Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2023 » June
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Actuarial consultant says Tier 2 pension payments should rise by $5.6 billion through 2045 to put state in compliance with “safe harbor” provisions

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability hired the actuarial firm Segal to look at “safe harbor” questions surrounding the Tier 2 pension systems. The report was written by Senior Vice President & Consulting Actuary Matthew Strom

As requested, we are providing narrative and analysis regarding the impact of changes to the projected costs of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS), State Employees’ Retirement System of Illinois (SERS), and State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS), based on potential benefit formula changes needed to maintain exemption from Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes.

* Tier 1 survives the test, of course. Not so with Tier 2

• The following benefit formulas do not satisfy a safe harbor under the applicable IRS regulations

    – Tier 2 general benefit formula for TRS, SERS, and SURS

    – Tier 2 benefit formula for SURS Police and Fire employees with less than 20 years of service

As such, individual testing may be required.

* Important point

Note that the sample safe harbor tests shown in this letter (as defined below for FICA purposes) are included for illustrative purposes only. Neither Segal nor CoGFA is in possession of the data needed to determine the number of members who are not in compliance with the current safe harbor provisions. It is our understanding that, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the individual employers within each System to determine whether they qualify for exemption from FICA taxes.

* What that individual testing means

The IRS has provided guidance on determining whether a system’s benefits are comparable to Social Security in Revenue Procedure 91-40. The guidance provides for three levels of testing:

    • If the benefit provisions meet certain requirements, then the System qualifies under a safe harbor and no further testing is required.

    • If the System does not satisfy the safe harbor requirements, then individual testing can be performed to confirm that the benefits for active members of an employer meet the minimum benefit requirements.

    • Treas. Reg. 31.3121(b)(7)-2(e)(2) permits employers to compare the actual retirement benefits accrued by Tier 2 members to the estimated retirement benefits such members would receive from Social Security on an individual-by-individual basis. If the System’s benefit were greater for some or all Tier 2 members, those Tier 2 members would continue to be exempt from FICA taxes.

* Anyway, much actuarial language later, you get to the bottom line cost to put the pension systems in compliance

Change in Total State Contributions Through FY2045 $5.606 billion

That works out to about $254.82 million a year if Illinois changed the program this year. The annual cost grows with any delays, of course, and it will grow because the budget has already been approved. A $2.1 billion up-front payment would wipe out the debt, but that isn’t likely.

  33 Comments      


Afternoon roundup

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 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…


More here.

* .435 ball and only 4 games out…


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…


* Isabel’s roundup…

  6 Comments      


Question of the day

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Illinois’ first-ever student loan assistance program targeted to engineering students working at the Illinois Department of Transportation has become law with Governor JB Pritzker’s support and approval. The measure, sponsored by State Senator Ram Villivalam and supported by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) creates a pilot program enabling the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to provide student loan repayment assistance to qualifying employees that meet certain requirements, helping to attract and encourage educated professionals to work on the state’s highest priority infrastructure projects.

Introduced by Sen. Ram Villivalam, the program was proposed by ACEC Illinois, passed into law and funded by the General Assembly with the provision of $750,000 in the budget to support it pending the Governor’s approval. The proposal provides for higher education student loan repayment assistance in the form of annual after-tax bonuses of $15,000 per year for not more than 4 years, for up to 50 engineers employed by IDOT. This will help address the shortage of skilled talent in the industry and help IDOT attract engineers and other qualified professionals to work on the state’s infrastructure projects.

“The inclusion of funding in the budget gives Illinois a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining engineering talent and ensures that IDOT attracts educated professionals to work on our state’s road and transportation infrastructure,” said Kevin Artl, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. There is currently a shortage of about 82,000 professionals in the industry and the provision of student loan assistance will help draw talent both in-state and out-of-state to deliver key projects on time and within budget. We look forward to working with our policymakers on further incentives that will help transform Illinois into the top destination for engineers.”

“The promise of ReBuild Illinois can only be realized when we have the best professionals working on our infrastructure projects,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam. “The provision of incentives to attract the engineers to our state is a key element in ensuring the success of that promise and I will continue to work with my colleagues and other stakeholders on more initiatives to attract the best engineers so that the state’s infrastructure projects are delivered to the highest professional standards.”

* The Question: Should this $15,000 per year student loan assistance program be expanded and, if so, to whom? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.

  17 Comments      


I’ll believe it when I see it

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s

Illinois’ efforts to lure a major electric vehicle battery plant here finally may be close to striking gold, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker is personally negotiating with multiple companies to come here.

Among the lures: hundreds of millions of incentives, in part coming from a recently authorized state “deal closing fund,” and in part a willingness by local municipalities to consider the type of long-term property tax breaks that factory owners are demanding. […]

Much of the chatter is about a site just off of Interstate 80 in Morris, 24 miles southwest of Joliet and 62 miles from downtown Chicago in Grundy County.

The deals are serious enough that Pritzker interrupted leadership talks in Springfield on a new state budget a few days ago to travel to Morris and meet with executives of the interested company to tour a site on the east end of town, multiple sources with direct knowledge report. It’s not known if Pritzker joined in the helicopter tour of the land, but he reportedly offered more than $600 million in potential incentives for the plant.

Fingers crossed, but not counting on anything.

* As you’ll recall, Stellantis’ Belvidere plant was idled months ago. From January

Illinois has submitted what could be its best offer to keep the Belvidere Assembly Plant operating and save what could be thousands of jobs.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, said during a visit to Rockford that her office is supporting local and state officials in their efforts to keep the Stellantis plant open in Belvidere where 5,000 people worked a few years ago. Although details are unavailable because talks are on-going, Duckworth said the state submitted its latest offer Friday night.

Almost five months later and still no word on Illinois’ “best offer.”

* And this is ominous news from Ford

Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Monday unveiled an ambitious strategy to profitably ramp up electric vehicle sales but faces a challenge to slash $7 billion in costs and regain credibility on Wall Street. […]

Ford, whose shares fell 1% at midday, estimated its total costs are $7 billion higher than its competition.

Also

One way is to reduce investment in hypercompetitive market segments such as two-row smaller SUVs, [Ford CEO Jim Farley] told industry analysts.

Uh-oh. Ford’s Chicago plant, the oldest factory the company operates, assembles the two-row Ford Explorer. It does, however, assemble the three-row Lincoln Aviator.

