Afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Economic Security for Illinois…
Economic Security for Illinois put together district data to demonstrate how a state Child Tax Credit would benefit each district if created this year. The policy would directly funnel needed dollars into every single legislative district and directly support half of all Illinois children.
This afternoon there’s a subject matter hearing in the Senate Revenue Committee on SB1444, a bill to create a $700 per child Child Tax Credit for all taxpayers earning median income or less. (Joint filers earning less than $75,000 and single/head-of-household tax filers earning less than $50,000 would be eligible to receive the credit, with a credit phase out at $25,000 over the income threshold.)
Given recent news about the state’s budget, the 40+ organizations in the Illinois Cost-of-Living Refund Coalition have been working diligently with legislative leadership and the Governor’s office to create a credit that is large and inclusive enough to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Illinois families, while balancing the realities of this year’s budget. Our newly modified proposal reduces the value of the credit to $300 per child credit in order to accomplish both of these goals.
A state Child Tax Credit would have a massive total impact, benefitting 1.5+ million children at a cost to the state of $280M. That’s spending 0.5% of the state’s total budget to support half of all families in every single legislative district. Families would receive a check that they could use to pay for groceries, housing, and the rising cost of living.
Last year, we found members enjoyed comparing how much money would flow into their district with refundable tax credits (last year it was the EITC). For that reason, we wanted to give you the opportunity to publish the full data set for the proposed Child Tax Credit. The data show the impact of a Child Tax Credit with a $300 per child value with an 80% uptake rate.
On average, with our proposed $300 CTC, each House district would receive $ 2,432,727 to support 13,510 kids and each Senate district would receive $ 4,813,596 to support 26,842 kids.
Within districts, the impact can be more substantial. For example, we can estimate that Leader Evans, who is the chief sponsor of the House CTC effort, would see $3.5 + million directed into the households of 18,000+ children. Similarly Senator Koehler, a chief-cosponsor of Sen. Simmons’ bill, would see $5.7 + million directly benefiting 30,000+ children in his district if the state were to create a Child Tax Credit program.
All districts in both chambers can be found here.
I asked Isabel to sort out the top ten and bottom ten Senate districts based on the number of children…
* Rep. Caulkins is, as promised, three and done…
When state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, announced his Illinois House candidacy in 2017, he promised that, if elected, he would decline a pension, not take a state healthcare plan, donate his salary and only serve three, two-year terms.
Having already followed through on the first three, Caulkins is now making good on that last pledge, confirming to Lee Enterprises that he will not seek reelection in 2024.
He’ll be forever remembered as the guy who participated in a Zoomed committee hearing in tan pants, which some people mistook for no pants.
* Media advisory…
Nearly 90% of school districts across the state have reported a teacher shortage problem, with even more believing the crisis will worsen in the years to come.
To tackle the school staffing crunch, members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus have outlined a tangible solution to the ongoing issue through a legislative package. They will expand upon their plan at a press conference Thursday.
WHO: Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood), Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood), Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea), Dubois Elementary School professional Shalanda Gaines
WHAT: Press conference on measures to address teacher shortage
WHEN: Thursday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m.
* Center Square just can’t help itself…
The former attorney general of neighboring Indiana is speaking out on how Illinois officials deal with the state’s crime problem.
Curtis Hill, Jr., former Indiana attorney general and an ambassador for the black conservative coalition Project 21, said Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson was a poor choice by voters as he “listens to the cries of criminals and hoods instead of the pleas for help from honest citizens wanting to live in peace.”
Tomorrow on Center Square: What does Missouri’s most obscure state legislator think of Chris Welch?
…Adding… I pay zero attention to Indiana politics, but a commenter does and mentioned this…
Indiana State Attorney General Curtis T. Hill Jr., a rising star in the Republican party, had his license to practice law suspended for 30 days by the state Supreme Court for inappropriately touching four women during a 2018 party. […]
In their ruling, the five judges that comprise the state Supreme Court wrote that it found “clear and convincing evidence” that Hill committed acts of misdemeanor battery.
Tomorrow on Center Square: George Santos rates fellow freshman US Rep. Jonathan Jackson.
* Press release…
Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim today announced $4 million in funding to the City of Elgin (Cook and Kane Counties) to replace lead service lines in the community. The funding is provided through the Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The City of Elgin (City) will not have to repay any of the funding. This is the second time Illinois EPA has provided $4 million to the City for lead service line replacement as the Agency first issued $4 million in January 2022 to replace approximately 398 lead service lines.
“Illinois EPA is pleased to continue working with the City of Elgin and providing vital funding for lead service line replacements,” said Director Kim. “As communities work to identify and replace lead service lines, funding will be one of the greatest challenges. Illinois EPA remains committed to working with our communities to secure available funding and provide technical assistance.”
The City plans to replace approximately 350 lead services lines within the community with this funding. Their most recent material inventory identified over 11,000 known lead service lines within the community. Service lines are small pipes that carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Many older homes built prior to 1990 may have lead service lines or lead containing plumbing fixtures or faucets. Lead is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time. Lead can enter drinking water when corrosion of pipes and/or fixtures occurs. Eliminating lead service lines in homes will help to reduce lead exposure for residents. For resources on lead in your home, visit: https://epa.illinois.gov/general-information/in-your-home/resources-on-lead.html.
Since State Fiscal Year 2017, the Illinois EPA has provided Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Principal Forgiveness for projects directly related to activities that reduce or eliminate lead from potable water. To date, Illinois EPA has provided over $93 million in funding for lead service line replacement. LSLR principal forgiveness is available up to a maximum amount of $4 million per loan recipient until the allotted funds are expended. Illinois EPA anticipates distributing the $25 million remaining under this program allotment by June 30, 2023.
* Brandon Johnson media advisory…
Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson to Tour Mid-America Carpenters Union’s Chicago Training Center
Tour will include meeting with one of Union’s First-Ever All-Female Pre-Apprentice Classes
* From Jason Baumann…
Rich,
I thought you would find this interesting. People say, “write-ins” don’t win. Ask Cam Davis about write-in candidates and their success. Statistics will say that less than 1% of write-in candidates win. Well, Cam did and now Greg Hribal won the Village President Election in Westchester with a commanding lead. See the results below.
* Springfield’s outgoing mayor has some coping issues…
Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting was one of Jim Langfelder’s last meetings as mayor after eight years.
After the meeting, Langfelder expressed that many people he has talked to are still shocked about the election results. […]
“If you’d had the firehouses take place before the election or the Wyndham that was stalled before the election or the sports complex before the election instead of a month after, I think this would not be my last meeting or one of the last meetings but that’s how it goes,” he said.
* I dunno. If it was about the contribution, you’d think it woulda been larger. Then again…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WRSP | EIU union faculty, staff ratify new contract: Members of the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) University Professionals of Illinois (UPI, IFT Local 4100) voted on Tuesday to accept the tentative agreement that was settled on Thursday, April 13, after a six-day strike; 92% voted in favor of the contract.
