* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about the lawsuit challenging a new law that folds abortion crisis centers into the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act…

Pay attention to where this legislation came from. I think you heard that the Attorney General of the State of Illinois was driving into a reproductive rights center when he was essentially flagged down by people who looked like they belong to that center and when he was driving in, stopped, and they began to talk to him about oh, you know, park over here, wherever. It’s a little bit different angle than he was headed because he knew that the entrance where he was going to was in a different place, and began to ask them questions and realized that they were trying to get anybody that was headed to this. I think it was a Planned Parenthood clinic to essentially veer off and talk to people at a crisis - and I put quotes around crisis pregnancy center - and that they were lying to him about where he ought to be going. So this was just the beginning of work that he did to determine that this is happening across the state of Illinois.

Indeed, many of these centers are being put next to clinics where people are seeking to exercise their reproductive rights. And so that was the purpose of it. And that continues to be the purpose of it.

Nobody’s forcing anybody to make any particular decision here. But what we don’t want is misrepresentation, misinformation, people being deceived in the process or just seeking their basic health care rights. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not at all surprised. I think that what the right wing in Illinois has decided is they can’t win at the ballot box. They can’t win in the legislature. They didn’t win the governorship. They didn’t win the races around the state that they were trying to take in, you know, school boards and library boards and so on. And so they have only one thing that they have resorted to, and that’s take every one of these pieces of legislation and try to take it to court and get a decision they like. They typically head for courts where they think they’re going to get a judge that was elected who was one of their own in order to get an initial decision in their favor. But when you go to federal court, less likely to have that happen and you know, my reaction is this is just par for the course. We’ve seen this before.

* More bill signings today…

Governor Pritzker today signed five bills expanding protections for veterans, active-duty soldiers, and military dependents.

“The men and women of this state and this country who heed the call to serve deserve every possible support and protection during and after their time in the military,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These bills weave together a more comprehensive safety net to protect and uplift veterans and service members dealing with the complexities of life in the military, including the many ways in which service can impact someone’s family and loved ones. To the service members recognized by our newly designed Honor and Remember flag, we thank you for your ultimate sacrifice and mourn with your families and the rest of the state.”

HB0925: House Bill 0925 creates the “Veteran Service Organization State Charter Act.” This act lays out specific requirements organizations must meet in order to be considered state-chartered veterans service organizations. This is a voluntary process that includes demonstrating that an organization must be formed by and for veterans with a majority of board members who are veterans, alongside other financial and legal qualifications.

HB3103: House Bill 3103 eases the process of obtaining a civil no contact order of protection for victims and survivors of military sexual assault. In 2022, Governor Pritzker signed into law SB257, ensuring military sexual assault victims were able to access the same rights and protections as their civilian counterparts. SB 257 allowed Military Protective Orders to be used as a basis for the issuing of criminal domestic violence orders of protection, stalking no contact orders, and gave local law enforcement the ability to enforce a military protective order. This act expands on those efforts to ensure victims and survivors of military sexual assault have access to all necessary resources for protection. The U.S. Department of Defense has cited Illinois’ work in this area as a model for national reform.

HB3295: House Bill 3295 requires the military liaison for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to notify service members’ spouses of federal assistance programs to reimburse licensing fees when they apply to transfer a professional license to Illinois. Under federal law, military spouses may be reimbursed up to $1,000 for obtaining a professional license required when moving to a new state for military relocation. This includes exam and registration fees. Governor Pritzker has previously prioritized aiding military spouses with relocation by creating a liaison to assist eligible members and their spouses, and by expediting certain applications for review. The licensing reimbursement will be paid by the branch of the military the individual serves in.

HB2856: House Bill 2856 amends the Vital Records Act by adding that the death certificate for an individual who has history of military service may include or be amended to include whether or not a military service-related injury contributed to the cause of death. Having such a classification can expand and expedite access to benefits for the spouse or dependents of the deceased.

SB1072: Senate Bill 1072 designated the Honor and Remember flag as the specific symbol to acknowledge American service men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty. The flag was created by the father of Cpl. George ‘Tony’ Lutz II who was killed in action while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. The bill creates a mandate on public entities that would then be required to purchase the flag, which cost $55 each. Twenty other states officially recognize this flag.

* Illinois State Board of Education…

Illinois state agencies have released and incorporated new data into the High School 2 Career dashboard tool to ensure Illinois students have the information they need to make informed decisions about their postsecondary and career options. The tool enables students, parents, and guidance counselors to review a wide range of information on Illinois public high school seniors and their actual pathways after they graduate, including postsecondary education choices by degree type and academic area of study, as well as their career and salary outcomes. The interactive online dashboard is available in both English and Spanish. Tutorial videos are also available in both English and Spanish to assist users as they navigate the dashboard.

A data-sharing partnership among the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and Illinois State University (ISU), makes this newest iteration of the tool possible. It utilizes data from public school seniors representing five academic years– following their progress from high school through nine years post-gratuation to provide an unparalleled snapshot of the education requirements, compensation, and job stability a student can expect from hundreds of different occupations.