And, of course, Rivian is having its own problems. Oy.

* Remember this column I wrote in February?

Volkswagen filed a federal lawsuit in December describing a bill that overwhelmingly passed both Illinois legislative chambers and was signed into law in 2021 as “crony capitalism at work: redistributive legislation that takes hundreds of millions of dollars from some (but not all) motor vehicle manufacturers and, for no public purpose, deposits that money directly into the pockets of politically favored Illinois [car] dealers.” […]

The manufacturers say the law is costing the industry $240 million a year. Yes, you read that right. $240 million. Per year. They claim Illinois has the highest warranty repair costs in the nation. By far. […]

The subsidies the state can offer simply don’t compare with the gigantic annual cost of that 2021 law. Couple that with our high local property taxes (these electric vehicle plants take up huge amounts of space) and other costs and hurdles (Ohio, like Illinois, is not a “right to work” state but has a new concierge system to quickly clear red tape), and you can see why the state hasn’t yet convinced a national or international corporation to construct an electric vehicle-related facility here.

If Pritzker can lure a big, jobs-rich EV-related plant here, convince Ford to keep its plant open and prod Stellantis into reopening its plant, then he’s a hero. But color me skeptical on all three.

I try hard not to be a negative Nellie, but this state has a well-deserved toxic reputation with the auto industry.

…Adding… According to this article, Georgia gave Hyundai a $1.8 billion incentive package for an electric vehicle plant. North Carolina used $1.2 billion in incentives to land VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer. And South Carolina’s $1.3 billion state incentives package for Volkswagen included a $200 million loan from the state. Illinois’ $600 million kinda pales in comparison.

  13 Comments      


Caption contest!

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Wut…


  71 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 - COGFA: Scenarios “are not budget predictions” *** Here we go again

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Jim Nowlan in the Tribune

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers have recently been trumpeting the great financial shape of Illinois. Balderdash. And they know it. There will almost certainly be state tax increases by 2025. […]

The state legislature’s own budget forecasting agency predicted in March that by one reasonable scenario, the state’s operating funds in calendar 2025 will run at a deficit of more than $3 billion annually, with a whopping $18 billion in unpaid bills (from a total budget of around $100 billion).

A “reasonable scenario”? Balderdash.

I can’t believe we have to do this again, but here we go.

* From COGFA

Scenario 3 assumes spending increases similar to the spending rates seen over the last five years of 7.1% per year on average. This scenario has the highest expenditure growth rate analyzed and leads to the least favorable results for the State. Expenditures grow to just over $61 billion by FY 2026. This scenario reflects deficits in all three years forecast and has the worst outcome when considering the aggregate accounts payable. After a surplus of $1.9 billion in FY 2023, a deficit of $3.1 billion occurs in FY 2024. This deficit grows to almost $6.4 billion in FY 2025 and $9.2 billion in FY 2026. Under this scenario, the accounts payable rises to $18.2 billion. This example shows that spending patterns seen in the past few years cannot continue without a comparable increase in revenues which is not seen in the Commission’s current estimates.

And this is what I wrote about that very same scenario in April

Trouble is, that particular COGFA scenario is pure fantasy, likely included merely as a “what if.” Nobody is advocating that. Revenue and spending in that five-year average included huge amounts of one-time federal money to deal with the massive COVID pandemic, which is no longer with us. The spending also included billions of dollars in one-time approps to pay down gigantic amounts of debt, including for pensions and the unemployment insurance trust fund, rather than put the money into the spending base.

That scenario projected FY24 revenues of $50.41 billion and spending of $53.54 billion, for a deficit of $3.13 billion. In the real world, actual projected revenues are $50.6 billion and spending is projected at $50.4 billion.

The current projected spending for FY24, by the way, is lower than all of COGFA’s scenarios, which as I’ve pointed out before were just numbers games played by accountants who should know better than put that stuff into publication.

That current projected spending is even lower than COGFA’s most optimistic scenario, which predicted $50.9 billion in spending and a $495 million deficit with a tiny $37 million accounts payable this coming fiscal year. Accounts payable would rise to $1.455 billion by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. However, a $3 billion accounts payable level is considered a “normal” 30-day payment cycle. Accounts payables of $1.455 billion would mean the state’s bills would likely be paid within a couple of weeks.

* First, he cherry picked the worst possible fantasy scenario, and then he goes on to predict what taxes will have to rise to fill a budget hole that will not exist

Let’s say Democrats decide they need to raise $3 billion a year to fill that projected deficit. Where to find the money? […]

But we won’t likely tax services and pensions, nor will we abandon the effort, unnecessary in my mind, to build up the pension nest egg — all are too hot to handle politically.

So, I fear Illinois policymakers will revert to the tried, true and simple; that is, raise the income tax rate. This would, unfortunately, encourage further flight of job creators and their wealth from Illinois.

Look, I’m not saying that a revenue enhancement of some sort is not in the future. Subscribers were told about one possible tax reform effort yesterday.

All I’m saying is that using an obviously way-out-there fictional scenario to make bold predictions about the future is not sound reasoning.

*** UPDATE *** Clayton Klenke at COGFA

Like most of the publications that we do at CGFA, the 3-year budget forecast is driven by a specific state mandate. […]

We had internal discussions when the report was written on whether we should continue to use the same scenarios as we have in the past and in the end we chose to present the same scenarios – which is exactly what they are – scenarios. They are not budget predictions. They are examples of what would occur given certain scenarios. We recognized that scenario (3) included a higher growth rate than we would normally predict, and that is why we included the text to explain why that rate was higher than normally seen. Although we wouldn’t expect those circumstances to occur again, those spending levels were driven by actual needs to pay down a backlog of bills after a multi-year budget impasse, and also to deal with a worldwide pandemic – items not too many would have deemed plausible a few years ago.

As with all of our publications, we will continue to review our methodology as we develop future reports.

  19 Comments      


Weiss trial coverage roundup

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times report from the trial’s first day

Weiss, a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, bribery and lying to the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine O’Neill spent about 15 minutes laying out the case to jurors Tuesday, alleging that Weiss bribed Arroyo and Link and then lied to the FBI about it, even claiming he’d spoken to a fictional “ghost of a person” named “Katherine Hunter” who was invented by the FBI as part of their investigation.