* ProPublica | As Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School: “It is never safe for members of the public to try to cross the cars,” spokesperson Connor Spielmaker said. “We understand that a stopped train is frustrating, but trains can move at any time and with little warning — especially if you are far from the locomotive where the warning bell is sounded when a train starts.” He said trains routinely sit in Hammond for a number of reasons: That section of track is between two busy train intersections that must remain open; Norfolk Southern can’t easily move a train backward or forward, because that would cut off the paths for other trains, which could belong to other companies. And Hammond is a suburb of Chicago, which is the busiest train hub in the nation, creating congestion up and down the network.
* WGLT | After SNAP reduction, food demand spikes at central Illinois pantries: According to the United Nations, over 350 million people worldwide are “marching towards starvation.” In the U.S., food inflation continues to run rampant with the average price of food rising by 9.5% in the past year. The U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that as recently as last August, food inflation peaked at 11.4%, the highest since May 1979. Those living in central Illinois are not immune from food insecurity. Tara Ingham, executive director of the Midwest Food Bank (MFB), which distributes food to dozens of area food pantries, said demand for food from their partner agencies has increased by 30% in 2023.
* Sun-Times | Cook County judges, court employees ordered to phase out remote work: The order requires employees to be at their “regularly assigned workspace” for 70% of their pay period beginning May 14, three days after the national public health emergency is set to end.
* Crain’s | String of losses sets Illinois GOP insiders against each other in fiery media blitz: One of Tracy’s predecessors as Illinois GOP chair, Pat Brady, said that, up to a point, Illinois Review and its new owners “have a point. Proft has had horrible results,” spending at least $130 million in the past couple of years on races for governor, Illinois Supreme Court judgeships and other losers, he said. But overall, the story behind the story may be no more complicated that a new publication trying to attract an audience and make money by attacking the party establishment, Brady continued, noting that Donald Trump and others have gained by such moves.
* Crain’s | CTU organized teachers at Hope Learning Academy Chicago — and now management is shutting it down: Instead of negotiating increased wages and benefits, the new union said it will now work on a severance package that it hopes will last the employees through the summer. “I gave this company 11 years, and the minute you ask for an opinion and a voice and a seat at the table they say, ‘Forget it, close it down,’ ” said Amie Coleman, an educator at Hope. “This vote was our final stand.”
* Chalkbeat | Chicago schools officials promise more money for students with disabilities, English learners in preliminary budgets: School budgets the district is unveiling to principals this week will grow by almost $1,000 per student — to about $12,740 on average districtwide. But enrollment losses and program changes will mean flat or smaller overall budgets on 18% of the district’s campuses, officials said in a briefing with reporters. On a per student basis, 9% of the city’s 500-plus district-run schools will see stagnant or reduced funding.
* WICS | City discusses proposed co-responder program with Springfield Police: The ordinance would provide over $3 million in grant money toward a co-responder program with Springfield Police. This would allow additional personnel to accompany police on calls. Deputy Chief Josh Stuenkel said there are already grants in place for mental health and social worker programs; however, this grant money would be used to address crime victims, homelessness, and those suffering from substance use.
* WICS | OSHA opens inquiry surrounding death of HVAC worker at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) is looking into the incident that killed Gregory Fields, 55, of Springfield. Fields died on Monday, April 10, from injuries he sustained at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport while working with an HVAC system.
* Tribune | Cook County moving to ban sale of flavored e-cigarettes as alarm over teen vape use grows: Commissioner Donna Miller plans to introduce the ban at Thursday’s Cook County Board meeting. It bars retailers — limited to those in unincorporated areas of the county — from selling “any flavored nicotine product,” including menthol, fruit, candy, dessert or alcohol flavors but “not the taste or aroma of tobacco,” according to the draft ordinance.
* Sun-Times | Rosati’s Pizza ordered to pay $250,000 in back pay and damages to employees at 5 franchises: Under a judge’s order, the company must make the payments to employees who worked at the franchises in Bloomingdale, Matteson, Plainfield, Richmond and Dyer, Ind. from May 2019 to June 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The company classified delivery drivers as independent contractors even though it had full control of their hours and tasks, the department said. They also allegedly failed to pay employees overtime wages for hours over 40 in a work week.
* Block Club Chicago | More Than 500 Belmont Cragin Residents Petition To Block Music Festival At Riis Park: ‘We Just Don’t Feel Heard’: AEG Presents plans to host the Chicago leg of The Re:SET concert series June 23-25 at Riis Park, 6100 W. Fullerton Ave. Steve Lacy, Boygenius and LCD Soundsystem are slated to headline what promoters have billed as a single-stage, “artist- and fan-friendly alternative” to major music festivals. Promoters are selling tickets for $129.50 and $650 despite parks officials telling Block Club they haven’t approved any permits for the event.
* Lake County News-Sun | Autistic Highland Park artist creates peace poles to express feelings about parade shooting; ‘It was his way of reaching out to other people’: He witnessed the July 4, 2022 Highland Park parade shooting at Port Clinton Square, and has made a set of eight peace poles to express what he experienced that morning. “I just see this project as the most therapeutic thing that Josh has been able to do since the shooting,” his mother, Pam, of Deerfield said. “More typical ways of talking about and dealing with it don’t necessarily work as well for him.
* Bloomberg | Women’s Basketball Is Raking in More Cash Than Ever, But the Players Aren’t: The WNBA is projected to bring in between $180 million and $200 million in combined league and team revenue this year, up from about $102 million in 2019, according to people familiar with the matter. But players won’t see any of that extra bounty. Base salaries as a share of total revenue actually shrank to around 9.3% in fiscal 2022, which ended on Sept. 30, from 11.1% in fiscal 2019, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News.
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* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about how health care for undocumented immigrants was blowing a huge hole in the state’s budget. How would he propose filling that hole?…
Well, let’s be clear. We are going to pass a balanced budget. That is what I’m focused on. The legislature is working out the details of what it wants, its priorities. For me, I’ve put forward my priorities. And I think that generally speaking, the budget that I put forward is the one that we will pass, with, obviously some changes here and there by the legislature. That’s an issue that’s gonna have to be worked out by committees, by working groups. But what I know is that we are going to end up with a balanced budget, no matter what.
Asked about proposals to increase or eliminate the estate tax, Pritzker said…
Again, my priority is balancing the budget, making sure that we are continuing our march to credit upgrades and making sure we’ve set the real foundation for fiscal stability in our state.
* And what about that new bill to tax Chicago Bears tickets in order to help pay back the City of Chicago for some of the money it’s spent on the Soldier Field rehab, and does he have any other ideas?…
I have not given that bill any review. Som start with that. And obviously, you know, again, my number one consideration is keeping us on a firm fiscal footing. So that means that the state really shouldn’t be in the business of providing handouts to private industry and that’s what the Bears are in their endeavors. I’m rooting for the Bears. I’m also a Chicagoan and I would love it if they stayed in Chicago, but it is their choice as a private business about where they’re gonna go.
* Pritzker was also asked about a bill that would penalize “crisis pregnancy centers” if they provide false information to women…
Well, this is obviously something being considered in legislature. They’re going to send it to my desk, if they pass it. What I can tell you is that we need to prevent the kind of fraud that we’ve seen by folks who are taking out retail establishment locations next to Planned Parenthood, next to clinics where people seek their reproductive rights, and then trying to convince them to go in a different door where they won’t be offered reproductive rights, where actually they’ll be dissuaded from exercising those, and won’t be allowed to get them. And so that’s deception. That’s improper. We want to protect women in this state. And that’s why I think the bill probably has a good chance of getting passed and sent to me for signing it, and I will sign it.
