* Center Square…

The Illinois Psychiatric Society is offering a blueprint of policy pillars to drive conversations about the needs to treat the mentally ill.

The group’s reform ideas fit broadly into three categories: increasing equitable access to care, ensuring the various mental health systems of care are coordinating for patients’ benefit, and doing more to prevent mental health issues from developing and worsening.

“And how do we teach people about mental health, and really addressing families, parents and even faith leaders because a lot of times that’s really the place where you can reach people is at their churches,” IPS president Andrew Lancia said.

Several measures moved through the General Assembly during the spring session, including a bill that would increase the availability and accessibility of mental health resources for students.

Another measure, Senate Bill 724, would create an interagency youth services team to implement new technology for referring families to resources and improve service coordination to address behavioral health for children.

The bills cleared both chambers.

* Press release…

First-in-the-nation legislation introduced by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias aims to protect the privacy and safety of individuals seeking abortion care by restricting the use of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs).

Giannoulias joined the sponsors of House Bill 3326, State Rep. Ann Williams (11th District – Chicago) and State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (6th District – Chicago), along with Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois and other supporters today to underscore the importance of this model legislation.

House Bill 3326, which passed the Illinois General Assembly last month and awaits the governor’s consideration, would prohibit the use of license plate readers from tracking individuals seeking abortion care or assisting them. No other state specifically prohibits ALPRs from being used to track or penalize individuals seeking abortion care or from criminalizing a person’s immigration status.

“No one seeking abortion care in Illinois should be harassed in any fashion, and I’m committed to enabling individuals to pursue and obtain the lawful healthcare they need without government interference,” Giannoulias said. “License plate readers are an important tool for law enforcement – especially when apprehending suspects in violent crimes or recovering stolen vehicles in car jackings – but we need to regulate these cameras so they aren’t abused for surveillance, tracking the data of innocent people or criminalizing lawful behavior. This legislation sets common-sense standards and protocols to ensure that license plate data is used properly.”

* Press release…

The General Assembly passed and Governor JB Pritzker has signed a fiscal year 2024 state budget that includes a historic appropriation of $2.53 billion for higher education, an increase of $279 million (12.4 percent) compared to the previous fiscal year and the largest increase in over 20 years. Notable highlights from the budget include a $100 million increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), an $80.5 million (7 percent) increase for public universities, $19.4 million (7 percent) increase for community colleges, a $3.8 million increase to the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (MTI) to recruit and retain minority teachers, and a $15 million increase for the AIM HIGH program.

The budget also includes an investment of $6 million for Grow Your Own (an increase of $3.5 million), $15.75 million for Golden Apple (an increase of $8.5 million) and $975,000 for the Teachers Loan Repayment Program (an increase of $535,000) – all of which are key in helping address teacher workforce needs.

“This year’s budget steps up our direct support for higher education institutions by $100 million—the largest dollar and percent increase in more than twenty years,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And by raising the number and amount of college scholarships to a record-breaking, all-time high of more than $750 million, we’re making it possible for nearly every student from a working-class family to attend community college tuition free and fee free—a huge step towards closing the education gap and advancing equity here in Illinois.”

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker today announced the opening of a new homebuyer program designed to help increase home purchase accessibility for low- and moderate-income individuals, families and seniors interested in purchasing a home in Illinois. Administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), Illinois HFA1 provides $10,000 for down payment and/or closing cost assistance to make buying a home more affordable. By offering a competitive interest rate and limiting the total fees charged to the borrower, IHDA programs are designed to be as affordable as possible. This can allow for substantial savings over the life of the loan. Funding for Illinois HFA1 is expected to assist more than 1,500 new homebuyers.

* Press release…

Today, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced $2 million for Illinois to strengthen the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) network – focusing on emergency preparedness, response, and health equity needs. Funding for the first-ever MRC State, Territory and Tribal Nations, Representative Organizations for Next Generation (MRC-STTRONG) grant program is from the American Rescue Plan.

The MRC of Illinois, in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health, will use the funding to strengthen MRC’s capacity to respond by developing and implementing standardized training, grow and develop four new MRC units throughout the state in areas with greatest need and offer sub-awards to 50 MRC units in Illinois.

* Press release…

The Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) filed an emergency rule on May 26, 2023, to protect the public from confusion between alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages of the same brand and to prevent the marketing of alcohol to children. A “co-branded alcoholic beverage” is any alcoholic beverage containing the same or a similar brand name, logo, or packaging as a non-alcoholic beverage. The emergency rule applies to all establishments in Illinois that sell packaged alcohol for off-premises consumption.