Then Sorosky took his turn, using nearly an hour to explain away allegations first leveled against his client in October 2020. Among them is the claim that Weiss paid $32,500 in bribes to Arroyo, who then pushed the sweepstakes legislation in the General Assembly. […]

Still, Weiss also hoped to pass sweepstakes legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. When his bill didn’t go anywhere, Sorosky said Weiss asked Arroyo to set up a meeting with Link, a key legislator on gaming.

“That’s not a crime,” Sorosky said.

* The Tribune

Three weeks later, Link was again wearing an FBI wire when Arroyo allegedly delivered the first of the promised $2,500 checks at a pancake house in Skokie, O’Neill said. Arroyo and Weiss had driven to the meeting together, but Weiss stayed in the car. […]

O’Neill said that at the direction of the FBI, Link had them make the check out to a purported associate named “Katherine Hunter,” who didn’t actually exist.

When Weiss was later questioned by agents, he lied and said Hunter was a a lobbyist who lived in Winnetka and that he’d spoken to her on the phone, O’Neill said.

Sorosky, however, said Weiss did not intentionally lie to any federal official. Instead, during a “surprise” interview, he “did his best to cooperate with the FBI agent and tell the FBI agent the truth as best as he knew it,” Sorosky said.

* Moving on to yesterday’s coverage via the Sun-Times

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Ilia Usharovich, Rita and Munoz confirmed that Arroyo never offered them any bribe.

But when the gaming bill passed without the sweepstakes provision, the feds say Arroyo and Weiss turned to Link, meeting with him at a Wendy’s restaurant in Highland Park on Aug. 2, 2019.

Jurors on Wednesday heard excerpts of the recording Link made of the meeting inside the restaurant that day. Though the conversation was difficult to hear in the courtroom gallery, it came across as a legitimate chat about the legislation — amid a fast-food restaurant soundtrack that included “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister.

* Seidel…


* The Tribune

When the trial resumes Monday, prosecutors are expected to play a key portion of the recording, when Link and Arroyo excused themselves from the table to talk privately outside. FBI agents stationed outside took surveillance photos of the two legislators talking that are expected to be shown next week.

“This is you and I talkin’ now. Nobody else,” Link said to Arroyo once they were alone, according to the charges.

“Whatever you tell me stays between you and me,” Arroyo allegedly responded. “That’s my word.”

During their purportedly private talk, Link told Arroyo he was “in the twilight” of his career and was “looking for something” to bolster his income. Arroyo said he would “make sure that you’re rewarded for what you do, for what we’re gonna do moving forward,” according to court records.

* Jason Meisner…


* Ray Long…


* Hannah Meisel

Weeks later, Weiss and Arroyo again traveled north to see Link, this time at a diner in Skokie. But Weiss was left in the car for that Aug. 20, 2019, meeting while Arroyo went inside to deliver three things to Link: Weiss’ business card, a copy of draft legislation that would explicitly legalize sweepstakes machines, and a signed $2,500 check with the payee line left blank.

Link told Arroyo that the name on the check would be a “friend” of Link’s named Katherine Hunter – who turned out to be a fictional person made up by the feds.

Sorosky told the jury on Tuesday that Weiss honestly believed that Katherine Hunter existed, and therefore hired her in good faith to appease Link, who at the time was the lead negotiator on gambling legislation in the Illinois Senate.

He also directed the jury to focus on Link’s “What’s in it for me?” question to Arroyo, noting that it occurred “outside the hearing and presence of Jim Weiss” and was a clear indicator that Link solicited a bribe at the behest of federal agents.

“And with all due respect,” Sorosky said, “the original bribe in this case is created by the government.”

* Jon Seidel of the Sun-Times…


…Adding…


  3 Comments      


Um, what?

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* For a publication dedicated almost solely to excerpting other outlets’ product, you’d think they would try to avoid insulting so many reporters by broadly mischaracterizing their work

Almost unnoticed was a reduction veto — only Pritzker’s second veto in the five years he’s signed budgets. In a statement, the governor’s office described it as a fix for an “inadvertent” mistake when lawmakers last month voted themselves a 5.5 percent raise. State law says the maximum they can get is 5 percent. The tweak puts legislative salaries at $89,250 starting July 1, instead of $89,675.

Almost unnoticed? Only if you think unnoticed means ubiquitous.

Tribune

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs $50.4 billion state budget but vetoes legislators’ pay hike that exceeded state limit

Sun-Times

Pritzker signs $50.4 billion budget that boosts early education funding — and stops state officials’ raises from breaking the law

WCIA

Pritzker signs state budget, scales back lawmaker pay raises

SJ-R

Pritzker signs $50.4 billion budget, championing investments in education

Raises to lawmakers reduced with governor’s amendment

Patch

Lawmakers To Receive 5 Percent Pay Raise After Gov. Pritzker Signs Largest State Budget Ever […]

The budget will also include another pay raise for Illinois lawmakers. The annual cost of living increase for state lawmakers is capped at 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The increase in pay was set for legislators at 5.5% but was vetoed by Pritzker and brought down to a 5% increase due to the cap on the COLA’s.

  13 Comments      


Open thread

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

  7 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

  12 Comments      


* Live Coverage * Jimmy Weiss trial

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here for Twitter’s version, or follow along with ScribbleLive


  Comments Off      


Live coverage

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


  Comments Off      


Protected: *** UPDATED x2 *** SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - This just in

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  Comments Off      


Afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s

Sterling Bay is trying to strike a deal with the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to bail out Lincoln Yards, a move that could help jump-start the stalled North Side megadevelopment, inflict hefty losses on the original backers of the ambitious $6 billion project and offer the developer a lifeline amid a financial storm that threatens its control over major pieces of its high-profile local portfolio.

With the real estate firm under growing pressure to raise money to recapitalize the 53-acre mixed-use campus planned along the Chicago River between Lincoln Park and Bucktown, the pension fund’s investment committee voted during a May 23 meeting to investigate an opportunity to become Sterling Bay’s primary financial partner on the development, according to a video of the public meeting and investor documents obtained by Crain’s. […]

CTPF Chief Investment Officer Fernando Vinzons said in a statement to Crain’s that the discussions around Lincoln Yards are only “conceptual at this point” and that the investment committee would still need to recommend the Lincoln Yards deal to its Board of Trustees, which would ultimately have to sign off on any funding commitment, a process that could take months. […]

Questions and answers in the document — which came in response to a presentation during the virtual meeting with investors in April — paint a picture of a fund grappling with financial strain while Sterling Bay seeks ways to generate liquidity to avoid defaulting on loans, maintain confidence of its existing investors and convince them to double down on properties moving forward.