* Will there be a constitutional amendment in Illinois to protect abortion rights?…
Well, obviously, that’s something the legislature’s gonna have to determine. I do think it’s important for people to be able to weigh in on this subject. And of course, we’ve guaranteed it in the Reproductive Health Act in Illinois, a woman’s right to choose and reproductive rights. So we’ll have to see what the legislature decides to do on it.
* And Pritzker was queried about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ upcoming visit to Illinois…
He doesn’t seem to be much for freedom, Ron DeSantis. He wants to take away people’s right to read the books that they want to read, wants to take away Black history in our schools, somebody who does not believe in a woman’s right to make decisions for her own self, about her own body. So you know, maybe he could learn something when he’s in Illinois, what freedom looks like.
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Meanwhile, in Opposite Land…
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Texas…
The Texas Department of Agriculture is ordering its employees to comply with a new dress code, mandating they abide by it in a “manner consistent with their biological gender.” An ACLU attorney says it violates federal law that bans employment discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
In a copy of the April 13 memo first obtained by The Texas Observer, the new dress code — handed down by Sid Miller, the state’s agriculture commissioner — is required by all employees as a part of a “dress code and grooming policy.”
“Employees are expected to comply with this dress code in a manner consistent with their biological gender,” the new policy said.
The new dress code restrictions for employees will replace the previous one outlined by the state agency’s employee handbook, The Observer reported. The original dress code made no references to “biological gender.”
* Indiana…
Indiana Senate Republicans rejected a bill this session that would temporarily waive the statute of limitations to allow 760 child sex abuse victims in the state to receive the full compensation amount they’re owed from the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy settlement.
The Indiana House passed House Bill 1400 unanimously but Sen. Liz Brown refused to give it a hearing in the Senate Judiciary committee, which she chairs. That means Hoosiers like 62-year-old Michael Foust of New Richmond would only be eligible for 10%-25% of the amount that a victim in a less restrictive state, like Vermont, would get, even if they alleged identical abuse.
Foust told IndyStar he was molested 51 years ago in a trailer by his scoutmaster at a camp outside Crawfordsville. He said he’s still recovering from the trauma.
“It’s like a kick in the gut,” Foust said of the consequences of the Senate’s decision not to hear the bill. “It makes me sick to think about how that is so unfair.”
* The DeSantis vs. Disney saga continues…
Walt Disney Co. sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after a new board he named to oversee the district housing the company’s Orlando-area theme parks declared null and void agreements Disney struck in February.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, accuses the Republican governor of conducting a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” as punishment for the company’s decision to speak out against a law passed last year with the governor’s backing that bars classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in early elementary-school years.
The complaint also named the five DeSantis-appointed board members and other officials. It said the board’s action on Wednesday was the latest strike against the company.
“This government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional,” the complaint reads. “But the Governor and his allies have made clear they do not care and will not stop.”
The complaint is here
…Adding… Zooey Zephyr has been barred by GOP from 2023 session…
Transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr was barred from participating on the House floor as Republican leaders voted Wednesday to silence her for the rest of 2023 session after she protested GOP leaders’ decision earlier in the week to silence her.
The punishment of the freshman lawmaker caps a weeklong standoff between House Democrats and Republicans after Zephyr told colleagues last week, you will “see the blood on your hands” over votes to ban gender-affirming medical care for children.
Zephyr will still be able to vote remotely under terms of the punishment.
In a defiant speech Wednesday she gave before her colleagues voted, Zephyr addressed House Speaker Matt Regier directly and said she was taking a stand for the LGBTQ+ community, her constituents in Missoula and “democracy itself.”
* In Montana…
The Montana House of Representatives is planning to take action against transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr on Wednesday after ongoing controversy at the state capitol.
* Zephyr posted the notice on Twitter…
* Back to the story…
The session begins at 1 p.m.
Zephyr has been at the center of controversy after an incident last week when the House was debating Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s proposed amendments to a measure banning gender-affirming care for minors. She told lawmakers they would have “blood on their hands” if they voted for a bill banning gender-affirming care.
“I hope the next time there’s an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” she said.
* Back to the Lone Star State…
State lawmakers in Texas advanced a bill Tuesday suggesting stipends of up to $25,000 for public school staff members who become designated guardians authorized to carry or possess a weapon while working on the premises.
House Bill 13, which focuses on “training, preparedness, and funding for school safety and emergencies,” passed with bipartisan support and now heads to the state Senate where it’s fate is uncertain. Texas lawmakers have until May 29 to pass school safety measures before adjourning without a set return date.
If passed, the bill would allow teachers and staff of public and open-enrollment charter schools within the state to be eligible for the School Guardian Training stipend. Approved employees would ultimately be agreeing to acting as campus security in addition to their regular role(s).
They would also be required to take courses in first aid, firearms training and rigorous mental health training, which would be on top of the mental health training Texas lawmakers want to require for all school employees.
* Alabama…
An Alabama House bill filed on April 20 would prohibit the discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in public K-12 schools and require schools to notify parents if their child identifies as LGBTQ.
Last year several anti-LGBTQ bills passed and were signed into law in Alabama. One, HB334, included an amendment that prevented the teaching or discussion of gender or sexual orientations in kindergarten through fifth grade.
This year’s bill, HB354, sponsored by Mark Butler, will extend that prohibition to the eighth grade, while adding more provisions for parents to be notified of their children’s sexual orientation in school.
The new bill would require local boards of education to adopt policies to notify parents if there is a change in their child’s physical, mental, or emotional status. Also, the parent would have to be notified of any medical services or well-being questionnaires beforehand and could opt their child out of those services.
* North Dakota via The Hill…
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) this week signed legislation barring transgender people from using certain restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity.
Burgum on Tuesday quietly enacted House Bill 1473, requiring state correctional facilities and public colleges to designate multi-occupancy restrooms and shower rooms “exclusively for males or exclusively for females.”
Administrators, correctional officers or college dormitory staff under the new law may provide “reasonable accommodation” for transgender or gender nonconforming students or inmates.
The measure sailed through North Dakota’s GOP-controlled House and Senate, passing each chamber with veto-proof margins. It is the sixth measure Burgum has signed into law this month that targets the rights of LGBTQ people, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
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* 2020…
The City of Kankakee has rejected a plan put forth by Fortitude Community Outreach to turn the former St. Paul Lutheran Church School in Downtown Kankakee into a homeless shelter for the upcoming winter.
The proposal was struck down by the Kankakee City Council Monday night by a vote of 12-2. […]
Last winter, Fortitude used Emmanuel Baptist as a shelter but was only granted a one year permit for the site.
* The city eventually approved a winter site. Then the operator started making plans to open a new downtown facility. And that brings us to last month…
The Kankakee City Council has postponed any action on restoring federal funds given to the city to support the operation of a homeless shelter by Fortitude Outreach. Mayor Chris Curtis was not present during the meeting.