* Press release…

Governor Signs Manley-Preston Bill to Protect Against Lewd Displays in Prison

Everyone involved in corrections is entitled to be protected from lewd behavior in prisons. Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) and Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) have now provided that protection. Governor Pritzker has signed their bill, HB1399, which creates an effective response to such behaviors as gassing, splashing and exposure in prisons by:

* Addressing the underlying motivations for this conduct by providing offenders with a Mental Health Treatment Court option.
* Punishing repeat offenses as a Class 4 felonies.
* Requiring data collection and a 2028 sunset to be able to evaluate the law’s effectiveness.

“Protecting our correctional community, especially female officers and staff, is absolutely necessary and long overdue,” Rep. Manley said. “This bill gives them a two-pronged approach that will result in real, ongoing protection against this behavior: Treatment for what causes the behavior to keep it from recurring and punishment for those who refuse to change their behavior with that treatment. After working with representatives of law enforcement and criminal justice advocates over the past year, I am proud to be able to sponsor a meaningful solution to this dangerous situation.”

“I was honored to sponsor this important piece of legislation which will keep our corrections officers safer in their place of work,” Sen. Preston said. “Ultimately, I believe it can help deter and prevent an ongoing issue of detainee sexual harassment and I am proud to have seen it pass in both houses.”

The bill was an initiative of Safer Foundation, which worked with Rep. Manley to convene a year-long series of workshops where advocacy groups and correctional authorities from the Cook and Will County Sheriffs developed this groundbreaking approach. The resulting legislation was supported by the Illinois FOP, the Illinois Sheriff’s Association, the Kane County State’s Attorney and the Midwest Region of the Laborer’s International Union. It was co-sponsored by a bi-partisan group that included both Democratic and Republican leadership and passed both chambers unanimously.

“This is the way good legislation is made,” said Safer Foundation Public Policy Analyst Mark McCombs. “Driven by Representative Manley’s commitment to this issue, diverse interests thoughtfully crafted an approach that works. It works because it gets to the root of what causes someone to act like this. It works because it treats a mental health issue with a mental health response. And it works because it protects the entire correctional community, including the vast majority of incarcerated individuals who also don’t want to be subjected to this conduct.”

Lewd behavior in correctional facilities has become an increasingly dangerous problem for correctional authorities. Those authorities have seen a rise in incidents where incarcerated individuals subject guards, staff, volunteers – often females — and even their cellmates to indecent exposure, sexual stimulation and the throwing of bodily fluids (commonly called “splashing” or “gassing”). Retaining staff under these circumstances is challenging. The stress created on staff who remain impacts their ability to perform already difficult jobs, including protecting incarcerated individuals. Previously, Illinois law provided no effective response to this conduct.

I omitted their quotes, but outside of the governor’s email above, I think that’s the only email I’ve received specifically touting a House Democrat’s newly signed law after Friday’s mass bill-signing. And that was from the Safer Foundation. Not sure what’s up over there.

* The Cardinals owners did this and it has proved very popular. Same with the area around that minor league park on the North Side…

Expansive development of the surrounding areas at major sports venues is topping the wish list of teams looking to bring new retail space, bars, restaurants and family activities closer to their home venues.

These “mini-cities” have proven to be major success stories in locales like Atlanta at the Battery connected to the Braves’ Truist Park and the ever-growing development around the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium as well as its headquarters in Frisco, Texas.

It’s the same dream the Chicago Bears are pursuing with the team’s plan to develop a $5 billion stadium and mixed-use entertainment district in the northwest suburb. Those initial plans seemed to have stalled, and the Bears are now listening to pitches on other municipalities, including Chicago itself. Mayor Brandon Johnson and any other hopeful to win the team to their side will almost certainly need to offer a site with ample space for such a development.

* My pledge to you…

If I ever antagonize my commenters by boosting the craziest comments, erratically scare off my advertisers because I’m being kind to Nazis and pedophiles, change my company’s well known and hard earned name and logo, y’all have my permission to hate me

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) July 31, 2023

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

* Crain’s | ComEd is on a marketing charm offensive — and you’re paying for a lot of it: These PR campaigns include the celebratory turning on of Buckingham Fountain in mid-May, which ComEd calls Switch on Summer. ComEd most recently promoted the event with three hours of “free family fun, live music and giveaways,” according to recent testimony filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office.

* Sun-Times | We can make Chicago the nation’s best city for biking: One recent survey ranked Chicago near the bottom on bikeability among big cities. But with public support, the right changes can be made to make Chicago even safer for cyclists, an Active Transportation Alliance leader writes.

* Center Square | Illinois to invest millions into the state’s veterans homes: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza visited the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Anna to highlight the renovation projects. As part of the nearly $3 million project, Mendoza said the entire HVAC ventilation system at the facility will be replaced.