General Iron previously occupied the Sterling Bay site, but it’s still facing an uphill battle to reopen

There’s been no response from executives of a metal shredder operation to the latest protest from people living on Chicago’s Southeast Side, who are fighting a judge’s ruling that would clear the way for the company to operate in their backyard.

What a mess.

* This is not happening with any of my browsers, but a buddy said he’s getting this message on all three of his. Anyone else having this issue?…

* Sarah Moskowitz, the deputy director of the Citizens Utility Board, writing in the Sun-Times

A recent attempt by power plant owners to engineer a bailout of PJM Interconnection — a behind-the-scenes organization that runs our power grid — didn’t gain big headlines. But it exposes a dirty little secret about fossil fuels that has a major impact on our electric bills.

Too often, dirty power generators can’t perform when customers need them most, and their recent actions at PJM (which ultimately failed) proves they know it.

PJM, which serves ComEd customers and about 60 million others in a dozen states, is the nation’s largest power grid operator. On May 11, members of PJM, among them operators of coal and natural gas power plants, narrowly voted to recommend reducing, by as much as 90%, the fines they must pay if they can’t operate in future emergencies — despite being paid to be on standby.

At the time, fossil fuel plants were raising a stink about being fined $1.8 billion by PJM for underperformance during the multi-state winter storm Elliott last December. PJM narrowly avoided having to implement rolling blackouts as nearly 46 gigawatts of plants — about enough to power California — went down in that terrible holiday storm. The grid operator was forced to ask everyday consumers to conserve electricity on Christmas Eve.

Fossil fuel operators like to brag about their reliability, but about 90% of those outages were at gas or coal plants. Similarly, failing gas plants were the biggest problem in the deadly Texas outages of 2021.

* From a Proft paper

[Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago] refuses to resign so Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) can appoint a replacement.

“Last year, she told (Harmon) she was going to do nothing this year, tell people she was having a medical procedure done, then resign. She didn’t want to come to Springfield anymore,” the source said. “But she drew a four-year term, not a two-year as she expected. So she now wants to cash in on the gig and keep her state paycheck for a while longer.”

Sources say they didn’t see Van Pelt cast a single floor vote during the past legislative session. She didn’t participate in committee hearings, or vote on a single bill in any of them, either.

“She was no-show all session,” one source said. “Dr. Pat never appeared in Springfield once. I never saw her.”

Harmon doesn’t appoint new members.

Van Pelt was indeed supposed to retire earlier this year. I did a subscriber story on it months ago. But then something happened. Here’s Liz Mitchell from the Senate Democrats..

Senator Van Pelt had a series of medical procedures that turned out to be more extensive than originally expected. We are wishing her well in her recovery.

* Canadian wildfires…


* Isabel’s roundup…

  14 Comments      


NYC grabs lion’s share of federal migrant aid money

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pritzker was asked earlier today about state funding of Chicago’s effort to deal with asylum seekers

I’ve seen and met with the mayor many times. And more importantly, my staff and his staff have been meeting. I would say it probably averages out to three times a week, talking about a variety of issues, but importantly, how to manage the asylum seekers that are coming to our city to our state, and where the resources will come from.

We both agree, of course, that the federal government needs to step up here. They have dollars that have been allocated in the budget from prior legislation that was passed at the federal level for asylum seekers in the states. And so we’re anticipating being able to get more of those dollars. They only issued checks, essentially, for a small amount so far. But there’s much more that’s available. I think the total program [is] potentially $800 million for the country. So we intend to get our fair share of that.

And then, of course, the state, I want to remind everybody, people always focus on whether the state is funding the city. Remember, the state is spending money for the city with our resources, our staff, our Department of Human Services. And so it isn’t like, well, we’re not supporting the efforts in Chicago. In fact, we are putting forward a multiple of the money that the city of Chicago has put forward in order to help the city of Chicago to manage this crisis.

Interestingly, I think you’ve all seen, there are many, many fewer asylum seekers that have come into the United States since May 11. I think that’s surprising to many people, but the Biden administration knew what it was doing in managing it. And so we anticipate, although they’ve emptied out shelters in Texas to send them initially after May 11, but the truth is that there are fewer and fewer migrants that are coming across the border. And therefore we anticipate, at some point, a drop in the number that will be coming to Illinois.

* The governor’s optimism about the federal government earlier today turns out to be false hope. New York City just got a huge amount of federal money. Chicago? Not so much

New York City is set to receive $104.6 million in federal funds to help cover the cost of providing services to asylum-seekers, two of the state’s highest ranking elected officials said Wednesday.

The injection of cash comes as more than 72,000 migrants have passed through the city since last spring, with more than 44,000 currently in the city’s care.

“Today’s funds represent a strong step in the right direction — which better recognizes and rewards New York City’s unique challenge,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement. […]

The city’s $104.6 allocation through the new federal Shelter and Services Program, however, constitutes around 30 percent of the money announced Wednesday and is much larger than payments to other cities. A person with knowledge of the allocations told POLITICO San Diego would be receiving $15 million and Chicago $10 million.

Thanks, Sen. Durbin.

To be fair, NYC has had to deal with far more asylum seekers than Chicago. 72,000 vs. more than 8,000. And, hopefully, the easing crisis at the border will continue.

Still.

  15 Comments      


Pritzker signs venue restriction bill for constitutional challenges

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Before the SAFE-T Act was scheduled to take effect last December, state’s attorneys and others filed suits in multiple counties in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to overload the attorney general’s office. Hearings in different counties were scheduled at the same time.

Tom DeVore avoided taking his pro-covid cases to higher courts because he was content to file lawsuits in friendly counties and just obtain exemptions for his clients, like Darren Bailey. Eventually, all covid cases were consolidated by the Supreme Court in Sangamon County.

DeVore was also charging clients $200 each to get in on lawsuits against the assault weapons ban in friendly counties.