Four weeks ago, the council voted to remove the group’s funding after receiving complaints of police interference and panhandling by homeless people outside downtown Kankakee businesses. […]
The delay in funding decision comes amidst ongoing discussions about how to address homelessness in Kankakee. A recent study found that the city’s homeless population has increased by 34% since 2019. The study also highlighted the need for more affordable housing and supportive services.
* Last week…
Several members of Kankakee’s downtown business community, including a former longtime Kankakee alderman, pressed the city administration to take action regarding the expanding homeless and day-drinker gatherings in the city’s core. […]
[Mayor Chris Curtis] said that while the city has earmarked $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act money for Fortitude, that money has not yet been transferred. […]
Fortitude is planning to construct a 4,800-square-foot shelter in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue, on property immediately north of the CVS Pharmacy. The total cost of construction is set at $1.2 million. […]
[Fortitude’s executive director Dawn Broers] added that Fortitude’s program is not the reason for the spike in downtown difficulties. […]
[Former Alderman Dennis Baron] said opening a larger homeless shelter without providing daytime services will only heighten the growing problem. […]
“Promoting day sheltering before we have a permanent site in which to provide overnight shelter is literally putting the cart before the horse,” [Broers] said. “It appears there is an incredibly disconnecting, and illogical, rhetoric growing that our presence as a shelter is causing a problem rather than working toward solving a problem.”
* Yesterday, Fortitude issued a press release…
Fortitude Community Outreach announced Monday night that they will be stepping back from providing overnight sheltering in the city of Kankakee and requested that further discussions on a potential $100,000 ARPA grant be ceased.
“For these last 8 months, we have been told an agreement for an ARPA grant and approval was coming any day. In the meantime, we have been facing increasing waves of misinformation, scrutiny, attacks, and demands that hurt our organization and our homeless. We now realize the city has not been working with us in good faith, and the Council will not approve this grant. We realize the escalating attacks are so that this funding can be denied without political fallout: make us look bad so you don’t look bad.” […]
In more recent months, the city increasingly highlighted issues occurring downtown. These issues were primarily caused by housed individuals with addiction issues, or homeless individuals who cannot or will not receive services and led to the closure of the downtown gazebo area. Fortitude became the target of these problems and the existence of the shelter in Kankakee was blamed for an increase in homelessness. Prominent business members spoke publicly stating that individuals were being sent to Kankakee from out of state just to stay at Fortitude, without providing any additional information with those claims. “While the vast majority of our guests are from Kankakee County, we occasionally receive guests who came to Kankakee for a job or a relationship that fell through and led to homelessness. We talked through those concerns with the Chief and agreed to work on a policy that would limit the stay of any out of town guests.” […]
If we were approved for funding, we know we would continue to face attacks and false accusations simply for existing. It is appalling that we are being blamed for an increase in homelessness and accused of actually shipping homeless in from out of state. People aren’t coming to Kankakee just to stay at Fortitude.” […]
Fortitude has been pummeled with demands for day sheltering in the last year, with demands increasing along with the downtown concerns in the last several months. “More day services for the homeless will be very helpful, but there is a misunderstanding about what day services will be. Individuals who want to engage in addictions and panhandle are not going to sit in a building all day where there are rules and restrictions. The individuals that are the most troublesome are not the ones we will be serving.” […]
“It was clear that adversaries were recruiting more adversaries, and a campaign of misinformation and fear mongering was underway. It was time to remove ourselves from the conversation before it destroyed our ability to serve the homeless in any way.”
* Daily Journal…
“We were shocked [by the announcement],” said [5th Ward Alderman Victor Nevarez], then paused for a moment. “I guess there is relief as well. This is an issue we don’t have to deal with now.”
I got news for you, alderman.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Senate Bill 1909 passed out of committee on a partisan 5-3 vote. WAND…
Illinois is one step closer to fining crisis pregnancy centers that use deceptive practices to prevent pregnant people from having abortions. […]
Senate Bill 1909 would prohibit the centers from interfering with access to abortion and emergency contraception.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office is also supporting the legislation in order to ban crisis pregnancy centers from deception in advertising, soliciting, and offering pregnancy-related services. […]
The conservative Thomas More Society is already preparing to file a lawsuit if the plan becomes law. Former Rep. Peter Breen is the Executive Vice President and head of litigation for the organization.
* Patch…
Lyons Township High School is fighting a state bill that would make it much tougher for the school to sell its Willow Springs land to an industrial developer.
In February, state Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, introduced a bill that appears to target the high school’s effort. Willow Springs residents and nearby public bodies oppose an industrial sale.
In a mass email last week, Brian Waterman, the high school’s superintendent, said the bill is “directly targeted” at his school. Beyond that, he said, it would hurt school districts across the state.
“This provision will severely limit the marketability and value of land that a school district may own, and force a school district to sell at a below-market price,” Waterman said. “It will fundamentally change how school districts sell land and achieve fair market value for their taxpayers and students.”
On March 31, the state Senate unanimously passed the measure. It is now in the House.
The bill is in the House Executive Committee.
* WBEZ…
HB1633 passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate. Schools typically already include some Native American history in their curricula, but many Indigenous people say in Illinois that education is incomplete and possibly inaccurate. […]
If passed, the measure would leave it up to schools to structure the curriculum, but the Illinois State Board of Education would offer learning materials and guidance vetted by a Native American council.
“We’re flanking the issue,” said Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, chief sponsor of the bill. “Let’s deal with history in itself in making sure our young people understand Native American history beyond what they see on TV.”
During a floor debate in the House in March, the bill was scrutinized with some members concerned it could inaccurately portray Christopher Columbus or that schools might not have enough control over the curriculum. Some members asked for changes.
“We are desensitized when it comes to a certain community of people,” West responded to his colleagues on the House floor. “So no, I’m not going to change this bill in the Senate.”
* Sen. Robert Peters…
A measure carried by State Senator Robert Peters that would help connect patients to financial assistance for hospital costs passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.
“The costs associated with health care upkeep are high, especially for those with pre-existing conditions and those who don’t have medical insurance,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “People should not have to choose between crippling debt and receiving necessary medical treatment.”
House Bill 2719 would require hospitals to screen a patient for financial assistance eligibility and exhaust all cost-reducing avenues before taking a collection action against the patient. Additionally, the measure would provide a 90-day window for a patient to apply for financial assistance or hospital-provided discounts after receiving care. […]
House Bill 2719 passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and will now head to the Senate floor for further consideration.
* SB754 has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Center Square…
Senate Bill 754 passed the Senate late last month. It’s set to be heard in a House committee with lawmakers back this week. The measure could possibly be up for final passage before lawmakers adjourn spring session May 19. […]
State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Highwood, said her bill would limit the sale of such prepackaged explosive components only from licensed firearms dealers to those with Firearm Owner ID cards. […]
“After the 4th of July shooting in Highland Park, law enforcement found large quantities of Tannerite in the shooter’s home and he disclosed to law enforcement that he had intentions of using this as bombs throughout the parade route,” Morrison later said on the Senate floor late last month. […]
State Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, opposed the bill. He said the components to such commercially available packages are still available separately.
* Press release…
Cases of doxing are on the rise, revealing the vulnerability of millions of people’s private lives. State Senator Julie Morrison is leading the charge to ensure that people who fall victim to such cyber-attacks receive justice.