* Crain’s | Danny Wirtz succeeds late father Rocky atop Wirtz Corp.: Danny Wirtz will take his father’s titles as chairman and president of Wirtz Corp., as the fourth generation of the family that owns the Chicago Blackhawks suddenly takes leadership of a sprawling and closely held business worth billions.

* Fox 32 | Illinois launching new program to help parents save for college education: The new program is called Illinois First Steps college savings programs and leaders are encouraging parents to open an account. Nearly $2.5 million is going toward the program, and parents who enroll can qualify for a deposit of $50 from the state.

* Block Club | Illinois Cracks Down On ‘Deceptive’ Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers: The Illinois Attorney General can fine crisis pregnancy centers using false advertising and misinformation about reproductive healthcare — but only if patients complain.

* Tribune | Cresco and Columbia Care call off $2 billion cannabis megamerger; Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs deal also scratched: Chicago-based Cresco Labs and Columbia Care called off their $2 billion cannabis megamerger Monday, citing “evolving” market conditions that include falling stock prices, tightening credit and flattening industry sales. The companies also scratched the $185 million sale of cannabis facilities in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to rapper/producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, which were part of required antitrust divestitures for the merger.

* Daily Herald | Marijuana dispensaries in Cary, Crystal Lake, McHenry and Richmond close in on opening dates: If opening an adult-use marijuana dispensary in McHenry County were a horse race, then there are several contenders champing at the bit to get started.

* Ms. | Illinois Law Holds Anti-Abortion ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ Accountable for Misinformation and Fraud: Illinois is the fourth state, following Connecticut, Colorado and Vermont, to enact a law reigning in the deceptive practices of CPCs, also known as limited service pregnancy centers (LSPCs), which often masquerade as reproductive health clinics to lure vulnerable women, and use lies and disinformation about abortion to pressure them to carry pregnancies to term.

* Daily Herald | Suburban office market continues to face challenges, change in ‘a time of reset’: The data shows a suburban total vacancy rate of 28.9% in the second quarter, up from 28.5% in the first quarter. In the second quarter of 2022 it was 21.5%, and in the second quarter of 2021 it was 18.2%

* Sun-Times | Loretto Hospital workers set to strike Monday morning: Workers have been working on a new contract with the hospital. Union members are demanding a living wage, more staffing and better working conditions.“Loretto is facing a significant staffing crisis, with vacancy rates ranging from 25 to 35% in various positions and an annual staff turnover of 60%,” the union said in a statement.

* Sun-Times | Could a drastic change in Atlantic Ocean currents leave Chicago high and dry? Yes: Some scientists worry that a shutdown of an important system of oceanic currents called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could push Chicago’s precipitation farther south.

* Crain’s | Real estate giant Jones Lang LaSalle looks to unload part of HQ: The Chicago-based company this month formally began marketing more than 61,000 square feet at its Aon Center headquarters for sublease, according to a flyer. The space on the 47th and 48th floors represents about 30% of JLL’s workspace in the East Loop skyscraper, where its lease runs through May 2032.

* Mother Jones | Tesla Can’t Even Do the One Thing It’s Supposed to Be Good At: A new Reuters report calls into question Tesla’s ability to do the one thing that its vehicles were supposed to be good at: dominating the electric car industry with exceptional battery range. In fact, according to the report, Tesla intentionally overestimated the battery range displayed on drivers’ dashboards by rigging the software, only to then systematically cancel the service appointments of customers who complained. The company even established an entire Las Vegas “Diversion Team” devoted to canceling range-related appointments.

* Semafor | Twitter threatens to sue a nonprofit critical of Elon Musk: Lawyers representing Twitter sent a July 20 letter to the CCDH, claiming the organization “made a series of troubling and baseless claims that appear calculated to harm Twitter generally.”

* The Root | The Alphas Pour Ice Cold Water On Their Florida Convention: Florida has targeted the Black community from restricting voting rights to banning books about basic Black history while completely ignoring the systemic racism being perpetuated by every bill they pass. It’s unsurprising that the oldest Black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., pulled their upcoming conventions from Orlando.

* Crain’s | ‘Barbenheimer’ sets records at Chicago theaters : Officials at AMC Theaters, the nation’s largest movie theater operator, say three of its Chicago outlets garnered their highest-ever box office tallies last week, thanks to boffo business done by “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”

* News Channel 20 | Local restaurants start to prepare for State Fair: At Main Gate Bar and Grill, Keeley’s Place, and Kentucky Burn, Co-Owner Bill Tinsley said he’s starting to get ready. He said a tent will be put up between Keeley’s Place and Main Gate for the restaurant and bar. He plans to order double or triple the amount of food for customers coming in during the fair. He’s also planning to make room for up to 70 parking spaces.

* WICS | Redneck fishing tournament returns to Bath, Illinois: On Friday, people head to the Village of Bath in Mason County to come and see how many fish they can get to jump into their boats or snag out of the air with landing nets during two, 2-hour heats. The first heat is from noon to 2 p.m. The second is from 4 to 6 p.m.