* From the Tribune

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a measure that requires lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of executive orders or state laws to be filed in either Cook or Sangamon county.

The Democratic-controlled state legislature passed the bill along party lines last month. Democrats who supported the legislation said it was necessary to prevent people with a grievance against the state from selecting the county in which to file a lawsuit based on where they think they can get a favorable ruling. […]

State Rep. Dan Caulkins of Decatur, who has sued the state over the sweeping gun ban signed into law in January, voiced similar objections during the floor debate on the bill last month.

“They pass unconstitutional laws to make law-abiding citizens criminals, and then they make those same citizens travel hundreds of miles to a kangaroo court that they control,” Caulkins said of Democrats. “Tyrants are always the same, whether kings or lawless Chicago politicians.”

Rep. Caulkins is currently suing the state over a constitutional issue and he didn’t vote Present.

And while I do appreciate the fact that some people will have to hire a distant lawyer or pay their attorney to travel to Springfield or Chicago, constitutional challenges are often appealed, so many would eventually wind up in Springfield anyway.

* From Senate Republican Leader John Curran…

“Courts exist to serve the people, which is why they are located where people live. This legislation is clearly an attempt by the Governor and the Attorney General to send constitutional challenges to courts that they believe will be more favorable to the Administration.

“In doing so, they are discrediting judges in suburban and downstate Illinois, and creating geographic barriers to citizens accessing our court system. I continue to strongly oppose this legislation that creates unnecessary burdens for people exercising their legal rights.”

Sangamon County’s circuit judges are all Republicans. Presiding Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin is a Republican. Circuit Judge John Madonia is a Republican, as is Adam Giganti, Gail Noll, Raylene Grischow and Robin Schmidt.

* From a Democratic staff analysis of the legislation…

Other statutes that require venue in Cook or Sangamon:

    • 15 ILCS 205/10(c) - Cases brought by the Attorney General of Illinois to eliminate pattern or practice of constitutional violations must be brought in Cook or Sangamon

    • 15 ILCS 205/7 - Cases brought by the Attorney General of Illinois to compel compliance with Section 3.5 of the Open Meetings Act are to be brought in Sangamon or Cook County.

    • 225 ILCS 107/150 - Judicial review of certain final administrative decisions under the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act brought by a person not residing in any Illinois county must be brought in Sangamon County.

    • 205 ILCS 740/26 - Judicial review of certain final administrative decisions relating to the Collection Agency Act by a person not residing in any Illinois county must be brought in either Cook or Sangamon.

    • 225 ILCS 427/145 - Judicial review of certain final administrative decisions relating to the Community Association Manager Licensing and Disciplinary Act by a person not residing in any Illinois county must be brought in either Cook or Sangamon.

Probably not the most solid precedent, but it does exist.

  39 Comments      


It’s almost a law

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Tribune

Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature could prevent situations like the one in which a South Elgin High School student was told to remove a Hispanic academic scholarship stole the day of her commencement ceremony.

State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, is the chief co-sponsor of a bill introduced in February that addresses the issue and ensures students have a right to wear stoles, sashes or cords related to their “cultural, ethnic or religious” identities.

The legislation was written and sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-Oakbrook Terrace, in response to an incident last year in which an Evanston Township High School senior was told he could not wear his Native American regalia at graduation.

If approved, school district dress code policies “shall not prohibit the right of a student to wear or accessorize the student’s graduation attire with items associated with the student’s cultural, ethnic or religious identity or any other protected characteristic or category identified in the Illinois Human Rights Act.”

Items deemed obscene or derogatory toward others are prohibited, according to the bill.

* WTVO

A bill to suspend an assessment test for future teachers is now one step closer to becoming law.

In Illinois, college students are required to take a teacher performance assessment test known as edTPA to get their license. The assessment has prospective teachers put together video clips of them teaching and design lesson plans. The test costs $300.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued an executive order during the COVID-19 pandemic that waived the testing requirement, but that expired last month. If the bill passes, that requirement would be waived until the end of August 2025. […]

The bill would also create a task force to study different evaluation tests for teachers, as well as look at creating a new one that could be implemented across the state.

That group would have to give a report of its finding to the Board of Education and the General Assembly before August 1, 2024.

* Shaw Local

Baby steps are to be celebrated. At least they mark some sort of forward momentum. But in the case of efforts to remove polystyrene food containers from the waste stream, last month’s efforts by the General Assembly seem too feeble to warrant much applause.

Still, it’s something.

The House passed a bill seeking to prohibit state agencies from buying disposable food containers that are made with polystyrene foam (read: Styrofoam) starting in 2025. A year later, state agencies and vendors that sell food on state properties, such as state parks, no longer would be able to use plastic foam containers. […]

It’s a tip-of-the-iceberg solution. Food containers served at state facilities make up a small fraction of all of the fast food, carryout and doggie bag containers used in restaurants and food stands in Illinois.
Gong-Gershowitz landed a guppy, but the big fish got away.

She also championed a bill seeking to eradicate single-use plastic foam containers statewide – not just in sectors controlled by the state – but that idea flopped in the Senate.

* Aurora Beacon-News

After successfully using a drone in the search for the gunman during the mass shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora in 2019, Aurora police are pleased that legislation recently passed by the General Assembly would allow for greater use of drones for security operations. […]

Aurora police approached state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, and state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, and asked for the change in drone rules in 2021, officials said. Holmes and Hernandez sponsored the bill in Springfield. […]

Under the measure, drones could not be weaponized and facial identity systems could only be used if necessary to prevent “imminent harm to life.” The bill sets specific limits on where and how drones can be used, restricts photography and adds reporting and retention constraints. In addition, only events held in public outdoor spaces owned by the state, county or municipality can see the use of the drones, according to the legislation.

“It’s another tool in the toolbox to try and prevent a tragedy,” Holmes said.

* Center Square

Gov. J.B. Pritzker could soon modify a diversion program for first-time nonviolent firearms offenses that would give younger defendants probation rather than prison.

Such a measure was first put into House Bill 676 as part of an omnibus gun control measure that never advanced. The policy stands alone in Senate Bill 424 and made it through both chambers with bipartisan support before lawmakers adjourned last month.

State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said the program that started in 2017 has broad support.