“Doxing is yet another form of online abuse that was deliberately designed to tear people down,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Abuse, stalking and harassment have no place in our state – not in person and not online.”
As the use of technology rises, so do cases of hackers, abusive partners and others maliciously publicizing people’s private information. Often referred to as “doxing,” these attacks include the sharing of phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers and other previously private information that could lead to harassment, humiliation and threats.
“Survivors of domestic violence face the constant stress of their abuser stalking them or causing more harm. With technology on the rise, now they’re also faced with the worry that the person they once trusted with private information will share that information with the world,” said Morrison. “We must protect our state’s survivors from additional forms of abuse.”
To give victims of doxing the justice they deserve, Morrison is leading House Bill 2954. The measure – which receive unanimous support in the House – would allow people a private right of action against the individual who committed the offense. The victim could recover damages and any other appropriate relief, including attorney’s fees. […]
House Bill 2954 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously.
* Journal Courier…
A wide range of topics were on the menu at a town hall meeting hosted by state Rep. Randy Frese, but most of the early discussion centered on the future of the shuttered Jacksonville Developmental Center.
Frese introduced House Bill 1609, which would allocate $67.6 million to demolish and remediate the building and grounds of the Jacksonville center. The bill was referred to the House Rules Committee in February and has languished there since, unlikely to be acted upon further during this session.
He vowed to keep pushing the issue and reintroducing the bill each session. He said he would work with state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, state Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, and the city to make sure maintenance and mowing continues.
* Sen. Seth Lewis…
Legislation that would require insurance companies to cover home saliva cancer screening tests for at-risk individuals is one step closer to becoming law in Illinois.
House Bill 3202, sponsored in the Senate by State Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett), received unanimous approval by the Senate Insurance Committee on Tuesday. The bill previously received a unanimous vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
“It is a pleasure to work with my House counterpart, State Representative Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Bartlett), on this important legislation,” said Lewis. “Providing individuals who are at-risk for developing certain types of cancer need access to these potentially life-saving tests. As lawmakers, we need to ensure there is no cost barrier that would prevent patients from having access to tests that could help detect biomarkers for early-stage cancer.”
* Press release…
When Laura Kane lost her son, Zachary, to suicide, she was still expected to return to work merely three days later. Senators Karina Villa, Steve Stadelman and Representative Maurice West will stand with Zachary’s mother at a press conference Wednesday to outline a plan to support families grieving the loss of a child and ensure no one else is put in the same situation.
WHO: State Senators Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford), Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford), and Laura Kane
WHAT: Press Conference on Senate Bill 2034, supporting grieving families coping with the loss of a child
WHEN: Wednesday, April 26 at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Blue Room, Illinois State Capitol and live on BlueRoomStream.com
* Woodstock Institute…
HB 1519 is a bill backed by the Income Share Agreement (ISA) industry that would saddle students with a mountain of high-interest debt. The bill is posted for the Senate Executive Committee tomorrow at 1:30. If the bill is called the Student Borrower Protection Center, Citizen Action Illinois and Devine Sims, an impacted student borrower, are set to testify on the harm HB 1519 would cause student consumers.
Under an ISA, a loan is made in exchange for the student’s agreement to pay the lender a percentage of their future income for up to 20 years.
ISAs are a form of private student loan but they are frequently marketed to students as a better alternative to traditional student loans. Additionally, ISAs are prevalent among for-profit vocational schools that target marginalized populations who have historically been excluded from economic opportunities
WHEN: Wednesday, April 26 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Illinois State Capitol Building Room 212
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* NY Times…
Washington state approved a package of gun control measures Tuesday that includes a ban on the sale of military-style semi-automatic weapons, making it the ninth state to join efforts to prevent the distribution of AR-15s and other powerful rifles often used in mass shootings.
The new laws put Washington in the ranks of states with the strongest gun control measures in the nation. They include a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, gun safety training requirements and a provision allowing the state attorney general and consumers to sue gun manufacturers or dealers under public nuisance laws if they negligently allow their guns to fall into the hands of minors or “dangerous individuals.” […]
Gun rights proponents swiftly filed a lawsuit to challenge the semi-automatic rifle ban, saying it infringed on Second Amendment rights.
* Meanwhile, a second federal judge has denied a motion to impose a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction on Illinois’ ban…
Having considered the preliminary record at this stage, the Court concludes that [plaintiff Javier Herrera] is unlikely to succeed on the merits of his claim. Doe, 43 F.4th at 791. The challenged restrictions on semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines in the City Code, County Code, and Illinois Act are consistent with “the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” namely the history and tradition of regulating particularly “dangerous” weapons. New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111, 2130 (2022); District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 627 (2008). […]
The Bruen Court outlined a two-step analysis to determine whether a challenged gun regulation is constitutional. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. at 2126–34. The Court must first determine whether “the Second Amendment’s plain text covers an individual’s conduct.” If the plain text does not cover the challenged regulation, then the regulation is outside of the Second Amendment’s scope and is unprotected. However, if the text does include such conduct, “the Constitution presumptively protects that conduct.” As such, for the regulation to be upheld as constitutional, “[t]he government must . . . justify its regulation by demonstrating that it is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
To demonstrate that a regulation is “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” the government must engage in “analogical reasoning” by pointing to “a well-established and representative historical analogue.” The government can utilize analogues from a range of historical periods, including English statutes from late 1600s, colonial-, Revolutionary- and Founding-era sources, and post-ratification practices, specifically from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bruen took special note that the Second Amendment is not a “regulatory straightjacket.” The government’s proposed analogue need not be “a historical twin” and the “modern-day regulation” need not be “a dead ringer for historical precursors” to “pass constitutional muster.”
Importantly, “Bruen does not displace the limiting examples provided in Heller.” 2023 WL 2077392, at *9. As set out in Heller, states may still enact (1) “prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill”; (2) “laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places”; (3) “laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms”; and (4) bans on “dangerous” weapons that are not “in common use.” Id. at 2162 (Kavanaugh, J., concurring) (citation omitted). The list itself “does not purport to be exhaustive.” Id. (quoting Heller, 554 U.S. at 626 n.26).
The Court holds that the restrictions on possession of certain semiautomatic rifles and large-capacity magazines in the City Code, County Code, and Illinois Act are consistent with the Nation’s “history and tradition” of treating particularly “dangerous” weapons as unprotected. […]
In response to the Defendants’ citation to similar statutes in this case, Herrera argues that his suit does not concern public carry, but rather defense of the home. This argument is unavailing. The Supreme Court was clear in its instruction that “analogical reasoning” is not a “regulatory straightjacket” and “even if a modern-day regulation is not a dead ringer for historical precursors,” the government’s chosen analogue “may be analogous enough to pass constitutional muster.” Bruen, 142 S. Ct. at 2133. While the government’s analogue may not be identical, it need not be. Bruen also expressly observed that “dramatic technological changes” or “unprecedented societal concerns” may require a “more nuanced approach.”
