargo airport within six months of the proposal becoming law.
* Shaw Local | Annual report shows how not alone Illinois dementia caregivers are: The Alzheimer’s Association found that dementia caregivers report higher rates of chronic conditions, including stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer compared with caregivers of people without dementia or non-caregivers. Here in Illinois, 64.2% of caregivers reported at least one chronic condition. In my case, I’m still being treated for breast cancer.
* Tribune | Medical debt in Illinois disproportionately affects Black and Latino communities, advocates say: The series highlighted that the number of undocumented seniors 65 and older will increase 1,300% in the next decade and that most are blocked from accessing social programs that many seniors rely on, such as food stamps, public housing, Medicare and Social Security — programs that they pay billions into every year.
* Shaw Local | ISBE data on recovery spending can empower voting public: Sanders’ newsletter reported the 11 program areas have total funding of $748.5 million, representing 10% of Illinois’ almost $8 billion in federal relief. The websites explaining the programs are full of details, which is great for understanding the public administration approach, but the ISBE also is wisely looking to highlight individual success stories.
* Sun-Times | City Council urged to postpone declaration of independence: The Better Government Association and the League of Women Voters have long urged the City Council to shed its rubber-stamp reputation and establish its own rules, committee lineups and chairs, taking back the power they have ceded to the mayor.
* Tribune | Chicago and Cook County each call for 1,000 election judges before April 4: The required training and one long day of work will earn judges $250 and technicians $385. She encouraged veterans, students, those who are bilingual and all residents registered to vote in the county to apply. The county will hold training sessions for people who sign on as election workers through March 28, she said. Online training will also be offered, Michalowski said.
* WAND | Gov. Pritzker names Bria Scudder Deputy Governor: Scudder previously worked in the Governor’s Office as First Assistant to Christian Mitchell, the former Deputy Governor. Mitchell stepped down from his role earlier this month.
* Sun-Times | Notebaert Nature Museum workers urge support for union: The organizing campaign was made public Tuesday in a letter signed by 19 employees of the museum. It asks fellow workers to support the effort and urges museum managers to “honor our legal right to organize a union without facing intimidation or coercion.”