“This legislation has no opposition, has a broad spectrum of support from gun violence prevention groups, criminal justice reform groups, the Illinois State’s Attorney Association, the Illinois Association of Police Chiefs,” Villivalam said.

* I think Maine is making a solid choice…


* It’s an upgrade for sure. The current flag is on top, the former flag is on the bottom…



  15 Comments      


Pritzker says new budget accounts for AFSCME contract negotiations

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about Republican claims that the newly signed state budget doesn’t account for union contract negotiations

We built into the agencies’ budgets - we have, as you know, quite a number of agencies - we built in what we thought might be the appropriate amount of money for what we expect from that AFSCME negotiation. So that’s in the budget already. That’s a you know, once again, one of those false things that Republicans like to say about the budget, but it is in the budget.

Pritzker went on to say “we’re hopefully reaching a pinnacle” in the contract talks.

  11 Comments      


FY24 budget overview

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a press release…

OVERVIEW

The Fiscal Year 2024 General Funds budget plan reflects projected revenues of $50.611 billion and expenditures of $50.428 billion, resulting in a $183 million surplus.

Highlights from the budget package include:

Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility – 5th balanced budget

The Fiscal Year 2024 budget framework builds upon four years of historic fiscal progress with a commitment to balanced budgets, eight credit rating upgrades, a Rainy Day Fund set to surpass $2 billion, the elimination of the bill backlog, and $1 trillion in GDP. This year’s investments include:

    • $200 million additional pension payment beyond what’s required, bringing total pension stabilization investments to $700 million
    • $450 million to pay off Railsplitter Authority bonded debt – saving the state up to $60 million in interest
    • An enacted plan to address the long-term structural deficit in the Community College Insurance Program (CIP), a health insurance program for retired community college employees
    • $85 million in additional funding to communities through the Local Government Distributive Fund with an increase in the state’s revenue sharing formula.

Early Childhood Education and Childcare Funding

A highlight of the budget is $250 million to fund the first year of Smart Start Illinois, the Governor’s early childhood initiative to eliminate preschool deserts, stabilize the childcare workforce, and expand the Early Intervention and Home Visiting programs.

This multi-year program provides a comprehensive approach to investments in preparing children to be lifelong learners. Year one targeted investments include the following:

    • An additional $75 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant at the Illinois State Board of Education to increase preschool availability while improving the quality of education. This funding is the first step in working to eliminate “preschool deserts” by December 2027 through adding more than 20,000 slots for preschool aged children and the ability to serve thousands more infants and toddlers through the Prevention Initiative. This brings funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant program to nearly $673 million, $179 million more than when Governor Pritzker took office.
    • Invests $130 million and additional federal dollars to begin funding for Early Childhood Workforce Compensation Contracts to stabilize operational funding and promote quality in the childcare system. The proposed development of the contract funding model stems from recommendations made by the Early Childhood Funding Commission.
    • Invests an additional $40 million for Early Intervention programs to provide funds for an expected increase in participants and a 10 percent rate increase for providers.
    • $5 million to expand DHS’ Home Visiting Program.

Additional early childhood investments to support the plan include the following:

    • $70 million to cover an expected increase in Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) participation and annualize rate increases from Fiscal Year 2023.
    • $20 million to begin upgrading the child care payment management system.
    • Federal funding for Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarships for tuition, fees and other costs of attendance.
    • $1.6 million to launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide, an initiative that allows families to register their children to receive free, high-quality books in the mail from birth to age five no matter the family’s income.

K-12 Education
• $350 million increase for K-12 evidence-based funding (EBF) formula. ISBE uses the tiered formula to distribute state funding based on need. This investment brings the total annual EBF program to $8.279 billion, or a $1.443 billion increase in annual base funding during the Pritzker administration. In total, schools will have received an additional $4.0 billion in EBF funds over five years.
• $45 million for the first year of a three-year pilot to fill teacher vacancies, plus additional investments in scholarships for future teachers.The funding will be allocated to the State’s school districts which experience some of the most significant hurdles to attract and retain teachers.
• $3 million for computer science education investments to expand grants to school districts and professional development opportunities for teachers while promoting equitable access to coursework.

Higher Education

The Fiscal Year 2024 budget continues to make college more affordable with historic increases in funding for public universities, community colleges and financial aid.

    • $100 million increase to $701 million for Monetary Assistance Program (MAP) grant funding, so that virtually everyone at or below the median income can go to community college for free. This funding is the latest step in a 75 percent increase for MAP since 2019.
    • $100 million increase in operating funds for public universities ($80.5 million) and community colleges ($19.4 million) – the highest increases in more than two decades
    • Increases funding for AIM HIGH merit-based scholarships by $15 million to a total of $50 million. HB301 will make the program permanent.
    • Includes new funding to support community college investments, including:
    o $8.3 million for dual-credit and non-credit workforce grant programs;
    o $11 million for curriculum development related to advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle and data center workforce training programs;
    o $2 million for technology upgrades for digital instruction in WIOA Title II Adult Education programs; and
    o $750,000 to expand English language services to non-English speaking communities.
    • An additional $3.8 million for the Minority Teacher Scholarship program
    • Continues funding of $25 million for the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare (PATH) Workforce Program, to train new nurses, medical assistants, medical laboratory technicians, emergency medical technicians and other high-demand positions.
    • Additional funds for the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) program to provide holistic supports for fellows, beyond their stipend. This would include a new orientation program, conference attendance, and a graduate symposium to help them prepare for and find employment in Illinois.
    • Includes $3 million for the Department of Public Health (DPH) to implement the Equity and Representation in Health Care Workforce Repayment Program and Scholarship Program per PA 102-0942.