Such an approach is applicable here. As the State Defendants put forth at oral argument, laws regulating weapons, including various firearms, developed over time in response to the type of harm that those weapons presented, as in the present case. … Here, the City Code, County Code, and Illinois Act similarly responded to “dramatic technological changes” and “unprecedented societal concerns” of increasing mass shootings by regulating the sale of weapons and magazines used to perpetrate them. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. at 2132. This is well in line with earlier laws regulating carry and progressing to restrictions on sale and possession, in and out the home.
Having concluded that Defendants demonstrated a tradition of regulating “particularly dangerous weapons,” the Bevis Court next considered “whether assault weapons and large-capacity magazines fall under this category” of “highly dangerous arms (and related dangerous accessories),” and answered with a resounding yes. The Court considered ample record evidence of the vastly destructive injuries that semiautomatic weapons cause and their “disproportionate[]” use in “mass shootings, police killings, and gang activity. The Court observed that large-capacity magazines “share similar dangers,” with studies showing that the use of such magazines lead to an increased number of fatalities in mass-shooting scenarios. The Court rejected any argument that regulations on semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines are not “unusual,” given the ten-year federal ban on assault weapons and eight bans on semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines in jurisdictions such as Illinois. As such, the Court concluded that “[b]ecause assault weapons are particularly dangerous weapons and high-capacity magazines are particularly dangerous weapon accessories, their regulation accords with history and tradition.” […]
The shall-issue licensing schemes discussed in Bruen involved a “background check” or the passage of a “firearms safety course,” Bruen, 142 S. Ct. at 2138 n.9, which are more onerous than the relatively mechanical registration process required by the Illinois Act, see 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(d). Nor does the Act permit state officials to have “open-ended discretion” to deny or allow a firearm to be registered. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. at 2161 (Kavanaugh, J., concurring). Rather, owners of semiautomatic rifles before the Act’s effective date must provide the affiant’s FOID number, report the make, model, caliber, and serial number of the weapon, and thereafter affirm that he or she lawfully owned the weapon before January 10, 2023.
The opinion also touches on the era during the 14th Amendment’s ratification.
* Rep. Morgan…
State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, issued the following statement Tuesday after a federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois rejected an effort to block Morgan’s assault weapon ban legislation in Herrera v. Raoul:
“Today’s order is a victory for smart gun safety laws. The Protect Illinois Communities Act bans the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, targets interstate gun trafficking, and expands red-flag laws – actions we carefully crafted, knowing the gun lobby would sue to stop these public safety reforms. The NRA will continue its legal efforts to stop common-sense gun reform, and I, along with other advocates, will continue to fight to keep weapons of war off our streets to keep our communities safe.”
* G-PAC…
Today, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC) released the following statement from John Schmidt, a former U.S. Associate Attorney General and member of the Executive Board of G-PAC, in response to a federal judge’s latest decision regarding the Illinois assault weapons ban. This decision comes one week after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a motion to enjoin the Illinois’ assault weapons ban.
“A second Federal judge, Lindsay Jenkins in the Northern District of Illinois, has just denied an effort by a Chicago plaintiff to enjoin the new Illinois law banning assault weapons and large capacity magazines. Judge Jenkins agreed with Judge Virginia Kendall, who ruled in February in a separate case, that the ban on these extremely dangerous weapons is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation.
“Judge Jenkins also upheld the new law’s requirement that owners of existing assault weapons must file with the Illinois State Police a report of ownership before the end of 2023. That requirement had not previously been challenged.
“While plaintiffs may appeal these losses, the court decisions continue to leave the law fully in effect and enforceable to protect Illinois residents from the dangers of these weapons.”
There’s also a similar case in the Southern District, which is in the 7th Circuit.
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Garbage in, garbage out
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Frankly, I’m surprised that 26 percent were unsure after the way this poll, conducted for the Illinois Policy Institute, posed the questions…
Poll of 800 Illinois voters from March 27-29 when asked which statement they agree with more, even if one isn’t exactly right.
Raise taxes or reduce state spending on higher education, public safety, and social services to fully fund the state’s pension obligations to government workers. (18.0%)
Amend the state constitution to preserve retirement benefits already earned by public employees and retirees, but also allow a reduction in the benefits earned in the future by employees and allow for slower growth in retirees’ future benefits. (56.0%)
Pensions make up about 20 percent of state spending, and have for a number of years, and the same level is projected for the future. That’s high, no doubt about it, but it’s manageable, even with fiscal bumps along the road.
Also, it takes 60 percent or a majority of those voting in an election to pass a constitutional amendment. And even with this highly biased question, they could only get to 56? Not great. And even if three fifths of both chambers of the General Assembly somehow decided to vote to put this the ballot (zero chance), the unions would spend big bucks to tear IPI’s arguments apart.
* Not to mention that a poll taken for IPI last year used a much more neutral question and yet their issue still managed to score higher than this year’s totally lopsided poll…
Some have proposed a constitutional amendment that would preserve public retirement benefits already earned, but would allow for changes to future pension benefits. Do you support or oppose this constitutional amendment?
Support: 61%
Oppose: 28%
Don’t know/Refused: 11%
The trend ain’t their friend.
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ComEd Four trial coverage roundup
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* The jury is now deliberating…
* Tribune | Jury deliberating fate of ‘ComEd Four’ in bribery case tied to Michael Madigan; prosecutors calls payments to speaker a ‘corruption toll’: The jury began its discussions shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday after hearing nine hours of closing arguments over two days. They went home for the day at about 4:45 p.m. and will be back Wednesday morning. In his rebuttal argument Tuesday, the lead prosecutor on the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, told the jury that the efforts to woo Madigan were like a “corruption toll” similar to something motorists must pay to continue on their trip on the state tollway. … Trying to read tea leaves on how long the jury might deliberate is usually an effort in futility. U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber told the parties that if there is no verdict by Thursday, he’ll ask the jury if they want to deliberate Friday as well, even though Fridays have been a day off since the trial began.
* Crain’s | The fate of ‘ComEd Four’ now up to the jury: Bhachu dismissed a repeated argument from defense attorneys — that there could have been no bribery of state House Speaker Michael Madigan because no one was caught on an intercepted recording or in an email arguing that Commonwealth Edison should just get Madigan to pass whatever bill they proposed instead of mounting sophisticated legislative strategies and making compromises. Those statements weren’t made, Bhachu said, “because the defendants weren’t that stupid.” “These defendants were careful,” he said. “We’re not talking about amateurs here. They were not playing checkers. They were playing chess. . . .These were grandmasters of corruption.”
* Hannah Meisel | ‘Corrupt influence’ or ‘collateral damage’? Jury to decide fate of ‘ComEd Four’: Cotter sought to remind the jury of the case’s roots, noting that an FBI agent testified early on in the trial that the investigation stretched back to 2014, and that the original target was Madigan. In the last several years, the sprawling federal probe has nabbed dozens of other politicians, lobbyists and business leaders in Illinois. “I believe this is a case of a conclusion in search of evidence,” Cotter said. “If you start by assuming Madigan is guilty, then everyone near Madigan starts to look guilty.” And there was almost no one nearer to Madigan than McClain; their friendship goes back to the 1970s when they served together as young Democratic representatives in the Illinois House. On numerous wiretapped phone calls and in letters shown to the jury during trial, McClain described himself as an “agent” of the speaker. Other witnesses described McClain as a “double agent” who always put Madigan’s interests first even as he was ComEd’s top outside lobbyist and strategist.