Under the emergency rule, establishments with larger retail sales floors (exceeding 2,500 square feet) are prohibited from displaying co-branded alcoholic beverages immediately adjacent to soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water, candy, or snack foods portraying cartoons or youth-oriented photos. Establishments with retail sales floors of 2,500 square feet or less must either: (1) comply with the display requirements for establishments with larger retail sales floors; or (2) post clear signage on every display that contains co-branded alcoholic beverages and is immediately adjacent to soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water, candy, or snack foods portraying cartoons or youth-oriented photos.

* Sen. Andrew Chesney is, believe it or not, flat-out wrong…

Hidden within the pages of the 3,425-page budget and the accompanying 898-page BIMP is hundreds of millions of dollars toward free healthcare and other programs for illegal immigrants. Governor Pritzker’s own financial analysts put a price tag of $1.1 billion on this free healthcare program for illegals. In spite of his analysts’ cost estimate, the budget our Governor is touting as “balanced” only funds the healthcare program at $550 million. Gov. Pritzker has said no one currently eligible will be removed, so it’s pretty ridiculous to think the cost of the program will be half of what his own agency claims.

*facepalm*

The $1.1 billion was a projection for next fiscal year’s increase if nothing was done to rein in costs ahead of time. The governor had already set aside somewhere around $230 million extra for next fiscal year, so he can now use managed care (the recipients were among the few still receiving fee for service coverage), enrollment caps, etc. to stem the rest of the cost. This ain’t difficult to understand, unless possibly if you’re somebody who believes in the kitty litter myth.

* Media advisory…

40 years later Honoring Rudy Lozano
Black Brown Unity
BBQ + Showcase + Press conference
June 8 2023 5pm-7pm
Healthy Hood 2242 S Damen outdoor

During the 2020 unrest, after the assassination of George Floyd, the Black and Brown communities were pitted against each other. Grocery stores closing caused the crossing over of neighborhood borders with threat of violence so June 8 2020 the first Black Brown Unity event was held honoring Rudy Lozano and Harold Washington and the Rainbow Coalition

Now we see a similar tensions between our black brown communities around the immigrant refugee crisis.

That is why on June 8th 2023, the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Rudy Lozano a pillar in the Latino Community and across the city for his activism work in the labor movement and perhaps most notable role in the building of the black brown coalition during the Harold Washington campaign for mayor that ultimately made him a target and resulted in his assassinated.

SEIU Health Hood will come together to provide the education truth and transparency and love necessary and desperately need to meet the moment. A showcase of young leaders and change makers in music, poetry and art, who are tackling the issues of today with the examples of leaders of the past with a true people first approach.

* Wait. Nobody goes to Chicago…

This just in! 🚨

Chicago set its new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied!

Thanks to three nights of Taylor Swift, the ASCO Annual Meeting, the James Beard Awards and more.

This isn’t just post-pandemic–we had more rooms filled than ever in Chicago’s history! pic.twitter.com/OqEGB3ZB2C

— Choose Chicago (@ChooseChicago) June 7, 2023

More here.

* .435 ball and only 4 games out…

There are no teams above .500 in the AL Central pic.twitter.com/gSoIa98P9X

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 8, 2023

I’m going to my first Sox game of the season this month. I was dealing with session, but I also didn’t want to spend money to watch the dumpster fire when I could just watch one in Springfield…

Springfield firefighters just got to the Capitol complex to put out a dumpster fire. #twill pic.twitter.com/0aGPFCHKzr

— Mike Miletich (@MikeMiletichTV) June 8, 2023

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Illinois Times | Preparing for the centennial of Route 66: The effort, being coordinated by the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission with a $200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, is taking place alongside planning to sketch out options for revitalizing housing stock and neighborhoods along a smaller section of Route 66.

* Daily Southtown | Protesters removed after disrupting Oak Lawn police commission meeting: Before Wednesday’s meeting, the groups said the commission removed three people from its May meeting, who shouted and interrupted the commissioners, and told them they were banned from the next meeting. The protesters claim that violates the Open Meetings Act.

* Illinois Times | Spreading fear about transgender people: YMCA of Springfield officials say “untrue statements” have been made online that a child was inappropriately exposed to male genitalia in a Y locker room by either a transgender female or a man pretending to be transgender. “These statements are false,” the nonprofit organization said in a news release June 2. “Any report of this nature would have been documented to authorities for investigation. The YMCA takes the protection of children very seriously.”