Health and Human Services

    • Nearly $75 million increase for DCFS to hire 192 staff, expand training and protection, increase scholarships for youth in care, and improve facilities
    • More than $500 million in new state and federal funds to support the state’s healthcare system
    • Approximately $240 million increase to better serve Illinoisans with developmental disabilities
    • $42.5 million for grants to counties and cities for their costs associated with asylum seekers
    • $22.8 million in funding to begin implementing the new Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative
    • $18 million increase to support reproductive health initiatives
    • $24 million for a rate increase for home workers who assist the elderly, increased outreach to the elderly, and an increase for Adult Day Services
    • $10 million for a state-based health insurance marketplace to help expand healthcare access
    • $1.2 million for a division of healthcare access at the Department of Insurance
    • $53.5 million to overhaul IDPH’s disease monitoring IT systems and prepare for future public health emergencies
    • $35 million increase for TANF to address an increase in caseload, make inflation adjustments and increase eligibility from 30 percent to 35 percent of the federal poverty level $41 million for youth employment and summer job programs

Addressing Homelessness

Home Illinois is a multi-agency effort to support homeless prevention, provide affordable housing, support crisis response, expand housing support and increase the number of staff focused on assisting people experiencing homelessness. Housed at the Illinois Department of Human Services, Home Illinois involves many state agencies and partners including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The budget includes an $85 million increase, bringing state funding to over $350 million, to support homelessness prevention.

The funds in support of this work include:

    • More than $118 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services, including $40.7 million in the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program.
    • $50 million in Rapid ReHousing services for 2,000 households, including short-term rental assistance and targeted support for up to two years.
    • $40 million in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Capital funds to develop more than 90 new PSH units providing long term rental assistance and case management.
    • $37 million in Emergency Shelter capital funds to create more than 460 non-congregate shelter units.
    • More than $35 million for supportive housing services homeless youth services, street outreach, medical respite, re-entry services, access to counsel and other shelter diversion supports
    • $30 million for court-based rental assistance.
    • $21.8 million to provide homelessness prevention services to 6,000 more families.
    • $15 million to fund Home Illinois Innovations Pilots
    • $12.5 million to create 500 new scattered site PSH units.

Public Safety and Violence Prevention

    • Continues the multi-year commitment of $250 million for the Reimagine Public Safety Act to prevent gun violence and expanded funding for youth employment programs
    • Includes $200 million for the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) grant program, a $75 million increase
    • Includes $40 million — $20 million each — in funding for the Office of the State Appellate Defender and the Office of the State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor to carry out responsibilities under the new Pre-trial Services Act.
    • Provides $16.1 million to support two cadet classes to hire and train 200 additional sworn troopers to address the rising need for officers throughout the State, bringing the total number of officers to 1,800.
    • Includes operational and administrative support funding for the new seven-member Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Review Board, created by PA 102-0237, which reviews appeals from card applicants.
    • Includes more than $2.1 million for Safe2Help Illinois, a 24/7 program where students can share information on safety issues in a confidential environment.
    • Provides an additional $18 million funding round for the Illinois Nonprofit Security Grant Program per PA 100-0508, which will provide grants and support to organizations throughout the State for security improvements that assist in preventing, preparing for or responding to acts of terrorism
    • Includes $30 million for the Law Enforcement Camera Grant Program to provide reimbursement to local law enforcement agencies for in-car cameras, body cameras and data storage.
    • Includes $10 million for the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Fund to provide resources to local law enforcement agencies for recruitment of new officers, retention plans, mental health care for officers, safety equipment and training, and improvement in local jails.
    • Includes $2.5 million for the Illinois Terrorism Task Force Gaps Report to establish a baseline for public safety response capabilities
    • Continues the Department of Juvenile Justice’s 21st Century Transformation Plan that includes operational costs for its new facility in Lincoln, scheduled for opening in late Fiscal Year 2024.
    • Includes $13 million in funding for the Adult Redeploy Program, an increase of $1 million to allow for continued program expansion.

Government Services

    • $16.5 million for a multi-year initiative to modernize the state’s professional licensing system at the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and additional funds for a call center to assist in the transition.
    • $32.5 million to the Secretary of State to implement the REAL ID program
    • Over $75 million for the Secretary of State to begin to modernize the office’s computer systems

Economic and Community Development

    • $400 million to close major economic development deals and attract businesses and jobs to the state
    • Expanded workforce development programs to build a pipeline in the industries of the future, like data center, electric vehicles, and clean energy
    • $20 million to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital Program to provide additional community revitalization funding
    • $40 million for forgivable loans to launch more social equity cannabis businesses
    • $10 million to fund a “one-stop business portal” to foster entrepreneurship
    • $2 million for a new Office of Rural Economic Development intended to connect communities and improve access to state and federal aid through outreach or technical assistance from rural navigators.
    • $2.5 million to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation to promote tourism at destinations around the State and grow the outdoor recreation economy of Illinois
    • $10 million for a Clean Energy Career and Technical Education Pilot Program for high schools
    • $20 million to address food insecurity in urban and rural communities through incentivizing the opening of grocery stores and providing grants for equipment upgrades to existing small grocers through the Illinois Grocery Initiative
    • Includes $30 million for agriculture programs that improve the availability and accessibility of nutritious, locally sourced foods for Illinoisans in need, including $28 million for a new federally funded Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement which will support local, regional and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers through the purchase of local foods for distribution to food banks, schools and organizations that reach underserved communities, and $2 million for middle supply-chain infrastructure grants through the federal Resilient Food Systems program.
    • $20 million for a Fast-Track Workforce Program intended to provide resources and support to major relocating or expanding employers for employee screening and recruitment, and customized job training development.
    • $20 million to provide a state commitment and in-kind contribution to support Illinois entities seeking competitive federal awards that align with the State’s economic development plan
    • $19 million in additional funding for advertising and promotion of tourism throughout Illinois, nearly doubling the State’s investment in domestic and international tourism promotion
    • $30 million for new one-time tourism promotion grants at DCEO to support the State’s tourism industry
    • $90 million in new capital funding for DCEO’s Enterprise Fund Grant Program, which provides competitive funding to attract and retain businesses in Illinois, creating new jobs and capital investment in the State
    • $55 million in new capital funding for Prime Sites Program investments, providing grants for large-scale projects making substantial capital investment and job creation commitments
    • Takes another step towards phasing out the corporate franchise tax
    • Creates the Hydrogen Fuel Replacement Tax Credit Act, providing tax incentives for zero-carbon hydrogen fuel.
    • Expands the Angel Investment credit from 25% to 35% if the investment is made in a business venture that is owned by women, people of color, a person with a disability, or in a county with a population of less than 250,000.