* Sun-Times | Federal jury begins deliberating ComEd bribery case after prosecutors call four defendants ‘grand masters of corruption’: While addressing that allegation, Bhachu displayed the words “This Is Not a Cup of Coffee” on a screen in the courtroom. Bhachu told the jurors that they heard the “unvarnished truth” in recordings played throughout the trial. And he said what they heard on the witness stand from Pramaggiore and Hooker was “the post-hoc explanation, after the fact, to try to conceal and explain away what was on the recordings.”
* The Center Square | Jury deliberations underway in ComEd bribery trial: “This is not a bribery conspiracy,” said Jacqueline Jacobson, the lawyer for Hooker. “This is a business decision.” … Defense attorneys said their clients did nothing wrong in lobbying politicians, including Madigan, to pass three energy measures that helped the utility bounce back from the brink of bankruptcy. One witness estimated the legislation was worth about $750 million for the utility through 2030.
* NBC Chicago | Jury Deliberations Begin in ‘ComEd 4′ Trial: The final defendant to make his case in the trial was Doherty, whose attorney described him as a “Chicago guy, who has nothing to do with Springfield.” “Zero. Not a thing,” Mike Gillespie said. “He’s also not a Madigan guy, pure and simple.”
* ABC Chicago | Jury gets bribery case surrounding ex-Speaker Mike Madigan: “This isn’t maybe, or I think so, or probably. It is beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s the burden,” said defense attorney Michael Gillespie in his closing arguments Tuesday morning. “This isn’t a group that’s on trial. The law dictates you must consider the evidence as it relates to each defendant individually.”
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Today’s must-read
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We’ve discussed this before. The excerpts posted from this Capitol News Illinois story will give you a basic overview, but there’s a whole lot more. So, read the whole thing…
The state estimates an expansion of state-sponsored health care to individuals who are ineligible for Medicaid based on their citizenship status is expected to cost $990 million in the upcoming fiscal year, far outpacing the original price tag cited when the measures became law. […]
[Then-Rep. Delia Ramirez] pegged the program’s Fiscal Year 2021 cost at $2 million, according to the newspaper.
The actual cost of the program far exceeded that estimate, and the program exceeded its FY 2021 appropriation within the first month of implementation, according to a closed-door presentation by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to lawmakers last month.
The cost of care for the 65 and over age group was nearly $188 million between March 2022 and February 2023, per that presentation.
Since the program’s initial passage, lawmakers have expanded it twice, lowering the age limit to 55 in 2021 and 42 a year later. The expanded program is known as Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults. […]
Milliman’s cost estimate of $68 million for the age 42-54 group was cited in floor debate, but thus far over $104 million in claims has been paid out. That number is expected to grow to $460 million in the upcoming fiscal year for that age group.
All told, the estimated $990 million price tag for the upcoming year represents a $768 million increase over the faulty initial current-year estimate. The Pritzker administration said IDHFS could cover about $300 million of the cost difference within its budget as proposed by the governor, while the rest would be subject to ongoing budget negotiations.
Again, click here.
Bottom line: Many of the folks demanding more state money next fiscal year are gonna be sorely disappointed.
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Kim Foxx coverage roundup
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Your thoughts?…
* Sun-Times | Foxx political exit sets the stage for a free-for-all in 2024 race for state’s attorney: The last time there was an open seat in the prosecutor’s office was 2008. Dick Devine, the former first deputy who replaced Richard M. Daley in 1989, announced he would not seek reelection. That set the stage for the election of Devine’s top deputy, Anita Alvarez.
* Tribune | Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx says she will not run for reelection: Asked why she isn’t running for a third term, Foxx said she promised her family that she would leave after two. She said she hasn’t “allowed myself the whimsy to think” of her next step. I’m really proud of the work that we have done on running the second largest prosecutor’s office in the middle of a pandemic and still doing the work,” Foxx said.
* Crain’s | Defiant Foxx defends her record as potential successors start to emerge: Foxx’s speech had something that both her allies and critics will find familiar. Mixing passion with, at times, outright defiance, she made no apologies for leading the office in a new direction, one that mixed prosecution with criminal justice reform. As the daughter of a single mother who grew up in the Cabrini-Green area and had firsthand experience with poverty, “I was supposed to fail,” she said. “My very presence (at high levels) of government was disruptive.” But that gave her the drive to make the office “what it was supposed to be (about) . . . justice.” That meant doing something about a jail filled with mostly young Black men, many of them held on minor drug charges or other offenses because they didn’t have the money for bail. The new statewide criminal reform bill now awaiting a final signoff in the courts will remedy that by abolishing cash bail, she said. State legislation to end prosecution of cases dealing with possession of small amounts of marijuana was passed with her help, she continued. The office established a data portal with detailed information on the status of arrests and prosecution that was “a national model.” Fewer minors were transferred to adult court. And people who had no access to power suddenly did.
* WBEZ | Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx won’t seek reelection : Foxx said she informed Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson of her decision Monday and called him “the man of the moment” whose election reminds her of her own first win in 2016. “I told Mayor-elect Johnson as a Black man in leadership that his role would be very difficult,” Foxx said. “You have to keep going. But know what’s coming. His responsibility is to do the work with the full knowledge that it’s not going to be fair … but he has a job to do and elevate the voices of the people who put him there.”
* Block Club | Kim Foxx Slams Media, Critics For Jussie Smollett Obsession: Foxx said her very presence in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office was “disruptive” since she was the first Black woman to lead the agency after being elected in 2016. But she was focused on enacting reforms, she said. But critics overlook the changes Foxx has made and the wrongfully convicted people she’s freed — instead focusing their attention on Smollett again and again, she said. “Probably when I leave this earth, my epitaph will mention Jussie Smollett,” Foxx said. “And it makes me mad.”
* The Triibe | Kim Foxx blazed a trail of progressive reforms in the State’s Attorney’s Office: In 2019, she began expunging marijuana convictions, and by 2022 had surpassed 15,000 such expungements. She also directed CCSAO to stop prosecuting shoplifting under $1,000 and to dismiss drug cases in favor of alternatives to prosecution. Ultimately, Foxx declined to file charges in thousands of low-level cases that her predecessor would have prosecuted. During the 2020 rebellions in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd, Foxx issued a policy to decriminalize protest, making her one of the only prosecutors in the nation to do so.
* WGN | Illinois reaction mixed over news Kim Foxx will not seek 3rd term in office: “I think the writing was on the wall and good riddance,” said current Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara. The relationship between the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the FOP was often icy. […] Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson released a statement Tuesday, praising some of Foxx’s accomplishments during her tenure, including overturning nearly 200 wrongful convictions and expunging more than 15,000 cannabis crimes, saying: “She has led her office with dignity and civility, and as a colleague at the county level, I am grateful for the work that she has accomplished in her two terms. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
* Daily Herald | ‘I leave now with my head held high’: Oft-embattled Kim Foxx won’t seek reelection: “At the conclusion of my term in November 2024, I will be stepping down as state’s attorney. I will not be on next year’s ballot by my choice,” Foxx said Tuesday during remarks to the City Club of Chicago. “I leave now with my head held high and my heart full knowing that better days are ahead,” said the Chicago native.
* NBC Chicago | What Kim Foxx Told Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson During Recent Meeting: “I told Mayor-elect Johnson that I saw that despite the fact that he had yet to put his hand on the bible, that doesn’t happen until May 15, that he was somehow responsible for the violence in our communities,” Foxx said. Foxx added that Johnson would be taking on a role “in a city that has not fully acknowledged or reckoned with its history of racism and what it does to Black leaders.”
* AP | Chicago-area prosecutor Kim Foxx won’t seek third term: Foxx, who was raised in Chicago public housing, first ran for the office in 2016 in a race dominated by questions about then-State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s handling of a Chicago police officer’s killing of Black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014. Foxx became the first Black woman to hold the job, joining a wave of big-city prosecutors elected on promises to overhaul the criminal justice system, including more accountability for police and a willingness to forgo prosecutions of minor offenses.
* WTTW | Kim Foxx Announces She Won’t Run for 3rd Term as Cook County State’s Attorney: “I refute the supposition that where we see ourselves today with the rise in crime and violence that coincides with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic is somehow the result of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office,” Foxx said. “It just doesn’t add up. It just doesn’t. It feels convenient. To suggest that this administration is somehow responsible for the rise in violent crime is disingenuous at best. And a lie.”
* NBC Chicago | Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Announces She Won’t Seek Reelection: Former Inspector General Joe Ferguson is a prime candidate to potentially run for that office, along with former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who lost his seat to now Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson in 2018, and Dan Kirk, who was first assistant to former State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
* Block Club | Bill Conway Won’t Run For Kim Foxx’s Seat, Says He’s Focused On Serving As 34th Ward Alderman: “I’m squarely focused on the job I was just elected to do, which is to help build a stronger and safer city and new 34th Ward, and I couldn’t be more excited to be sworn in next month,” Conway said. “I am not considering a run for Cook County State’s Attorney.”
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Open thread
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric, please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Can’t go wrong with the morel pie…
* Here’s the roundup…
* Tribune | Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx says she will not run for reelection: Elected in 2016 amid fallout from the Laquan McDonald police murder and cover-up, Foxx was a trailblazer in the national movement to elect so-called reform prosecutors who emphasized the need to change the criminal justice system and address its wrongs from within. Her time in office has been roiled by criticism over her mishandling of the Smollett case and pushback against her prosecutorial priorities, including a first-term decision to raise the bar for prosecuting retail thefts as a felony from the statutory threshold of $500 in value for the stolen goods to more than $1,000, unless the defendant has a significant criminal history.
* Center Square | Illinois lawmakers grill state agency on lack of progress after last audit : The Criminal Justice Information Authority was asked about accounting issues, site visits, and other issues and what they are currently doing to fix the issues in the audit. State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Streamwood, asked what was occurring during these site visits, but representatives from ICJIA failed to give a clear answer.
* Aurora Beacon-News | Random drawing decides school board race that ended in a tie: The two candidates, who were vying for one of four vacancies on the school board, each received 1,591 votes in the general election earlier this month, a tie which was decided Tuesday by a random drawing that saw Demas declared the winner.
* WTAX | Architect: Stratton down “soon”: “Obviously, a new building has got to go up before we can remove 1,200 people from the Stratton. Ideally, we hope to build a new legislative office building where all the gravel lots are to the north of Monroe Street. At that point, parking will be shifted, probably more underground where the Stratton is currently.”
* Block Club | Here Are The Final Results From The April 4 Election: In all, the city saw 613,795 votes cast, making for a turnout of 38.67 percent, according to the election results. That was the most ballots cast in a municipal election since Feb. 23, 1999, when more than 623,000 ballots were cast.
* WBEZ | A cannabis career? Illinois colleges and growers are partnering on classes to meet the demand for educated pot workers: “You can be the Rockefeller of cannabis right now if you position yourself correctly,” said Shelby Hennings, an assistant professor of sustainable horticulture at Western, which recently launched a cannabis production minor.
* Tribune | Illinois’ Blue Cross will stop covering at-home COVID-19 tests when public health emergency ends next month: Experts worry that once the tests are no longer free to everyone, people may use them even less than they do now, potentially spreading COVID-19. The tests often cost around $10 each, depending on the brand. If a person tests positive, then that person can be done testing. But if a sick person tests negative, then that person is supposed to take a second test a day or two later, because it can take time for the virus to build up to a detectable level in the body. One negative COVID-19 test does not mean a person doesn’t have COVID-19 and can go about life freely. At-home tests are less sensitive than PCR tests.
* WAND | Springfield Clinic upset over transparency of BCBS network adequacy: The vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois claims the insurance company doesn’t have any regulatory issues going into Fiscal Year 2024. Although, Springfield Clinic leaders said they’re disappointed Blue Cross wasn’t transparent about ongoing problems with network adequacy.
* Sun-Times | Lightfoot touts benefits of CHA land deal with Chicago Fire at groundbreaking for team’s West Side training facility: Money the soccer team pays in rent to the housing authority will go toward its projects. “I’d like to make one point crystal clear: CHA will fulfill our commitment to developing new housing in this area,” said CHA CEO Tracey Scott.
* Daily Southtown | Incoming Park Forest mayor pledges return to community-based meetings: When Woods first announced his candidacy, it was to be a race against incumbent Mayor Jon Vanderbilt, whose yard signs seemed to be on every block in the village as early as last November. But citing family needs, Vanderbilt dropped out of the race two months ago, leaving Woods time to formulate what he says are crucial plans he needs to implement.
* Lake Forester | Outgoing Lake Forest mayor reflects on tumultuous tenure; ‘It is never something I did for me’:From 2019 through 2023, Lake Forest officials encountered a growing downtown, a surge of new residents and large infrastructure projects. There was also a controversial campaign for the election of Pandaleon’s successor, preceded by the coronavirus pandemic and a Black Lives Matter rally. “I wanted an uneventful mayoral term,” Pandaleon said with a chuckle. “That didn’t come to pass.”
* Sun-Times | NASCAR partnership donates bikes to Chicago kindergartners: Piccolo School of Excellence in Humboldt Park is one of eight Chicago public schools receiving 24 Strider training bikes and helmets, plus online support to help the schools teach their kindergartners how to ride.
* Daily Herald | How Schaumburg is addressing decline in office population: While that economy remains the second largest in Illinois after the city of Chicago, village officials intend to forge a plan to better capitalize on a changed working world. As just one particularly high-profile example, Zurich North America in October 2016 moved 3,000 employees from its two 20-story towers near Woodfield Mall to an equally iconic 783,800-square-foot building along the I-90 tollway on a corner of the former Motorola campus.
* Sun-Times | Harry Belafonte was ‘a major influence’ on his Chicago friends, they fondly recall: “He was kind of sitting at the feet of history,” Lymore said. “We’d sit around after church and he would talk for hours just about the Civil Rights Movement and things that we needed to do moving forward to get the young people involved in the movement.”
* Sun-Times | Trump wins $1 million property tax refund on his namesake Chicago skyscraper: The refunds will come out of the property taxes due this year to the city of Chicago and eight other government agencies. The Chicago Public Schools system stands to lose the most money — about $540,000.
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Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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