* Daily Herald | Bears have video chat with Chicago mayor ahead of possible stadium talks: “Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city. We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”

* Sun-Times | Johnson extends 12 weeks of parental leave to CPS: “I’m the mayor who said, ‘This is a really good idea. That we should get it done.’ And we got it done for the city. What sense would it make for me to then say, ‘But I want to deny it to every other person outside of the city of Chicago government proper’? That doesn’t make any sense. Think of the logic and the absurdity of that,” Lightfoot said on that day.

* Sun-Times | A list of every known Illinois resident charged in the U.S. Capitol breach: Thomas B. Adams Jr. of Springfield, an associate of Roy Franklin, was found guilty after a stipulated bench trial of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. He carried a “Trump” flag on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the breach. His sentencing is set for June 16.

* Fox Chicago | Thornton Township assessor says she was locked out of office after dispute with supervisor Tiffany Henyard: Not only had Elston been locked out of her own office, but boxes of sensitive documents she kept in her office were spread around the common area. “This was under lock and key,” Elston said, pointing to a box of files. “Now it’s just out in the open. So it has taxpayer’s names, addresses, telephone numbers, some of them even have a Social Security number.”

* Daily Herald | ‘Would you want this behind your house?’: Neighbors decry Elgin affordable housing plan: Development plans have been in the works since late 2020. A variety of projects involving up to 72 townhouses came to the city but failed to win the favor of staff members after the running afoul of the density and design guidelines that govern the city’s vision for the area.

* Block Club | At These Chicago Churches, Drag Performers Are Welcomed With Open Arms: ‘God Is Calling On Us To Expand Our Circles’: A few churches throughout the city regularly invite drag artists to perform in their sanctuaries, help lead worship services and read storybooks to children. Drag artists say that these experiences have helped them to better connect with their spirituality through safe community spaces. Church leaders say developing a more inclusive community has attracted more parishioners and helped to counteract traditional church structures that have harmed people for centuries.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Pride Parade on Sunday to feature largest number of registered marchers in event’s history: Ciesla believes the increase in participants is due to people’s excitement that the parade is occurring after last year’s parade permit was touch-and-go for a bit due to issues stemming from not having enough police officers signed up to work overtime or extra-duty shifts to provide security for the event.

* Crain’s | Moving to Miami? Go for the weather — not for the tax break, Chicago.: For people with a $650,000 salary who move from San Francisco to Miami, the savings is ballparked at around $150,000. But for residents of Chicago, where the cost of living is cheaper than San Francisco or New York, the savings were only about $10,500.

* SJ-R | City of Springfield will pay out over wrongful death lawsuit from 2008: Without discussion, the Springfield City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday executing payment in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a teenager who drowned at Lake Springfield Beach in 2007. It included a $750,000 judgment plus a little over $100,000 in accumulated interest and costs, Mayor Misty Buscher said afterwards.

* Sun-Times | 10 years after mass CPS school closings, enrollment is even worse. What can be done?: This time, Chicago’s path forward falls to Johnson. He strongly opposes closing schools, calling it an ineffective and harmful strategy. But the new mayor faces powerful headwinds in his attempts to find alternate solutions.

* Sun-Times | Chicago area air quality improving, but wildfire effects may linger a few days: The air quality in some parts of southern Cook County, near Tinley Park, Dolton, South Holland and Chicago Heights, was classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups due to a high level of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere from smoke blown into the area.

* TPM | Climate Crisis Is On Track To Push One-Third Of Humanity Out Of Its Most Livable Environment: The research, which adds novel detail about who will be most affected and where, suggests that climate-driven migration could easily eclipse even the largest estimates as enormous segments of the earth’s population seek safe havens. It also makes a moral case for immediate and aggressive policies to prevent such a change from occurring, in part by showing how unequal the distribution of pain will be and how great the improvements could be with even small achievements in slowing the pace of warming.

* Crain’s | Muddy Waters house museum gets $1.1M grant, its biggest financial boost yet: The grant will go toward restoring the basement level, which will become the main exhibit space in the red brick two-flat at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave., and “will catapult us to the next level in the project,” Chandra Cooper, great granddaughter of the musician and president of Muddy Waters Mojo Museum, wrote in an email to Crain’s.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Blues Festival to kick off full force after pandemic cancellations, constraints: Nearly 50 acts will be spread across three stages this year, down from a pre-pandemic number of six stages — a change meant to eliminate sound bleed. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion will serve as the main stage and feature big names like John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band at 7:45 p.m. Friday and Los Lobos at 7:45 p.m. Sunday.

* Daily Herald | A bear in the suburbs? Police investigate sighting near Gurnee Mills mall: The Chicago football team may not be the only bears exploring a move to the suburbs. Gurnee police said a real bear may have been spotted near Gurnee Mills mall on Wednesday.