Environmental Initiatives

    • Funds $12 million in electric vehicle consumer rebates at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)
    • Includes new authority for federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programming for energy efficiency rebates at IEPA totaling $267.8 million
    • Reappropriates $70 million from Rebuild Illinois at IEPA for transportation electrification and charging infrastructure statewide
    • Continues funding for unsewered communities planning and construction grants for communities around the state
    • Includes funding for new Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grants at Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) at $56 million, providing the largest and most accessible opportunity in the state’s history for distressed communities for the second year in a row
    • Includes funding through DNR’s Office of Water Resources to implement projects such as providing the State’s $50 million share for the Brandon Road Ecosystem Project to block invasive carp species from entering the Great Lakes ecosystem, and programs such as a $10 million expansion of the Flood Hazard Mitigation program for new buyouts

Capital and Transportation Funding

The Fiscal Year 2024 capital budget represents a continuation of the historic Rebuild Illinois program and other ongoing capital initiatives.Continued use of federal funds will expedite delivery of critical initiatives. Illinois anticipates receiving billions of dollars from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to invest in transportation, water, broadband, clean energy and more.

    • Includes funding to support IIJA programming, as the State anticipates receiving at least $18.0 billion over five years through federal formula funding; over $7.2 billion in infrastructure funding has been announced for Illinois investments since IIJA’s passage
    • Features $4.6 billion for the FY24 Road Program. This includes approximately $3.4 billion in pay-as-you-go revenue and $1.2 billion in bond funds.
    • Includes $300 million in new funding for the I-290 Blue Line Modernization Project
    • Reappropriates $100 million at DCEO for community-driven broadband expansion to help close the digital divide.
    • Supports the IIJA lead service line replacement loans at $230.2 million, as well as $10 million in new IEPA funding to provide lead service line inventory and planning grants to communities around the state.
    • Reappropriates $86 million in funding for orphaned well plugging from Rebuild Illinois and IIJA
    • Provides an increase to RTA Operating Assistance Grants $18 million
    • Provides an additional $1.5 million for RTA reduced fares
    • Provides an additional $5 million for Amtrak operating assistance for state-supported routes

That “$183 million surplus” is a bit higher than what was claimed when the approp bills were debated.

  4 Comments      


Uber And ASU Are Expanding Access To Higher Education In Illinois

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Since 2018, Uber and Arizona State University have provided 5000 qualified drivers and their families with 100% tuition coverage.

  Comments Off      


Pritzker to use reduction veto to correct “inadvertent” pay raises above legal limit

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the governor’s office…

Reporters—

As the Daily Public Schedule informed you, Gov. Pritzker will sign the FY24 budget today (Senate Bill 250). When he signs the budget, the Governor will make a few technical corrections to language from SB 2541 that was included in the bill. These line-item reductions will ensure the FY24 budget complies with current state law that prevents raises of more than 5 percent.

The annual cost of living increase is capped by law at 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The budget bill increased the COLAs for legislators and statewide and top executive officers by 5.5 percent. Oops.

The House Republicans caught the error during floor debate. Kudos to them.

…Adding… From House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…

“While Illinois families struggle, Governor Pritzker decreased the politician pay raise a paltry .5%. While this change may make it constitutional, it does not make it right. House Republicans will continue to hold the majority party accountable to not only our constitutional rights but also to Illinois taxpayers.”

* From the governor’s veto message

Today, I return Senate Bill 250, entitled “AN ACT concerning appropriations,” with reductions in the amount of $192,700.

This bill, among other things, appropriates funds for the salaries of the State’s Constitutional Officers (Article 33, Section 35), Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch (Article 33, Section 40), and General Assembly members (Article 33, Section 45). In Public Act 102-1115, effective January 9, 2023, the salaries for the Constitutional Officers (Article 30), Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch (Article 15), and the General Assembly members (Article 35) were set before their terms of office began, as required by the Illinois Constitution of 1970. See Ill. Const. 1970, art. V, §21; art. IV, §11. However, the appropriations to the State Comptroller in this bill exceed the amounts necessary to compensate the State’s Constitutional Officers, Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch and members of the General Assembly in accordance with Public Act 102-1115 and the members of the State’s boards and commissions in accordance with the levels currently authorized by Illinois law. See, e.g., Public Act 102- 1115, Article 30, Section 30-5 (providing that the Constitutional Officers shall receive a specified annual salary or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater, resulting in a maximum salary for Fiscal Year 2024 of $168,945 for the Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller and Treasurer and $192,465 for the Attorney General and Secretary of State); Article 35, Section 35-5 (providing that General Assembly members shall receive an annual salary of $85,000 or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater, setting a maximum salary of $89,250 for Fiscal Year 2024); Article 15, Sections 15-5 through 15-40 (providing that Agency Directors shall receive a specified annual salary and an annual increase in salary based on a cost of living adjustment as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly).

It is evident that the errors in the amounts to compensate all of these officers were inadvertent and that the General Assembly intended for the amounts set forth in Senate Bill 250 simply to implement the salaries provided by law.

Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(d) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby reduce the appropriation items listed below and approve each item in the amount set forth in the “Reduced Amount” column below […]

In addition to these specific item reductions, I hereby approve all other appropriation items in Senate Bill 250.

* From the Illinois Legislative Glossary

Veto, Reduction

The Governor reduces the amount of an item of an appropriation bill. The General Assembly may do nothing and the reduction stands, or the General Assembly may restore the item to its original amount. In either event, the remainder of the bill becomes law.

…Adding… The “technical corrections to language from SB 2541 that was included in the bill” line is interesting. The bill drafters essentially copied and pasted language from the comptroller’s approp bill, which is SB2541. Click here to see it yourself.

  11 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  Comments Off      


Open thread

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Happy Wednesday! What’s going on?…

  7 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

  17 Comments      


* Live Coverage * Jimmy Weiss trial

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here for Twitter’s version, or follow along with ScribbleLive


  Comments Off      


Live coverage

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


  Comments Off      


« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x2)
* Reader comments closed for Independence Day
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some fiscal news
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
* RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
* Groups warn about plan that doesn't appear to be in the works
* SB 328: Separating Lies From Truth
* Campaign news: Big Raja money; Benton over-shares; Rashid's large cash pile; Jeffries to speak at IDCCA brunch
* Rep. Hoan Huynh jumps into packed race for Schakowsky’s seat (Updated)
* Roundup: Pritzker taps Christian Mitchell for LG
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated)
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Trump admin freezes $240 million in grants for Illinois K-12 schools
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller